RJ Learmouth is the Green Party parliamentary candidate for Brentwood and Ongar in the forthcoming General Election.

Full statement

RJ grew up in South Essex and works in Brentwood. As a local Healthcare Professional with over a decade of frontline service, they know how vital our public services like the NHS are. They have seen firsthand the impact of years of underfunding these critical services have taken; a decline that has accelerated since the pandemic.

RJ is a proactive member of the Green Party, contributing to the Party's Policy Development Groups on topics including Drug Reform, LGBTIQA+ rights, and Immigration and Asylum. RJ is an active volunteer in the Green Party's campaigning across South Essex, including taking a key role in the local election wins for the Greens in Southend-on-Sea.

In their own time, RJ supports Essex's vibrant grassroots music scene; a lifelong love of music, literature, and art which began at Brentwood's Hermit Youth Club, a sorely missed local facility for our young people.

Upon hearing the announcement of the General Election, RJ said:

"I'm looking forward to offering voters in Brentwood and Ongar a credible alternative to the old parties. People don't feel better off after the last fourteen years of Conservative mismanagement and they're looking for change. Our civic infrastructure is crumbling, vital local services are at breaking point, and our natural environment is facing an existential threat. The fact that so many of our frontline NHS workers are forced to use foodbanks to support their families should be a national shame. Everyone is shouldering the burden of the political choices made at Westminster, and it's about time those decisions took account of ordinary families' needs. For me, this is simply a question of fairness.

The Green Party offers a transformative and hopeful vision of what our country can be; a fairer and greener society, where people have financial and energy security, where people can lead happier and healthier lives in a good quality and affordable home, and where the reality of the climate emergency is given the urgent attention it needs. Greens across the country are already representing their communities and working honestly and collaboratively for the common good. We can have representatives who bring this kind of hard work and integrity back to public office, and this is what I offer. I want to put the urgent needs of our community back at the top of the agenda. If you share these values, I urge you to vote for and join the Green Party, and support our mission to build a fairer and greener country."