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Is Brighton falling out of love with the Greens?

May 17, 2012 5:46 pm

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With a large resident graduate population, two universities and a famously alternative cultural and political scene, Brighton and Hove was always going to be fertile territory for a political party like the Greens. However there are now signs that the city is falling out of love with Caroline Lucas and her followers, writes Warren Morgan.

Capitalising on the unpopularity of the then Labour government amongst those who elsewhere went Lib Dem, the Greens went from one to thirteen councillors in ten years. In 2010 Caroline Lucas won Greens only parliamentary seat by just 1200 votes. Twelve months later the Green Party scored just 1% more than Labour in the local elections, but translated it into ten more councillors and formed the UK’s first minority Green administration.

Elected on a promise – or at least the impression of a promise – of “resisting all cuts” and pledging in election material to “freeze council tax” and strip out costly senior management, the Greens have since been beset by a series of u-turns, gaffes and vocal hostility to some unpopular policies.

Having promised to increase the number of desperately needed school places, the Greens have been severely restricted by their uncompromising opposition to academies, even co-operative ones. This has meant a continuation of Conservative plans to add portakabins and “satellite classrooms” to existing schools, a plan Michael Gove seems set to veto. With a lack of places inHove, free schools are seizing the opportunity.

Hard-line Green environmental policies have caused a furore. Trying to price residents out of their cars and the city centre tourist and shopping district, parking fees have been put up massively. Resident and trader permits have in some cases doubled. Visitors to Brighton seafront now need £20 in change to pay to park. Local businesses reliant on the tourist trade are furious.

Repackaging of existing sustainability initiatives (some started by the earlier Labour administration) under the “Urban Biosphere” and “One Planet Living” labels are starting to look costly, as was the attempt to bring in house the management of council owned Downland, apparently in order to impose organic farming methods.

Frustrated that the Greens went back on their “no cuts” pledge, one former Green candidate ran against the Party in a local by-election in December, one the Greens hoped to win as they had in neighbouring wards in previous by-elections. Faced with a reorganised and revitalised Labour team, the Green bandwagon for the first time seemed halted and they dropped back in third place.

The biggest setback for the Green administration was to follow in March when their Cabinet member for finance Jason Kitcat, due to be installed this week as the new council leader, saw the first of his three annual proposed 3.5% rises in council tax blocked by a Labour amendment. Allotment holders, a natural Green constituency one might think, rebelled over Budget plans for huge hikes in plot rental fees, again blocked by Labour. Councillor Kitcat, it should be noted, already has his sights set on bigger and better things, winning selection for the European Parliament in 2014 even before becoming council leader.

In recent weeks their image as a “student politics” party has become harder to shake. One Green cabinet member has attracted national media attention for apparently encouraging aggressive protests in the city, tweeting “f*** the pasty tax” and suggesting that cannabis cafes might boost the local economy. He’s the city’s Police Authority member.

Some, even within Labour, have urged co-operation not competition. Yet the Green message has always been clear. 18 of the 23 seats they hold were won from Labour, and they have been open about their ambition to replace Labour entirely as the local opposition to the Conservatives, who still have 18 councillors and two MPs in the city.

A telling comment came from outgoing Green Leader Bill Randall after 100 days in power. He said: “if we get this right, it will make things very difficult for Labour in the city in 2015 (the next local and General Election)”. Not better for the city, businesses or residents. Not harder for the Tories. More difficult for Labour.

Last week saw two leading Greens defect to Labour in the South, as the Greens failed to increase substantially their vote or number of elected representatives in the local elections. With increasing hostility towards this former party of protest now facing the challenges of office, it could be that the Green bubble centred around Brighton and Hove might be about to burst.

