As promised, here is the blog post we mentioned earlier. The passage of a week has allowed us to reflect on the events and appreciate the love, support, and hard work of our many supporters, both new and current.
Despite our dedicated efforts in Weedon and the desire for change among many residents, the hoped-for transformation has not yet materialised in West Northants and was only 49 votes away. Unfortunately, this is politics for you. However, there is encouraging news from North Northants, where two additional Green councillors were elected. This progress is a positive step forward for North Northants, but West Northants still lacks Green representation to hold the council accountable and vote in the best interests of residents, rather than property developers and big businesses.
“It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life.” Jean Luc Picard
This outcome highlights the need for continued effort to convince residents that Green Party policies are the sustainable and logical choice. Many residents are frustrated with issues such as unrepaired potholes and rising council taxes with little, visible return. They seek tangible, visible results and are less focused on climate policies, despite evidence of climate change, such as frequent flooding often exacerbated by inappropriate housing and warehouse developments on greenbelt land instead of disused and abandoned brownfield sites. If left unchecked, Northampton could soon resemble Los Angeles, with roads and car parks dominating the landscape.
The housing crisis is worsened by the construction of unaffordable homes on greenbelt land, which are often later bought by landlords and Airbnb hosts, further exacerbating the issue. Residents are more concerned with immediate problems than long-term environmental sustainability, as many struggle with limited disposable income and seek solutions to current challenges.
The appeal of the Reform Party in Northampton can be attributed to its name, which suggests a new change to a broken system, and its simple, effective slogan of “Britain Needs Reform”, which puts across what Reform Voters want which is a change and shake-up. Additionally, the recognition of its leader, Nigel Farage, who’s father was a stockbroker, and with the backing of big tech and donors, has helped Reform gain significant media exposure and support. In contrast, the Green Party focuses on long-term strategies and sustainable growth, rather than growth for its own sake, which is very similar to a cancer cell.
Many residents and much of the electorate are more worried about immigration than environmental collapse, often feeling that it is the reason why so many young people can’t find work, lack of housing and long waits to see a doctor or have an operation. In reality, for example, job scarcity is due to capitalists seeking to save money and turning to AI for hiring, support, or content creation, often with poor results. Instead, AI should be used for repetitive, mundane tasks to free up time for creative work.
The Green Party has been steadily growing, but it faces challenges in a system where capitalism, a 200-year-old system in decay, relies on infinite growth and resources. This is evident in the space ambitions of figures like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, who pay little tax and their encouragement of higher birth rates to maintain a desperate workforce.
Historically, the desire for Reform has often been a catalyst for change. The Green Party needs to strengthen its media presence and engage more effectively on platforms like Mastodon, where potential voters are active. In an age of AI-generated content and social media algorithms that boost shocking often right wing content to push ads and focus on growth, it is crucial to take action now.
The Green Party also needs to lend a hand to rural areas. It was great that Zack came to Kettering Greens who we closely work with and thus helped elect two additional Green councillors. Hopefully, when West Northants residents see the work these two new councillors do, the residents will be more likely to vote Green, especially if cuts or changes made by Reform negatively affect residents. Which may result in residents voicing regret over voting for a party that clearly indicated only the rich would be unaffected.
Despite the challenges, we have made progress, surpassing the Liberal Democrats and Labour in some areas. This gives us hope that one day, we will have Green councillors in West Northants as residents see the positive and optimistic results achieved in North Northants and nationally.
The green party does not rely on big tech or big donors, and much relies on volunteers. This means that Greens are able to act in the best interests of residents due to not being tied to certain donation conditions and all polices are made by all green party members. If you want to see west Northants get their first greens councillors, then join today.
