Journalist David Craig has been selected as the Green Party’s parliamentary candidate for the Tottenham constituency at the next general election, it has been announced.
Although not a target area for the Greens – those are Brighton Pavilion, Bristol Central, Waveney Valley and North Herefordshire – there remains significant interest in who will contest this prolific London seat.
The incumbent David Lammy, Labour, has represented Tottenham since June 2000, but has been criticised for his delay in calling for a ceasefire to the Israel/Gaza conflict despite currently serving as Shadow Foreign Secretary.
In a personal statement released to Green Party members during the candidate selection process, Craig said that he “won’t be shy about my support for a ceasefire in Gaza as well as an end to arming Israel”.
The candidate for Tottenham is a Green Party member who currently volunteers as External Communications Officer for the Haringey branch.
Hailing from Bournemouth, Craig moved to north London in March 2020, initially living in Wood Green before moving to Finsbury Park, where he currently resides.
He went to a non-selective comprehensive school and studied Journalism at The University of Sheffield, with his current job being in the media. He is LGBTQ+ and the first generation of his family to be educated to degree level.
His campaign accounts will be launched nearer to the general election period, but he can currently be found on X (formerly Twitter) by anyone who wishes to get in touch or follow his activity.
An official candidate email address will also be shared in due course.
Craig’s full personal statement, which was sent to members during the candidate selection period, is available to read below:
“Thank goodness that the general election is almost here! I know I’m not the only one hungry for change in politics. I’d like to play a role in delivering a sorely needed fresh start as the Green Party’s parliamentary candidate for Tottenham.
Here, I see an opportunity to boost local awareness of our incredible organisation, at a time when voters are actively seeking an alternative to the tired politics of yesterday.
I’ll be honest with you: I wasn’t born in Tottenham. Hailing from a working-class family way down south, the idea of moving to London always felt like an implausible fantasy. I feel lucky to be here every day and I’m keen to fight for the community that I’ve called home for several years.
If chosen to run for this constituency, I will speak with residents, participate in local hustings, engage members of the press and curate a social media presence to ensure that the exciting future envisioned by the Green Party is projected far and wide.
Now, more than ever, we need politicians who are unafraid to call for green policies, public services, human rights and social justice. If chosen to run for Tottenham, these would be key tenets of my campaign.
I firmly believe that one method by which we can fix the major issues facing our country right now is to get more Greens in Parliament. Therefore, I view this role as a major responsibility and promise to take my duties as a candidate seriously.
With experience in media production, communication and public speaking, I believe that I have the skills necessary to convey our core messages online, in person or on the printed page.
No, I’m not a career politician – and I will happily sing that from the rooftops. I think people have had enough of those. Instead, I pride myself on being approachable, personable and grounded, which are all qualities I would seek to display from campaign materials to door-knocking.
Everyone should feel that they have a reachable representative to champion their concerns to relevant authorities, including the government of the day.
But people also want to know that their local candidate has a fine-tuned moral compass, which is why I won’t be shy about my support for a ceasefire in Gaza as well as an end to arming Israel. The ongoing destruction and death in the region will not bring lasting peace.
Ultimately, I hope to be a voice of reason. No matter what the right-wing media tries to tell us, it is rational to want clean air, efficient (and free) health and social care, safe schools and a peaceful world with a sustainable future. That’s just common sense.”