Uttlesford Green Party announces its Candidates for the 2026 Essex County Council Election

With membership numbers at both local and national level having tripled over the past 6 months, and on the back of a historic win in the recent Gorton & Denton by-election, the Greens have high hopes for the upcoming local elections.

The Uttlesford Green Party has selected candidates for all four pre-existing Essex County Council divisions in Uttlesford, namely Saffron Walden, Thaxted, Stansted and Dunmow, as well as for the new Takeley division, created after a recent Local Government Boundary Commission Review.

Saffron Walden

Edward Gildea is a retired inner-city teacher and headteacher, who has lived in Saffron Walden since 2013. He served on the Green Party Policy Development Committee from 2020 to 2023, encouraging the development of robust national policies.

He writes regularly in the press on green issues, gives talks locally to Women’s Institutes, Probus meetings and U3A groups and was the environmental stakeholder for the Uttlesford Local Plan.

Edward became a passionate environmentalist as a result of sailing around the world, and seeing and realising how very small and delicate our planet is.

He is motivated by concern for his children and grandchildren, and is deeply committed to the fight, at all levels, to ensure that current and future generations can live in peace and social justice on a healthy and hospitable planet.

Thaxted

Paul Allington is an award-winning IT professional specialising in problem solving through technology, a fast and agile developer with a passion for assisting independent, local and small businesses. He completed a term as a non executive director for the Independent Professional and Self Employed Association, has volunteered for the Scouts and as a projectionist at Saffron Screen, and was a member of the Sewards End Parish Council.

Paul runs The Code Zone clubs for 6- to 14-year-olds, helping to plug the UK’s IT skills shortage through fun challenges, intriguing robots, backflipping drones and hackable games.

Paul joined the Green Party in 2015, having read a manifesto that really resonated with him. He saw a political ideology that is sensible and kind at its core, that strives for a better future for our children and grandchildren, that seeks systemic changes to create a positive Green future rather than simply sowing division.

Paul has been the coordinator for the Uttlesford Green Party since 2018, helps his wife Sarah with Forest School, and can often be found relaxing in the calm woods and in nature, whittling and drinking tea.

Stansted

Dr David Radford is a science graduate who has had a career in local government and health service administration. After fundraising for the homelessness charity Shelter while a postgraduate, he worked on housing policy at the Institute of Housing, as a senior housing manager for a metropolitan council, as Chief Executive of a county council, and as Chair of NHS Devon, Plymouth and Torbay before retiring in 2013.

David wants to work once again in local government – this time as an elected representative of the local population – because of how dramatically public services have deteriorated in recent years, and how urgently they need fresh commitment.

He views the Green Party’s vision, not only for the natural environment but also an equitable and humane society, to be our best hope both locally and nationally.

Dunmow

Max Buckland has lived in the area since 2000, and has worked as a carer since 2018. He remained working throughout the pandemic, whilst also studying history at Anglia Ruskin University, where he successfully completed a Master’s degree in 2023. Max continues to work in the care sector, where he strives to ensure that the elderly and the vulnerable can live as well and as independently as they can while receiving the assistance they need.

Max has long identified with Green Party policies, believing that real improvement in the quality of life for all British people is achieved only through investment in infrastructure and services, but only became a member last October following the election of Zack Polanski and the bold new direction the Greens are taking. He sees in them a party which finally addresses the problems we face instead of making excuses; one which proposes fundamental systemic changes that have been shown to work instead of endless cuts and managed decline.

In the face of rising inequality, division and far-right extremism, Max has committed to be a part of a political force that stands for unity, equality and human rights, and which is working to create a better future for us all.

Takeley

Dr Madeleine Radford is a science graduate who had a career in central government, academia and consultancy practice focused on economic, social and environmental sustainability. She led the “Clear Zones” initiative, part of the government’s Foresight programme that uses technologies to reduce city centre traffic and air pollution, and increase liveability.

Madeleine supports the Green Party because it has developed the policies most likely to tackle the global Climate Crisis and to mitigate the Uk’s damaging social, economic, environmental and health inequalities.

25 March 2026

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