So who should those of us living in England vote for tomorrow? I intend to vote Green – it seems to me that in England that is the best way to give a positive expression to the discontent with mainstream parties. I particularly hope that those who have the opportunity to vote for Rupert Read in the East of England will do so. Their support for renationalizing the railways would be enough for me, but actually I find myself in agreement with the large majority of their platform. I reproduce here an article from the ever excellent Peter Tatchell.
The Greens – not UKIP – are the real alternative to the political Establishment
By Peter Tatchell
Each of the three Establishment parties has succeeded in alienating its core vote. Labour over Iraq and the casino banking culture that flourished during its tenure in office. The Tories over Europe and equal marriage. And the Lib Dems over tuition fees and propping up of one of the most anti-egalitarian governments of modern times. All have been tainted by the scandal over MPs expenses. As a result, participation in mainstream politics is declining further than ever.
The UK’s first-past-the-post voting system is said to produce strong governments, avoiding what many perceive as the grubby infighting that dominates politics on the continent. But it isn’t working anymore. Millions of votes don’t count in rock solid safe seats and supporters of small parties are unrepresented or under-represented in parliament.
Many voters damn the political elite with the familiar refrain: “They’re all the same.” This is fairly true with regard to the big three parties: Labour, Tory and Lib Dem. There is very little difference between them these days. They all embrace, to marginally varying degrees, neo liberal economics.
Many people are, however, desperate for an alternative but they fear their voice will not be heard.
The European elections this Thursday offer a chance for something different. Because they use a system of proportional representation (PR), we have an opportunity to vote for what we believe in, without fearing that our votes will be wasted. PR is sometimes a mixed blessing. It was PR that allowed UKIP a foot in the door at the last Euro poll, and in this election it looks like the anti-EU party will win more seats than anyone thought possible for a new party 15 or even 10 years ago.
Nigel Farage entered the European Parliament in 1999. This was also the year that Caroline Lucas was elected as one of the UK’s first two Green MEPs (the other was Jean Lambert). She went on to become the first Green MP at Westminster. A parliamentary seat still evades Farage and his party.
UKIP supporters want to withdraw from the EU. They fantasise about plucky Britain standing alone against the world. UKIP stirs this nostalgia for ‘Great Britain’ and excites fear about immigrants and refugees. It has filled some of the void created by the discredited mainstream politics and, in particular, by the weakness of the orthodox left.
But for people who believe in social justice and equality, and who want action to thwart climate destruction and to protect the precious environment on which all life depends, the Greens – not UKIP – are the real alternative to the big three parties.
The Green vote is seen by some people as a protest vote, and there is no reason why it shouldn’t be. It is a vote against Labour’s failure to defend working class people and its initiation of the part privatisation of education and health care. It is a vote against the Lib Dem’s abandonment of principle in favour of power. It is a vote against Tory austerity which makes ordinary people pay for the economic crisis created by reckless bankers. It is most certainly a vote against the homophobia, xenophobia and climate change denial of UKIP.
But in this election, voting Green it is also a vote for something. The Greens are a party that offers an imaginative, alternative positive vision of how our future could look. This is fairly unique, given the broad political consensus between the stale, grey Tories, Labour and Lib Dems.
Unlike the three Establishment parties and UKIP, the Greens advocate decisive EU action to close tax avoidance loopholes and tax havens, tax empty homes and financial transactions, cap banker’s bonuses, axe nuclear weapons, prioritise energy conservation to cut household bills and to introduce rent controls, a living wage and free education.
http://www.reasonstovotegreen.org.ukAs a veteran of nearly 50 years of political campaigns, I look toward 22 May with a strange mixture of hope and fear. Fear that the hate-mongers of UKIP are poised to advance and to challenge some of the gains in minority rights and human rights, with the aid of their far right allies in the European Parliament. But also hope that the Greens may eclipse the Lib Dems; including the election of new Green MEPs such as Peter Cranie in North West England and Rupert Read in the East of England. Both lost narrowly last time. A tiny swing to the Greens will get them elected and, in the North West, will have the added bonus of probably surpassing the British National Party vote and thereby blocking the re-election of BNP leader Nick Griffin.
