13 May 2015

#GREENSURGE 2 sees 10% jump in membership in just 4 days

The so-called “green surge” last year saw Swindon’s Green Party membership quadruple, mirroring the explosion in membership for the party as a whole across the country. Nationally they became a larger party than both the LibDems and UKIP back in January.

This surge allowed them to field a full list of candidates in the Local elections, more than ever before. Their campaign team, brought together for the first time this year, has also been busier than ever before and is promising to build on the skills picked up in the recent election to propel the group to greater success next year.

Since the election result on the 8th of May there has been another new influx of new members. After Green Party leader Natalie Bennett promised on Saturday to “…continue the ‘Green surge’, build it and make it bigger”, UK-wide membership of the Green Party has now hit 75,000.

The Swindon group has seen membership increase by over 10% in just FOUR days (figure correct as of 11th May and still rising).

These new members have a variety of reasons for joining. Some are longtime supporters of the Party who have been prompted to action by the appalling failure of the first past the post system to fairly reflect their views in Parliament, with only 1 MP representing more than a million people who voted for the Green Party. Others have been attracted by the policies put forward in the Party manifesto, and by the performance of the candidates during the election campaign. Many consider the Green Party to be the only real resistance to the Tory government, with the Labour Party looking like it will lurch even further to the right in the coming weeks.

The views below are from just a fraction those signing up since the results of the election were announced:

“I agreed with every policy on the recent Green publicity leaflet I received. The Labour party seems to strive to be all things to all people in order to be elected, though I did vote Labour in the recent election mainly because of our antiquated and undemocratic electoral system. I am slightly amused by all this talk by some politicians of the need for modernisation which always excludes electoral reform. My reasons for joining are that I support the policies and I also want to press for electoral reform.”
– John, Eastcott

“I was very impressed with Talis Kimberley-Fairbourn’s contribution at the hustings at the Wyvern Theatre. For once there was someone speaking for the benefit of all rather than the benefit of the few. The more I see of low wages, privatisation (i.e. run for profit, the bottom line being most important, not the people it serves) of what we hold so dear such as schools and the NHS and the stigmatising of the poor – not to mention the shameful and shortsighted lack of funding for green/renewable energy – the more I realise it is time to stand up for this and future generations and say “This is not a game to be won, like chess – it’s our lives! ” The Green Party manifesto was the only one that was down to earth and genuinely served the people.”
– Melanie, Abbey Meads

“As a mother I have high concerns that the recently elected government are going to wreck the environment for us and our children.”
– Flora, Gorse Hill

“Hearing the Greens policies over the election period convinced me they are the only party offering a real alternative to austerity. Then after getting over a million votes and only one seat in the House of Commons, I decided to do something to help promote their ideas and to campaign for a proportional voting system to have those ideas represented fairly.”
– Neil, Dorcan

“I’ve supported the Green Party since I was old enough to really understand politics, but decided to make my support official after Thursday’s election. By the next General Election (the first in which I’ll be old enough to vote) I want there to be a realistic chance of a Green government and therefore a fairer Britain.”
– Ella, Stratton






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