Former Labour councillor and trade unionist joins Green Party

Emily Price

A former Gwent Labour councillor, parliamentary agent, and long-standing trade union activist has joined the Green Party.

Malpas Councillor David Mayer stood under Labour’s banner for more than four decades before becoming an independent councillor earlier this year.

His defection takes the Greens up to two councillors in Newport.

Elected as a Newport City Councillor in 1990, Mayer held a number of senior roles, including chair of the audit committee and the learning, caring and leisure committee.

From 2004, he chaired the influential ‘Transforming Access to Services’ cabinet sub-group, helping to drive bottom-up reform of council services.

Explaining his decision to join the Greens, Cllr Mayer said: “My political life has always been rooted in Labour and the trade union movement, in public service, and in improving people’s lives.

“However, I have become increasingly concerned that the scale of the challenges we now face – climate breakdown, social inequality, and the hollowing-out of local democracy – require a different kind of political courage. I believe the Green Party is now best placed to offer that.”

He added: “This is not a rejection of my past, but a continuation of the values that first brought me into politics.

“The Greens’ commitment to community-led decision making, social justice, and long-term thinking reflects the principles I have tried to apply throughout my career.”

The Gwent Green Party welcomed the move, describing it as a significant endorsement of Green politics from someone with deep experience in public service and the labour movement.

Lauren James, Green Party Newport City Councillor for Shaftesbury, said: “We are proud to welcome David Mayer to the Green Party. His record as a councillor, trade unionist, and campaigner speaks for itself.

“As more experienced figures recognise the need for a genuine alternative, the Greens are becoming the natural home for those who want principled, practical change.”

The Gwent Green Party says it is continuing to expand its presence across the region, campaigning on clean transport, warm homes, thriving local economies, and a fair transition to a zero-carbon future.

The Welsh Greens are expecting to win its first ever seat in the Senedd at Wales’ election in May.