Annals of the Green Party

[Brainaddict]

All the threads on them seem to be ancient so I thought I'd start a new one to record their trajectory after an impressive increase to 4 MPs. Bristol is also looking increasingly like a Green stronghold of the future - they came second in every constituency in Bristol they didn't win. Two of those, Bristol East and Bristol South, will almost certainly be target seats for the next general election.

Yes, they've done a few crap things in councils (but then, which party hasn't?), and they are yet to broaden their appeal enough to lower income people, but they were the most plausible left wing option on the ballot paper in England and will probably continue to be for the next election. They also take the climate and biodiversity crises seriously, which might turn out to be...important.

 

[Brainaddict]

The Greens themselves are keen to point out that they won in two rural constituencies, which is the first time they've broken out of urban areas properly. It does suggest their ability to appeal to broader audiences than they used to.

I've also just realised the Greens came second in a bunch of London constituencies, including a cluster in South East London. They'll probably be targeting there too at the next election.

 

[ouirdeaux]

Wow, the Greens are in second place in my constituency. For the first time in my life my vote has meant something.

 

[Flavour]

Good progress for the Greens tbf but their share of the national vote was less than half that of Reform so clearly the climate crisis is not still the key issue for working class voters and I think the Green support base remains overwhelmingly white, middle class and university educated. This puts a huge limit on their ability to appeal to a wider range of potential voters. I am not sure they stand a chance in offering what might seem like a promising proposal to towns in the impoverished East and the North-East, though their victory in Norfolk is interesting -- I don't know enough about that particular seat but guessing it's relatively affluent

 

[Brainaddict]

Yeah, I think Bristol East and Bristol South are going to be interesting testing grounds for them. To win them they'll have to get a bigger share of the working class vote than they've been getting so far. Bristol Central is pretty affluent and pretty studenty, so a much easier win. On a material level the GP was offering much more than Labour to people on low incomes in this election, but they seem to have a plausibility problem. Tbh, though I'm not against experiments with UBI, they might have to drop that one just to get themselves back in the Overton window from the point of view of low income voters. Which is ironic, but there we are, a lot of people are not going to believe in 'free money' so I think it's a problem.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Misread the title as 'anals of the green party' and wondered what sort of stuff people know.

 

[Rimbaud]

I am not sure they stand a chance in offering what might seem like a promising proposal to towns in the impoverished East and the North-East

They do surprisingly well in South Tyneside for some reason, they have quite a few local councillors and got 15% of the vote share in South Shields, beating both Tories and Lib Dems to third place.

I reckon if Starmer fails to distinguish himself from a Tory government the Greens could do very well next election. The gap between the top 5 parties is smaller than ever already and if Labour doesn't improve things "vote Labour to keep the Tories out" will ring extra hollow.

 

[Brainaddict]

They do surprisingly well in South Tyneside for some reason, they have quite a few local councillors and got 15% of the vote share in South Shields, beating both Tories and Lib Dems to third place.

I reckon if Starmer fails to distinguish himself from a Tory government the Greens could do very well next election. The gap between the top 5 parties is smaller than ever already and if Labour doesn't improve things "vote Labour to keep the Tories out" will ring extra hollow.

That's what I think is interesting. Labour opened up a gap to their left, not quite intentionally but because they believed they could snuff the left out in their own party. Now if they give us the kind of dire centrist 5 years they've been promising, that gap to their left just gets wider, and the Greens are the party with the country-wide machinery to take advantage.

 

[Hollis]

All the threads on them seem to be ancient so I thought I'd start a new one to record their trajectory after an impressive increase to 4 MPs. Bristol is also looking increasingly like a Green stronghold of the future - they came second in every constituency in Bristol they didn't win. Two of those, Bristol East and Bristol South, will almost certainly be target seats for the next general election.

Yes, they've done a few crap things in councils (but then, which party hasn't?), and they are yet to broaden their appeal enough to lower income people, but they were the most plausible left wing option on the ballot paper in England and will probably continue to be for the next election. They also take the climate and biodiversity crises seriously, which might turn out to be...important.

I'm quite interested in why the Greens are doing so well in Bristol? Is there any specific reason, or is it just the demographic.

 

[Brainaddict]

I'm quite interested in why the Greens are doing so well in Bristol? Is there any specific reason, or is it just the demographic.

They've been building for a long time on the city council and currently lead on it (not quite a majority though). But in Bristol Central I guess it is partly the demographic, urban-left, comfortably off or student, hippyish vibes. But they've clearly gone a bit beyond the stereotypical demographic to do so well. I think a lot of it is just the gradual normalisation of voting green. Name recognition increases, you know more people who are voting green as though it isn't an insane choice etc

 

[strung out]

I live in Bristol East. Having voted Labour at each of the last three general elections I switched to the Greens this time (thus maintaining my record of never having voted for a winning party in any of the six GEs I’ve been able to vote in lol).

