interviews leading up to 8 June, my co-leader, Jonathan Bartley, and I were frequently asked the question: “Why has the progressive alliance failed?” I want to take five minutes to explain why I think the election result shows both the power and potential of the progressive alliance.
First of all, there is the reality of parliamentary maths. When I heard that exit poll at 10pm last Thursday, I was as thrilled as anyone on the progressive side to think that the anticipated Conservative majority wouldn’t be delivered. But as the dust settles on a totally unexpected result, we have to be honest about the challenges ahead. Yes, the Tory majority has been cut, but progressives still do not hold the keys to Number 10 and the potential influence of the climate-change-denying, abortion-blocking, homophobic DUP on policymaking is truly horrifying. It is incumbent on progressives in the House of Commons to work together to oppose the cruel agenda of those in government and to build a vision of a more confident and caring Britain.
Second, I know that the progressive alliance helped us reduce the Conservative majority. At this election, what was new was not the idea of an alliance, something that has been talked about in the run-up to most recent elections, but the fact that the first step was made towards one. It was a tentative step but a step nonetheless. Twenty-four brave Green parties in marginal seats made the decision to stand aside to give a more viable candidate who supports electoral reform a free run at beating the Conservatives. Out of those seats, 10 went to either Labour or the Liberal Democrats and half of those were gains. I count every seat that was taken from the Conservatives as a victory.
But just as important as individual examples of successful alliances is the impact that the decision made by those 24 parties had on the national conversation. Someone had to move first on the progressive side if an alliance was ever going to be tried and I am proud that we were the ones who did so, despite the hit in votes that we inevitably took. We’ve broken the seal. We’ve made our commitment to a better politics clear and we’ve helped to put collaboration and co-operation in politics on the agenda.
This was about doing politics differently and it’s not just election results that are the measure of success. It’s the numbers of people who knocked on doors for parties other than their own, who came out and got involved in an election campaign for the first time and it’s the sense that politics has become something hopeful and positive again – that we, the people, own and make, not the rich donors and shady establishment forces. A majority of people in Britain have embraced a more plural and open politics and it’s critical that what happens next continues to build that vision. To do otherwise would be both a massive disservice to democracy and to misunderstand that the Corbyn effect is just one wave in the tide of change.
I hope, therefore, that Labour and the Liberal Democrats will look at this election result and think what might have been. One of the priorities for a progressive alliance is to get electoral reform. The Conservatives have absolutely no intention of changing our voting system because it locks in two-party politics, which helps to keep them in or close to power. A cynic might also say that Labour have never been fully committed to it for the same reason. But, as in 2015, the translation of votes to seats in this election proves that the introduction of proportional representation is essential if we are to have a truly representative democracy in Britain. Make Votes Matter estimates that, had this election been run under PR, the Conservative lead over Labour would have been slashed to 16 seats. The Greens would have won 11 and our combined total, along with Labour and the Liberal Democrats, would have easily surpassed the Conservatives. A progressive government could have happened.
Getting more Green MPs into parliament is essential: to give a voice to bold ideas such as a four-day working week and to secure action on climate change. In opposition, we would strengthen the progressive’s side; in government, we would embolden them. Whether the next election happens in five months or five years, I know that the actions we have taken at this election will have left their mark and will have taken us closer not only to getting more Green MPs on green benches but also forging a stronger, bigger and better progressive force in British politics.