Did an interview with Bristol's Star Radio today on the fact that the Greens are fielding a record number of candidates in elections this year - and how the south west is second only to London in terms of candidate numbers. I was pleased to hear them select and use a clip of me talking about how all issues are Green issues, whether its the NHS, the economy and jobs or education, transport...all are interrelated and we address them coherently, through joined up thinking.There will be over 300 general election candidates nationally - and for the first time we have candidates in all the Bristol seats, including Kingswood and Bristol North West this time. We will also have candidates standing in every council ward in Bristol up for election and are fighting to retain the Southville seat with our candidate Tess Green (pictured).
We are campaigning for people to vote based on their convictions, for fresh ideas, to clean up the mess that's been made of: the political system (given the MP expenses and other scandals); the economic system (we are still not out of deep recession and have massive debts); investing for the future.
We have a £45 billion investment plan designed to create a million jobs - investing in local work, in social care, in energy efficiciency, in expanded public transport, in clean, renewable energy....
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Surely a good thing Glenn, but ultimately, under FPTP voting, futile. While I'd love to be able to enthusiastically vote for the GP, I will not if there is the slightest chance of letting a Tory in.
ReplyDeleteCant agree that its futile voting Green!! The usual spin and drivel we get from the big three parties is well worth opposing with your vote - as are the expenses and MPs for hire scandals!! There are questions that need to be addressed about current electoral law and processes too. Is fair and broad debate facilitated? Does media coverage and access serve the public need and interest? Is the electoral system the most democratic? Have we got the law on party funding right?
ReplyDeleteIn my view the process of an election is important as well as the outcome and it should be treated as such. Debates, present and future agendas and social learning processes are very important – not everyone fights every general election seat to win this time around, some may not fight to win at all at parliamentary level at that time - but may be in the process of building a party, membership or voting support at council level or future parliamentary elections.
Greens will certainly be fighting to win in several parts of the country. A poll conducted mid Dec 2009 in Brighton Pavillion showed a 10 point Green lead over Labour and an 8 point lead over the Conservatives in this target constituency. Prospects in Norwich South and in Lewisham Deptford are also good. In other parts of the country Greens will seek and expect to build their support, influence debates and agendas and contribute to social learning.
The narrowness of the debate amongst the ‘big three’ parties is part of the problem. There is a large measure of agreement between them – they are all consumer capitalists and all have plans to cut vital services!! Debate at the general election is likely to centre on tax and spending differences of less than 1% of national wealth. All the big parties make claims to be radical, all claim to be committed to sustainable development – but none of them have taken action to make any fundamental changes! Issues of reconciling our economy and society with the environment raised by Greens like me in elections 25+ yrs ago are now very much more serious and urgent.
Agreement between parties could be taken to mean that things are pretty much ok – but look around you!! There are many fundamental problems, for future generations and in other parts of the globe in particular. Thus Greens like me contest elections to: offer voters a radical option; demonstrate that to genuinely solve problems the interconnections and interrelationships between economic, social, political and environmental factors must be addressed; raise the really big issues like the gap between rich and poor here and globally, caring for the elderly, climate change and our energy-hungry lifestyles, global justice, democracy and the EU, how we can live our lives now so that future generations can also lead decent lives with real choices.