ENVIRONMENTALIST Chris Southall has again been selected to contest the General Election in Clacton for the Green Party.

Mr Southall has stood in previous elections for the party, as well as for district and county elections.

He increased the Green Party’s number of votes from 535 in the 2010 General Election to 1,184 votes in 2015.

Mr Southall, formerly an engineer at the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough, said: “The Tendring Green Party will be campaigning on protecting care homes and social care from the effects of Brexit and the Conservatives’ savage cuts.

“We will remind people that our farms, NHS and other businesses will suffer badly if a hard Brexit takes the UK out of the Single Market and prevents workers coming here to work in our fields and hospitals.

“It is a disgrace that our children can no longer train locally to work in building and other trades and that further education has been decimated by the Tories.

"We also want to combat climate change - the recent flooding scare in Jaywick is an example of how the rise in sea levels is happening a lot faster than predicted due to climate change.

“I look forward to meeting people and talking about the issues facing us.”

Mr Southall lives with his partner and her daughter in their eco-house in Burrs Road, Great Clacton.

The house is open by appointment for people to walk round and see how to be more self-reliant in food and energy.

Mr Southall has been self-employed most of his life, working as a potter, computer engineer, drummer and with people who have special needs.

The party is crowdfunding to raise funds for its election deposit and leaflets.