Lauren McLay has been selected as the Green Party candidate for South West Devon, which incorporates Plympton, Plymstock, Woolwell, Yelverton, Shaugh Prior, Ivybridge and Sherford.
Lauren is the Green Party Group Leader on Plymouth City Council representing Plympton Chaddlewood ward. Following her initial election in January 2023 and successful re-election in May 2024 gaining 53% of the vote, she is the first Green Party councillor to be successfully re-elected to Plymouth City Council.
Since her election, Lauren has been working hard to improve play parks, parks and green spaces, advocate for nature and a just transition to netzero, and increase access to democracy. She also sits on Health and Wellbeing, Natural Infrastructure and Growth and Children, Young People and Families Scrutiny Panels on Plymouth City Council.
Within the Green Party, Lauren is also a member of the Young Greens.
Lauren, who grew up in central Scotland, moved to the South West to work for an environmental charity. She has a professional background in tourism, culture and communications. She says it is a ‘great honour’ to have been selected to contest the seat which has been held by retiring Conservative Gary Streeter for 27 years.
She is committed to increasing the presence of marginalised groups within politics. As a young, queer, working class woman Lauren advocates that our elected representatives should be representative of us.
Outside of work, Lauren enjoys camping on Dartmoor, snorkelling and wild swimming at Wembury, walking and paddleboarding around Noss Mayo, bouldering, live music and exploring nature with her rescue greyhound.
Lauren says:
“We live in one of the richest countries on the planet. Yet in South West Devon nurses are using food banks, putting a roof over our heads is all too often unaffordable, thousands of children are growing up in poverty, and a hospital or dentist appointment is like gold dust.
We need more than the few tweaks offered by the Labour Party to undo the damage of the Conservatives. We need real hope, and real change. Voting Green sends a message for the serious change this country deserves; to restore our NHS, deliver safe and warm homes for all, stop water bosses profiting from sewage in our rivers and seas, address the cost of living crisis and be ambitious in tackling the climate and nature emergencies.
My work as a councillor in Plympton gives me firsthand knowledge of the importance of good, local public services and how, over the last 14 years, residents in South West Devon have seen the consequences of austerity on these services and their own household budgets. We cannot fix our ailing public services, address rampant child poverty, fix our broken energy system and protect the planet without serious investment. A vote for the Green Party will put pressure on the incoming government to deliver the necessary investment while ensuring that the burden doesn’t fall on ordinary working families.”