On 10 May 2017 at 6:24am Newms wrote:
The Green Party have brought a new idealistic spirit into British Politics . They have proved how different they are in Lewes now.
Last night the Green Party in Lewes announced they would be standing down - to support Kelly-Martie Blundell as Norman Baker's replacement as the Liberal Democrat Candidate who will stand up for the Lewes Constituency. UKIP are in such melt down its hard to be sure but no candidate has been announced
It's now clear it's a straight fight between Kelly Marie and Maria Caulfield , Lib Dem V Conservative
Two constituencies are the key to the election , the 5000 or so Labour voters and the roughly equal number of UKIP voters .
Only the Lib Dems can beat the Hard Brexit anti-immigrant Conservative Party. In this special election Lewes stands for so many voters around the country, horrified at the xenophobic spirit infecting the Western world from Trump to Le Pen`s Fascists
The French have said ils ne passeront pas .We can do do the same here
Please support Kelly-Marie and persuade your friends to do the same , she is a tough determined woman, who will take that trust to Westminster and be the voice of dissent the country so badly needs.
THANKYOU GREEN PARTY
On 10 May 2017 at 6:33am Ils ne pasteront pas wrote:
ne cuteront neither.
On 10 May 2017 at 7:20am Green Voter wrote:
This is completely undemocratic, and denying Green supporters a chance to put over their point of view. It appears from the polls that we are going to have a tory landslide anyway so the Lewes result is not crucial.
I urge all true greens to spoil their ballot paper by writing GREEN X across it.
On 10 May 2017 at 7:20am Jess wrote:
Wasn't sure who I was going to vote for I am now up the Tory's"
On 10 May 2017 at 7:26am Indygirl wrote:
I'm really disappointed. I vote green and don't want to support the Lib Dems who are pro trident and gave us tuition fees. Looks like Labour for me. Greens may have lost my vote for good over this.
On 10 May 2017 at 7:27am Amon Wildes wrote:
No Green Voter, it's a such a good thing to do this time round. We must have an effective opposition to bring about the necessary changes in our rotten parliamentary system. This election should be about halting the Tories appalling policies and looking to the next election to really change our politics. I fear that we must remove as many Tories as possible this time round and elect opposition of whatever colour. Don't waste your vote here in Lewes - vote Lib Dem. if you don't want another Tory in Parliament.
On 10 May 2017 at 7:33am Indygirl wrote:
I think Jeremy Corbyn will give that opposition. He represents my views far more than the Lib Dems . In Eastbourne the Lib dem candidate is telling people he supports Brexit. You can't trust them. Did we learn nothing from them being in with the Tories
On 10 May 2017 at 7:38am Sojourner wrote:
I don't understand why green supporters are pro immigration. Its the most environmentally damaging thing of all. Large population equals destruction of habitat for wildlife and more pollution.
On 10 May 2017 at 7:40am Amon Wildes wrote:
So, Indy girl, you vote Labour in Lewes and get a Hard Brexit Tory elected? The Lib Dem.candidate, Kelly Marie Blundell is certainly a remainer. Maria Caulfield is a very hard Brexiteer.
On 10 May 2017 at 7:45am Indygirl wrote:
And if we get Miss Blundell will she support Trident ...yes
Will she increase tuition fees... probably
Vote Lib dem and I might as well vote Tory. I certainly won't support a party whose leader thinks gay sex is a sin.
On 10 May 2017 at 8:06am Progressive Alliance wrote:
This election is all about dealing with the crisis that the First Past The Post electoral system will deliver if a Tory government is re-elected with a massive majority. Only a minority of people actually support the Conservatives, and most voters will vote for parties that are against many of the policies that May is campaigning for.
It's time to use our votes to challenge the Tory Party's arrogant assumption that they can do what they want. This means voting LibDem in Lewes and Eastbourne, Labour in Brighton Kemptown and Hove, and Green in Brighton Pavilion. That will defeat the Tories in all five constituencies.
And then we campaign for proportional representation.
On 10 May 2017 at 8:12am Sam wrote:
I think the greens have shown true political integrity, they have dropped their egos and made decisions that are truly for the benefit of the people. I will be supporting them whole heartedly in the future.
