Buoyant Greens launch last big push

Martin Hemingway, lead candidate

02 JUN 2009

Greens ahead of UKIP nationally 

Green Party campaigners are pulling out all the stops this week, encouraged by today's Sunday Telegraph/ICM poll which puts the Greens on 11% - ahead of UKIP nationally for the first time this campaign (1).

This follows the earlier YouGov poll which found that 34% of people across the UK were considering voting green.

With 11%, the Greens would expect to return three or even four new MEPs, which is likely to make history in Yorkshire and the Humber by including Martin Hemingway, lead candidate for the region, who would join the existing Green MEPs in London and the South East who now look certain to hold their seats.

Other polls indicate that the public trust the Greens more than politicians from the other parties. A recent poll shows that they think Greens are "least likely to put self-interest first."

The YouGov poll last Friday reports that people believe Green politicians were by far the most highly trusted to put their country before their own financial interests (2). This, say the Greens, suggests that a significant proportion of any anti-sleaze protest vote would go to the Green Party.

"Vote for a million Green jobs"

With a UN think-tank this week warning that climate change is already killing 300,000 people a year, and costing the world $125bn a year (4), the Greens will be reinforcing the main message of their 2009 campaign :- Vote Green for a million UK jobs, to tackle the recession and the climate crisis at the same time.

Endorsements

During the last few weeks of the campaign endorsements have come from several differing sources. Salma Yaqoob, deputy leader of Respect, is telling members to vote Green to keep the small far-right parties from getting a seat, because the proportional representation system means the best way to keep a small party gaining a seat is to vote for another small party. 

Libertas' top North West candidate has also told supporters to vote Green. In the North-West the anti-racist coalition built by the North West Greens (3) appears to have been successful. Green Party candidate Peter Cranie looks set to deny BNP leader Nick Griffin the eighth and last seat in the North West. Joanna Lumley and the Sikh Federation have also told voters to choose the Green Party.

Notes 

[1] Telegraph

[2] GP: most trusted 

[3] http://www.stopnickgriffin.org.uk

[4] Guardian: 29 May

GP: ahead of UKIP

Your Candidates For Parliament

Andy Chase, City of York

Cllr. Jillian Creasy, Sheffield

Cllr. David Blackburn, Leeds West

Martin Hemingway, Leeds

Cllr. Dilys Cluer, Scarborough & Whitby

Shan Oakes, Beverley

Bill Rigby, Beverley & Holderness

Mike Jackson, East Yorkshire

Martin Deane, Hull North

Miriam Hawkins, Wakefield