Green candidate Jonathan Bartley cast his vote at St Leonard’s School in Streatham today on the back of what he feels has been a very successful election campaign for his party.
Although Labour candidate Chuka Umunna is predicted to maintain his majority in Streatham, Bartley has seen evidence of a Green surge across the country and is keen to capitalize.
He said: “It has been fantastic here in Lambeth, we’ve seen our membership quadruple during the last year and a half.
“It has been about including them and involving them. This election we have been able to do more than ever before.”
Bartley feels that another win for Umunna could see the Labour party lurch towards more austerity policies.
He said: “What’s pretty clear is that Chuka is very much on the right of his party and he will continue to take the party in that direction.
“We would not get into any coalition, we would enter into a confidence and supply arrangement to oppose a Conservative government.”
After a well-publicised dispute with David Cameron in 2010, Bartley is fearful of another Conservative government, but does not think they will win a majority.
He said: “I think what has been pretty frightening about this election campaign is that Labour and the Conservatives have not made clear where their cuts will come from, and that’s very frightening if you are relying on benefits or if you are disabled.
“It is Labour that have allowed the Conservatives to push austerity as far as they have.
“I think it’s just a matter of time before both Labour and the Conservatives see that austerity isn’t working.”
Feature image of Jonathan Bartley with family members and Green Party supporters today
