THERE will be three familiar names on the ballot paper at the next General Election in Taunton Deane.

Clive Martin has this month been selected to stand for The Green Party in the poll.

It will be Mr Martin's third shot at trying to win the seat following defeats in the previous two votes in 2015 and 2017.

He was chosen by the local party following a month-long selection process to represent it at the election, which must be held by 2022, although many pundits predict it could come sooner due to the political chaos surrounding Brexit.

Mr Martin has stood locally for the Greens in district and county elections and is also an active member of Bishops Lydeard and Cothelstone Parish Council.

Initiatives he has been involved with in recent years include working to keep Bishops Lydeard Library open, as well as a number of "radical and environmental campaigns" and supporting Extinction Rebellion.

Along with sitting MP, Conservative Rebecca Pow, he campaigned to remain in the European Union in 2016.

Mr Martin said: "I’m pleased and honoured that the membership have again selected me to stand for them in the General Election.

"I remain firmly of the view that it is only by standing candidates and getting elected at all levels of government that we can make progress with our unique agenda.

"Although I’m very glad to see that climate chaos, global heating and the destruction of our ecosystem are at last at the centre of political debate, no other party has our track record in this area.

"It is one thing to declare a 'climate emergency', quite another to come up with the radical and swift transformation that we need.

"Such a change can only be made if we also focus on the need for more equality both nationally and internationally."

Mr Martin came fifth out of eight candidates in the 2015 General Election, attracting 2,630 votes, dipping to 1,151 votes two years later. He lost his deposit both times.

Ms Pow has already been selected to stand for the Conservatives in a bid to complete her third victory at the polls, while Gideon Amos will represent the LibDems for the second successive time after coming second in 2017.