With campaigning for the General Election under way in the North Wiltshire constituency we meet the Green Party's candidate.

Phil Chamberlain believes people have a chance to vote for positive change this May rather than the lesser of two evils.

The 43-year-old has been a Colerne parish councillor for the past 10 years and a senior journalism lecturer at UWE in Bristol since 2009.

This is the second time the father of three has stood in North Wiltshire, having contested the seat for the Green Party in 2010.

Mr Chamberlain said: “There has been growing support for Green Party policies nationally and locally.

“I’m delighted that people in North Wiltshire will get the chance to cast a positive vote for progressive policies that will benefit the many, rather than the privileged few. People are tired of having to vote for the lesser of two evils. It used to be a two-party race but this is not the case anymore.”

After growing up in north London and spending time in Somerset and Dorset, Mr Chamberlain moved to Wiltshire 14 years ago.

He has worked as a journalist for more than 20 years and has spent the past few years working on his book Blacklisted, an investigative piece about businesses and union activists.

He has also been involved in a number of initiatives in his community, from providing social housing to encouraging energy conservation through the action group Ecolerne that he helped found.

Mr Chamberlain lives in Charter Square, Colerne with wife of 16 years Kathryn and their three daughters Rosa, 13, Mae, eight, and six-year-old Alice.

He said: “We moved to Wiltshire to find space and it is a great place to raise children.”

If elected Mr Chamberlain said the three things he would like to focus on restoring trust in the political system, turning around austerity measures and protecting the NHS.

He said: “People can make a difference. They aren’t being listened to at the moment and this is something I want to change.

“We want the minimum wage to rise to £10 by 2020 and to ensure that every wage is a living wage.

“We need to protect the NHS, which has a lot of dedicated people working for it, by taxing the top one per cent and cracking down on tax avoidance.”

Mr Chamberlain also said that public transport is a big thing that needs improving as many places in Wiltshire are effectively cut off.

He said: “We need a more imaginative take on it by having lots of short routes into hubs so people can make connections and not have to rely on using a car.

“I would also give young people and students free travel on public transport so they can access training and education.”

FACT FILE

Age: 43

Address: Charters Square, Colerne

Occupation: Senior journalism lecturer at UWE and a Colerne parish councillor

Marital status: Married to Kathryn since 1999

Children: Three

Standing in North Wiltshire are: Peter Baldrey (Labour); Pat Bryant (UKIP); Phil Chamberlain (Green); James Gray (Conservative); Simon Killane (Independent); Brian Mathew (Lib Dem); Giles Wareham (Independent).