A YOUNG resident from Bude has been announced as a party-political candidate for the Green Party.  

At just 20 years old Lance Symonds has announced that he will be standing as the candidate for the Green Party in North Cornwall.  

Having grown up in Bude, Lance told the Post that his interest in politics started during his studies.  

He explained: “I've been involved with politics for almost two years though I've been interested in it for much longer. As a school student I was involved in campaigning on social issues, raising awareness and support for the LGBTQ+ community and fundraising for the Intercom Trust.” 

For Lance, change is vital if local issues such as poverty and climate change are to be tackled. He said: “As someone who doesn't come from a wealthy family, I'm also very much aware of the cost-of-living crisis that hit many people very hard, and of how local people have been affected by the government's harmful decisions over the past 14 years. 

“I, like many others, am tired of the fancy slogans, the setbacks and the lack of awareness about the science of how climate change will impact people in Cornwall.” 

He continued: “Living in Bude for over 18 years, I'm very aware of problems with rising sea levels, since we've had floods countless times. Not to mention the incredibly powerful and harmful storms we've had to face. We desperately need to be taking every possible measure to cut carbon emissions before the world reaches even more extreme climate tipping points.”  

Lance says he supports Bude Climate Partnership, describing them as ‘revolutionary’.

“It (Bude Climate Partnership) succeeded in bringing local people on board and showed the ambition and hard work they can provide to make genuine progress to targets that are more ambitious than our own government. I cannot wait to see this develop even further and I hope for this to become a blueprint for other locations.” 

Finally, when asked what he feels needs addressing in Bude, Lance told the Post: “What needs addressing is the perception of the rest of the country about what it's like down here. Tourists have a sunny view of Cornwall which leads them to believe that this area is perfect because of our gorgeous beaches.  

“What they don't see are the challenges faced by local businesses who struggle to find revenue all-year round, the hardship faced by so many local people as the cost of housing and basic commodities have gone through the roof, and the severe underfunding of our area.” 

Four other parties have also announced their candidates for the election. Those standing are: Labour - Robyn Harris; Conservatives – Scott Mann; Liberal Democrats – Ben Maguire; Reform UK - Rowland O'Connor.