tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2440117683736860632.post5168208554889105904..comments2023-08-31T15:14:58.287-07:00Comments on London Green Left Blog: The Greens Stake Their Claim To The LeftMike Shaughnessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16796480031110991460noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2440117683736860632.post-70840713569697632132014-09-08T04:44:51.097-07:002014-09-08T04:44:51.097-07:00We can hardly specify who can and cannot vote Gree...We can hardly specify who can and cannot vote Green Philip. The fact remains that we are by some distance, the second party behind Labour in Tottenham. If you want Labour out, you are best voting Green.Mike Shaughnessyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16796480031110991460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2440117683736860632.post-55998694547622376542014-09-05T13:25:41.136-07:002014-09-05T13:25:41.136-07:00LU supported TUSC candidates, some anyway, they di...LU supported TUSC candidates, some anyway, they did support any Greens in Haringey, despite the rhetoric from your national party. There has been no approach from anybody in Haringey about the GE, as far as I know. We are selecting our candidates, end of story I'm afraid.<br /><br />I know LU were new at the time and didn't really know what to do, but TUSC could easily have made arrangements with us, but they chose not to. As far as we are concerned we tried, but we won't waste our time again on this, I don't think.<br /><br />The Green Party is gaining a lot of members in Haringey and across the country. We are neck and neck with the Lib Dems in some polls. What cam LU and TUSC offer in comparison? Mike Shaughnessyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16796480031110991460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2440117683736860632.post-42584953663347446612014-09-05T13:12:50.468-07:002014-09-05T13:12:50.468-07:00Mike I'm a bit perturbed by your dependency on...Mike I'm a bit perturbed by your dependency on middle class professionals moving into Tottenham....surely all you have to do is win over the people who are already here! The Greens already HAVE the reputation of being middle class do gooders, and that's one that heralds ill!philiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05853466573721833721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2440117683736860632.post-12258873098241562692014-09-05T13:09:13.952-07:002014-09-05T13:09:13.952-07:00last post disappeared so if this appears twice...s...last post disappeared so if this appears twice...sorry. Just a correction Mike. Before the local elections LU Haringey discussed an approach by the Greens and while all were sympathetic we felt we were so few that we couldn't really contribute. Thats the long and the short of it. I voted Green myself. I do hope the Greens will not adopt a 'all the left must just vote for us' approach. That kind of attitude has been prevalent in Labour and it has now lost touch with the people. If Lammy is to be challenged at all, it will have to be by a coalition of people and groups. You simply can't do it without knocking on doors(and Labour ARE good at that) Reaching out to create a broader grouping against austerity and war could embrace a much wider audience that a couple of percentage points. The Greens simply won't be able to do it on their own.philiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05853466573721833721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2440117683736860632.post-23005122716250151422014-09-05T12:38:18.271-07:002014-09-05T12:38:18.271-07:00Well written piece - we need to push the message: ...Well written piece - we need to push the message: sustainable development + social justice. Policies such as rail renationalisation and a wealth tax are bang on. But we also need to initiate a serious discussion on restructuring international finance. This is another elephant in the room - since we all know real economic change will be indefinitely frustrated by global financial (it's control of credit; it;s power to undermine currencies; the power to withdraw/withhold investment, etc)laurencenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2440117683736860632.post-27271963661468392782014-09-05T12:37:29.599-07:002014-09-05T12:37:29.599-07:00The Green Party did marginally better in Tottenham...The Green Party did marginally better in Tottenham than in H&WG in the 2010 GE. In the council elections this year, the Green vote was pretty evenly split. We attempted to have some kind of joint arrangement in Haringey in the local elections with LU and TUSC, but it fell on deaf ears. We stuffed TUSC everywhere they stood except one ward. The rest of the left should get behind the Green candidate in Tottenham at the GE next year, we are by far the most effective electoral machine in Haringey.<br /><br />Oh and it will not be a paper candidate, the Tottenham candidancy is being being contested at the moment. We will have a proper candidate, and a good one too. I think the future of the Green Party in Haringey is in Tottenham. The demographics have changed with young professionals moving into the area and voting Green. This trend will continue I think. Mike Shaughnessyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16796480031110991460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2440117683736860632.post-1985853569245324422014-09-05T12:24:51.209-07:002014-09-05T12:24:51.209-07:00I am glad that the Greens are moving leftward, and...I am glad that the Greens are moving leftward, and hopefully they will lose the middle class 'let's keep politics out of it' brigade. But I'm not sure the Greens have much presence on the ground. In Haringey,there are two consituencies, Hornsey and Wood Green which is quite middle class, and Tottenham, which is working class. It looks like Hornsey will be the focus for the Greens in the election, since they have a decent level of support there. But Tottenham may be just a paper candidate. Not sure if this is the case, but Greens are not in evidence here. Would it not make more sense to join forces with other groups and stand a community candidate on the basis of anti war and anti austerity. There are a number of small groups in Tottenham, but if they pulled together it might make waves. The sitting MP David Lammy had little credibility and his standing for Mayoral candidacy indicates his continuing lack of interest in this constituency. Would be a shame to waste the potential here,philip foxenoreply@blogger.com