Make sure you vote: Show UKIP and the three Establishment parties the red card. Give the Greens a chance.
The problem is that whoever you vote for you end up propping the system which is so well established that there is no chance that any party other than the establishment parties will ever win. What is needed is for people to show the powers that be that we reject the system and that can only be achieved, using the ballot box, by spoiling our votes; just not voting is not the solution, nor voting for independent, Green, Respect or any other candidate. I am totally convinced that even if only 10 percent voters cast their votes, the establishment parties will carry on claiming full mandate.
I think NOTA, irrespective of who their suporters are, is probably the answer as once a majority of voters spoil their votes even the likes of Cameron or Blair will have to take notice.
Britain’s party leaders are making their final pitches ahead of Thursday’s local and European elections.
Labour is neck-and-neck with UKIP in the battle to get the biggest vote share in the Euro election, according to the latest Sun/YouGov poll.
Both parties are on 27%, with the Conservatives in third place on 23%.
The Lib Dems, on 10%, edged back ahead of the Greens, on 8%, according to the survey of 1,874 adults on 19 and 20 May.
BBC 21 May 2014 Last updated at 14:12
Tight race as parties make final Euro and local pitch
I forgot your expertise in the marine environ, Ba’al buko Harem, should I have said damp squit instead? or would you Know somthin’ about squit as well?
Greens love conservationist Greens who love animals, as long as they don’t have two legs and can talk. Their sole presumption is to reduce our influences on the natural environment, by any means possible, that we are part and parcel of this environ, in the same sinking boat so to speak, does not ring a bell.
Conservationist Greens, the RSPB and other NGO’s with too much ‘charitable’ (not)clout oppose a Severn barrier and tidal system, they are vehemently opposed to precaution or safeguarding our biggest fresh food growing area in the Fenlands with a Wash tidal energy system and barrier. And they would be the first to oppose a Thames barrier, and sod the humans.
Apart from shining a focus on recycling, Norwich Greens have run along with the ideas of the other main parties, despite being the biggest opposition to a smelly old Labour administration who lost many active members to the Greens. They have not implemented any of their policies. They would argue that they have done loads for cyclists, but Norwich has always been a cycling City, its the fastes way to get around it. Norwich Cycling campaign was not founded by Greens but by cyclists.
The Green party is really bad at looking after and supporting their activists, burning up people with multiple responsibilities. They do not represent the moral high ground, and have had their own internal problems.
http://ukpaedos-exposed.com/2012/04/26/gary-anderson-derby/
and for all its balance the majority are working within the established old traditional parties which have nearly managed to genetically bamboozle all of Britain into electoral papathy
http://www.cuttingthroughthematrix.com/articles/Partial_List_of_Convicted_British_Paedo_Politicians.html
Tatchell has form on Syria. He would like a no fly zone just like Libya I assume and we know how that turned out.
http://interventionswatch.wordpress.com/2013/08/31/peter-tatchell-at-todays-demo-against-bombing-syria/
Anyway he might be getting one (a NFZ>war) in the guise of upcoming US build ups for military exercises in the Black Sea and in Jordan.
Ukraine and Syria: Elections at the Barrels of US-NATO Guns?
by Felicity Arbuthnot / May 20th, 2014
http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/05/ukraine-and-syria-elections-at-the-barrels-of-us-nato-guns/
I voted for the Green Ralph Nader in 2000 and peers berate me for giving us Dubya and the Iraq debacle. The system is jerry-rigged to consign non-linear voting to the circular file. What’s needed is a top-down haircut for the reigning political parties who look and behave so similarly that their inbreeding is not a bug, but a feature of their governance.
