AIBU to hope the greens do very well today?

I have voted Green previously, as they were actually focused on environmental issues.

Their policies are deranged impractical and I think ZP is as dangerous as Nige being equally charismatic and extreme.

However, I don't have any vote today and my councilor is a brilliant local independent lady, long may she represent me. But in a general election I would be totally stuck. I would LOVE there to be a sensible centre-left science-literate environmental party.

This. ^ 'Voting Green is what we MUST do.'

PMSL no thanks. I'd rather vote for Reform.

Actually I'm joking!!! I wouldn't, because they're both as bad as each other. As the old saying goes '2 cheeks of the same arse!'

Ignoring the practicality of those policies, none of them are relevant in today’s election. None of these issues can be addressed by your local councillors.

Which of their policies are you voting for locally?

The modern Green Party are deplorable. A far cry from what they used to be in the past.

@Mischance "But in any event we have not been given the chance to vote round here"

different councils have elections at different times

Or have I missed something? I know Starmer tried very hard to cancel some local elections but I thought that was overturned in every area.

Hold on. Who are you to tell anyone how to vote.

Did you know Zack Polanski is not his real name @ForGreenHiker ??

It's David Paulden.

I'd be interested to know why he changed his name.

All that matters is that people vote to make sure that reform candidates are shown the door. If that means voting Green in your area then that is what you must do.

I get so exasperated that local elections are turned into party political events and used ass a reflection of national politics, when people ought to feel free to vote for the person who will best serve their local community.

I usually vote green locally - and yes I know all about Polanski - but she is brilliant; totally involved in this farming community, takes up local causes, is always there when needed. Why should she be penalized for his stupidity when she is doing a great job; and why should we lose her excellent services just to give Polanski a bloody nose?

It is the media who want to use these local elections as a national barometer when that is not really what it should be about.

But in any event we have not been given the chance to vote round here.

Are you mad? He’s a lying piece of shit who IMO is just after power, and is anti-Semitic on top. Plus IIRC he once stated that he thought a trans woman could grow a cervix, or some such nonsense.

The Greens used to be largely concerned with the environment. WTF happened?

Not with that man in charge!

I always vote Green locally but I won’t now… and I’m vegan etc. He’s awful.

Good no, the Scottish Greens are absolute loon balls!

Really?! I’ve literally never heard anyone in real life express any opinion about them apart from how insane they are!
It’s a hard No from Me.

I don’t agree with many green policies, but they’re better than reform anyone is better than that so yanbu.

Has he clarified his stance on this?

To be fair, I haven't seen him being asked since late last year, when he was very adamant that he wants legalisation rather than decriminalisation.

I think they had some kind of discussion about this at the spring conference so there may be a clear policy in place now

I am deeply concerned by their rising popularity. I'm very much hoping that today gives us a different steer on the figures.

ETA - the policy on their website still seems to be dated 2019.

It's good to see how many people get their education on political parties from tabloid newspapers and their algorithm then supports the bias they believe...

YANBU OP. Greens are not perfect by a large stretch, but the fact they're being smeared so much and their policies misrepresented shows they're obviously being seen as a threat by other parties....

I hope they do well in these local elections, even if it's just as a wake up call to the larger parties. Those saying Greens will be back for women, I really hope you're not voting for any of the parties on the right...

Errr, okaaaaayyyy.........

Until Ed Miliband decides to build massive solar farms all over arable land even when locals don't want it? That sort of control?

I think lots of people (in England) will be voting Green because their local candidates seem reasonable/do good work in the community/want to prioritise the local environment/as the only way to keep out Reform etc - all of which seems entirely sensible. This should NOT be misread as support for the national policies or ZP - excellent description offered by Upstarted above (thankyou!)

I don't know very much about their 'Green' local policies sadly. I hear a lot about wars in faraway lands and LGBTQ+, but even less about potholes, my lack of a food waste collection and anti social social behaviour at the local playground.

So if Reform are 'islamophobic' (stupid word made up by an extremist Muslim group), and they have Muslim people in senior positions (Zia Yusuf, Laila Cunningham) - is it fair to say that ZP doesn't get a get out of antisemitism jail free card because he's Jewish? As OP suggested.

Yes, just as I support alcohol and tobacco being heavily taxed.

They had some power in Scotland, and it was indeed very scary

I think county councils have a lot of control over the things that they have listed - particularly the environmental and green spaces issues.

I imagine the Greens will expect the nasty rich people to pay for everything. So the cannabis won't be taxed, it will be handed out like sweets on the NHS which will become the biggest organisation ever known to man in terms of spending.

I think they have made islamaphobic statements. Farage has said "Muslims don't share our values ", as if by being part of a religion people lose all autonomy and individuality. Other spokespeople have said worse.

Like the Greens, they've had extremist candidates (one who argued for "returning the fire" on "islamists" during festivals. But again they are a small party growing quickly so this could just be a governance issue.