THE Green Party's official prospective Parliamentary candidate is Winyates man Richard Armstrong.

Environmental issues are key to Mr Armstrong's campaign and he, his wife Isabel and three children have all been active in "green" politics for many years.

Mr Armstrong has previously been a candidate in both borough and county council elections and also sits on a town citizens' panel striving to make Redditch a better place.

Mr Armstrong, who has lived in Redditch for 25 years, said: "I feel Jacqui Smith has not addressed the social problems in Redditch.

"There are more problems now regarding vandalism to properties and an escalation of vandalism to buses.

"Jacqui and the council appear to think more CCTV will solve this problem without addressing the root cause."

On Green Party economic policy, Mr Armstrong highlights the party's call for a "citizen's income" to replace means tested benefits and says: "Pensioners and children will get more and the current disadvantaged sectors of our society will benefit."

Mr Armstrong also supports a "just society" and not one which "favours the top 20 per cent to the disadvantage of everybody else".

On climate change, Mr Armstrong said: "Global warming can be seen by all and we must act now to attempt to improve this for all our sakes."