“It’s the only party you’ve ever seen around here,” he said. “The work has been done [this town] “It has been self-evident for years, and I would rather kill Messen than vote for Tories.” He liked the Greens’ founding commitment to the environment. “The planet is dying in its infancy, man,” said the 62-year-old. “They said it before anyone.” His neighbor next door had a similar mindset. The party had become part of the community, said Margaret Roxby – always there at the garbage collection or supporting local campaigns. He had been voting for them for two years and the only regret of the 64-year-old was that he did not do it earlier. They were once rejected as tree-hugs, he thought, “but, yes, I have nothing against the tree hugs.” The Greens are, by all accounts, a rising party – both in the Northeast and throughout the country. In a series of notable election results last year, they won 155 English and Welsh council seats, bringing the total to a record 467. They now lead two authorities, Brighton and Hove and Lancaster, in a governing coalition of the other 13, including , York and Sheffield, and form the main opposition in eight others, including Bristol, Norwich and Solihull. Now, it is absolutely certain that this growth will continue on May 5: a realistic good night would see them break the 500-seat barrier, party bosses suggest. In particular, they hope to go beyond their traditional metropolitan bases of power and establish a greater presence in the old industrial centers of the North. Burnley, Bradford and Trafford are some of the once unlikely places that already have at least one Greens adviser and are targeted for more discoveries. Barnsley, Sunderland and Chorley could all see their first Green elected if the internal vote is credible. “What they want to do is nothing less than impose a tectonic change in British politics,” said Matthew Flinders, a professor of politics at the University of Sheffield. “There is a long way to go until we can say it is close to it, but the speed of the journey is impressive.” David Francis has been a member of the Greens since 2014 (The independent) This brings us back to South Shields – an old coal and shipbuilding town that may characterize the Greens’ attempts to invade the north. The local council, South Tyneside, has been Labor since its inception in 1974. Forty-five of its 54 councilors are currently red. By the way, when the local leader of the Greens, David Francis, joined the party here in 2014, it was so small that the meetings “gathered four or five in someone’s front room”. Eight years later, he is one of three councilors. Now, the hope is that this number will double on May 5, turning the group into an official opposition. And, surely, on the doorstep on a sunny Friday afternoon, such an ambition seemed perfectly reasonable. Residents after Beacon and Bents opened their doors to say they would vote for Sarah McKeown. “I’m under the club tonight,” said one former miner. “Everyone says they are Green this year.” Would he have a poster for his window in this case? “Yes, why not;” A large? A small? “Give me both and I’ll see what the woman says.” The cordial response is due to a variety of overlapping factors, according to Francis. The Greens’ commitment to tackling climate change is one reason voters support them. (Getty) The growing acceptance that the planet is dying, er – this is the climate crisis – has attracted many voters to an area that will soon be under water if global temperatures continue to rise. But, perhaps most importantly, it is a tangible rage here for the feeling that the ruling Labor Party has taken it for too long. “They are sitting tenants,” one resident said angrily. “They think they have a job for a lifetime and that’s how they deal with it.” Francis has often heard this feeling. “We are told they had never seen a round of councilors here except during election time until we entered,” he said. “One thing you can guarantee with us is that we will not take your vote for granted.” A return to the basics approach has gained a lot of support. Knocking on doors, asking questions and trying to solve problems. Flip flops, antisocial behavior, noise pollution and obstructive parking are all things to which he devotes a lot of time. “These are not bright things,” said the 43-year-old. “But they are what matter to people.” One of his most proud accomplishments since his 2019 election was the submission of a climate emergency proposal, which was then approved by the council and helped to restore a bus route widely used by older residents. He is currently leading a popular campaign to prevent the Nexus – the transport authority of Tyne and Wear – from cutting down a number of trees along the city’s subway route. “People who live there love these trees,” he said. “It’s the same thing that happens so often: they feel that this thing is happening to them and not to or for them.” “We taught ourselves how to attract voters and organize effective campaigns” (Green Party) While local groups focus on such grassroots concerns, success has probably also come, insiders say, as a direct result of the national party spending years to professionalize. “Sometimes I say the Green Party was created by very well-meaning people who could see a vision for a better world and knew they had it right,” said Chris Williams, the party’s Birmingham-based election leader. “But they did not always know how to explain this vision or how to make it relevant to people’s lives. So in recent years, this is something we have really focused on. We have been taught how to attract voters and organize effective campaigns. Even something as basic as getting the right brochures. “We have taught ourselves how to win the election, really.” Initiatives such as consolidating training programs for elusive advisers and a plan for future leaders have improved the party’s functions, while a broad policy base – covering everything from isolation to public transport – has allowed voters to distance themselves from both Labor and Conservatives: half of them The Tories are currently holding national targets this year. “There is frustration on both the left and the right because of things like that [Partygate and the cost of living crisis]”Williams said. “And the voters see that we are different. There are no career politicians here. “If you vote Green, you are voting for someone who is involved because he really wants to make the world a better place.” Green Party co-chairs Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer launched their local election campaign in Lambeth on April 5. (Getty) There are, of course, important reservations to all this. Even if the party reaches the target of 500 council seats on Thursday, it is still a small percentage of the country’s 20,000 total seats. In South Shields, a good election would see them still have only one-ninth of all counselors here. Notably, of all those locals who say they will vote for the party this year, almost no one says they would do the same in a general election. “Rather Labor,” said Frank Ahmed. “Anything to try to get the Tories out.” Success can also cause internal divisions. There is a wing of this party that undoubtedly feels that its professionalism – and its willingness to compromise within coalitions – has taken it away from its radical roots. However, what is happening in the rest of Europe offers hope that the party’s growth will continue. In seven countries on the continent – Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden – the Greens share power in coalition governments. “There’s no reason not to have that here, too,” said McKeown, a candidate for the Beacon and Bents wing and a teacher by profession. “Young people want something different from the old status quo. I see this in my work. “They see the greens as the future.” On a sunny day in South Shields, such a hope is well placed.
