The Green Party has confirmed that the new cross-border Waveney Valley seat will be one of its four national targets in next year's general election.

Its party conference, held in Brighton over the weekend, focussed on plans for the election when the party hopes to quadruple its representation in the House of Commons.

Waveney Valley joins Bristol Central and North Herefordshire as prime targets, alongside Brighton Pavillion which has been held by the Greens since 2010.

Joint party leader Adrian Ramsay is standing in Waveney Valley and said: “I’ve been knocking on doors over the past few months all over the constituency.

"Everywhere I go, long-time Conservative voters are telling me that they are fed up with the incompetence of this Government, they’re pleased at the prospect of a real choice when they vote and that they want to give the Greens a chance at the next general election.”

At the conference in Brighton, Mr Ramsay and co-leader Carla Denyer announced a package of policies to provide warmer, affordable homes for all.

He said: “We need a house by house insulation programme to cut the costs of heating for all people - whether in private or council accommodation. This would strengthen the local economy by freeing people to spend on other things and at the same time, help tackle the climate crisis.”

He added: “The other political parties are simply not living in the real world when it comes to dealing with the housing crisis while reaching the critical net zero target."

Mr Ramsay is the first candidate to have been selected for what is seen by political pundits as a safe Tory seat. The Conservatives are currently undertaking their selection process.

The Greens did take control of Mid Suffolk council in May's local elections and won seats in East Suffolk towns like Bungay and Halesworth, which are in the constituency.

But they did not win any council seats on South Norfolk district that is in the constituency - although party members remain confident that if the Greens are seen as the closest challengers to the Tories they will get enough votes to snatch election victory.