Green victory not surprising

The Gorrell ward by-election [‘Historic victory for Greens amid fury over sewage leaks’, Gazette, November 25] was dominated by two key factors: dumping of raw sewage into local sea water by Southern Water and a large, disaffected body of Labour voters who either did not vote or who transferred their vote to the Green Party as the party most likely to win (Green +10.3%; Labour - 6%).

The Greens did get 1,298 votes in the last ward election so it was not really a surprise that they took the seat this time. The Conservatives held their vote (+0.2%).

Disaffection within the ranks of the Labour Party membership is at an all-time high over, amongst other things, its dealings with alleged anti-semitism of party members, its focus on identity rather than class politics and its liberalisation agenda with a governance more in tune with corporate than workers’ interests.

The Green Party may be seen as a natural choice for those disaffected Labour voters who recognise the need to act on climate change but see no need for system change.

As a candidate for the Workers Party of Britain I argued, in contrast, that sustainability requires a radical overhaul of a system that has always prioritised capital and corporate over the interests of small businesses and ordinary working people. There is no such thing as green capitalism, which the latest COP debacle in Glasgow (COP26) ought by now to have confirmed.

I congratulate Clare Turnbull on her win and hope that her voice on the council will be heard loudly resisting the narrow interests of anti-democratic corporations, which have such an adverse impact on our environment and our livelihoods. Colin Gardner

Workers Party of Britain candidate