…the only Green Party MP at Westminster, Caroline Lucas.
Caroline secured a little under 40% of the 1546 votes cast.
The full results were:
Caroline Lucas MP 602 (39%)
Owen Paterson MP 363 (23.5%)
Barry Gardiner MP 209 (13.5%)
Zac Goldsmith MP 183 (11.8%)
‘None of the above’ 80 (5.2%)
Joan Walley MP 70 (4.5%)
Nick Clegg MP 39 (2.5%)
I’ll tell you a little more about the voting patterns and comment on the result this evening.
But any of the ‘participating’ MPs is welcome to have a Guest Blog here – I can’t auction a pair of binoculars for the best Guest Blog though…
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You know you’re rattling cages when the ‘opposition’ make such an effort!
Yes I suppose you’re right Roger – but I would hardly describe Caroline Lucas as ‘opposition’ – a naïve misguided vegetarian? – Yes – ‘opposition’ ? No !
I don’t know anything about her diet, but I’d struggle to see her as misguided and naive. She constantly seems pro-active and well-informed; indeed, not much seems to get past her.
The Greens aren’t a large rich party, so yes, in terms of an opposition to power in a literal sense, probably not. But they certainly seem more of a Tory opposition in terms of policy than Labour.
RSPB SHOOTS FOXES
Of course my view of CL is formed very much around her undoubtedly ill-informed view on TB in Badgers & Cattle (debate in Parliament) – with CL seeking to promote something that doesn’t work – ie vaccination of badgers – but of course she is not alone in this respect – 90% (?) of Mark’s regulars think the same – Mark de- / inc-luded !! Mark even encourages ‘his faithful’ to buy Christmas cards and send monies to the Badger Trust so it can continue conserving TB in badgers! If that’s not naïve and misguided ………………?
Trimbrush… you ARE a tw*t!
Indeed, if any of the people who voted for Paterson can make their case here, I’d like to read it. The man’s entire philosophy is anti-nature.
My MP Douglas Carswell steers a critical path challenging his own Conservative Party, but his main view is that we should have little regulation, possibly none. Certainly he will not engage on issues that I have brought up. The constituency is unlikely to elect anyone else. I suspect a lot of us feel we are in a similar place, so what are our best options?
Bob – that sounds like a subject that deserves a blog of its own. Watch this space.
What an unexpected outcome ! its nice to know we’re not talking to ourselves after all ! So, taking the opportunity, I’d just like to say to Owen Paterson’s supporters – even Owen is pointing out there is going to be less money for farming and in many of my comments I’m looking forward to the day when a future (no doubt conservative Government) turns to farming and says ‘its just a business, what are we doing supporting you with public money ?’ Its what we in forestry have faced for decades – as a result of which nearly half England’s forests aren’t in management. We need to start building a new consensus now, not when its too late, that turns subsidies into payments for services. As a land manager I still find it extraordinary that as a society we’ve decided that rain that falls on the land is worthless – and then arbitrarily give a large commercial company the right to capture its value somewhere down the line – and then we wonder why land managers pollute that water or drain it into our homes in pursuit of the one thing our urban society is prepared to pay them for. Doesn’t seem right, somehow.
Whatever the outcome of the vote was, it shows democracy and the right to voice our opinion. Something which must continue if democracy is to continue. There are organisations which want to prevent freedom of speech by the public. Those that want to prevent the public from voicing their right to their opinion are on the road to dictatorship.
“Whatever the outcome of the vote was, it shows democracy and the right to voice our opinion. Something which must continue if democracy is to continue. There are organisations which want to prevent freedom of speech by the public. Those that want to prevent the public from voicing their right to their opinion are on the road to dictatorship.”
Unless of course Mark decides to not publish all comments of course, hey Mark?
I’d be interested to hear what inspired so many to vote for Mr Paterson….
Chris – come back at 6pm for a second post today
Caroline Lucas (no relation!) is certainly an excellent MP and a worthy winner.
We could do with more women of her calibre on all political sides, to counteract the ‘chumocracy’ that exists on both front benches. But considering the kind of reception they get, it’s a wonder any women stick it out at all.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25266177
Bob, I think if you questioned Douglas Carswell (and I suspect you’ll struggle to pin him down) you may find his enthusiasm for de-regulation is a little selective – and mainly about favouring big business. I suspect you’ll find a lack of enthusiasm for the corollary of less regulation – less grants. After all, the vice-chair of UKIP wants to get out of Europe whilst taking £55,000 a year in EU grants, and in the republican, rural US where some people won’t let a Government official onto their land I suspect that doesn’t include the postman with another farming subsidy cheque from Uncle Sam ! This is a Government which espouses the free market but can’t see a market without rigging it, and has embedded the ‘no regrets’ capitalism forced on labour by the near collapse of the financial system – brought about by unregulated (and, actually, criminal) free marketeers.
Mark – a genuine suggestion
I have just visited your TWITTER A/C https://twitter.com/markavery
Can I suggest that the integration of your twitter feed on this blog would – probably?- make things go so much faster for you and the end product be so much more valuable to your message – although why I should suggest this is beyond me
Trimbush – thank you. I’m not sure it would make that much difference but you may be right.
So after a concerted effort by the pro-cull brigade to bolster support for the science & climate change denying Owen Paterson, they managed to raise 363 votes! That’s more than half the NFU’s membership isn’t it?
Shouldn’t you be in bed by now young man?
Owen Paterson is just the face of this isolated, entrenched, yet rather powerful, narrow minded thinking that has taken over the “countryside”. The badger cull is a scientific and moral travesty and has set us back decades. Why did we bother with the enlightenment, why bother with science?
The countryside to these people (I was brought up with them) is an economic and cultural terminology, it has nothing to do with wildlife, ecology, and certainly not conservation.
It is a way of thinking we had all forgotten about, or, knew it was there but forgot how hard bitten and begrudged they were after the treatment banning hunting with dogs.
The idea that a group, a way of thinking, still exists in the UK, in the year 2013, who defend the absolute right to shoot with impunity or torture wild animals to death with dogs is abhorrent to the rest of UK society. Most had forgotten it exists, or that those who support it are so serious.
Well we know now. These people, this mindset, fronted by Paterson, is open, and has turned conservation into war. In the UK, for heavens sake. What utter madness. This way of thinking has no right to exist anymore. It has to finally adapt or be stamped out for good.
That’s my boy!
& finally to pro cull. There is a sliding scale between intellect and the desire to cull. Think about it. Pro cull however wouldn’t recognise this as you are all so utterly inept and stupid. Certainly not worthy enough to hold public office as “environment secretary”
It has to be a joke that Owen Paterson came second. There has never been a man in the history of this planet that hates wildlife as much as he does. I expect his Countryside Alliance chums were involved in the voting fiasco or once again the ‘goalposts were moved’.