I was talking on the doorstep in Somers Town today to a politically aware, articulate, passionate young law student.
He’s got views on lots of things. And he’s not on the electoral roll. Deliberately.
“Well I’d vote for the Green Party and think you’re great, but what’s the point?”
I explained how Caroline Lucas is the bookmakers’ favourite to win in Brighton Pavilion, and how we’re running strong races in Norwich and Brighton, as well as here in Holborn and St Pancras, and how much of a difference Green MP(s) would make to how voters look at us.
And I explained that we have three councillors in Highgate, and are seriously in the running in St Pancras and Somers Town.
He was, I think, persuaded to enrol and vote.
But there are many, many more similarly inclined non-voters there are out there, and you can’t possibly speak to all of them.
They’ve been thoroughly disillusioned by the voting system, and the only way trust can be restored is by fundamental reform: the introduction of proportional representation, so that every vote really counts.
How do Greens view the alternative vote, proposed (cynically) by Brown earlier this year?
We’ve had a terrific debate in a thread at Fruits & Votes about the Greens’ prospects and whether Greens (and other smaller parties) should see AV as a dead end (and thus to be opposed) or as a sufficient improvement over FPTP and/or a step towards PR (and thus a move to be supported).
Natalie, as a political science professor visiting the UK for the election, I really hope to meet you and other Green candidates and party workers!