I’m a member of the Green Party but, somewhat controversially (many would say… especially my Green Party friends), I voted for Karin Smyth – our local Labour Party candidate (and the sitting MP).
I did so NOT because I think the Labour Party has proved to be an effective Opposition – far from it – but because I felt it was the most effective way, locally (under our ridiculous first-past-the-post electoral system), to ensure that the Conservative Party didn’t sneak in through the back door.
I actually think the chances of this are extremely slim (it’s been a Labour stronghold since 1935) – although if UKIP’s vote collapses (they came third in 2015 with over 8,000 votes), then the Tories could feasibly win if all former UKIP voters changed to the Conservatives (Labour beat the Tories by just over 7,000 votes last time).
At the
beginning of November last year, I blogged about my fears (given the state of
the Opposition) that there was going to be a General Election“very soon”. I felt that the ONLY way to prevent a
Tory landslide at the next general Election was “for the opposition parties to work together in order to try to
maximise their chances (they might not win an election but, at worst, they
might secure a far more effective Opposition)”.
I went on to say that in order for this happen, it would “require Labour, LibDems, the Greens and
Plaid Cymru to work together (in England and Wales) and to decide which party
stands the best chance of winning each individual parliamentary seat (and to
concentrate their limited resources/budget accordingly). Sadly (in
terms of true democracy), this will mean that the Green Party, for instance,
should only contest perhaps a total of say six seats; the LibDems say 75;
Plaid Cymru say 20? In all the other constituencies (and, yes, that would
include mine), this would mean the electorate making a straight decision
between the Tories and Labour (with UKIP perhaps eating into more Tory votes
than Labour!).It’s far from ideal, but it might be the ONLY way the Labour Party (and the country!) can avoid utter disaster. It would also mean that the Labour Party would agree to incorporate LibDems/Greens/Plaid Cymru policies within its own manifesto (and include members from the other parties within its own Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet)”.
Sadly, despite the Green Party pressing other political parties to enter
into some form of election pact, no such arrangement has been agreed. In my
view, even despite the lack of any official agreement, I firmly believe it is
quite ludicrous for the Green Party to waste its very limited financial
resources (don’t get me started on funding for national parties!), for example,
here in South Bristol (where it gained support from less than 12% of constituency
voters in 2015)… instead, again in my view, they should be concentrating 100%
on winning Bristol West (a distinct possibility according to the local media).
Bristol West is one of only a handful of seats throughout the country that the
Greens have ANY chance of winning. Unfortunately, any such Green victory would be
at the expense of Labour!
So, far from ideal, but frankly,
there probably isn’t a single current Tory seat in our local area that the Conservative
Party is likely to lose! But now the die is cast… the deadline for candidates to be in place has passed (on 11 May). I just find it staggering that the Opposition parties haven’t been able (or even shown any desire… apart from the Greens) to allow a constituency-by-constituency arrangement for current Tory-held seats or identified ‘marginals’ whereby only a single opposition candidate from the national parties stands against a Conservative candidate.
So, it’s now all down to the electorate (and you probably know my views
on democracy!). If EVERY voter – well, realistically, those living in perhaps
the hundred(?) where the outcome might be in doubt, under the
first-past-the-post system - made a careful judgement and only voted for the opposition
candidate most likely to have a chance of winning against the Tory candidate,
then the outcome could be VERY different… but I’m not holding my breath.
I would love the opinion polls
to be wrong yet again and for a non-Tory government to be in place come 9 June,
but I very much doubt it. I fear the worst!
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