BREAKING: Brent European Election Result

The Brent result that will contribute to the overall London result at City Hall tonight was:

Party	Vote	%	%2014	%Change 2019/14
Animal Welfare	782	1%	!%	=
Change UK	2859	4%	-	-
Conservative	7037	10%	18%	-8%
Green Party	6398	9%	7%	+2%
Labour Party	25565	37%	47%	-10%
Liberal Democrats	16141	23%	10%	+13%
Brexit Party	8014	11%	-	-
UK European Union	720	1%	-	-
UKIP	1337	2%	9%	-7%
Women’s Equality	801	1%	-	-

-->Note percentage calculations are my own as not yet published by Brent Council
The 11 independent votes ranged from 7 to42

Total number of votes cast 69,894 (2014 72,564)

813 votes spoilt or rejected of which 595 were casting more than one vote, 215 uncertain markings and 3 voters who identified themselves.

Commentary

The ward breadown will be published later but I understand Greens came second in Kensal Green and Queens Park.

In  Alperton and Sudbury there were significant nymbers of people who voted twice, once for a political party and again for one of the independent candidates.  Some people, perhaps confused with local election voting, voted for three parties.

Brent Council cabinet member Cllr Krupesh Hirani, a prospective candidate for Brent and Harrow constituency in the forthcoming GLA election, claimed on social media that Labour's performance in Brent was the best in the country.

The London-wide result:

Animal Welfare Party	25,232
Change UK – The Independent Group	117,635
Conservative and Unionist Party	177,964
Green Party	278,957
Labour Party	536,810
Liberal Democrats	608,725
The Brexit Party	400,257
UK European Union Party (UKEUP)	18,806
UK Independence Party (UKIP)	46,497
Women’s Equality Party	23,766

Greens surge in Ipso MORI poll

Hot on the heels of the Greens surge in the polls ahead of the May 22nd European Elections, polling out today shows the Greens have jumped five points and are polling at 8% in non-European polling  ahead of next summer’s General Election.

Reacting to the Ipsos MORI polling, a Green Party spokesperson said:

“The Greens have not polled this strongly in non-European polling ahead of a General Election since 1989, the year the Green Party secured 15% of the vote. Our message of real change for the common good is clearly striking a chord.”

Reacting to the Ipsos MORI poll, The London Evening Standard  reported that, “today’s big winners are the Greens, whose support has shot up from three to eight points on the back of higher exposure in the campaign period.”

Green leader Natalie Bennett attributed the strong polling to the popularity of Green Party policies when given more media exposure and to voters’ disenchantment with the big parties. Speaking from Leeds, she said the polls “chime with what I am hearing around the country”.

According to ICM’s European Elections polling released on May 12th, the Green Party is polling at 10% ahead of the May 22 European Elections, putting it firmly in fourth place and three percentage points ahead of the ailing Liberal Democrats (7%).

The Greens are within touching distance of meeting their target of trebling their number of MEPs from two (Jean Lambert, London, and Keith Taylor, South-East) to six. Based on a national swing the latest poll would give the Greens five seats in England plus one in Scotland. The Lib Dems would have zero seats. Among 18-24 year-olds the Greens are the second most popular political party.

SUPPORT DEMOCRACY: VOTE

I have been busy with leafleting and campaigning for the Greens in the Euro elections for the last few weeks and am cautiously optimistic about the chances of increasing our representation in the European Parliament. The reason for the caution lies in the public reaction to the expenses issue which has produced in some people a loathing of all politicians and rejection of politics in general. Many people have told me that they will not vote at all, in protest against what is going on and the drip-drip of revelations in the newspapers.

As I said at the Barry Gardiner meeting (below) this is bad for democracy and we cannot afford to throw away our hard worn democratic rights, however limited we believe they are, in a fit of pique. In earlier times in this country and recent and currently in many others (remember the lone protester in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square?) people have died to gain democratic rights and a voice in their own lives. Not voting will be cutting off our nose to spite our face and open the way for the BNP and UKIP. Rather than constituting an overnight slap round the face for the greedy it will affect our lives for many years to come. It is imperative that everyone gets out and votes for positive change.

Thankfully, in the last few days I have seen evidence that people are recognising this. Talking to voters in Kilburn High Road, Wembley High Road and Willesden Green it is clear that many are giving serious consideration to voting Green and are identifying with policies such as opposing health services being opened up to free market competition, creating thousands of new jobs in green services and industries, making homes and schools energy efficient and closing down tax havens. More Green MEPs in the UK will increase our clout both at home and in Europe. Parents picking up leaflets outside schools have been particularly positive with only a 1 in 10 refusal rate.
One of the most heartening exchanges was at an elders' care home in Kingsbury where the initial reaction from the white residents was to shoo us away, saying they were fed up with all politicians, but once conversation opened up began they were adamant about the need to keep out the BNP and scathing about their policies. Curiously there has been very little evidence of the main three parties on the streets with independent candidate supporters more in evidence. A number of voters said that we were the only party that seemed to be out actively seeking votes and delivering material through their doors.

When the results are announced on Sunday I look forward to seeing Green gains but I will also be desperate for evidence that people have not given up on democracy.