The Green MP makes a direct appeal to Labour supporters ahead of the European elections.
This is the election which wasn’t supposed to happen. It’s also one where a lot of voters are looking for a home. If you don’t want to leave the EU, and are repelled by the populist rants of Nigel Farage, who do you vote for?
We know many of you hate the Tories’ austerity, but you also value freedom of movement and want to remain in EU. If that’s you, Labour isn’t really offering you a home.
Young voters came out strongly for Labour in 2017, but we know you also are also overwhelmingly in favour of staying in the EU. While Labour may reflect your progressive values, Jeremy Corbyn’s ambiguous stance on Europe is letting you down. Who can say what Labour’s policy really is?
Progressive pro-EU voters want certainty and leadership, which is why so many of you are turning to the Green Party in search of a new political home. Our support is surging: since our success at the local elections, at times we have been welcoming a new member every three minutes.
It’s not just Europe which is bringing them. We know many of you, particularly young people, are deeply worried about our survival in the face of the climate crisis and the frightening warnings about disappearing species and mass extinctions. We are the party which demanded urgent action on the climate right from the start. We’ve been leading the way in the European Parliament on environmental protections since 1999. I know, I was one of those MEPs.
If you’ve voted Labour in the past, I understand why you wouldn’t want to support the centrists at ChangeUK who are making almost no impact, or the Lib Dems who supported the Tories’ austerity programme for five years.
That’s why I’m asking you to give your support to the Greens. We have shown we can win, and deliver when we do. Our councillors are making a real difference in their communities across Britain. Our support is growing steadily as we show we’re a rising force in British politics.
No-one wants to abandon a party which they supported in the hope of a better future. But Labour and Jeremy Corbyn are not offering the future you deserve if you want to stay in Europe. We are. The Green Party is offering you a home. Please give us your support.
Caroline Lucas is the Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion.
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16 Responses to “Caroline Lucas’ open letter to Labour Remainers: “Corbyn is not offering the future you deserve””
Alastair Binnie-Lubbock
We need radical action now and a green revolution to provide real climate justice in this country and the world. There’s no dismissing the Green’s as too small, look what UKIP achieved without every securing a Member of Parliament.
Margaret
Only Labour can unite the country. You cannot ignore the views of half of the country who want to leave, nor can you ignore the half that want to stay. If you come down on either side you are ignoring the wishes of millions. Who are any of us to think we know best? The only way is to compromise and have a soft Brexit, with both sides giving up a little of what they want, and thereby showing respect to those they disagree with. Don’t be arrogant and assume your way is best. Compromise to unite the country. Even in my own family we have those voting remain and leave. It is the same across the UK. Please be smart, respect your neighbours and Vote Labour to heal the divide.
EB
“ But Labour and Jeremy Corbyn are not offering the future you deserve if you want to stay in Europe. We are.”
How?
You don’t have the power to do this & a vote for the Greens in the European Parliament can’t possibly create it.
As a labour supporter who has previously voted Green in local elections I wonder “do you not realise making promises you can’t possibly keep is actually off-putting?” Farage promised “sovereignty” etc. but there was no chance of him delivering: why are you copying him? Do you think we are stupid?
Lucy Valentine
Dear Caroline Lucas:
I respect you. I have voted Green in the past. I will doubtless vote Green at some point in the future. But I really do not like it when you lie to me, and I do not like it when you do no research at all. When you write that: “Jeremy Corbyn’s ambiguous stance on Europe is letting you down. Who can say what Labour’s policy really is? ” you are either lying or doing no research. As far as I can see, Jeremy Corbyn is following the Labour Party’s official policy on Brexit, which was decided at Conference in September 2018. If you have not already, I strongly suggest you look it up – it’s freely available information that will really help you understand.
But to save you some time, Labour’s policy is to respect the referendum, but mitigate the damage leaving could do. This is why they voted against a “no deal” exit. This is why they voted against Theresa May’s deal. This is why Labour voted for a confirmatory referendum, twice. And this is why Labour entered negotiations (which have now failed) to try and effect a softer deal.
Of course, you are not obliged to like or share Labour’s position. You have chosen to oppose any Brexit and that is absolutely your prerogative. We could discuss the wisdom of a trying to cancel brexit when so many of the public backed it (and still seem to back), but honestly I’m tired of doing that. We could discuss whether it’s appropriate in a notional democracy to stop people getting what they want, even if it is bad for them, but I’m tired of doing that too. We could also discuss whether a second referendum is actually a good idea, when it’s quite likely to return another leave result, but the list of things I’m tired of is remarkably long these days. I don’t want to have those conversations any more.
What I want, is for you to STOP LYING ABOUT LABOUR. Because: I know you must have read the conference motion. I know you must have. There’s no way you could be so ill-informed as to have not read it, given that it’s been more than eight months.
Please: I do not want to vote for liars. Please stop lying.
Thanks for reading.
Lucy Valentine.
Cole
Pleased to have voted Green today – not least to give Labour a good kicking for Corbyn’s prevarications over Brexit