GREEN councillors are the adults in a room full of tribal politics and pettiness, the leader of the Green Party has said during a visit to Worcester.

Sian Berry, co-leader of the Green Party, visited the city on Thursday (April 11) to support Marjory Bisset, the Green Party’s candidate for the important St Stephen ward at next month’s Worcester City Council elections.

Speaking to the Worcester News in Bilford Road, an area where the city’s Greens have long campaigned for a new pedestrian crossing, the Green Party co-leader said: “In somewhere like Worcester where it is much more finely balanced, us holding the balance of power can be a hugely positive influence on the way of doing politics.

“Not only are we raising the issues about environment like road safety that other people may not be but we are also keen to change the way politics is done to make things more collaborative and to make sure every party has a voice.

“The influence they [Green councillors] have had on the budget setting process and the way that the Green Party has worked in Worcester is an absolute model for the much more constructive way the Greens do politics.

“We are the adult’s in the room when others are being tribal and petty.”

“This is a very positive election [in Worcester] and we are expecting to do well.

“We’re expecting to make gains and add to our total and continue to be a good influence on the city.”

St Stephen ward has been earmarked as a very important area by the city’s Green Party - which already has a councillor in the ward in Neil Laurenson - as it battles to gain its fourth councillor and third on the city council.

If it plays out like it did in the 2015 city council election, every vote could prove to be crucial.

Four years ago, the incumbent Conservative councillor Gareth Jones edged past Green candidate Neal Murphy by just 92 votes.

Marjory Bisset, who welcomed the Green Party’s co-leader to the city, said electing her would “compete the team” in St Stephen – alongside Cllr Laurenson and Cllr Matthew Jenkins.

She said her focus was getting a new crossing in Bilford Road and stopping Perdiswell from being the site of Worcester City’s football ground.

Mrs Bisset said she wanted to help improve bus services and cycle and pedestrian routes in the city.