Lancaster University law student becomes Green Party city councillor

A first-year Lancaster University student has been elected into the Lancaster City Council.

At just 18, Wilson Colley put himself forward for local by-elections, garnering 523 votes, and successfully securing his position as a councillor.

He will be representing the Green Party in the local area.

Wilson, a first-year student at the university, was elected as part of Lancaster City’s John O’ Gaunt ward. Originally from Little Clifton, Cumbria, he said has previously been involved with the Green Party there.

A law and politics student, he was inspired to get involved because of the two other Green Party councillors.

The new Mayor of Lancaster, Margaret Pattison, welcomed Wilson. He was applauded after his election by councillors from across the political spectrum. This is a tradition when a new councillor attends their first meeting.

Following on from the Council Meeting, Wilson said he is “learning about how things work at the council and proceedings”.

“I genuinely want to serve the community as best as I can and support the Green Party leadership here”, he told Lancs Live.

There are two further councillors in the university ward who are members of the Green Party – Maria Deery and Tom Fish.

Other university students and staff have been elected for various wards in the past few years. This includes: Isabella Metcalf-Riener, Erin Hall, Fabiha Askari and Oliver Robinson, alongside law lecturer Richard Austen-Baker. 

“I’m honoured to serve the community and honoured to be in a role where I can fight the far right in their attempts to hijack our system,” Wilson told The Lancaster Tab.