Warren Morgan is a Labour and Co-operative city councillor in Brighton and Hove

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  • Saralgreg

    Admittedly I’ve never voted Green, but was quite pleased to see them do well…. Now I can’t wait to be rid of them, they’ve forced my kids school to take on an extra 30 children, making 120 children in Reception, which is ridiculous…. Add to that to various other wrong-headed decisions and inability to stand by promises, and I’ve had to conclude that the Greens, like the Lib Dems in Govt, are a great theoretical party…. They seem a nice enough idea, until they get some power and you realise they don’t have a bloody clue! (to be fair, i’ve never voted Lib Dem either…)

  • Rachael Chrisp

    brilliant piece, Warren.  People need to wake up to the threat of the Green Party before what has happened in Brighton happens elsewhere.

    • AlanGiles

      ”
      People need to wake up to the threat of the Green Party”

      I’m sure we will all heed your advice Ms Chrisp. Even now I am sure those dangerous Greens are planning to start another war in Iraq, or institute 90 days detention without trail if they get into power, and are dreaming of rocking the boat with their false “expenses” claims for cleaning their flats. Something, of course, Labour would never dream of doing.

      As for Mr Morgan’s article, well I am sure he never considers what would be best for his own party at the expense of the others. Of course not. His article, full of sweetness and light, is typically small minded.

      At least the Greens don’t have Liam Byrne or Frank Field in thier ranks, and, frankly for some of us sick to death of the posturing of certain sections of the Labour party, which is  continually trying to face in both directions at once to the point where they look incredible (Byrne’s sudden volte-face on welfare reform for example), two many self-congratulatory articles like this one might tempt some of us to make the final break

      * Terry Gibbs (1924 –    )

      • treborc1

         Mr Morgan does seem to be the left in this labour party.

      • John Reid

        Jenny jones comments about getting rid of Riot police or that the poilce shouldn’t have shot the rottwieler when it was biting them but tied it up show’s her complete lack of reality ,so I’d sooner have a champion of the underprivieliged like Frank field ,Especially when he criticise those who bring private prosecutions agianst those who aren’t powerfull to defend themselves, rather than A jenny jones, anyday.

        • AlanGiles

          ”
          so I’d sooner have a champion of the underprivieliged like Frank field ”

          John – you could be the new Monty Python!. I am not sure if you are being serious or not, so I won’t let you wind me up

          If you really think right-wing, fine-wine and old master  loving best pal of Duncan Smith is a “champion of the underprivileged”, good luck to you. Perhaps nearly 50 years ago when he headed the Child Poverty Action Group, but Mad Frankie 2012 is another who seeks to punish rather than help the sick and vulnerable. He is a sanctimonious old prig , but at least he is not left wing.

          * Lionel Hampton (1908 – 2002)

          • John Reid

            the RSPCA were bringing private prosecutions agianst elederly ladies who had cat’s that lived for 20 years adn the RSPCA were arguing although the cats were alive and not in pain by law should have been put down,someo fhte se women even wnet to prison ,yet were clearly frai,it’s bullying by another name, he’s also a chapion agisnt aparied, I dn’t find monty python funny,Calling him mad frankie yet most of what he’s sadi over the alst 30 years has been proved right,

            regarding the greens popularity, I recall in 1995 Scargill left laobur and formed soicalist laobur at the 97 election they got 0.001% of the vote then the nxt year the Socialist alliance formed they thought they’d do well and did worse, tehn there were those like Lee jasper who left labour in 2000 who joined the greens and tried to infultrate it they were doing bad, but now those ex labourites who are on the left have some sucsess with Respect, I’m suprise that there weren’t more far lefties who tried to infultrate the Libdems. 

          • AlanGiles

            John.I think the fact of the matter is that you only appreciate the right-wing of the Labour Party, and due to that, you are happy to act as an apologist for the greed and dishonesty of people like Mandelson, and very quick to condemn people like John McDonnell for no good reason.

            O.K. If that is the sort of Labour party you want, you must just hope in 2015 the public want ToryLite  New Labour back. If they don’t you are in opposition until 2020. I don’t think people will notice much difference.

            *  Frank Ricotti  (1949 –   )

          • John P Reid

            or if the public don’twant alobur in 21015, someone like tony benn persuading Laobu tthey lost the 1979 election as it wasn’t left wing enough, in that case labour will be out of power for another 18 years ,not 10.

