My blog for LSE British Politics was published this week https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/green-party-strategy/. In it I argue that the electoral and political obstacles faced by the Greens necessitate a change of strategy. At the local level the Greens should give their all to elect councillors who will increase the prospects for climate action in local communities. But at the national level, the vain quest for more Green MPs should give way to a recognition that the best hope for a decisive change in national direction is the election of Labour government at the earliest possible opportunity. This will require progressives of all hues to stand aside in nearly all cases to enable Labour to unseat as many Conservatives as possible. Can the Greens rise to this challenge, putting aside the short-term wishes of its activists in the interests of a change in government? Or is the party totally invested in an illusory quest for more parliamentary representation no matter what the likely consequences? A lot depends on the answers.
The beginning of the end for increasing volatility?
The Beginning of the End of Rising Volatility Alongside reduced class-based voting, partisan de-alignment and the rise of populism, rising electoral volatility has become an axiom of analyses of elections in Western Europe. There is certainly a wealth of evidence that...