Clacton By-Election Candidate Profile
Robin Green
Robin Green is a 47-year-old software developer and technology team lead standing as an Independent. His campaign combines what he calls “common sense moderation” with unusually detailed positions on artificial intelligence, civil liberties, immigration, health, housing, tax, utilities, transport, crime and foreign policy.
A first-time candidate with a detailed platform
Green has no previous election recorded by Democracy Club and says he has never been an elected official. Unlike several first-time candidates, however, he has published detailed positions across thirteen policy areas.
“Vote for me to put the brakes on AI, unseat Farage, and support common sense moderation.”
Robin Green, statement recorded by Democracy Club, updated 31 July 2026Who is Robin Green?
Green’s own campaign biography is unusually direct about both his professional background and the fact that he does not currently live in the constituency.
Software developer
Green says he is a software developer and technology team lead. His campaign repeatedly links that background to his positions on AI, online regulation, digital government, cryptocurrencies and the digital divide.
He says he is not a professional politician and argues that Whitehall is often too slow to understand new technologies and too reluctant to change direction when evidence changes.
47, born in Kent
His campaign biography says he is 47 and was born in Kent. He says he has followed politics since his teenage years, when Tony Blair was approaching government.
Green describes listening as a central qualification for political office: listening to constituents, experts, opponents and a range of news sources.
Not currently a constituency resident
Green addresses the issue directly rather than presenting himself as locally based.
Official address
Tendring District Council’s Statement of Persons Nominated records Green’s home address as being in the Erith and Thamesmead parliamentary constituency.
His campaign website also states openly that he does not currently live in Clacton.
Pledge to move
Green says he will move to Clacton if elected and planned to spend the majority of the four-week campaign period in the constituency.
He argues that his current address is a reasonable criticism for voters to consider, but says the quality of representation matters more than where he lived before the election.
More GPs and NHS dentists
Says Clacton and north-east Essex are underserved and promises to raise GP and NHS dentist shortages in Parliament.
Housing with infrastructure
Supports more homes, including the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community, provided roads, GPs and schools arrive with development.
Cheaper local renewable power
Says people who see offshore wind from Clacton’s seafront should receive a direct benefit through lower electricity bills.
Rail and bus subsidy
Supports stronger subsidies for public transport and the gradual renationalisation of rail.
Mental health
Argues that mental-health services are underfunded and highlights very long waits for ADHD assessment.
Coastal climate risk
Says climate change is a direct long-term issue for Tendring because sea-level rise threatens the coastline.
Artificial intelligence and technology
AI is not a small subsection of Green’s manifesto. He says concern about the speed of AI development is one of the main reasons he entered the by-election.
Slow or pause frontier AI development
Green argues that artificial intelligence could ultimately be as transformative as the Industrial Revolution, but that frontier systems are developing dangerous capabilities faster than governments are responding.
He favours an international treaty to slow or pause development of new frontier AI models for several years while governments and researchers address alignment, security and employment risks.
He also wants substantially more AI-safety research, supports creating a strong British sovereign AI capability, and argues that humans should retain ultimate decision-making authority in areas such as medicine, judging, politics and the use of lethal military force.
Jobs and automation
Green does not support protecting every existing job from automation. Instead, he argues that government should use economic policy to ensure that as AI eliminates jobs, enough new employment is created elsewhere in the economy.
For roles where human judgement is essential, he supports legal restrictions preventing AI from replacing the person who makes the final decision.
Digital civil liberties
Green opposes proposals to ban VPNs and objects to forcing platforms such as YouTube to promote traditional broadcasters. He argues that child protection online must be balanced against fundamental privacy and civil-liberty concerns.
He also proposes better online tools for local and specialist petitions, drawing on his software background.
“AI will be the greatest thing since the Industrial Revolution.”
Robin Green, campaign policy on AI and InnovationThirteen policy areas
Green’s campaign website publishes more detailed policy material than most first-time Independent candidates in the contest.
AI political position indicator
Green’s programme genuinely crosses the conventional left-right divide. Nationalising water, rail renationalisation, public-transport subsidies, higher healthcare spending, recognition of Palestine, cannabis legalisation and active government job creation pull left or liberal. His restrictive approach to immigration and benefits, criticism of progressive institutional culture, inheritance-tax abolition and desire to reduce business regulation pull right. His own description of “common sense moderation” is broadly consistent with the overall mix, so the estimate is Centre.
FL = Far Left, L = Left, C = Centre, R = Right, FR = Far Right. This is an approximate Clacton.org AI editorial estimate based on Green’s published policies. It is not a position supplied, endorsed or approved by Robin Green.
Known election contests: 1
No earlier candidacy or former political-party affiliation has been verified.
| Date | Election | Party / status | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 August 2026 | Clacton Parliamentary By-Election | Independent | Pending | Current election |
Candidate links
Sources and further information
This profile relies primarily on Green’s own detailed campaign site for his political views, and on Tendring District Council and Democracy Club for official election information.