  • Mark

    The thing is when you vote Labour, Conservative or Liberal Democrat you pretty much vote blue these days since the three main parties have veered far to the right of what used to be considered to be the political centre of gravity. So if you don’t want to vote Tory or Labour-Tory or LibDem-Tory but do want to vote for a political party representing some colour other than blue supporting the Green Party probably becomes your best bet.

  • KonradBaxter

    The Greens are having the experience that the far left and far right have when they get into a more powerful political position after years of plugging away and small victories.

    They are learning that things cost money, talk is cheap, politics is grubby and compromises have to be made. This should already be known of course but it seldom sinks in until you actually have power and responsibility.

    How they deal with this in the next electoral round will determine if they are credible long term, or whether they are a blip.

  • http://www.facebook.com/elliot.bidgood Elliot Bidgood

    I remember seeing a clip of them on the news in 2011, being grilled about the fact that their ”no cuts” plan relied on meeting with Eric Pickles and essentially asking him very nicely to exempt Brighton from much of the budget squeezing that is being imposed on virtually all other councils. I’m shocked, shocked I say, to hear this plan has not worked! I also remember hearing they were forced to withdraw a “no-meat-Mondays” pledge for the council canteens, after the council staff rebelled.

    I actually quite Caroline Lucas as a figure, despite her views being far to the left of mine, but maybe that’s because she’s just one of 646 and can’t do any damage. Greens actually being in charge of things is frightening.

  • PaulHalsall

    Actually, you make the Greens sound pretty attractive to me.

    What are “hardline” green policies when the world’s environment is degrading?

    Is the destructions of LEAs now Labour policy?  I see no improvement in Academy pupils.  Some schools needed reviving. Academies were a Tory idea in disguise.

    And, indeed Cannabis cafes  certainly would help Brighton’s economy (may I here state that although I have tried it, I never liked weed).

    I look forward to a future red-green alliance and would much rather have Caroline Lucas an active politicians that people such as Frank Fields, Peter Mandelson, or John Hutton.

  • Jim, Preston

    “…the Greens have been severely restricted by their uncompromising opposition to academies, even co-operative ones”

    It’s a disgrace that more Labour councillors and MPs have not yet woken up to what academies really are – the start of the destruction and privatisation of state education in England. It was a rubbish Labour policy, and its become under Gove a hideous Tory one.

    Oh, and as both a Labour and Coop Party member myself, I would argue the current cover given to such proto-privatisation in both educaton and health (eg supporting foundation trusts) is no better – in fact, like the so called disabled charities who have applauded Remply workers being thrown on the scrapheap it reeks of selfish attempts to grab a part of government funding while the wider welfare state burns around them…

    • http://twitter.com/warrenmorgan Warren Morgan

      Ok, so if the Tory govt don’t bow to pressure and reverse their policy of *only* funding academy and free schools, what options do local councils have?

      1) they can continue to oppose academies, have nothing to do with any that are set up and run by national academy chains, and try and squeeze more and more pupils into existing schools, turning many parents to free schools and private schools, further harming the state sector as money, talent and skills drain to non-state schools.

      or

      2) they can try to do the best for the kids who only get one chance at an education, set up acdemies run by local organisations, with admissions criteria that mirror the local authority, and where unions are recognised and staff terms and conditions are protected.

      I’d much prefer all pupils were educated in excellent state schools and given an equal start in life taught by people who were paid well and worked in decent conditions with a good pension. This Tory government does not. Until we get a Labour government who might, depending on the mess the Tories leave us, be able to return some order to education, then we have to do the best for pupils and families who can’t wait till 2015 to start their education.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004057533692 Georgina Graham

    I’ve not fallen out with Caroline Lucas. I never voted for her, never liked her, never trusted her. She has let down Brighton on so many levels. Her desire to expand the traveller site in Patcham blatantly goes against everything a green party should stand for. Her policy of raising parking to astronomical heights has been the final nail in the coffin for many local businesses. Her support of a protest against a legitimate new eco business providing much needed jobs in the city is an outrage. I will be dancing in the street the day we get shot of this arrogant, dangerous, moronic woman.

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