Green wake up call for Labour in by-election result - Lorna Slater
Last week’s by-election result in Gorton and Denton made history. For the first time, the Green Party of England and Wales won a Westminster by election.
It is a landmark moment, not only for Greens south of the border, but for the wider green movement across these islands.
Voters there were clear about what they wanted. They wanted hope, integrity and a politics rooted in community.
Many were also searching for a credible way to stop the rise of Reform UK. They found that in the Greens and in the excellent Hannah Spencer.
Here in Scotland we are seeing similar currents. Polling ahead of the Holyrood election on May 7 suggests that Scottish Labour is struggling badly. There is a genuine possibility that they could return fewer MSPs than the Scottish Greens or the Lib Dems. Potentially finishing fifth or sixth should be a wakeup call they need.
I am delighted that so many people rallied round and supported a proudly progressive Green candidate to defeat a hard right challenge. But we should be honest about what this says about our democracy.
People should not feel forced into strategic voting to block something they fear. They should be able to vote positively for the future they believe in. That is why proportional representation matters.
The UK’s voting system distorts public opinion by forcing people to vote tactically. Our democracy is undermined by these tactical calculations; people should be able to vote for what they really want.
If the Labour Party is serious about keeping Reform out, it must reform the UK voting system. Instead of offering a bold alternative, Labour’s leadership has too often chosen to mimic the Conservatives, chasing right-moving votes with tough talk and timid policy. They can’t beat Reform by becoming Reform, but they do risk handing the UK Government to them if they don’t get rid of ‘first past the post’ voting.
Most people in Scotland want progressive politics, action on the climate crisis, investment in public services and compassion in our migration system. Echoing right wing rhetoric will not inspire them.
The lesson from Gorton and Denton is not simply that Greens can win. It is that voters are looking for a democratic system that works for them, not against them.
Labour will not turn the tide against Trump-style divide and conquer politics by imitating it. If we are serious about shutting the door on hard right populism, the UK needs proportional representation, so that progressive majorities are translated into progressive power and every vote truly counts.
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