Election Greens

 

For Nigel and I, the looming threat of climate change dominated our voting. 

We loved the Green Party’s policies, aimed at tackling just that, with major social reforms besides, aimed at restoring a fairer society.

We also love our current Lib.Dem. MP, Daisy Cooper, who also has a really strong record on green issues..  And she had a far better chance of getting in than the Green Party candidate.

‘She’ll walk it,’ said Nigel, ‘Let’s vote to show our support of the Greens.’

However, since the horror of the Brexit vote, it’s clear that it’s not safe to put in a protest vote which might actually foil the outcome you want.

In the end, Nigel voted Green and I (being risk averse) voted for Daisy.

And she walked it.

So I coulda shown support for the Greens after all.

Across the country, millions of folks were performing similar calculations.

Or we could just change the system to proportional representation and vote with our heads and hearts, rather than tactically…

Better to light a single candle

In October, I wrote that I had been out protesting/demonstrating and that it made me feel empowered in the face of a scary world.

Things have since got even scarier. 

But: “It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.”

So in the days running up to the election, in between working hours, I leafleted a couple of streets on behalf of the People’s Vote Campaign (suggesting tactical voting) and another four streets on behalf of the Lib Dems.  I also helped to collect dozens of letters aimed at stopping the expansion of our local airport (if it happens, it will greatly increase carbon emissions) and also sewed logos on a few tee shirts for Extinction Rebellion.

It was better to be doing something than sitting and fretting.  Or at least it would have been, if I hadn’t run myself into the ground and succumbed to a heavy cold.

And now, the national election has gone against everything I’d prayed for. 

As Annabel said “Woe, woe, and three times woe”.

But on the bright side, in St Albans we got a brilliant new Lib Dem MP, Daisy Cooper.

And concerning the National Tragedy, all the campaigning work I put in means I now have a copper- bottomed excuse to ‘curse the darkness’ or grumble.

But being a positive person, I’ll probably do something more constructive instead…

…like tunneling all the way to the Continent and leading the rest of my life there.