This is a guest post by Peter Tatchell
Labour has lost its heart and soul. It took us into an illegal war in Iraq. It has eroded hard won civil liberties, commercialised education and heath, and is backing new nuclear and coal-fired power stations, to the detriment of the environment.
The Greens have now replaced Labour as the most progressive party in British politics. We Greens are the only party that wholeheartedly defends public services and working people.
I urge disillusioned Labour voters to come over to the Greens. Don’t vote for a government that takes you for granted and has betrayed Labour values. Support a party that stands for a fairer, more just and free society – the Green Party.
Rupert Read, the Green Party candidate in the Norwich North by-election on 23 July, is an intelligent, passionate defender of liberty, justice, peace and the environment.
He’s got vision. He knows a better world is possible. Rupert is a man of the people. That’s what we need at Westminster. We don’t want more machine politicians churned out by the head offices of the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties.
Why send another Labour, Tory or Lib Dem clone to Westminster? Give the Greens a chance. Parliament needs some Green MPs, not just more MPs from the old, grey, establishment parties. There are enough of them already. MPs from the big three parties are yesterday’s men.
Gordon Brown has slashed interest rates to savers and allowed people’s pensions to be eroded. He is closing post offices. Labour plans to waste over £120 billion of public money on Trident nuclear missiles, two new super aircraft carriers, ID cards, new motorway building, the war in Afghanistan and the botched computerisation of the NHS.
The Greens would cancel this waste. We’d spend the £120 billion on new council housing, better pensions, improved public services, renewable energy and cheaper, safer and cleaner public transport.
Parliament needs a grassroots, anti-politician like Rupert, not another party establishment career politician. That’s why I am supporting his campaign to be elected as the Green MP for Norwich North.
Fed up with the established parties and corrupt MPs? It is time for change. Register your anger by going Green – for a new, clean politics. Electing Rupert would make history. He would be Britain’s first ever Green MP.
This is an excerpt from a speech to be given at a public meeting in Norwich last night (Wednesday 15 July).
