Well done Caroline. Now time for a progressive majority
There is a time for pointing out that Labour are the party of privatisation and the Lib Dems the party of “savage cuts”. But that time has passed. The people of Britain have spoken, and, as expected, my party does not have a majority in Parliament. We have one, glorious, hard won seat.
There is no time to stop and pause on how impressive an achievement it was for Caroline and her team in the biggest squeeze election of recent years – where even Cleggmania couldn’t protect Lib Dems from losing MPs. For the election is not over. Most people in Britain voted against Tory candidates – in fact, I imagine, given that Caroline’s main opponent was thought to be the Tory, that many of her voters sent her to Parliament to keep Charlotte Vere, and David Cameron, out.
And it’s time for us Greens to do what we can to stop the Tories from getting into Government.
Now, we only have one seat, so our vote won’t make that much of a difference (though, with the narrow balance of things, it could make a small difference). But we are also a political party which has just been given 250,00ish votes. The Tories have no majority and no automatic right to govern. If the majority of elected MPs would rather have a Labour Prime Minister, then that is what our democratic system should deliver. Alex Salmond’s loan voice calling for such a majority was rejected, foolishly by Labour, but if talks are beginning to fall apart between Lib Dems and Tories, then Nick Clegg will be looking for an exit strategy. The more that people have been reminded that Tory rule is neither inevitable, nor necessarily what people wanted, the better.
And 30 seconds of Caroline on TV over the next couple of days would help, just a little, to build that case.
I should be clear. We should not go into a coalition – with one seat, we’d quickly be stung. But Caroline could vote for a Labour Prime Minister alongside SNP, Plaid, and Lib Dems, in exchange for electoral reform and a co-operation agreement.
But, more importantly, we must do what we can to stop the media hyped momentum for a Tory government which, I believe, most MPs would rather not see – not just for the good of the party, but for the good of the country, and the world.
Luke,
Being progressive is about more than being anti-Tory, yes – in fact, I think both Labour and Lib Dems are in fact regressive. However, there is a difference – Labour isn’t Labour any more, but the Tories are still the Tories, and they are essentially proposing to dismember the welfare state under the cover of the deficit. For me, this is mostly not about political positioning, it is about doing the right thing.
Also, I don’t think it is inevitable. It seems clear to me me from these election results that most would rather a Labour Govt to a Tory Govt – most Lib Dem voters prefer Labour to the Tories. I think a majority would clearly support such a call. In particular our voters would. My experience in Norwich was certainly that many supporters weren’t willing to vote for us until re-assured that we would do what we could to stop a Tory Government.
Also, if a Con/Dem coalition is inevitable, we should be picking up lots of LD votes, and even activists – and, possibly, in the long run, an MP or two. This is much more likely if we take a clear stance making it clear that the Lib Dems chose a deal with the Tories, rather than had a constitutional obligation to make it.
I don’t understand your point about Pavillion – how many of her voters would complain if she said she doesn’t like Labour, but the Tories are worse, and so she’s voting for a Labour PM? certainly all the Greeny types I have spoken to (lots) over the last couple of days have agreed that this would be the right approach, and reflects how they feel.
Keshav,
no. In fact, given the numbers, the most useful thing Caroline can do now is, on Monday, call for an anti Tory agreement. In practice, her vote wouldn’t be needed to pass Labour budgets etc, and she should vote on them as she would otherwise. But if the Tories are to be kept out, as they must, then re-introducing the alliance idea into the news cycle tomorrow is the best thing she could do, and all she’d need to do in practice is vote for a Labour PM.
I think this reply is longer than the original post!
Thanks,
Adam
Adam,
Suppose a Labour ‘progressive coalition’ government tries to carry through its election pledge to cut public spending by more than Thatcher did. Do you think Caroline Lucas should vote for such cuts? Do you think she should commit not to vote against them as part of a cooperation agreement?
Rupert,
A Tory Government cannot be avoided. It just can’t. It is impossible to sell an alternative to the British public. We might be able to sell it to the public in Scotland or Wales, but it cannot be sold in England.
Caroline is in a unique position. She can hold not only the Government (a likely Con/Lib Govt) to account but also the “official” opposition. Caroline can champion progressive politics by pointing out the inconsistencies in both Labour’s version of “progress” and the Tory/Liberal idea of “progress.” This is something Adam Price (former Plaid MP) was very good at.
PR, yes. Faux progress, no.
Great post, Adam. And it’s a great blog to have it on – because what we have to learn from here is the example of Scotland and the Scots Green Party; AND because Salmond has got in ahead of Lucas here.
So: Great minds think alike: 😉
Here are my latest, remarkably similar thoughts:
http://rupertsread.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-green-party-can-help-stop-tories.html [An updated version of my LeftFootForward piece of yesterday]
Luke; you say: “People ultimately voted for Caroline because they wanted a Green MP. They didn’t want a Labour MP and they certainly didn’t want a Tory one.”
Correct. But notice what you’ve conceded, there. You’ve tacitly agreed that what most Green voters want least of all is a Tory government.
What Adam and I are calling for is PROBABLY THE ONLY WAY IN WHICH A TORY GOVT CAN ACTUALLY BE AVOIDED…
People ultimately voted for Caroline because they wanted a Green MP. They didn’t want a Labour MP and they certainly didn’t want a Tory one.
Caroline’s priority must be Pavilion. We must remember that being progressive is more than being anti-Tory.
Caroline would be wise to keep out of the hoopla happening around Westminster at the moment. She has called on Nick Clegg not to compromise on PR but, as I said, Pavilion must come first.
Good blog. Please fix the typo in the voting results to avoid confusion. Thanks.