The Isle of Wight Green Party voice their sadness and frustration after another General Election which failed to return the Green MPs to Westminster which the United Kingdom desperately needs.
The Green vote on the Isle of Wight remains strong: five times as many Islanders voted Green in 2019 than the 3% level of support found across the UK, with only Brighton Pavilion and Bristol West seeing more Green support than here.
First Past the Post
However, the Greens still failed to breakthrough the First Past the Post electoral system.
Whilst on average only 38,300 votes were needed to elect a single Conservative MP, the Greens achieved 864,743 in total number of votes, but resulting only one Green MP.
Climate Crisis
Yet there was more interest in the Climate Crisis during this election than ever before. Channel 4 hosted the Leaders’ Climate Debate, and Isle of Wight candidates were questioned at three specific Hustings in the last few weeks which focused on Climate, sustainability and the biosphere.
Vix Lowthion, Green Party candidate this election, said,
“The election of a Conservative Government with a large majority is devastating for the environment, our public services, our future in Europe and the most vulnerable in society. The last few years of Tory government saw £10billion subsidies to the oil industry a year, whilst they blocked the necessary support for wind, solar and tidal power. Instead they imposed large housing targets, fracking and social care cuts as a burden on our local councils, whilst social inequality has extended.
“This should have been the Climate Election, but the result with a Tory government and weakened opposition means that the future of our environment is threatened more than ever before. Our team of Green volunteers were amazing – they couldn’t have worked any harder these last few weeks. I’m so sorry that again they lack fair representation at a Westminster level.”
The focus in the next weeks and months for the IW Greens will be building for the local council elections in 2021, and fighting the planning application to drill for Oil and Gas outside Arreton and Godshill.
UKOG meeting today
UKOG (UK Oil and Gas) are holding an information day at Newclose Cricket Ground today (Monday 16th) from 1-8pm, and all Islanders are urged to attend to find out more.
News shared by Vix on behalf of Isle of Wight Green Party. Ed
Image: © With kind permission of Allan Marsh
