Lara is first-ever Green Party councillor for district

Lara Davenport-Ray made local political history today (Friday, May 6) when she won one of two St Neots East seats on Huntingdonshire District Council.

She is the first-ever Green Party candidate to sit on HDC and minutes after hearing the news, she spoke to The Hunts Post and said it was "about time" the district had a Green councillor.

"It is about time we had a Green Party councillor here in Huntingdonshire and I am feeling good and ready for change."

She said responses on the doorstep while she was out canvassing were encouraging as many people told her they were ready for change. 

"Many of those people were voting for the first time. There was one person who was in her fifties and said she had never voted before but felt inspired. I even spoke to some refugee families who were unable to vote but told me they wished they could."

Lara also took the opportunity to publicly invite Green Party politician Caroline Lucas to visit St Neots.

Of her win, she said: "This is the first step forward and the hope is that we now go from strength to strength.

The result: Lara Davenport-Ray (Green) 772; Marcus Pickering (Independent) 666; Mokbul Ahmed (Con) 53; Ari Laakkonen (Con) 49. Ward went to Green and Independent.