A message I got from the local Green Party - these are not my words, I have not been out canvassing, but they are thoughts I agree with.
While I've been out canvassing I've met a few people who have said that they'd like to vote Green but that they think it's a wasted vote.
But don't forget that May 7 is local election day as well as the General Election.
If you live in the Hythe Ward for the Shepway District Council elections we have strong candidates for all 3 seats - Ross Carter, Laura Sullivan and Jim Martin. The only opposition they are facing are 3 Conservative candidates and one independent. So your Green votes could really count in Hythe and provide some much needed opposition on Shepway District Council
If you live in the Folkestone Central Ward we have David Horton as our candidate. If you voted for him and the two Labour candidates there could be a real chance of stopping either the Conservatives or UKIP winning the seats.
And of course we have candidates in quite a few of the other wards too - see last week's email.
As for the General election, even if your vote doesn't affect who gets chosen as MP for this area this time, at least you will have voted according to your conscience and you will be increasing the number of people who have voted Green nationally - which will prove many people do care about the environment and inequality and thus put pressure on the elected politicians to do something about these issues.
Another point to consider is that a tactical vote will be construed by the party you have voted for as approval of their policies. Is that what you really mean?
A vote for Martin Whybrow in this election will help us build credibility for the next election. If people see that a Green candidate can win votes, they are more likely to vote Green next time.
As Natalie Bennett says "voters could deliver a peaceful political revolution on 7 May simply by voting for what they believe in."
Vote Green For the Common Good
Paul Clarke's blog - I live in Hythe near Folkestone, Kent. Wed to Clare + father to two, I am a full-stack web engineer, and I do javascript / nodejs, some ruby, python, php ect ect. I like pubs, parkrun, eating, home-automation and other diy stuff, history, family tree stuff, Television, squirrels, pirates, lego, and TIME TRAVEL.