Well it looks like your Greens are as bad as our Greens. I guess the only option then is to take up watching football on tv fulltime.
Ref the EU, ECCP, PSC and Israel.
“Is Palestine ‘solidarity’ going soft?
Posted by Stuart Littlewood on May 20, 2014 in Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), Israel, Israel/Palestine, Middle East, Opinion, Palestine
“The EU policy of maintaining close relations with Israel as a supposed means of persuading it to end its violations of human rights and international law, and negotiate in good faith, has clearly failed.”
http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2014/05/palestine-solidarity-going-soft/”
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On only page 1 and a mere 5 hours in, here we are again with Israel/Palestine, courtesy of the obsessional Mary.
In typical troll fashion, no respect for the blog or its owner.
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Support Israeli products, tourism and the shekel.
Tony M
“Haward: “I shall vote Green despite being pro fracking and pro nuclear.”
Are you saying the Greens are pro fracking and pro nuclear or are you saying you are?”
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Are you totally ignorant of the rules of grammar, Tony?
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Support Michael Give?
Or even “Support Michael Gove!”
Mary
“If we are talking about killing, these two Palestinian lads were killed in cold blood.”
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We were talking about the killing of animals for food, in the context of the views of a Green Party candidate.
Why then are you commenting yet again on Israel/Palestine. You really are an old blog-fascist with an over-blown sense of entitlement, aren’t you.
I think that from now on, every time you write on Israel/Palestine OFF TOPIC, I shall remind people that you deny the right of Israel to exist and that you are anti-Jewish. That’s fair, isn’t it?
” I guess the only option then is to take up watching football on tv fulltime.”
Part and parcel of the reason the system is brokeass. Keeping the hordes occupied with events at Circus Maximus assures their tenure.
I hesitate to suggest some benign/ benevolent tyranny, but Claudius was able to get some shit done.
After Scotland’s independence is secure with a Yes Vote and Scotland’s first post-independence SNP government in 2016 set for a chance to shine and retire magnificent, I’ve a tough choice thereafter between the mildly but practically and pragmatically green and left of traditional-centre Scottish National Party, who’ll always be first choice for my vote where Scotland’s constitution or independence of direction is concerned or for Scotland’s own Green Party who’s Holyrood electoral performances have varied but the logic and consistency of their stated policies on the environment and on general issues, many of which impact on or are impacted by the environment often themselves, cohere and appeal.
I’ve never really how known the different Green parties in different places within Britain and without in the wider world relate, I’m fairly sure Scotland’s and the other parts of the UKs Green Parties are distinct from one another, have different ideas, organisation, leadership and policies but I hope, presume coalesce in the general direction of healing the earth, the land, the air, the seas and the rift in inter-human and inter-environment empathy wrought by neo-liberal economic exploitation and devastation. Quite apart from that, the superset is the green movement, and its little actions from picking up litter, to composting, to the spiritual bonds which transcend borders and polities, that common yearning to leave the world a better place than when you found it, close closed gates after you, pat cute doggies on the head and breathe freely.
I’ll be voting tactfully, by voting for the independence supporting Scottish National Party and for Independence that sunny September, but I’ll tell anyone else including blue or red or yellow Tories stumbling out of their cocoons into the real world, knocking on the door, I’ll be voting for them, possibly with a suggestive wink too, the mad nasty deluded fools, I’m too nice for the rough and tumble world but might practice a sinister chuckle of pleasure at the thought of their unfounded and false hopes collapsing.
I know squat about squit, Nevermind.
Ben – you are about to correctly identify the problem. The function of government is to govern. Maybe not Claudius, although he was a refreshing change from his two predecessors, but how about a Cromwell? Grab this bunch of smug and venal placemen and give them a good shaking. By the neck until dead if appropriate. Then enforce some ethics.
I hate myself for thinking this.
Ba’al; I believe Diogenes is still looking for an honest man. Trouble is; once you find one he/she must be kept out of the public spotlight for their own safety.
