I have heard that the Conservatives in Stroud have welcomed the increased vote for the Green Party at the local elections, because this could mean that the anti-Tory vote in the general election would be split more or less evenly between Labour and the Greens, with neither getting more votes than the Conservatives.

In that way, the Conservatives could win the election with little more than 35% of the votes cast. Could Siobhan Bailie honestly claim that such a situation was a clear indication of support for her policies, especially when Labour and the Greens share a lot of policies with one another and little or none with the Conservatives?

With the possibility of an increase in Green votes helping them in this way, could we actually see Stroud Conservatives taking measures to boost the Green vote?

One point they make is that, in the local elections, more votes were cast for Green candidates than for Labour.

This was not true, though, for the wards in the district which make up the constituency.

Moreover, green votes in local elections are not always translated into green votes in parliamentary elections.

There is bound to be an element of tactical voting that will continue wherever first-past-the-post is used to determine the results of elections.

It seems to me that the best way for the Greens to achieve a substantial footing in parliament in due course is, in this election, to support parties most likely to introduce electoral reform in the future.

This will not be the Conservatives.

Stephen Moore

Stroud