THE Green Party's co-leader visited Worcester today - issuing a rallying call over its record number of election candidates for Worcestershire County Council.
Jonathan Bartley launched his party's national election campaign in the city, using the riverside as the backdrop for an impassioned rally to activists.
He said the party was determined to build on its current tally of two county councillors, with candidates standing in 55 of the 57 seats.
Mr Bartley slammed the Government's Brexit approach as "an omnishambles", called US President Donald Trump's rise to the White House "alarming" and called for tax system changes to offer more funding to the NHS.
He also insisted the Green Party would influence the national debate by winning more council seats across Britain, saying "the fight starts here".
"It's wonderful to be back in Worcester - it feels like we're at a pivotal moment in the history of Britain," he said.
"We're about to embark on an extreme Brexit where we'll see an assault on the environmental protections we've all enjoyed.
"And we should be under no illusions that we face the fight of our lives when it comes to Government cuts.
"I'm absolutely thrilled to be here, we've got a record number of candidates at these local elections and it's crucial that we fight for the kind of country we want at a local level - the fight starts here."
After fielding questions on topics like adult social care and the NHS he also said tax needed to be "fairer".
"We've got to have an honest conversation about tax," he said.
"We are the only opposition on this - we've just seen Labour vote for effective tax cuts for the top 15 per cent of the highest earners.
"Since 2010 we've seen the longest period of under-investment in the NHS since the Second World War as a percentage of GDP, we've had 30 or 40 per cent of local government funding cuts on top of that, and we wonder why we've got social care problems.
"Wherever they are elected, Green councillors make a meaningful difference in their communities, improving people’s lives in all sorts of ways."
He also called for tax breaks for small and medium-sized firms which pay staff the Living Wage.
It was Mr Bartley's second visit to Worcester in recent months - last October he went to see the dualling work on the A449 Southern Link Road, calling for extra safety measures for pedestrians.
This morning's visit came just hours after his appearance on BBC1's Question Time last night, which was broadcast in Kent.
Mr Bartley spent this lunchtime door knocking in Worcester, visiting people in St Peter's, an area where the party is hoping to make a gain from the Tories.
The local elections are on Thursday, May 4, with County Hall's Conservative leadership holding 32 of the 57 seats, an overall majority of seven.
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