Vote Wisely for the Planet
Vote Wisely for the Planet. Sussex Green Living recently hosted the launch of Horsham MP Watch at the Sussex Green Hub. Pat Smith from Dorking introduced MP Watch to explain the nationwide service it provides for all residents.
The idea is that amongst all the spin, information, misinformation, and media stories, the conflicting reports can to some extent be unravelled and facts presented more clearly to inform people about what government advisors are saying, what candidates are saying, what they are doing, and what the MPs are actually voting for (or against).
MP Watch aims to provide unbiased information about MPs across all parties, so voters can be better informed.
As the UK gears up for its forthcoming general election, attention is increasingly focused on the nation’s environmental issues. This is your moment to VOTE FOR THE PLANET and everything that matters to YOU.
Here’s how you can choose the next MP for your Constituency:
- Look at the Ordnance survey 2024 electoral boundaries map to find out which constituency you are in. https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/
- See if there are local groups for your constituency, such as: MP Watch, Compass.
These groups use websites such as They Work for You to find out what your current MP has actually been voting for (or has not voted for). This will help you to decide who is a good choice in your constituency, based on what the MPs do, rather than what they say they will do!
Some groups include Prospective Parliamentary candidates (PPCS) as well.
- Check the main policies of the parties you are considering, (remembering promises are often made during pre-election periods which are never followed through!)
- Your vote, your MP, is only one small piece of the jigsaw. Don’t be afraid of contacting your local candidates by email. Remember you only have control over your vote, in your constituency. You’re voting for one person, so can you meet them/hear them speak somewhere? Go to hustings?
You are not voting directly for a central government, but only expressing your support for one person to act as your local MP. It may sound obvious, but whoever everyone else across the whole country decides to vote for is what will actually determine the main outcome. Each of us can only contribute directly to our LOCAL outcome, so that is where to place your attention. Be aware – what are the chances of your vote getting the person you want elected locally?
It is possible that your vote may be ‘lost’ because of our old-fashioned ‘First Past The Post ‘system (FPTP). It means that sometimes candidates can be elected when more people voted against them than for them! In the “first past the post” system, if the vote is split among multiple candidates, the one with the most votes wins, even if they don’t have a majority. So, if one candidate gets more votes than any other individual candidate, they win the election, regardless of whether more people overall voted for other candidates combined.
Most countries across Europe use a proportional representation (PR) system which reduces this potential of ‘lost votes.’ Lib Dem and Green support changing to this system. Labour and Conservative do not.
On Saturday 29th June at the Sussex Green Hub, Morag from Horsham MP Watch will be available to chat about all things election in the final run-up. The Sussex Green Hub takes place every last Saturday of the month at The United Reformed Church, 45 Springfield Road, Horsham, RH12 2RG – 10am – 2.30pm. Want to know more about our local MP? Look no further than here.
Sussex Green Living is politically independent, our sole purpose is as an educational charity creating and enabling a restorative and regenerative network of communities and local economies, taking action to cut emissions, slow the pace of global warmingt by adapting and building resilient communities.
NEWS FLASH – On 20.06.24 The Supreme Court ruled Surrey County Council should have considered the full climate impact of burning oil from new wells – a landmark decision which could put future UK oil and gas projects in question. This is a huge win for the planet Learn more here.
