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Phélim Mac Cafferty (born 15 February 1979) is a former Green Party of England and Wales politician and the former leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, in Brighton and Hove, England. He served as a councillor for the Brunswick and Adelaide ward from 2011 until 2023 when he lost his seat.

Biography

Mac Cafferty was born on 15 February 1979 in Derry in Northern Ireland. He identifies as gay and was previously a spokesperson for the Green Party on LGBT issues. Prior to his election as a councillor, he worked for the Institute of Employment Rights, a trade union think tank. He has a PhD in architecture and the built environment.

Political biography

He was the Green candidate for the Brunswick and Adelaide ward in 2007 finishing behind the Lib Dems. He stood again in 2011 and was successful.

Green Administration (2011–2015)

Mac Cafferty was elected as part of the Green Party's first ever administration of a council in the United Kingdom in 2011 following the 2011 Brighton and Hove City Council elections. It followed a year after the election of the UK's only Green Member of Parliament, Caroline Lucas, who represents the Brighton Pavilion constituency. He had a number of significant roles in the council, including Chair of the Planning Committee and Deputy Leader.

In 2013, an unsuccessful attempt was made to oust council leader Jason Kitcat and replace him with Mac Cafferty. He stood unsuccessfully for the position in 2014, where he narrowly lost out to Jason Kitcat.

Convenor of Green Group (2015–2023)

After the 2015 Brighton and Hove City Council election where the Green Party lost control of the council and became the smallest party, Mac Cafferty was elected as Convenor of the Green Group of Councillors. As convenor, he oversaw the Green's period of opposition on the council between 2015 - 2020, after which the Green Party returned to minority control of Brighton and Hove City Council.

UK and European parliamentary elections (2017 and 2019)

He stood unsuccessfully for the Green Party in the Hove Parliamentary Constituency at the 2017 UK general election, where incumbent Peter Kyle was re-elected.

In 2019, Mac Cafferty was fifth on the Green Party's South-East England list for the 2019 European Parliament elections, where fellow Brighton and Hove councillor Alexandra Phillips was elected as a Member of European Parliament.

Leader of Council (2020–2023)

In 2019 Brighton and Hove City Council elections, the Green Party elected 19 councillors, becoming the official opposition. The Labour Party elected 20 councillors and therefore narrowly held onto power.

In July 2020, the Labour Party lost control of the council, following two resignations. Mac Cafferty became the first Green to lead Brighton and Hove City Council since 2015. In his first speech as leader, Mac Cafferty recognised the city's deaths' during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In 2021, a by-election in Hollingdean and Stanmer ward was won by the Green Party candidate Zoë John, bringing the total of Green Councillors to 20. It was the first time since 2004 that the ruling party in Brighton and Hove gained a seat in a by-election.

In November 2021, Mac Cafferty was criticised for flying to the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow and later apologised, blaming "the unreliability of the rail network"; he described his decision to do so as a "major failure of my judgement" and admitted that it went against his party's principles.

As a result of the May 2023 local elections the Green Party lost 13 seats including Mac Cafferty's, leading the Labour Party to secure the first council majority in Brighton since 2003.

Notable policies

Primary school re-opening

During the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2021, Brighton and Hove City Council advised its primary schools to not re-open following the winter holidays, against Government advice. Mac Cafferty wrote to education secretary Gavin Williamson asking him to close all primary schools in England. The council's decision was put to Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the Andrew Marr Show just one day before the UK Government later issued advice for primary schools to close.

Climate change

Brighton and Hove City Council held a climate assembly in September 2019, commissioning Ipsos MORI. They published ten recommendations in early 2021 which formed the council's plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2030 and led to the Green Council investing more than £27 million in climate adaptation measures in their 2021 budget.

The carbon neutral plan was criticised by some for the inclusion of a proposed ban on disposable BBQs on the city's beaches.

References

1. "The leader". www.brighton-hove.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
2. "Councillor details - Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty". present.brighton-hove.gov.uk. 19 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
3. "Phélim Mac Cafferty speech at YouthStrike4Climate Brighton". Facebook. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
4. "Brighton and Hove's first Green mayor". The Argus. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
5. paulsteedman (11 February 2011). "Greens select nine LGBT candidates for Brighton and Hove City Council elections". Brighton & Hove. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
6. paulsteedman (13 January 2011). "Two candidates offer double benefit for Brunswick & Adelaide". Brighton & Hove. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
7. "We're ready to help city - councillors say why they can help recovery". The Argus. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
8. "Go Green for first Green-led council in UK". www.greenparty.org.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
9. "Brighton and Hove Greens elect new deputy leaders". Latest Bars Ltd. 4 March 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
10. "Brighton council Green leader survives internal plot to oust him". BBC News. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
11. paulsteedman (31 March 2014). "Results of Green convenor elections 2014". Brighton & Hove. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
12. "Phelim Mac Cafferty named new Green group leader in Brighton and Hove". The Argus. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
13. "Election result for Hove (Constituency) - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
14. "No Buckethead, but Farage and would-be president's brother among MEP candidates". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
15. "Labour hold on to power in Brighton and Hove City Council elections". Brighton and Hove News. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
16. "Greens control Brighton council after 'anti-Semitic' resignations". BBC News. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
17. "Update: Green administration for Brighton & Hove City Council". www.brighton-hove.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
18. "Brighton & Hove's new Green leader's first speech in full". Bright Green. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
19. "Hollingdean and Stanmer by-election result: Greens win seat from Labour". Brighton and Hove News. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
20. "COP26: Brighton council's Green leader apologises for flight". BBC News Online. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
21. "Brighton and Hove Council tells primary schools to shut as Government 'not brave enough' to act". inews.co.uk. 2 January 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
22. "Boris says Brighton and Hove schools are 'safe' and should stay open". The Argus. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
23. "Boris Johnson forced to close schools a day after declaring them safe for pupils". The Independent. 4 January 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
24. "Brighton and Hove Climate Assembly". IPSOS MORI. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
25. "Cycle routes, new street lights and BBQ ban in plan to reduce carbon emissions". The Argus. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
26. "Green plans to invest more than £27 million into climate action in Brighton & Hove | The Green Party". www.greenparty.org.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
27. "Brighton set to ban disposable barbecues under plan to tackle climate change". The Independent. 20 March 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2021.

• 1979 births
• Living people
• 21st-century English politicians
• Green Party of England and Wales councillors
• English LGBTQ politicians
• Leaders of local authorities of England