Green activists have launched their campaign to take two of east London’s Labour stronghold Parliamentary seats in May 7’s General Election with a protest against local GP surgeries closing down.

Tower Hamlets Green Party supporters came on the streets in Whitechapel on Saturday to back NHS campaigners’ ongoing battle to save 22 surgeries across east London which are threatened with closure over Whitehall budget changes.

Alistair Polson is targeting Rushanara Ali’s Bethnal Green and Bow constituency, while Maureen Childs is going for Jim Fitzpatrick’s neighbouring Poplar and Limehouse seat.

“We want to surgically remove the artificial internal market from the NHS,” Alistair Polson said. “The East End has exceptional needs which mean additional resources as well as research into preventing illness in the first place to improve people’s lives.”

They were joined opposite the Royal London Hospital by medical professionals and the party’s deputy leader Shahrar Ali to kickstart their seven weeks of street canvassing.

Maureen Childs said: “There are no social care places in the whole of Tower Hamlets. Without proper funding, the old, the poor and the vulnerable are likely to be in crisis.”

Party members canvassed support among shoppers in Whitechapel Market, in their strategy to challenge the private finance deals at the Royal London and Barts hospitals and to stop threats to local GP surgeries.