This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/09/caroline-lucas-is-sole-glimmer-of-light-on-tough-night-for-greens

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Caroline Lucas is sole glimmer of light on tough night for Greens Caroline Lucas is sole glimmer of light on tough night for Greens
(7 months later)
Co-leader Lucas almost doubled her majority in Brighton, but party experienced a big overall drop in votes
Peter Walker Political correspondent
Fri 9 Jun 2017 14.26 BST
Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 23.00 GMT
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share via Email
View more sharing options
Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest
Share on Google+
Share on WhatsApp
Share on Messenger
Close
The Greens have experienced a bruising election night, with the success oftheir sole MP, Caroline Lucas, massively increasing her majority offset by a big dip in their overall vote more or less everywhere else.The Greens have experienced a bruising election night, with the success oftheir sole MP, Caroline Lucas, massively increasing her majority offset by a big dip in their overall vote more or less everywhere else.
Lucas, the party’s co-leader, cemented her position in the Brighton Pavilion, a seat she first took in 2010, by almost doubling her majority to nearly 15,000, with 52% of the overall vote.Lucas, the party’s co-leader, cemented her position in the Brighton Pavilion, a seat she first took in 2010, by almost doubling her majority to nearly 15,000, with 52% of the overall vote.
However, amid a wider squeeze on smaller parties, the Greens took just over 500,000 votes in all, hugely down on the more than 1.1m in 2015.However, amid a wider squeeze on smaller parties, the Greens took just over 500,000 votes in all, hugely down on the more than 1.1m in 2015.
While the party had realistically expected to only keep its one seat, ambitions to run close in a series of other target constituencies came to nothing.While the party had realistically expected to only keep its one seat, ambitions to run close in a series of other target constituencies came to nothing.
In the Isle of Wight, where the Greens had talked up their chances of an upset, their candidate, local teacher Vix Lowthion, came third, as did Green MEP Molly Scott Cato in Bristol West.In the Isle of Wight, where the Greens had talked up their chances of an upset, their candidate, local teacher Vix Lowthion, came third, as did Green MEP Molly Scott Cato in Bristol West.
Jonathan Bartley, Lucas’s co-leader, hailed the Brighton Pavilion vote as “an amazing result” and said the Greens had been successful in raising otherwise-neglected issues during the election campaign, for example climate change and the idea of a universal basic income.Jonathan Bartley, Lucas’s co-leader, hailed the Brighton Pavilion vote as “an amazing result” and said the Greens had been successful in raising otherwise-neglected issues during the election campaign, for example climate change and the idea of a universal basic income.
Hope has won over fear. We're proud of the role we've played in this election and it is all thanks to you 💚 pic.twitter.com/TjCFlqxqOCHope has won over fear. We're proud of the role we've played in this election and it is all thanks to you 💚 pic.twitter.com/TjCFlqxqOC
Bartley said the Greens could also take credit for the losses inflicted on the Conservatives due to the party’s decision to stand aside in a series of seats in the hope this could help Labour or Liberal Democrat candidates gain votes.Bartley said the Greens could also take credit for the losses inflicted on the Conservatives due to the party’s decision to stand aside in a series of seats in the hope this could help Labour or Liberal Democrat candidates gain votes.
The party had touted the idea of the so-called progressive alliance as a way of ousting Theresa May, and even though the Greens saw almost nothing in the way of reciprocal deals to help its candidates, Bartley said the idea had been a success.The party had touted the idea of the so-called progressive alliance as a way of ousting Theresa May, and even though the Greens saw almost nothing in the way of reciprocal deals to help its candidates, Bartley said the idea had been a success.
“We are on the right side of history,” he said. “We’ve seen the bigger picture – we anticpated what was going to happen, and some local parties made some really brave decisions to stand down in about 24 marginal seats, not fielidng candidates.“We are on the right side of history,” he said. “We’ve seen the bigger picture – we anticpated what was going to happen, and some local parties made some really brave decisions to stand down in about 24 marginal seats, not fielidng candidates.
“And we’ve seen many of these seats changing hands. We’ve made a big difference to this election result.”“And we’ve seen many of these seats changing hands. We’ve made a big difference to this election result.”
Green party
General election 2017
Caroline Lucas
news
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share via Email
Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest
Share on Google+
Share on WhatsApp
Share on Messenger
Reuse this content