On 10 May 2017 at 8:15am annoyed wrote:
What have the greens got in common with the sell outs limp dums who tripled tuition fees and were part of a coalition government that bombed Libya. Completely lost my respect.
On 10 May 2017 at 8:19am Newms wrote:
Ahem .... I cannot say I agree with her on this point but Kelly Marie is against the renewal of Trident, see her speech to Lib Dem conference. I have no doubt she would be delighted to explain her views ( which are nuanced) if you speak to her at one of the many events she will be at . She is completely approachable and a good laugh as it happens.
Say hallo and have a word
I would ask people to be fair to the Lib Dems they have campaigned for a change to our electoral system since the 60s. They do not want anyone to have to make these sort of invidious choices and I have come to agree with them ( us I should now say) particularly as the old two party system has shattered
If you care about the environment to actually support hard Brexit and it’s ‘bonfire of regulation seems an odd choice to me. It will be devastating.
The Greens had an excellent showing at the local lections and I think Lewes will see that when they talk about acting as a community they mean it
This will hugely enhance their reputation. I can only thank them once again
PS Tory sock puppet alert !!!!!
On 10 May 2017 at 8:27am Vote Tory wrote:
Tory landslide in a few weeks. Whether Lewes has a Lib Dim MP or Tory MP will make NO difference. Lib Dims have irrevocably killed their own party by abandoning their principles in order to gain power. The people will never forget that. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
On 10 May 2017 at 8:27am Indygirl wrote:
Newms maybe she doesn't support trident but her party does and they voted for renewal this year. Caroline Lucas voted against it and I was very proud of her for doing so. I just can't believe we are going in to bed with the lib Dems who let us down so badly just a couple of years ago. I just can't support this arrangement and feel my vote has been taken from me
On 10 May 2017 at 8:32am Local wrote:
The Greens HAD to Stand down in Lewes after all they did not want the
Lib dem's to stand in Brighton Pavilion.
If i lived in Brighton and was a Lib Dem they would never get another vote from me.
All Parties should stand in all wards.
On 10 May 2017 at 8:48am Newms wrote:
Indy girl
Your vote is your choice of course and the local representatives of the Green Party are not hard to find if you wish to tell then that you do not support this decision . Why not talk to them and make your voice heard. No-one wants to disenfranchise you least of all the Lib Dems who have done everything they can to reform this bankrupt system
Talk to Kelly Marie, I bet you will find you agree on more than you might think, she is an inspirational young woman and would make us all proud.
The harsh truth is that Hard Brexit Maria Caulfield is the other option and that’s what we have to deal with now
I`m really sorry if you and any Green supporter is upset by this but you know the old saying about cutting your nose off to spite your face… do you really want just another May clone in a single Party state parroting the Conservative line ?
Anyhoo all the best better get on with work
On 10 May 2017 at 9:19am Warden wrote:
So, we've been sold down the river. Green voters gutted at the decision. This in an area where the Greens are strong and could have made a real difference. At every turn, we seen the LibDems manoeuvring for power, no matter what it takes - and we remember the disastrous Lib-Lab pact and dreadful Lib-Tory coalition - both bad for our country. How the Greens every think they will recover from this spineless act, Heaven knows. Their credibility is in tatters. Anyone available to stand as an Independent Green - you've got time to get your papers in so that we have a candidate to vote for. Otherwise, as has been said here, use the ballot paper and write GREEN across it... Shameful behaviour, Greens, really shameful.
On 10 May 2017 at 9:27am Not now wrote:
I would have voted green now I suppose will vote labour - will never vote LIBDEM again after 2010 when they backed austerity etc and started this mess. Crazy move given we have green Councillors in Lewes town and did so well in Ringmer in the locals in May as well. Tories will win in Lewes and the country anyway - they won easily here if you tot up the local election results - the Greene's were building momentum in Lewes town - they've just thrown it away.
On 10 May 2017 at 9:29am Advice wrote:
If I was a Lib Dim I would be advising newms not to post on here. He is not helping them at all. Two faced ex-Tory comes to mind.
