At the local elections in Ealing in May 2018 the Green Party showed – again – that it is a serious opposition party.
The current electoral system is rigged to prevent parties smaller than Conservative and Labour winning seats. Many voters understand this already – here are some facts and figures.
Despite standing only one candidate out of 3 in each ward, the Green Party got 5% of the total vote.
Ealing’s Third Party
If there has been a fairer ‘Proportional Representation’ (PR) system we would have got 3 councillors elected, on the basis of this vote. If we had stood 3 candidates in each ward we would have got about 6 councillors.
- The Green Party candidate got more votes than each of 49 LibDems in 19 wards out of their total of 69 candidates in 23 wards.
- The Green Party candidate got more votes than each of 3 Conservatives in one ward (Elthorne).
- The Green Party candidates comprehensively beat UKIP, BNP and Polish Pride candidates.
These statistics show that the Green Party can realistically be considered ‘the third party’.
We know many people believe in green policies but do not vote Green because they don’t think Greens can win. But our view is that the only wasted vote is for a party you don’t believe in.
The size of the Green vote already influences Labour and Conservative policies for the good. And every time the public sees a good vote for the Greens, pressure for PR increases.
Fair is Worth Fighting For
So don’t just vote Green! Lobby for a fairer electoral system which will elect more Green councillors and MPs.
Only with Green representatives will ordinary people get a real say in their future. Only with the Green Party will we get a fairer and more equal society. Instead of a country run for the benefit of developers, bankers and tax-dodgers.
By Nic Ferriday