From what i remember in Norwich North Craig didn’t have any problem with the greens. It was with the BBC for allowing the Green candidate to take part in the televised debate, but not him, which was pretty unfair.
I’m in favour of people changing their minds too. If we refuse to be persuaded by new events or evidence then we could end up like Tony Blair, too vain to ever admit having made any mistake and too blind ever to look at anything that might conflict with our first assumptions.
And in a PR election like the European parliament elections the Greens have a good chance – especially when vote counting is by the D’Hondt system (basically after a party gets 1 seat in a multi-member constituency their share or the vote is halved when calculating who gets the next one. If they get two seats their share of the vote is divided by three when deciding who gets the next one and so on.)
Caroline Lucas managed to get elected as an MP even under First Past the Post.
> trolly Craig is writing about voting for MEPs.
The article I linked to refers to those very representatives. Some of the mealy mouthed replies from the candidates to the question as to their stance on Israel/Palestine are amazing.
Read the title and the content. “The EU policy of maintaining close relations with Israel as a supposed means of persuading it to end its violations of human rights and international law, and negotiate in good faith, has clearly failed.”
The killing of the two Palestinian youths is just one of those Israeli abuses of law and it is important that people see what is going on. Apparently the BBC think so too.
Even you might be surprised at the strength of the Israel lobby in the EU. Stealthily and gradually Israel is gaining entry.
Are you taking turns today? I will not be cross questioned by the likes of you. Who the hell do you think you are?
I’ve just looked at the candidates; this is ridiculous! In a European election I have a choice of four anti-Europe parties(!), a far right party, a religious party, the Greens fielding a religious candidate, and the Big Three, one of whom is hinting that Europe is no good as it stands. This election seems to hate itself.
I couldn’t really take the Greens seriously as a political party until I found out they had a paedophile. Now it looks like I can vote for the Green lizard to try to keep the other lizards out…
Or maybe None Of The Above…
”I guess the only option then is to take up watching football on tv fulltime.”
Yes. Get the tinnies on ice, fire up the barbie and watch the match while catching some rays. I hope I have the jargon correct.
Forget about the horrors the politicians are committing on our behalf (and condoning and supporting the horrors being committed in other countries) but NOT in our name.
Most of the people are doing that (wide awake but actually asleep) most of the time.
Stop the presses. Forget about the EU ‘elections’.
Top billing on the BBC website.
Breaking news
Duke has ‘minor procedure’ on hand
Duke of Edinburgh has had “minor procedure” on his right hand, Buckingham Palace says
Almost surreal.
Mary I saw that footage of the two Palestinian boys shot dead by Israeli troops. It is important when injustice is done to make it public. The parents of those children are going to be drowned in grief. I hope they can forgive. Apologies to those who have no sympathy for the loss of life.
Ben, voting Ralph Nader did not put Dubya in power. It was Karl Rove and probably in alliance with the Koch Brothers who put Bush in power after he lost fair and square, despite you not voting for (was it Al Gore?). Rove was responsible for some electronic voting machinery that could be used to sway a marginal vote. Clever stuff. I never vote in an election other than walking down to the booth.
Rusbridger spoke last night. Vote Labour,LD, Green but not Con! Note he gets in a little plug for a Scots No vote in the title. Who does he mean by ‘nationalists’. They are dreadful from what I have seen in their PP broadcasts.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/20/european-parliament-elections-better-together-editorial
‘That means voting for internationalist parties that are positively engaged in Europe – like Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and the nationalists. And it means voting with determination against parties that want to pull up the drawbridge (like Ukip) or that flirt with it (like the Conservatives). Our generation has a big responsibility. We need to put as much effort into sticking together as the other side does into separatism and isolationism. That effort should start on Thursday.’
Don’t be too hasty with those Greens. Voting only encourages them. Observe their behaviour when they get a chance at government.
I don’t know much about the UK variety but the sub-species on these shores showed itself to be truly sub in so many ways.