I’ve always been reluctant to back the Bristol Greens, primarily because of their NIMBY attitude blocking various projects that I felt were really important, but went with them this time as a notional left protest vote. The Greens already hold a few council wards in the constituency, so unless they start going proper mad, I’ll probably stick with them for the foreseeable, and wouldn’t be in the least surprised if they take it in 5-10 years time.

They’re certainly not a party of the Bristol working class sadly, but as the city gets steadily more middle class and liberal, I can’t see that being a problem for them.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Misread the title as 'anals of the green party' and wondered what sort of stuff people know.

i misread it as 'animals of' so thought it was a thread about politicians' pets...

 

[Hollis]

I live in Bristol East. Having voted Labour at each of the last three general elections I switched to the Greens this time (thus maintaining my record of never having voted for a winning party in any of the six GEs I’ve been able to vote in lol).

I’ve always been reluctant to back the Bristol Greens, primarily because of their NIMBY attitude blocking various projects that I felt were really important, but went with them this time as a notional left protest vote. The Greens already hold a few council wards in the constituency, so unless they start going proper mad, I’ll probably stick with them for the foreseeable, and wouldn’t be in the least surprised if they take it in 5-10 years time.

They’re certainly not a party of the Bristol working class sadly, but as the city gets steadily more middle class and liberal, I can’t see that being a problem for them.

I'd be happy in London if they became a viable alternative to Labour. Having monolithic one-party councils in power for decades can't be good.. perhaps local councillors would actually start bothering to acknowledge the people they represent... who knows.

 

[hitmouse]

I always feel a bit cynical about the Greens' chances just cos I remember around exactly 10 years ago, when people were talking about the Greens as being the party best placed to fill the gap left by Miliband's dire centrism (and the Lib Dems going into coalition with the Tories), and then Oh Jeremy Corbyn happened and everyone just forgot they existed for the next five years or so. But, having said all that, history doesn't tend to repeat itself that neatly, so who knows? Of the six Manchester constituencies, they came second in three of them (Gorton saw Labour come first, Reform second, Green third and then Tories fifth behind the WPB, which is an interesting result). Two of their candidates are people I'd respect as having a decent track record of standing up for local working-class communities in places like Hulme, the other four I'd never heard of.

 

[Jennaonthebeach]

They've been building for a long time on the city council and currently lead on it (not quite a majority though). But in Bristol Central I guess it is partly the demographic, urban-left, comfortably off or student, hippyish vibes. But they've clearly gone a bit beyond the stereotypical demographic to do so well. I think a lot of it is just the gradual normalisation of voting green. Name recognition increases, you know more people who are voting green as though it isn't an insane choice etc

My parents in 2015 thought the Greens were actually mentally ill and said so to me. So when i stood, told them i was standing, expecting parental pride, they told me i was bonkers, which is a sore point for me as I had undiagnosed autism throughout my childhood so they accused of mental illness even back then. It was part of my falling out with them and I haven't seen my Dad in 8 years. I understand support for Trump in the US is similarly alienating younger people from their parents, and causing major rifts along the generational lines.

 

[Dystopiary]

I'm sure I saw something showing a list of where they came second and by how many votes, cos there were quite a few places this time. I know they did in Birkenhead.

PR1Berske - as the resident psephologist, do you know what constituencies they came second in please? Or where I might be able to find out?

 

[moochedit]

Misread the title as 'anals of the green party'

I'm sure the op didn't intend that

 

[PR1Berske]

I'm sure I saw something showing a list of where they came second and by how many votes, cos there were quite a few places this time. I know they did in Birkenhead.

PR1Berske - as the resident psephologist, do you know what constituencies they came second in please? Or where I might be able to find out?

I think maybe BNHWalker or Election Maps on Xitter may have that already. The House of Commons Library and/or the Electoral Commission eventually publishes the collated results so you may find it that way.

 

[strung out]

I'm sure I saw something showing a list of where they came second and by how many votes, cos there were quite a few places this time. I know they did in Birkenhead.

PR1Berske - as the resident psephologist, do you know what constituencies they came second in please? Or where I might be able to find out?

Haven't checked this, but looks about right

 

[Dystopiary]

I think maybe BNHWalker or Election Maps on Xitter may have that already. The House of Commons Library and/or the Electoral Commission eventually publishes the collated results so you may find it that way.

Thank you.

 

[Dystopiary]

Haven't checked this, but looks about right

View attachment 432298

Thanks.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Haven't checked this, but looks about right

View attachment 432298

Fuck's sake, is Erith and Thamesmead the only SE London constituency they didn't come second in??

