AN AWARD-winning writer has been selected as the Green Party's candidate for Salisbury at the next general election.
Barney Norris, who grew up in Salisbury and now lives in Milford, is known for his novel Five Rivers Met On A Wooded Plain, which is an exploration of life in modern Salisbury, and became a best-seller following its publication in 2016.
Mr Norris, 37, is an ambassador for local homelessness charity Alabare, a patron of Studio Theatre, the city’s amateur theatre, and the Salisbury Literary Festival, as well as being the coordinator of Salisbury Green Party.
He told the Journal that his "life-long love" of Salisbury led him to write repeatedly for the Salisbury Playhouse, with memorable productions of The Remains of the Day, Lorca’s classic Blood Wedding and the Salisbury Plain-set First World War drama Echo’s End presented on the main stage.
Following his selection, Barney said: ‘Salisbury is my city, and it’s given so much to me: I’m eager to make a case for Green leadership here as the best way to tackle housing, transport and environmental issues.
"To me, the Green Party is the solutions wing of the environmental movement. It falls to us to propose and deliver the structural changes so urgently needed to tackle the climate emergency."
Mr Norris will take on the incumbent John Glen, who will once again be standing for the Conservative party, Victoria Charleston, who will be representing the Liberal Democrats, and King Arthur Pendragon, who will once again be standing as an Independent.
It is not yet known who the Labour party candidate will be.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has indicated that he will not call a general election until the second half of 2024.
In 2019 Mr Glen retained the Salisbury seat, with a slightly increased majority.
He took the seat with a majority of 19,736, which was 2,403 more than 2017.
Mr Norris added: "Whenever the present, failing government finally accepts its fate and calls an election, local Greens who have been relentlessly pushing for climate-friendly policies will be ready to argue for real, vital, improvements to people’s lives in Salisbury."
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