Post Election Fallout and Changes

I was asked by the website 'Truro People' to comment on my feelings of the new coalition government, and what people feel about the outcome of the general election:

What do you feel is the opinion of the public, as you have seen it over the last few days?

I think people are probably very disheartened by the election result. All that happened is the Tories and Labour swapped 100 seats. The lib dems lost seats yet they are now in government! I do not think people who support the ‘right’ wing of the Tory party or those who are Liberal (with a capital L) in the lib dems will be happy about the partnership.

It will be interesting to see how the two parties try to work together rather than in an adversarial way. That may lead for a change in our political culture-essential if we are to have proportional representation in future.

The best thing is we now have our first Green MP-Caroline Lucas in Brighton. I think she will communicate some new, fresh and interesting ideas to the British public about how we can deal with the three crises we currently face; climate change, the economic problems we have, and the energy crisis (peak oil, and our new dependence on foreign gas)

Could you please sum up your personal feelings on the Liberal Democrat / Conservative coalition?

It is interesting, as I have said above, to see how the parties will work together. However, I would have preferred to see a ‘rainbow coalition’ of nationalists, people in the Labour and Lib Dem parties, our Green MP. This may have been difficult to form, and hold together, but it would have been preferable to the Lib Dems forming a government with the Conservatives. I think many Lib Dem supporters will feel betrayed by their party; many activists could see no possible scenario where they would form a coalition with the Tories, yet that has happened. Many voters also voted tactically Lib Dem to ‘keep the Tories out’, yet they now find that their vote is assisting supporting a Tory led government. As a Green, I share Alex Salmond’s view (leader of the Scottish Nationalists) that I could never be involved with a Tory led government. Memories are too long (i.e. of the Tory government 79-97) and their reign of cuts, fostering poor employment relations, high unemployment, and how their policies decimated Britain’s industrial and manufacturing base.

The Liberal Democrats were seen to be campaigning, at least to some degree, on the idea that they were the party for change and that vote for Labour would guarantee a Conservative government. What is your thought on this now?

If it was not so upsetting that they are responsible for propping up a minority Tory Government, it would all be darkly amusing! The Tories said ‘Vote Orange and Get Brown’, and the Lib Dems said ‘Vote Green, Labour or MK and get the Tories’. Despite this we now have a Lib Dem-Con government! I think people will think twice about trusting the Lib Dems again- and people will not forget what the Labour Government did (Afghanistan, massive Debt, Iraq, sleazy politics, and a retreat from traditional labour policies to move closer to the right). Progressives will find a good home with the Greens. We would not form a coalition with the Tories, and we believe passionately that only a radical progressive, but realistic, basket of policies can ensure we develop a really new (as opposed to the veneer of new politics promised by the Lib Dems) radical political agenda to form a happier, Greener society.

Do you think Gordon Brown was right to step down when he did?


No he should have gone a year ago. The arguments within the Labour Party made him loose credibility as its leader. As writers such as Polly Toynbee argued if he had gone then Labour may have been in a position to form a minority government with centre left partners under a new leader. His own ego prevented him from throwing in the towel, and now we have a Tory government which will cut public expenditure and subsequently public services.

As Cornwall is split evenly between Conservative and Lib Dem MP's, how will this affect our constituencies as a whole?

Whether they are lib dem or Tory they are still the government! If the coalition is successful, that may be good for them, but I do not think it will be. Already there is talk of cutting public expenditure and putting up VAT. Both measures will hurt the poor and vulnerable disproportionately compared to the wealthy; so both parties will be tarnished by measures such as this. In Cornwall is unclear. People will not vote Labour as they have little credibility, with people here, for what they have done since 1997. I hope progressive people will listen to what the Green’s have to say and see us as the credible progressive alternative.

The other argument is having MP’s of the government will result in them having an ear to government. I hope that is the case. However, Cornwall is a very poor region of the UK, and what we need is investment in housing, public services and transport. In what is a cost cutting environment I do not think the Lib Dem Con Coalition will be too keen to provide additional income for Cornwall. However, I hope I am proved wrong-the issues we face in Cornwall are too serious.

Moreover, how do you think this will impact Truro & Falmouth specifically?