On 10 May 2017 at 9:35am The Old Mayor wrote:
How can you have effective opposition, when parties aren't even putting forward a candidate ? Says more about their parties chances really, they know they aren't worth voting for, anyway, so why bother at all. admit defeat before the battle. Shame on them.
On 10 May 2017 at 9:48am Mr Trad wrote:
I certainly won't vote for a Lib Dim who seems to think it's all about Lewes and not the rest of the constituency and has the charisma of a wet haddock....
On 10 May 2017 at 10:02am Frak wrote:
I voted Green in the local elections, but wouldn't have done in the general election as I do not believe they would have had a chance in Lewes - and the same goes for labour.
I will vote lib dem, as one fewer Tory is a good thing in my opinion. I May not agree with everything they stand for, but I agree a hell of a lot more with them than with the conservatives.
On 10 May 2017 at 10:14am Mister Nomer wrote:
Hi Indygirl.
I get what you're saying. It's a really annoying fact of our electoral system that if you live in Lewes and support the Greens, you don't really have a voice whether they stand or not. If they have a candidate, they cannot win and your vote counts for nothing. If they don't have a candidate, you can't even cast a vote and are disenfranchised.
I think though if you follow through your options here, even if you hate the Lib Dems, any vote but one for the Lib Dems strengthens the Conservatives. The only choice is between the two parties. Any bad thing you can say about the Lib Dems (selling out, Trident etc) you can say about the Tories, plus a whole lot more.
It's possible in Lewes that UKIP won't put a candidate forward (anyone know about this?) and you can bet that their supporters won't be spoiling their papers.
If you think that 'Jeremy Corbyn will give that opposition', the only way to help Corbyn if you live in Lewes is to vote Lib Dem. Voting Labour in Lewes actually makes Corbyn, and Labour, weaker.
And I say this as a Labour member, who will probably never get to cast a meaningful vote for the party I support.
On 10 May 2017 at 11:11am Billy wrote:
If Newms was a candidate he would get my vote. He is a true Lewes legend. Or do I mean bellend?
On 10 May 2017 at 11:42am But wrote:
he will never be a candidate (hence no longer a tory) unless he starts his own party....New Maniacs?
On 10 May 2017 at 12:30pm Nothing to see here.... wrote:
Having seen a photo of Paul I now feel more sympathetic towards him. The middle aged kidult look is hard to carry off unless you are a model or sportsman.
On 10 May 2017 at 12:50pm Newms ... wrote:
Mister Nomer
Your comment is really interesting! At least we live in a Constituency which is in play. For lots of people in safe seats the whole thing is entirely pointless. Needs reform !
We reckons this is going to come down the few hundred votes
On 10 May 2017 at 1:50pm Anthony Shuster wrote:
Hi, I'm the elections coordinator for Lewes District Greens, I made a joint statement last night with our parliamentary candidate Katie Hawks about standing down.
To Indygirl and others who have expressed their disappointment at this decision, I completely understand. This was not an easy decision, when we voted on it there were several party members strongly opposed to it, and for good reason. As I've stressed to a number of people over this issue, it is no small thing for a political party with a distinctive vision and set of values to deny its supporters a voice at the ballot box.
And especially, as other posts are pointing out, when we have shown in the local elections that when people are not motivated to vote tactically to block a Tory win, they are voting Green in greater and greater numbers (30+% of the vote in Ringmer and Lewes Bridge), it's galling to compelled by our clapped-out voting system to take steps like this.
Ultimately, people will vote how they want, tactically or otherwise. We can't guarantee that this will help the LibDems to win - it falls to them to persuade enough voters to back them. I'm acutely aware that the people with the most to lose from this decision are committed Green supporters who now cannot vote the way they want to. I can assure you that we do not intend to make a habit of it. Greens stood down 3 of the last 6 General Elections: 1997, 2001 and this one, and as we grow and build support it is simply not credible, as a serious political party, to be out of contention. But this election is a very significant moment in British politics, and it was the majority view of members when we put it to a vote that the best thing to do in the interests of people across the Lewes constituency would be to stand down, as a signal to Green supporters that our priority is to maximise the chances of ousting our rightwing pro-Brexit anti-immigrant Tory MP.
