The case for and against a vote for the Green party

George Monbiot urges those lucky enough to live in one of the four constituencies with a real chance of electing a Green MP to vote for them (Who should hold the next prime minister to account? Our best hope lies with the Green party, 12 June). But he doesn’t go far enough. In this election, more than any other, there is a real point in voting for every Green candidate, wherever they are standing, now that it’s a given that the Tories are toast and Labour are going to win.

The more of the electorate who vote Green but are not represented by a Green MP, the stronger the case is for proportional representation. And with two, three or even four Green MPs in the Commons to lead the other MPs who empathise with Compass, which has long been campaigning for PR, we will have the best chance yet of achieving real democracy for future elections.
Cherry Waters
South Milford, North Yorkshire

• I think it’s important to state the benefit of a Green vote in all constituencies where they have a candidate. Yes, four seats will make headlines, but a growing vote for the Greens will also have other parties looking over their shoulders and reassessing their priorities. It will also give the Green party a better chance of representation in the media, be that reports or debates – something in which the louder-mouthed minority parties have a disproportionate voice. Every vote really does count.
Dave Walker
West Rainton, County Durham

• A Green vote has value anywhere, not just in the four seats being targeted by the Greens. It increases our Short money (which funds opposition party parliamentary offices) and our standing when it comes to media coverage decisions. It also serves to underline the need for proportional representation. In this election, there is no need to vote tactically – the winner is not in doubt. What bliss – we can vote for what we believe in.
Daniel Wimberley
Bamford, Derbyshire

• It’s very easy for a party to make promises that they will never have to try out. But when the Greens did hold power – being the majority party running Brighton and Hove city council between 2017 and 2023 – the reality was different. They failed to apply for funding from the public sector decarbonisation fund, and to force Southern Water to increase monitoring of discharge into the sea (which the Labour leader achieved on taking control of the council). Last May, the Greens lost the majority of their council seats. Sadly, the promises of the Greens will not meet the test of practical politics.
John Searby
Brighton, East Sussex

• Thank you, George, for your inspiring and prophetic article. Please keep an eye on the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, where the Greens now run the district council, having polled more than the Tories in last May’s elections. Beyond the daily joy of wishful thinking, there’s a strong sense that we have arrived at a tipping point where we could remove the Tory incumbent.
Tim Rickard
Upleadon, Gloucestershire

• Re George Monbiot’s article, perhaps the Green party should consider that a wealth tax on agriculture could seriously disrupt food production within a short time and collapse the rural economy.

Many farmers are not replacing their machinery as it is and are not making much more than £50 per acre when in profit. A 1% tax on their working land would be £80 to £100 per acre on current values, so within two years many would be selling up or no longer producing crops or raising livestock. A banking crisis would ensue in the rural economy and UK food security would be seriously imperilled. Perhaps this idea – along with the unlimited right to roam with dogs, which would be a disaster for ground-nesting birds – should be reconsidered?
George Carnarvon
Highclere Castle, Hampshire

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