UK: Green Party candidate polling 8 point lead in Brighton
The United Kingdom will hold a parliamentary election sometime between now and June 3. Although the official date hasn’t been announced, candidates are up and running. Green Party of England and Wales party leader Caroline Lucas represents South East England in the European Parliament. She’s standing in the UK Parliamentary seat of Brighton Pavilion in the upcoming election. The Greens already control the local Brighton council and, as we’ve noted before, it looks like Lucas has opened up a small but significant lead in an independent poll.
Today’s UK Guardian has a brief article explaining why Lucas’ chances make this one of the more interesting contests in the upcoming election.
“One more Tory MP, one more Labour MP – what difference is that going to make?” says Lucas. “The first Green MP, I think, would have a far greater effect.” To that end, she is fighting hard, and doing as well as you’d expect among people who live in Brighton’s bohemian centre – though much of the battle will be fought in the seat’s more suburban patches, split between traditionally Labour-supporting estates and more Tory-favouring areas, with extensive gardens.
The Greens are on the upswing in the UK, with 125 councilors not including Scotland, but this Brighton Pavilion is their best shot at breaking into Parliament. In the last election, the Greens nearly tied for second with the Conservatives in this constituency. The party has built up a strong local base and now Lucas is in a position to campaign as the real progressive choice against the Conservatives.
I wish there was a way to embed the video accompanying the article into this post, because its fascinating. Journalist John Harris doesn’t pretend to be completely disinterested in politics. He tells everyone straightforwardly that he’s a disgruntled Labour voter. All three candidates address him not so much as a journalist, but as a potential convert.
He asks tough questions of all three candidates, but completes the video by admitting that as a disgruntled Labour voter, he’s got a dilemma. Although he’s concerned about voting in the Conservatives, he no longer feels that New Labour represents his politics. He wonders if its only his “old tribal loyalties” that would stop him from voting Green.
This will be one to watch.
Links:
- Article: Could Brighton Pavilion elect Britain’s first Green MP?. John Harris. Guardian. February 8, 2010.
- Brighton & Hove Greens party website
- Caroline Lucas campaign website
- Wikipedia: Caroline Lucas
