Today, I gave a short speech to some undecided voters and Green supporters at a Fayre in Canterbury. It really resonated with people and converted a few voters, so I thought I’d post it here for all to see.
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“Sorry I can’t vote Green, I need to ensure we keep out the Tories”. “Vote Green, Get Tory”.
I hear it almost daily.
It is an absolute shame that people feel the need to vote tactically and not with their true heart. But, when the prospect of 5 more years of extreme ideological austerity is what faces us, I don’t blame anyone for being fearful of that and wanting to stop it.
A Labour government in power after May 7th would be a moderate relief, for a fixed period. Then in another 5 or 10 years the right-wing ideology will take over again, and screw over the lower classes. We go in circles, with permanent and extended suffering. We need to break that cycle, and now feels like the best time in recent history to start on the road to progress. If not now, when?
By voting for the Green Party, you are making a difference, even in the safest of Tory heartland seats, because you are sending out a powerful message: that it is time for change. Somewhere along the line we’ve forgotten the power in voting, trading in meaningful ballot papers for sterile betting slips. Your vote doesn’t ‘count’ if you manage to vote for the winning party- your vote counts if you use it to make a statement about what you want your society to be, what values you think we should fight for. There’s nothing ‘tactical’ or clever about voting for a party that has been disappointing you for decades.
Politicians lost their fear of the electorate some time ago. It has given these parties a blind arrogance, but as they begin to see once more, what they are confronted with terrifies them.
We’ve ended up in a system of playground politics. The to-ing and fro-ing, the blue vs red. Over and over again. People fear that voting any other way than the status quo would let the other side back in, but that’s just a message of fear those parties want you to hear to keep you from voting for someone else!
I say it’s time for change. A change from Blue vs Red. It’s time for us to come together and vote for The Green Party. It’s time for us to vote a new colour into our politics.
I’ll not be voting Green to keep the Tories, or the Lib Dems, or Labour out of government – that’s not the point of voting. I’ll not be voting Green because they’re the least worst of the options, but because in my opinion they’re by far the best option. There’s absolutely no way my voice could get confused with any other voice. I want Green policies enacted, so I’ll vote for them.
If you agree that tactical voting is an unfortunate consequence of a broken system, then please don’t perpetuate it. If you agree that the voting system needs major reform, then please, don’t vote for a party that isn’t offering it. Don’t make a tactical error.
We may only achieve a handful of seats at this election – but use it as a springboard into 2020. We have become stuck in a cycle of short-termism, but the Green view is much longer for the benefit of generations to come. Even if your candidate doesn’t win, you’ve still made a statement – one that with enough force can send a real tremor through the archaic system of Westminster.
Change can happen. We can make Canterbury the Greenest plot of land in the Garden of England. We can protect our planet. We can end austerity. We can provide free education. We can save our NHS and keep it public. We can renationalise the railways. We can stop a trident replacement. We can provide a living wage for all.
We can do this. Just Vote Green on May 7th, not tactically.
Grassroots activism in Higher Education 