The Greens are riding high after a very strong performance in the local elections. They took control of their first District Council in Suffolk in May, and removed the Conservatives from power in South Norfolk. Similar things are happening on the South coast. In this opinion piece Labour activist Emma Burnell, written before the Green Party manifesto was published, she reflects on the wider challenge facing them.
I have just returned from a brief trip to Hastings, where the Greens took a number of seats to become the largest party. This followed a mass defection from Labour to Independent – this independent group then forming a coalition with the Green Party to run the council. The Green gains at the start of the month puts them two short of a majority. But with seven remaining Independents still willing to work with them, they have more than enough to govern.
Changing communities
Hastings is an interesting place politically and demographically. There is significant local sentiment against an incoming community – not refugees from the wars of the Middle East and Africa, but those who realised during Covid that if you’re going to work from home three days out of five, then you don’t have to live in London to do it.
The ‘Down From London’ crowd have joined the ‘Can’t Afford Brighton’ crew in changing Hastings significantly from the place of my childhood understanding of it as largely a genteel place with an over-representation of older, retired folk to a much edgier place with an over-representation of retired indie musicians.
However, I don’t think this change to Hastings’ demographics and politics has registered much outside of Sussex. But it is one that is being replicated in a few areas. The Green Party has long been strong in Brighton but they are also growing elsewhere, in particular in Bristol where they hope to take a second parliamentary seat, but also in other parts of Sussex such as Lewes and in a number of other councils particularly in the southern half of the country and East Anglia.
So why does a Labour commentator care about this?
Some would say I am scared of their 9% vote share damaging Labour. And given that Greens have long since overtaken the Labour left and even SNP supporters as the most vociferous people in my Twitter timeline, I have no doubt that some will say that is the reason I care. And to an extent this is true. I do think there are places – not least Hastings – where a strong Green showing in a general election will not elect a Green MP, but might well lead to the election of a Tory one.
But actually, I don’t want that to be the frame through which I am writing this piece.
Partly, because I have long argued that no party has a right to assume voter loyalty. I repeatedly say that we should not refer to people as “Labour voters” or “Tory voters” because the voters rarely think of themselves in that way. Unlike activists, voters don’t often see their voting behaviour as core to their identity – and this has become increasingly true as old class loyalties have been breaking down throughout most of my lifetime, culminating in the effects of the 2019 election and the endless talk of ‘walls’ it has thrown up.
Labour needs both its wings
But mostly, I believe an electoral challenge to Labour from its left might actually be good for the party in terms of it remembering it needs both wings to fly. To quote one of the most eminent philosophers of our age: “I told you, that we could fly: we all have wings, but some of us don’t know why”. I would like to see the Labour leadership remember why Labour has wings and draw from the talent that exists across the party – prizing that talent over unthinking loyalty, and soaring to new policy heights. (I would also have liked to see that under every Labour leader since Blair, and it seems as likely now as it ever has been – i.e. not very. Factionalism is a hell of a drug). So exploring how the Greens could be and do better is actually something I think might have the capacity to provide a useful challenge to Labour.
I have also seen the difference that extra-parliamentary pressure from environmental organisations has had on Labour governments in strengthening ambitions and legislation alike. Making that pressure also an electoral challenge will only strengthen this.
Sharpening Labour
Don’t get me wrong, I want Labour to win every possible seat at the next general election. In the handful of seats where the Greens are properly competitive, it is Labour they face and Labour I will support. But – admittedly to a lesser extent – I would like to see a decent environmentally-focused party do well enough to make Labour feel they need to sharpen their offer in this area.
Sadly though, I don’t think the Greens in their current incarnation are the party to do that. I also think as they achieve more success, the coverage they have long been demanding is more likely to come their way.
Well… be careful what you wish for.
This article was originally published by Emma Burnell on her substack Hard thinking on the soft left. Readers of this article who want to subscribe to hear more from her can get a 10% discount with this link.
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