Ah, no, having just checked the neighbouring constituencies, outside of Greenwich & Woolwich, I seem to be in a particularly Green-unfriendly pocket of SE London.

 

[Dystopiary]

Very close third in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, just behind Conservative.

Spoiler: alt text

Bar chart for party results for 2024, with + or - since 2019 results
Lab 44% (-7.2)
Con 20.2% (-14.2)
Green 19.7% (+14)
Lib Dem 9.7% (+3.7)
Ind 4.5% (+4.5)
SDP 1.9% (+1.9)

https://election.news.sky.com/elections/general-election-2024/brighton-kemptown-and-p'haven-97

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

I always feel a bit cynical about the Greens' chances just cos I remember around exactly 10 years ago, when people were talking about the Greens as being the party best placed to fill the gap left by Miliband's dire centrism (and the Lib Dems going into coalition with the Tories), and then Oh Jeremy Corbyn happened and everyone just forgot they existed for the next five years or so. But, having said all that, history doesn't tend to repeat itself that neatly, so who knows? Of the six Manchester constituencies, they came second in three of them (Gorton saw Labour come first, Reform second, Green third and then Tories fifth behind the WPB, which is an interesting result). Two of their candidates are people I'd respect as having a decent track record of standing up for local working-class communities in places like Hulme, the other four I'd never heard of.

The only name I recognise among the Green candidates in Manchester is Ekua Bayunu because she was one of my councillors in Hulme. They seem to have a lot of new faces/names this year.

They have made some advances, eg councillors in Woodhouse Park in south Manchester, but I think they'll always struggle in a big urban centre like Manchester because of transport issues, people do love their cars.

 

[PR1Berske]

I'm sure I saw something showing a list of where they came second and by how many votes, cos there were quite a few places this time. I know they did in Birkenhead.

PR1Berske - as the resident psephologist, do you know what constituencies they came second in please? Or where I might be able to find out?

Democracy Club looks possible:

 

[Dogsauce]

There’s been Green councillors in WC areas of Leeds for a while, Wortley was a stronghold with a husband and wife both holding seats for a long time. There is a green councillor in Armley who I know who was formerly Labour, defected to greens a couple of years back and lost her seat at the election but got back in this year (they have three council seats per ward with one elected each year if it’s confusing how this happened). They are actually really dedicated and engaged at grass roots level and carried a strong personal vote which I think helped considerably, and this is exactly the way it should be, and how Greens can get elected in places like this.

 

[hitmouse]

The only name I recognise among the Green candidates in Manchester is Ekua Bayunu because she was one of my councillors in Hulme. They seem to have a lot of new faces/names this year.

They have made some advances, eg councillors in Woodhouse Park in south Manchester, but I think they'll always struggle in a big urban centre like Manchester because of transport issues, people do love their cars.

Think Thirza's from a fairly similar political background to Ekua, ex-Labour/Momentum and very involved with things like the local residents' campaign against the Gamecock development in Hulme. No idea about the others though.

 

[hash tag]

The Greens want to stop locking up migrants and want a world without borders Migration Policy - Green Party Asylum and Migration Policy Working Group

great if a bit idealistic and utopian.

 

[Brainaddict]

The Greens want to stop locking up migrants and want a world without borders Migration Policy - Green Party Asylum and Migration Policy Working Group

great if a bit idealistic and utopian.

They are very much caught between the mainstream calling them utopian and the left calling them not left enough.

I'm coming to the view that they are the left party we have, even if they are not quite the left party we want, and we should just knuckle down and work with that. All the attempts to start new left parties fail, and meanwhile the Green Party is growing and growing. It is where many Corbynites fled to when hounded out the party, and it is the party many people voted for in this election when Starmer opened up space to the left of Labour. So I'm kind of glad they have some utopian policies. It would suck if they were purely 'pragmatic'.

 

[hash tag]

They are very much caught between the mainstream calling them utopian and the left calling them not left enough.

I'm coming to the view that they are the left party we have, even if they are not quite the left party we want, and we should just knuckle down and work with that. All the attempts to start new left parties fail, and meanwhile the Green Party is growing and growing. It is where many Corbynites fled to when hounded out the party, and it is the party many people voted for in this election when Starmer opened up space to the left of Labour. So I'm kind of glad they have some utopian policies. It would suck if they were purely 'pragmatic'.

The no borders thing has occupied a few drunken/stoned discussions in the past. If we have no borders, do we have no religion, a single language and no land ownership?
I helped out with my local green party campaign for the last election. I becoming convinced it's time to go a step further.
How close are the UK Greens to other country's Greens I wonder, who are much stronger.