Brighton and Hove sees Green candidates standing in all three seats, with Caroline Lucas in a strong position to become the MP in Brighton Pavilion constituency, with success possible in neighbouring Brighton Kemptown and Hove & Portslade [1].

After it was confirmed today that the general election would be held on May 6th, the Green Party has said it is on course to make history by electing the first Green MP to Westminster.

The Green Party is fighting its election campaign on the key themes of job creation, opposition to public spending cuts, keeping the NHS public and introducing a non-means tested citizens' pension of £170 per week.

Caroline Lucas, who is the bookies' favourite to become the MP for Brighton Pavilion [2], said:

"Brighton and Hove is a diverse and vibrant City. I believe residents want more from their MP than someone who will simply follow the partywhip rather than the wishes of local people. They know that when Greens are elected, they deliver, and that a Green vote is a vote for jobs, forfairness, and for Brighton.

"You just have to look at some of the excellent work carried out by Green councillors in Brighton to see that is the case.

"If I am elected as the MP for Brighton Pavilion, I will provide a fresh and independent voice, working first and foremost for the people who elected me."

She continued: "We have been gearing up for this moment for a long time.

"The party has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and this is the first general election we have gone into with all the evidence pointing to the fact that we can win.

"We are the only party who would give Brighton residents what they really want - investment in jobs, scrapping tuition fees, a publicly run NHS, £170 per week pensions and a real commitment to equality."

The Green Party has been predicted to win the Brighton Pavilion seat by two recent polls [3], which would mark its breakthrough into Westminster for the first time in British history.

Campaign Director Paul Steedman said:  "We have been fighting this campaign for nearly three years, and we are ready for it.

"We have delivered many leaflets, knocked on tens of thousands of residents doors and shown that it is possible to run an effective and clean campaign without having a hugely well resourced national machine.

"The European elections in 2009 saw Greens take the lead in Brighton Pavilion where we have the highest number of councillors. Polls - and talking to residents - show that we can win.

"On polling day I am hopeful that we will see a Green win in Brighton Pavilion, and a strong performance in Kemptown and in Hove & Portslade, where we recently took a seat from the Tories in the Goldsmid by-election.

"People are realising they they are not voting for a Government in the general election, but rather than they are voting for who will represent them in Parliament.

"In this election, we have a real opportunity to make history be electing the first Green MPs to Westminster."

Notes to editors:

1. Ben Duncan is the parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown, and Ian Davey is the parliamentary candidate for Hove and Portslade.

2. To see up to date bookies information please see: http://www.oddschecker.com/specials/politics-and-election/brighton-pavilion

3. One poll was commissioned by www.politicshome.co.uk and carried out by YouGov which predicted a swing to the Greens.

Another poll was commissioned by the Green Party and carried out by British Polling Council members ICM in December which saw Greens on 35%, overtaking Labour by ten points and the Conservatives by eight points.

For more information please call the Brighton and Hove Green Party office on 01273 766 670.