In future elections, and especially at local level, we will be standing candidates in every ward and fighting to win in as many as we can.
thanks for your understanding
Anthony
On 10 May 2017 at 2:12pm voter wrote:
Careful Mister Nomer, Jeremy may expel you like the Godalming three. One of them had been a member for 46 years. I must admit Corbyn astounds me - I think he wants a landslide Tory one party state.
On 10 May 2017 at 2:16pm Just sayin' wrote:
Odd how the perpetual losers always call for electoral reform
Maybe you should up your game and come up with policies that ordinary people want
On 10 May 2017 at 2:20pm Losers wrote:
Greens, Lib Dims, they are all the same.....no backbone to stick to their principles...VOTE CONSERVATIVE
On 10 May 2017 at 2:34pm Jim Endersby wrote:
As a member of the Green Party, I've never been more proud of my party than I am today. Doing whatever we can to clip Theresa May's wings is the only realistic hope right now and while I would (obviously) prefer to have a Green MP in Lewes, I'd much rather have a Lib Dem than a Tory. Long term, of course we need a completely new politics, starting with a more democratic electoral system, but for now, anything to help protect the NHS and public services, and to limit the Tories' freedom to force the worst possible Brexit deal on the rest of us.
On 10 May 2017 at 2:48pm Be Nice wrote:
If you actually think Theresa or the conservatives want to destroy the NHS or get the worst deal possible for the UK wrt Brexit...you are totally mental and brainwashed by ludicrous party propaganda.
On 10 May 2017 at 3:20pm Clifford wrote:
Jim Endersby wrote: 'As a member of the Green Party, I've never been more proud of my party than I am today. .. I'd much rather have a Lib Dem than a Tory.'
The people who voted Lib Dem in Lewes in 2010 got a Tory government for their pains. I'm not sure why you're proud of denying people the opportunity to vote for a Green candidate because you think it's best to have a Lib Dem, Jim.
On 10 May 2017 at 4:28pm Mister Nomer wrote:
I don't think it's that complicated Clifford. The local Green party decided the best way to achieve their aims was not to stand.
They're not denying anyone a vote any more than you are denying me a chance to vote for you by not standing. The process is - a) do they want to run a candidate, b) do you want to vote for that candidate.
No reason why someone can't stand themselves on an independent green agenda if they feel the case needs to be made in Lewes.
"The people who voted Lib Dem in Lewes in 2010 got a Tory government for their pains." This is true but would also have been true if they'd voted Tory!
Do you think the Lib Dems will prop up another Tory government this time round? Obviously they won't because that would be the final nail in their coffin. So what they did in 2010 isn't realy relevant to the current decision we all face - do you want a Lib Dem MP or a Tory one?
On 10 May 2017 at 4:52pm Warden wrote:
History would seem to suggest that the Lib Dems are hellbent on just one thing – propping up anyone and anything they can in the reckless pursuit of power. If that means destroying all the goodwill of another left-wing party locally which has worked so hard for such a long time to build up its reputation and gain the honest support of local people, then they won't care.
On 10 May 2017 at 8:50pm Mark wrote:
It's interesting how the odd comment from a Tory Voter crops up on here and each time one does it's vapid and moronic. These are the people who feel inspired every time they hear the banal phrase, "Strong and stable leadership" or "coalition of chaos". The people who have been simple-minded enough to be manipulated into thinking that this agenda suits their interests. I'll be putting my X in the same place as Newms, Indiegirl. Frustrating but true. Getting rid of one Tory MP is all that I can hope for with the entire media machine signed up to the neoliberal agenda.
On 10 May 2017 at 11:46pm Lopster wrote:
IF
you were going to vote Green
THEN
you were not going to vote Tory, the best way to vote to NOT have Tories in power is to vote for whoever came second last time - why waste your hard-earned right to vote by wasting it with spoiled paper
ELSE
Just deal with it and stop your sobbing
On 11 May 2017 at 1:06am Hyena wrote:
I did like The Pretenders. Tattooed love boys was my favourite.