Green Party offers no alternative for climate campaigners, workers and young people

Gareth Bromhall, Swansea Socialist Party and Socialist Students

This election has been called the most important in generations, and in the days after it was called hundreds of thousands of 18-30 year-olds registered to vote.

Anger and desperation has led to tactical voting becoming a hot topic among young people, and the major parties are vying for the growing youth vote.

This year has seen an uprising of young people demanding climate justice and organising in youth-led environmental organisations.

As the election campaigns heat up, it’s clear that the environment has become an important factor. The Labour Party at its recent conference passed a motion in support of a ‘Green New Deal’ and the Green Party has been making a lot about its policies and record.

For some who are concerned about the environment it may be a given that they would support the Green Party, however it’s important to look at the reality.

This election is a real chance to sweep aside the Tories and finally put an end to almost a decade of austerity.

The Greens [England and Wales – in Scotland the Greens have stood down in a number of seats to assist back the pro-capitalist SNP], Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru have announced a ‘Remain Alliance’ which frames this election around Brexit, instead of focusing on ending austerity, protecting the NHS and ending climate catastrophe.

This alliance is in fact, apart from a few obvious seats, just an agreement for the Greens and Plaid Cymru to stand aside across dozens of seats and encourage their supporters to back the Lib Dems.

The same Lib Dems who were co-authors of austerity (including then junior minister Jo Swinson) and who have repeatedly ruled out working with Corbyn, but are yet to rule out another coalition with Johnson and his cronies.

The Green Party, despite its assertions, are no strangers to austerity, having carried out savage cuts in local government in Brighton and backing them in Bristol for instance. [The Scottish Greens in Holyrood and in Glasgow City Council have continually supported SNP cuts budgets]

The Green Party is trying to capitalise on its environmental and Remain credentials to appeal to the youth vote, but in reality they weaken the chances of a Corbyn-led government that could finally end the Tories tyranny, with a programme that would scrap tuition fees, and could begin to tackle the issues of housing, employment and the environment that are at the forefront of the minds of young people today.

And as well as fighting to elect a Corbyn government we are organising now for the socialist programme and future battles that will be necessary to bring about the change in society – including an end to climate change – that is so desperately needed for working class and young people.