Sarah Newton seems a pleasant woman. I was surprised she is in the Tory Party! Her article in the West Briton this week (13/5/10) of her vision for Cornwall was very positive, and there was little she wrote which I disagree with. I wish her well, and hope she is able to have some influence on the government to improve the situation in our constituency. However, as I said above I remain concerned that the government will not wish to give the investment that we need here. I hope the Tory Party has changed, but I will take a lot of convincing, and proof will be their actions in government. I cannot believe the party of Gove, Hague, and Osborne etc. is really going to care much about ordinary people. Sarah Newton gave commitments in the hustings to supporting electoral reform, support for a Cornish Assembly, improving affordable housing provision, and supporting local communities (via parishes) to take action to deter more second home ownership. She also said she did not hunt, and I hope she will be convinced by the electorate to vote against reintroducing hunting, if that is proposed. We will watch how she votes on all matters, and judge her by her actions.

What is the 'Green party central' standing on the alliance? Would you have been more in favour of a rainbow Lib Lab coalition, which may have included some Green?

We very much wanted to see a ‘rainbow coalition’ of the Centre Left. There was even a Facebook page dedicated to saying Caroline Lucas should be PM! However, the Lib Dems wanted to work with the Tories, and there was also disquiet in the Labour ranks about forming a coalition with the Lib Dems. However, it would have been great we think if we could have had a centre left national coalition of which Caroline Lucas was part.

What gains/sacrifices do you feel were most important for either side?

The Lib Dems have wanted power for some time. I think they have compromised themselves and their values by being part of the Tory led government. Obviously the Tories would have loved to have gone it alone, and despite the last few years of the Labour Government they still could not convince the British Public they could be trusted to form a majority government. They have however been very, very clever by appointing David Laws at the Treasury and Vince Cable at Business. They will have responsibility of cutting budgets and therefore services, making it difficult for the Lib Dems to criticize the government for cutting public services, because their ministers are at the helm . Similarly Chris Hulme will have responsibility for commissioning new nuclear power stations. So the Lib Dems seem to have got power, but will pay a big price with their core voters.

What do you see as the future for this alliance?

As I said at the beginning it will be interesting to see if our new leaders can step back from confrontational politics and whether they can work together. I expect there will be pressures within both parties due to their differing ideologies when difficult decisions need to be made about Europe, Immigration, Defence, renewal of Trident, supporting poorer people. Many core supporters will not be happy with the results if pragmatism rules and it seems we have a right wing or centre right government. Those Lib Dems on the Centre Left however will be very welcome to join the Green Party. We share many Liberal values-although we have a more radical edge; focusing on the environment and equality as our key priorities. As I have said- I can see no scenario’s where supporting a Tory Government would be on our political agenda.

Have you decided on what your plans are now that the government is formed? Has this changed given the new alliance?

I am looking forward nationally to following how the government, and its policies develop. I really hope my pessimism is misguided. Nobody wants to see the worst happen-because that always involves ordinary people suffering as the result of cuts and poor services. We need to watch, criticize and confront when that is necessary, and continue to show why the Green Party should develop as a progressive and credible force nationally and locally. Certainly if the government is unsuccessful, I think many will be attracted to our alternative vision for the future, and how we will deal with the problems we currently face and will confront over the next few years. I think Caroline will offer an interesting perspective on events, and our alternative view will be of great interest from that of the three main grey parties.

Locally, especially after the Lib Dems decision to be part of the coalition, I would have no hesitation in standing for the general election again. However, that decision is up to our party and members. I know we have more support than the 845 votes showed we got. Many of our supporters voted tactically Lib Dem to keep the Tories out! So I hope they and others disaffected with the main parties will vote for us next time around. We intend to remain active locally, and show our presence via our street stall and by engaging with the media. We do not have the big business and trade union support of the other parties, and most of our supporters are not wealthy people who can give us thousands of pounds. I hope however we can put up six candidates in the next general election and we can ensure we have some women candidates. I think the only way is up for the Green Party-particularly now we have a national MP, and I think people will become increasingly attracted to our alternative vision of society and how our policies would solve our local, national and international problems.

Ian Wright
13/5/10