Many Irish voters have bitter memories of a thriving party able to field passionately verbal candidates to gather our votes but also able, at the drop of a hat, to abandon their professed principles and serve the politico/corporate establishment.
In 2007 they entered coalition here with Fianna Fail, one of our two dominant right wing parties*, riding a wave of voters who saw in them a radical, progressive, new left alternative to the corruption, social conservatism and neo-liberal orthodoxy of the other Irish parties .
By, among other diappointments, supporting the neo-liberal shock doctrine employed by Fianna Fail, the Greens subsequently lost the trust of their support base and were wiped out at the 2011 election.
If you do vote them into any kind of power, I wish you well, but I worry that you’ll be sorely diappointed.
* Some peoples get all the luck!
ZOMG.
You think voting for the Green Party makes a “political revolutionary”?
Many, many greens have long abandoned the Green Party because the Party is already too compromised even in it’s first tiny steps towards power. By the time the Green Party ever reaches a position of significant influence it will be as corrupted as any other.
Craig, you are still a political liberal, perpetuating what you claim to oppose.
O/T
Last August the Telegraph published this article about the shooting of Kim Jong-un’s former girlfriend by firing squad.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10272953/Kim-Jong-uns-ex-lover-executed-by-firing-squad.html
It seems she is alive and well.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10837897/Executed-Kim-Jong-Un-girlfriend-reappears-on-North-Korea-television.html
John Goss
Left Unity (giggle) 1200 armchair revolutionaries who all hate each other
http://azvsas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/left-unity-conference.html
Phil,
No, I don’t think voting for the Green Party is going to bring about a revolution. Actually I don’t think anything I can do will bring about a revolution. Haven’t noticed you successfully starting one either. Given there is an election tomorrow, what I do think is voting Green is the best of the choices available to me on the ballot paper. I don’t think not voting is particularly constructive, though I respect those who do not wish to vote.
“Haven’t noticed you successfully starting one either.”
You are too hung up on the great man theory of history mate. A sure sign of self importance that you will have to escape before you will ever be a “political revolutionary”.
Of course, do not vote tomorrow.
Mary
“> trolly Craig is writing about voting for MEPs.
The article I linked to refers to those very representatives. Some of the mealy mouthed replies from the candidates to the question as to their stance on Israel/Palestine are amazing.
Read the title and the content. “The EU policy of maintaining close relations with Israel as a supposed means of persuading it to end its violations of human rights and international law, and negotiate in good faith, has clearly failed.”
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Don’t take us for fools, Mary.
The truth is that not a single new post from Craig can go by without you dragging Israel/Palestine into it sooner or later – usually sooner. And usually on the flimsiest of justifications.
So let’s have less of your false indignation:
“Are you taking turns today? I will not be cross questioned by the likes of you. Who the hell do you think you are?”
You WILL be cross-questioned by me (and others) as long as there is good reason to cross-question you. And if you don’t like it, tough shit.
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La vita è bella, life is good!
“Last August the Telegraph published this article about the shooting of Kim Jong-un’s former girlfriend by firing squad. ”
Which they qualified with “according to South Korean reports”.
I’m a little surprised your enquiring mind hasn’t questioned why it’s taken so long for her to re-appear and whether or not it’s actually her or a look-a-like.
I could support the Green Party if it weren’t for their enthusiasm for re-newable energy. Whilst this might provide a useful addition to conventional power stations it won’t ever replace them and certainly won’t fill the looming shortfall in generating capacity.
Choice was made for me. Been living here for 18 years, can’t vote in national elections, but can in Euro and local. For some reason this time around I have to apply to the local Rathaus to get my voting card.noticed too late..Daughters came automatic & all I have to do is fill in a form, produce my passport and a copy of my residence permit and hey presto… Shut for lunch ! Not that there was much choice here either.The only anti EU parties here are the far right. FPO will probably get over 35% so some pals for Farage there.
So, Non Voter.