Polarisation goes Green
An amazing result from Brighton Pavilion. No the wheels have not come off my understanding of geography (much more on this in the June Leveller) but the result in Brighton conflates two interesting trends. In 2015 Caroline Lucas held the seat for the Greens with “just” 22,871 votes compared to the second placed Labour candidate Purna Sen with 14,904. So with a polarisation in politics taking place in 2017 and Green candidates suffering falls in support around the country, what would happen this time around.
Well now we know.
Lucas not only held on to the seat but her vote shot up to 30,139 with every other party losing vote share compared with 2015. So it seems that polarisation has occurred even here and even in the face of an otherwise poor showing for the Greens nationally.
Personally this looks to me like one of the more interesting results on the night and one of the more revealing. Politics has become polarised, but not as the BBC are suggesting, into a two party system. Where there are strong local views, those views are being reinforced and majorities getting bigger regardless of which party is in favour locally. It is almost as if the control of central government, the voice of Westminster is not one people are listening to as much as they have done once you leave the confines of our nation’s capital.