THE Green Party believes it can offer the town’s voters a breath of fresh air at the General Election next year.

Last night the party announced its candidates for the town’s two Parliamentary seats, and they are both confident they will be able to make a difference to the political scene.

Talis Kimberley-Fairbourn, of Wroughton, will look to oust Robert Buckland for the South Swindon seat while Poppy Hebden-Leeder, of Rodbourne Cheney, will be going up against Justin Tomlinson in North Swindon.

Both candidates are reasonably new to party politics having both only been members of the Green Party for little over a year, but each of them believes this gives them an advantage over the other candidates they will be facing.

Talis said: “For me it has been a gradual move towards party politics through activism and organic involvement.

“When I looked at the parties available I felt the Green Party had the policies deserving of my support. The traditional tribal politics is fracturing and I think people are looking for a change.

“I do not think we can change the hearts of the people in power because we have tried, through marching, protests letter writing but to no effect. The only thing that remains is to change the people who are in power.

“So many people are being let down by the current politics. The current policy of austerity we have is something which should shame the country.

“We are a party which believes public services should be kept for the public and not sold off in parts.”

Traditionally the Green Party has not had strong support in Swindon, but in the current climate Talis believes that will change.

“There may be a climate where we had a strong Liberal Democrat vote which now comes over to us,” she said. “But I have seen people from the Lib Dems, Labour and the Conservatives joining us.”

She added: “I was sitting in a radio studio before the local elections in May and I heard the party leaders changing their policy to agree with what I was saying.”

Poppy Hebden-Leeder said that while the challenge to become an MP is new to her, she feels that she can make a difference.

She said: “I am excited but also a bit nervous. I think what I offer people is that I am a normal person with no big background in politics.

“I see people suffering as a result of the current system and feel something has to change.

“So many people feel the parties in power at the moment are not offering any real answers to their problems and I want to do something about it.”