Detailed results of the 2014 elections released by local councils have revealed that the Greens could have been celebrating the election of 29 more councillors across just 3 of London’s councils under a proportional system.
Charlie Kiss (left), pictured here canvassing with Islington Greens who are celebrating the election of Caroline Russell (centre). He described the first past the post electoral system under which councils are elected as “a travesty of democracy”
In Lambeth, Greens are celebrating the election of Cllr Scott Ainslie in St. Leonard’s ward. The Greens pipped the Conservative to second place in vote share across the borough with 16% of the overall vote. Under a proportional system they would have been expected to win 10 seats.
In Islington, Greens won only 1 seat despite gaining 19% of the vote share – Labour scooped 98% of the seats with just 57% of the vote. If the elections had been conducted using a more proportional system, they could now be celebrating not only being Islington’s opposition party, but also the election of 8 more councillors.
Speaking after her election, Cllr Caroline Russell for Highbury East said:
“It’s a huge responsibility being the only opposition councillor on a 48 seat Council. There’s one Green and forty seven Labour councillors in Islington now.”
The biggest disappointment however came in Hackney, where the Greens were not able to celebrate the election of a single councillor despite receiving the second biggest vote share, which under a proportional system would have been likely to see them awarded 12 seats on the council.
Charlie Kiss, Green Party candidate for Highbury East in Islington said:
“It’s time to have PR in local council elections.. To have no representation like Hackney is a travesty of democracy”
Full vote counts have not yet been released by all councils. For details, please visit London Borough websites or contact the London Green Party media team.