Greens marginalised over City debate?

The lacklustre campaign being run by the Medway Green Party has lost momentum and is being led by a leadership that is not consulting with its membership. A campaign that is out of touch with the mainstream majority of Medway, its press and its leading civic and social commentators.

According to leaks emanating from the Medway Green camp the campaign to oppose the City status is seen as negative, retrospective and scare-mongering and is at its heart deeply negative. The membership of the Green Party are however afraid to actively counter the issue with its group leadership who are obsessing over an issue with little electoral mileage. Many are worried about the electoral prospects in local elections in May 2011, especially if the party does not move on from this issue onto core ground policy, such as Kingsnorth, recycling and encouraging a more sustainable and ecologically sound Council. Areas which the malcontents suggest could secure votes from left-leaning Liberal Democrats and Labour voters.

The campaign to oppose city status only secured the Green Party 45 votes at the River by-election in August and has been widely derided by all other Parties as based on false and inaccurate statements that the historic towns will loose their identity. There is no evidence that any of the towns will suffer. We will still have a Rochester Castle, a Rochester Cathedral and a Chatham Dockyard. Our history is not being airbrushed.

The cost of the campaign is minimal to the benefits derived. Sunderland Council leader, Labour Cllr Paul Watson has made clear that

'It has helped us raise our profile still further on the national and international stage, with Sunderland one of the only cities in the world to have an International Friendship Agreement with Washington DC, while we have also forged strong cultural and business links'

The Medway Messenger has over the last fortnight backed wholeheartedly the campaign for city status. The paper stated that 'securing the title in 2012 will unite the Towns and have a positive effect on everyone who lives, works and visits the area.'

The campaign for city status has also secured the support of UCA boss Professor Dianne Taylor that

'if Medway were to become a city it would be a real opportunity to raise the profile of our talent and attract inward investment. It would bring a sense of unity of the Towns and regeneration, which would hopefully encourage more of graduates to stick around'

The Green Party in Medway is fighting a negative campaign which does nothing to benefit Medway in a positive way.

Fight on issues which resonate. A more sustainable and green Medway has more mileage and is a positive strategy.