Your say / Politics
‘Labour offers an opportunity to get a green government for the very first time’
The Greens have their sights set on the new marginal constituency of Bristol Central where Carla Denyer hopes to unseat the shadow culture secretary, Thangam Debbonaire. And I understand why. It’s an opportunity.
The polls are tight and a handful of votes could decide whether Bristol Central has an MP at the heart of the greenest government we’ve ever had or a Green MP sitting on the backbenches.
I understand the Green Party’s appeal, especially those who feel disenchanted with Labour over Gaza for example or who doubt they will go far enough in government on green issues. And for many people voting Green is simply what they believe, it’s their first choice.
And why not, the Green Party has good progressive positions on many issues – especially of course climate related ones.
I have a lot of respect for the Green Party and have a lots of friends in it, all the way back to its founders. But the undeniable truth of our electoral system is that the Greens can’t form a government on July 4 and Labour can.
And Labour has a green manifesto. Some might argue that the Green Party manifesto is greener, I don’t think there’s much in it myself. The big difference is Labour’s can be delivered.
Only Labour can deliver a green government.
Carla Denyer has asked the question: “Do you want to give Labour a huge unassailable victory?”
My answer to that is emphatically yes, because Labour needs as a big a majority as we can give them, so that they can make the really big changes we need. A big win means big political capital for a manifesto that is truly green.
I founded the world’s first-ever green energy company and set out to use business as a tool to change the world, three decades ago. I’m an environmental activist using business to do good. What I’ve learned is that activism is important, it makes a big difference, but it only gets you so far.
Ultimately, it’s governments that pull the big levers that can change everything. After 14 years of Tory misrule and anti green rhetoric, as we sit halfway through the vital last decade the UN says we have to act – we have an historic opportunity, to get behind a green Labour Party and set ourselves on the path to Energy Independence, net zero and Green Britain.
That’s why I was in Bristol Central last week knocking on doors, canvassing for Thangam and asking people in Bristol to vote Labour, especially people that want progress on green issues.
Labour’s plan for a publicly owned clean energy company, GB Energy, is a game changer. Its target for 100 per cent green electricity by 2030 is truly ambitious. I live and breathe green energy issues and I think this is ambitious, not impossible, but it will require big bold decisions. For that Labour need a big bold majority.
Labour are committed to Energy Independence, freeing ourselves from our dependence on fossil fuels and the global markets that set the price of them – the two causes of our recent energy crisis.
Not only that, we can nail our energy bills to the floor and create hundreds of thousands of “forever” jobs in the process. And do the biggest single thing we can, to fight the climate crisis. For all of these reasons, I want Labour to win.
Dale Vince visited Purposefest at Bristol Beacon to promote his book, ‘Manifesto, The Battle for Green Britain’ – photo: Milan Perera
One more thought – in just a few days’ time, for the first time in years, a local Labour MP could be in government standing shoulder to shoulder with the next prime minister, representing the people of Bristol Central.
So, if you want a green government and are not sure who to vote for – why not lend Labour your vote at the election on July 4, give them the benefit of your doubt and judge them on their actions at the next election. I know I will.
This is a fabulous opportunity for all of us on the green side of life, to get a green government for the very first time.
This is an opinion piece by Dale Vince, green industrialist and founder of Ecotricity
Main photo: Ecotricty
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