The new Green Party candidate for Kenilworth and Southam says she wants to "make history" in the upcoming general election.

Town councillor Zoe Leventhal was today (November 22) revealed as the new representative for the local group, as they aim to have their first MP elected in the area.

A barrister with 20 years' experience, Cllr Leventhal was first elected to Kenilworth Town Council (KTC) this year, as the Greens took control of the body and became the largest party on Warwick District Council.

And as the group looks to go one further and spread that success as far as Westminster, she promised to "bring integrity back to our broken politics" and to be a "voice for Kenilworth and Southam in Westminster, not Westminster's voice in Kenilworth and Southam".

"For me, under the current government, those principles which underpin our democracy are being eroded," she told an audience at the Kenilworth Centre today.

"The rule of law is being eroded. Respect for the truth is being eroded. Respect for what connects us as human beings is being eroded. 

"And critically the urgent action on climate change that we need to see, is not being taken. 

"These principles shouldn't be part of a political game, but that is what we see being played out in front of our eyes. 

"That's why I am here - as a member of our community it is time for me to stand up and be counted."

Can the Greens win in Kenilworth?

Currently a Conservative seat, Kenilworth and Southam has had current MP Sir Jeremy Wright since 2010, with a 20,000 majority sealed during the 2019 elections.

But following the huge success for the Greens in the 2023 local elections in Warwick - during which the group received the most votes at the district level - Cllr Leventhal said she was confident Kenilworth can be won by the Green party.

"Am I saying that the Greens will be in government this time? No, not yet," she explained. 

"But what I am saying is that as your MP, I will be a strong green voice in the room. 

"I will hold this government's feet to the fire. 

"I will do everything I can to keep them honest on the environment, on health and social care, on transport, on housing and on the economy. 

"So can you win, I hear you ask? Yes we can."

Zoe Leventhal was first elected onto Kenilworth Town Council in 2023 (image via Jamie Gray)

And when pressed on whether the fact Kenilworth and Southam is not being publicly prioritised by the national party would undermine her campaign, she said it does not mean the Warwickshire seat is unobtainable.

"I totally accept that those national target seats are those minimum of four for 24," Cllr Leventhal explained. 

"I think it's fair to say that at the point those target seats were selected, we in Warwick district had not yet had the current massive success, and so our ability to pull together a team of quite brilliant people in this room wasn't yet apparent. 

"So I think it is a minimum of four. 

"And in terms of where it takes us, we are working closely with the national party and in line with their strategy."

Another Lawyer?

In her role as a barrister, for the past two decades Cllr Leventhal - who lives in Kenilworth with her family - has specialised in public law, covering health and social care, planning, discrimination and climate change.

She said this experience will be vital if she is elected, but was quizzed by the audience on whether she would be "just another lawyer" like former Attorney General Sir Jeremy.

"What sets me apart from our current MP is that I am in this community, working in this community as a town councillor," Cllr Leventhal explained. 

"I have been getting out there and doing everything I need to do to help people. 

"Also in my legal work, I have been working on the issues that impact people day to day - benefits, health, social care. 

"I feel I have a good grasp of what people need and want. But the best way to find that out is by listening."

Green Party campaigners celebrate after the success of the 2023 local elections in Warwick district (image supplied)