Keith Taylor (British politician)

Before becoming a Green Party activist, Taylor lived in Brighton and owned a local business. Taylor "took to community activism opposing an inappropriate local development", leading him to join the Green Party. Taylor was a participant in the campaign by BUDD, opposing the development now called the New England Quarter adjacent to Brighton railway station.[http://archive.corporatewatch.org/pages/check_out.htm archive referring to BUDD under heading 'Sainsburys'] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720174022/http://archive.corporatewatch.org/pages/check_out.htm |date=20 July 2011 }}.

In 1999, Taylor was elected as a councillor on Brighton and Hove Borough Council, representing the St Peter's ward. He became 'Convenor' (the local group's name for its leader) of the Green group on the council.[https://web.archive.org/web/20060502052347/http://www.brightonandhovegreenparty.org.uk/h/n/YOUR_REPS/stpetersnorthlaine/ALL/?cache= Cllr. Keith Taylor's Brighton and Hove Green Party Website Biography] During his time as a councillor Taylor was a member of the Policy & Resources Committee, the Adult Social Care & Health Committee, the Housing Committee, the Joint Commissioning Board, the Shoreham Airport Joint Committee, the Housing Decision Procedures Scrutiny Panel and the Licensing & Regulatory Functions Sub-Committee.[http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1107344&searchon=fullname&fullname=Keith%20Taylor Cllr. Keith Taylor's Brighton and Hove City Council Biography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927195159/http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1107344&searchon=fullname&fullname=Keith%20Taylor |date=27 September 2007 }}

Taylor stood in 2001 and 2005 as the parliamentary candidate for the Green Party in the Brighton Pavilion constituency. Taylor received 9.3% in 2001 and 21.9% of the vote in 2005.

In August 2004, Taylor was appointed a replacement for Mike Woodin as the Green Party's Male Principal Speaker alongside Caroline Lucas. The Guardian stated that Taylor "defies the stereotype of Green politicians as earnest or bookish academics".{{cite web|author=Matthew Tempest|url=http://politics.guardian.co.uk/green/story/0,9061,1277761,00.html |title=Greens name new figurehead |work=The Guardian |date=6 August 2004 |access-date=16 January 2017}} Taylor was confirmed in the post after a by-election in November 2005, beating Derek Wall by 851 votes to 803; again, serving alongside Lucas. Taylor had gained prominence for being, at the time, the Green Party's most successful parliamentary candidate in the UK, after winning 22% of the vote in the Brighton Pavilion constituency at the 2005 General Election.{{cite web|url=http://www.greenparty.org.uk/individual/114 |title=Cllr. Keith Taylor |publisher=Green Party of England and Wales |access-date=16 January 2017}} In November 2006, Taylor lost re-election to Wall by 767 votes to 705.

In 2007, Taylor faced Lucas to be selected as the Green Party's parliamentary candidate for the Brighton Pavilion constituency in the next general election. Taylor, on announcing his campaign, said, "This will be the third time I've contested this seat. I inherited a 2.6% vote for the Greens and have built that up to 22%. Next time, if I am selected again Brighton voters will make history in electing me the country's first Green MP". Lucas, in a letter to local party members, said that she had been invited to stand by several local members and described it as "the most difficult decision of my life" because of her "personal and family commitments" and her "loyalty and commitment to Keith Taylor, who is a person and a politician for whom I have great admiration and respect".{{cite web|author=Lawrence Marzouk |url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.1471414.0.greens_battle_to_be_the_first_mp.php |title=Greens Battle to Be the First MP |publisher=Brighton Argus |date=14 June 2007 |access-date=16 January 2017}}

On 18 July 2007, it was announced that Lucas had been selected ahead of Taylor by the Brighton Green Party. Lucas won with 55% of the party ballot against Taylor's 45%. Taylor congratulated Lucas and pledged his support for her campaign.{{cite web|author=Andy Dickenson |url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.1552127.0.greens_pick_mep_lucas_to_run_for_mp.php |title=Greens Pick MEP Lucas to Run for MP |publisher=Brighton Argus |date=17 July 2007 |access-date=16 January 2017}}

In May 2009, Taylor was an early signatory of the International Simultaneous Policy (SIMPOL) which seeks to end the usual deadlock in tackling global issues.[http://uk.simpol.org/fileadmin/user_upload/uk_files/pdf/Other_docs/List_of_all_pledged_candidates.pdf List_of_all_pledged_candidates.pdf]{{dead link|date=January 2017}}

On 6 May 2010, Lucas was elected as Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion and upon doing so was required to resign as the MEP for the South East of England. Taylor being second on the Green Party list{{cite web |url=http://southeast.greenparty.org.uk/region/southeast/euro-elections2009.html |title=South East Green Party | European Elections 2009 |website=southeast.greenparty.org.uk |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425012606/http://southeast.greenparty.org.uk/region/southeast/euro-elections2009.html |archive-date=25 April 2009 |url-status=dead}} was appointed Lucas' replacement to serve out the remainder of the term until 2014. Taylor was also required to resign as a local councillor under European Parliament rules on dual mandates.{{cite web |url=http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1226134 |title=St Peter's & North Laine by election - Brighton & Hove City Council |access-date=16 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110222213519/http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1226134 |archive-date=22 February 2011}} Taylor was reelected as MEP for the South East region in the 2014 Euro election, with 9.05% of the vote.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/eu-regions/E15000008 |title=South East England (European Parliament constituency) - |publisher=BBC News |access-date=16 January 2017}} He did not stand in the 2019 European election. In the European Parliament, he sat with the Greens–European Free Alliance.

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• {{cite book|last1=Bennett|first1=Natalie|author-link1=Natalie Bennett|last2=Bütikofer|first2=Reinhard|last3=Jeraj|first3=Samir|last4=Jordan|first4=Klina|author-link4=Make Votes Matter|last5=Juniper|first5=Tony|last6=Lambert|first6=Jean|last7=Lucas|first7=Caroline|last8=Rüdig|first8=Wolfgang|last9=Scott Cato|first9=Molly|author-link9=Molly Scott Cato|last10=Taylor|first10=Keith|author-link10=Keith Taylor (British politician)|editor-last1=Ward|editor-first1=Liam|title=Greens for a Better Europe: Twenty Years of Green Influence in the European Parliament, 1999-2019|location=London|publisher=London Publishing Partnership|year=2019|isbn=978-1-907994-88-3}}

• [http://www.keithtaylormep.org.uk/ Keith Taylor's Official Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621235313/https://www.keithtaylormep.org.uk/ |date=21 June 2022 }}

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{{succession box|title=Principal Speaker of the Green Party of England and Wales|before=Mike Woodin|after=Derek Wall|years=2004–2006}}

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Category:1953 births

Category:2022 deaths

Category:Green Party of England and Wales parliamentary candidates

Category:British environmentalists

Category:Councillors in East Sussex

Category:Green Party of England and Wales MEPs

Category:MEPs for England 2009–2014

Category:MEPs for England 2014–2019

Category:Politicians from Brighton

Category:Green Party of England and Wales councillors