It’s not often you hear that line. So as Nigel Farage and Nick Clegg milk the media rounds in anticipation of a debate that will discuss how they agree about privatisation of public services, both support TTIP, both support tuition fees, oh but we disagree on whether or not be in Europe… there is a politician on trial. Her name is Caroline Lucas. She is a Green MP.
In recent years politicians have been on trial for corruption, expenses fraud and other unsavoury excesses in our political system. Yesterday a politician went on trial for her beliefs. She is not the only person on trial. There are many others who have protested and been arrested, for making the really clear case that we can’t allow fracking to happen. My children, your children and grandchildren, will all be forced to pay an appalling price for some profitable years for fossil fuel corporations.
All of this is backed by the political consensus of red, yellow, blue and UKIP. They all agree with only slight differences in whether they feel frackish or fracktastic about it. They all offer the same privatised energy market and the media present a temporary price freeze versus taking green levies into general taxation as a choice.
As you know, OFCOM has in its wisdom added UKIP to the list of major parties for the purpose of the European Elections, but where then is the choice? Trident, fracking, nuclear power, caredata, privatisation and “welfare reform” (translation: “screw the poorest because that is popular with the Daily Mail and marginal voters”) and yet the party with an MP, MEPs, London Assembly members, 140+ councillors and Scottish MSPs doesn’t get a look in.
It’s easy for us to complain, but we’ve had 13 out of the 14 warmest years in this century. The odds on that happening by chance are astronomically high. There have been appalling floods in the winter just past, yet there is little or no coverage of Climate Change in the mainstream media. You can be forgiven for us thinking that for whatever reason, editors, writers and commentators, simply don’t get that this is a huge deal. It is our future and it is time for some people to nail their colours to the mast.
Caroline Lucas has done just that on behalf of the Green Party and the wider Green movement. While we are not asking people to risk arrest, everyone has a role to play, and it is time to give the Green Party some political help, because we can’t expect it from the establishment. The Greens are the anti-establishment vote in this election and I’d strongly recommend reading this blog from Another Angry Voice.
The difference between UKIP support and Green support right now is largely to do with coverage and which issues are highlighted. We’ll have to rely on social media to make our gains in 2014 and for that we need people not already in the Greens to get involved. Are you willing to step up?
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