Green Party election wins

Still exhausted...went out at 5am on election day to deliver 400 good morning voters leaflets for Dean Walton, Darren Johnson and Romayne Phoenix...it worked Brockly ward, Lewisham elected all three...I guess more than 50% green vote.

went off to the count in Maidstone...Penny Kemp received 39.1% against the Conservatives....in bed 2.30!

London now has 11 green councillors with other victories in Hackney, Camden, Islington, Southwark and Lambeth. The Party is now on to nearly a 100 councillors nationally.

All are elected on first past the post...yes we have to get more votes in absolute numbers than Labour and Conservative and Lib dem to win....the usually green score of between 5 and 10%, enough for the German Greens to govern would give us nothing.

How? Well, Uk politics is much more volatile and the old loyalties are declining...sadly the other side of Green victories is white working class communities in places like Barking voting in 11 British National Party (fascist) councillors.

Respect did well with 11 councillors in Tower Hamlets and the IWCA picked up seats in Oxford.

Greens have concentrated support in a small number of university wards...Brockly covers Goldsmiths College where I do some teaching....in Oxford we have eight city councillors and the conservatives none.

Good organisation....Brockley ward Green Party is very, very well organised.

The challenge is given the relative powerless of local government and in fact all government in a globalised world is to make change with the councillors...Darren and Jenny on the Greater London Assembly have used their weight to get concessions from Ken Livingstone....can we think smart and get radical but effective green policies in
other local goverment bodies.

Right next political task for ecosocialismo is to promote President Chavez visit to Britain next week....


Local elections herald Green victories across the country

5th May 2006

Greens reinforce position as fourth party and put their "stamp on the shape of local government to come"

The Green Party has achieved unprecedented success in the local elections. The Green Party now have more councillors on more principal authorities than ever before with Green candidates winning seats in Camden, Islington, Lambeth, Southwark and Bristol. These elections represent a great success for us, bringing our total number of councillors up to 90.

Caroline Lucas, Principal Speaker, comments: "Green candidates have stood on a platform of a healthy local environment, decent local services and a strong local voice and this message has been well-received by the electorate. The rise of the Green Agenda has resulted in attempts by the Liberal Democrats and the Tories to market themselves as environmentally friendly and ethical yet the Greens, throughout this campaign, have rightly drawn attention to their poor record on issues of social and environmental justice on a local level.

"The public are turning to the only real alternative to the spin and sleaze of the Westminster parties. Principled and dedicated Green councillors across the country will be working to improve local neighbourhoods, enhance local services, promote health and protect the wider environment. Our record speaks for itself - wherever Green councillors are voted in, the public see the results and want more.

"In Oxford, the Green group now totals 8 and in Norwich, we have an extraordinary 9 Green councillors. In Lewisham, we have seen an unprecedented success with the number of Greens rising from 1 to 6. With an increase of nearly 20 councillors overall, this proves yet again that the Greens are the clear fourth political party and have put our stamp on the shape of local government to come."