Zorro was interested to read the piece in the Guardian the other day in
which an argument was made, particularly in light of the outcome of the general
election, for progressive political alliances to be forged -
It is clear that a regressive alliance is being cobbled together
between the wholly damaged Prime Minister Theresa May and her fractured
Conservative party and the sectarian and reactionary Democratic Unionist Party
(DUP) of Northern Ireland. It is expected that the 10 DUP MPs will provide
political cover and support to allow the Conservatives to govern. To miss-apply
the claim made by the Conservatives in the 2015 of “Vote Labour, get the SNP” Zorro says that this latest general
election has shown “Vote Conservative,
get DUP”.
This all shows how desperate Theresa May is to retain the levers of
power and how fragile her hold on her party is and how politically damaged she
and the Conservatives are. It surely must only be a question of time until the
Conservatives put her (and the country) out of her misery and topple her to
provide her party and the country with a new leader. Indeed, so precarious is
the Conservatives’ hold on the country that Zorro is prepared for a further
general election before the year is out. So too must those who aspire to hold
seats in the House of Commons.
Zorro’s prime focus is within East Devon. Zorro argued immediately
after the general election for the Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Green
parties to put their political weight behind Claire Wright http://www.claire-wright.org/.
Zorro has argued for several years now that in East Devon the creation
of a local political progressive alliance would allow a determined and real
challenge to be mounted to the Conservative party’s dominance of politics in
East Devon and across the wider Devon County landscape.
Given Claire Wright’s very credible polling in this latest election she
has shown that she has the qualities that many in East Devon want to see in
their MP. As we know Claire mounted a strong campaign, raised the funding to
support it and galvanised many hundreds of supporters behind her from a
standing start in only the few weeks that the election was fought over.
As we know the Green party decided not to stand a candidate in the
election. But both the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties did stand
candidates. Collectively the total votes cast for both Claire Wright and these
two parties’ candidates would have placed her within spitting distance of
causing a political earthquake in East Devon.
If there is to be a further election this year then it is imperative
that there is only one candidate that provides a progressive agenda that can
pull in voters who would naturally not want to have a Conservative representing
them. Claire Wright is in poll position to be that candidate. But it needs the
Green, Labour and Liberal Democrats to recognise that fighting for their own
individual votes can only lead to one result – the further return to Parliament
as East Devon’s MP, a conservative candidate.
The challenge to these three parties, as well as to Claire Wright is
can a progressive alliance be formed? Because if it is to happen, it has to be
decided now in order that pre-election planning and preparation can take place.
Zorro recognises that it is incredibly difficult for any political
party, and indeed for members of political parties, to stand aside and allow
someone who is not of their immediate tribe a freer hand to fight an election. Therefore
if a progressive alliance is going to be formed and indeed be put into practice
then it will involve bold debates and acceptance within the local Green, Labour
and Liberal Democrats memberships.
That debate cannot be left until another day. It has to happen now
based upon a clear objective – fielding a single progressive candidate in the
next general election in East Devon.
As Zorro has said before – it’s time for change! And now is the time. Let’s not waste this opportunity.
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