Tactical voting: An evening with James MacCleary

1. What things did James MacCleary say that you welcomed?

Ann Link –  Transition Town Lewes
He is very genuinely anti-poverty. He’s aware of the barriers against change and was already echoing some of the content of Caroline Lucas’ book! He’s obviously for proportional representation.

I think he is warm towards citizens’ assemblies. As regards climate, he made some pledges including no new oil and ways to ensure existing permissions for oil and for Rosebank are reversed. He would not support dualling the A27 and is keen on public transport including the Lewes to Uckfield line, and buses and bus lanes. I think his passions are to deal with child poverty – and is genuinely outraged by destruction of Sure Start.

Jane Carpenter – Greenpeace
Positives were  no new oil/gas, plus investment in renewables; funding and organisation for public transport; collaboration with other parties to achieve goals; citizens’ assemblies as an option; and all policies enabling people on low incomes to access support.

Sheila O’Sullivan – Cycle Lewes
We welcomed James’s statement that he wanted to learn from the expertise in the room and we would welcome collaborating with him to address the challenges locally should he be elected and strengthen his understanding of the benefits of active travel and key aspects of good cycling infrastructure.

He was supportive of local efforts to produce a Lewes Movement Strategy by local partners and this was  welcomed as was his recognition of the need for greater leadership, focus and investment in active travel at East Sussex County Council to re-balance years of under investment.

Liz Mansfield – Lewes Compass
I was heartened by James’s answers to questions about water pollution, home insulation, public transport and more. Lewes Compass has, as its main focus, the need to end our undemocratic ‘First Past The Post’ voting system and replace it with proportional representation. James said he was committed to working towards this, in line with Lib Dem policy. He told us that if he’s elected as our MP, he intends to stay in touch with his electorate; to keep his door open and be ready to lobby for the matters that concern us, of which there are many! If he is elected, we’ll certainly hold him to account on his promise.

Juliet Oxborrow – Lewes Climate Hub
James was wholly supportive of citizens’ assemblies and renationalising water companies (“astounding to make a profit on something we can’t live without”) and is committed to holding Southern Water to account on sewage spills. He grasps the need for overhauling the UK’s power infrastructure, is keen to ban domestic flights – and made some common-sense remarks about putting buses more in the green transport mix (rather than simply expanding rail whose infrastructure is massively expensive and time-consuming to deliver). I welcomed his support for proportional representation and his repeated promise to work collaboratively and hold regular events to get feedback from local people. Aside from green issues, his passion about tackling child poverty is admirable. And he’s committed to people’s right to protest and working to roll back restrictions on that.

Sue Fleming – Transition Town Lewes
He was strong on the issue of sewage, and the need to have a regulator with real powers to fine water companies and the investors who own them much more rigorously.

2. What did you find disappointing in any of his responses?

Jane Carpenter – Greenpeace
The emphasis on economic growth (although he admitted GDP not the best measure of this) and smaller scale investment than necessary.

Sheila O’Sullivan – Cycle Lewes
James was less knowledgeable around active travel, including cycling and its benefits and this was also reflected in the Liberal Democrat Manifesto and its Plan for Better Transport, which pledges to make it cheaper and easier for people to have cars that run on electricity. While electric vehicles may be part of the solution they should be below active travel and public transport in the hierarchy of actions taken and investment provided.

We stressed the need to …re-balance investment in public transport and active travel locally, regionally and nationally. We also asked James to sign up to Cycling UK’s Manifesto for Cycling commitments

Juliet Oxborrow – Lewes Climate Hub
James said he’s not a big fan of nationalisation and it should only be used partially or temporarily to keep companies in check, which felt like it went a bit against his assertion that water and rail companies don’t benefit from competition. I would have liked him to be more excited and ambitious about the urgent need to retrofit UK housing rather than cite the lack of funding to deliver it.

3. Overall, how do you think he’d be on green issues for Lewes?

Ann Link – Transition Town Lewes
He’ll be a locally focused MP, not too much part of  the Westminster bubble. He said we would be able to hold him to account via Facebook live sessions like those done for Lewes District Council, with live questions – mainly by text if I remember.

Jane Carpenter – Greenpeace
Overall he came across as a thoughtful, committed candidate who I’m happy to lend my vote to.

Liz Mansfield – Lewes Compass
People’s preparedness to tactically ‘lend’ their votes is likely to be what gets James over the line. He recognised this, was grateful, and thanked people, as has Lib Dem leader, Ed Davey. If James makes it to parliament, he’ll be carrying the hopes of many.

Sue Fleming – Transition Town Lewes
I arrived at the meeting thinking, as James himself said, he’s the least bad option, and I didn’t have any particular appreciation of the Lib Dems. However, after listening to how genuine and eloquent he is, I’m hugely impressed, he is an excellent option as a future MP. He has a broad depth and understanding of the issues and shades of opinion in this area.

Juliet Oxborrow – Lewes Climate Hub
I think he’ll be good – so long as he can give green issues the same priority as his first passion of tackling child poverty (which is, of course, just as urgent). He seemed informed and engaged on a lot of environmental issues. I hope he will press a Labour government to be proactive and not allow climate action to become a second or third-order priority if they get into power.

The Vote Climate campaign, which assesses the strongest climate vote in each parliamentary seat, has recommended voting Liberal Democrat. See its analysis of Lewes candidates here: https://voteclimate.uk/constituencies/lewes