"They're not going to win, why should I vote Green?"

There are still so many people that don't know who they're going to vote for, or if they're going to vote at all! When I suggest voting Green, I am often met with the same responses. Read this post to understand my views on the following questions....

"why should I vote for Green if they're not going to win the election"

"I like Green values, but they seem too idealistic for reality" "they only care about the environment"

So firstly, why should you vote Green knowing that they wont win?  I believe that the Green Party have the most humane and eco-friendly values of all the other major parties. If they get votes, this is beneficial for a few reasons:

1. It will encourage the other major parties to include Green type policies in order to win over a larger percent of the electorate in the next general election. If the other parties had the policies that the Green Party do (such as the abolition of university fees and a focus on making peace instead of fighting wars), I would consider voting for them. I'm sorry to admit this, but I have zero brand loyalty, I go wherever I'm getting the best deal...as soon as another party presents me with the same sentiments of equality and sustainability, they will become a contender for me. Other parties will ONLY include these things, if we send a message through our votes telling them that there is a demand for Green policies.

2. If a higher percentage of people vote Green this year, the party will become increasingly normalised in the public's mind. We are clearly out of the days of a two party system, so pushing for Green being a legitimate alternative is essential this year. Here's a little bit of marketing wisdom - people are more likely to react to stimuli if they believe that other people are doing it too. In other words, if you think that the people around you are all voting Green, then you are more likely to consider them, because they are "legitimised" by society.

From the point of view of marketing, I attribute the rapid rise in UKIP's popularity to millions of pounds in advertising and UKIP's powerful friends in the media. In the beginning of their campaign, they made it appear as though there was a HUGE demand for UKIP's policies. I would argue that their policies only benefit a handful of people but their branding strategy of "giving the people what they want", made it appear more popular, thus more people were drawn to it.

To reiterate, more votes for Greens this year will increase their chances in the next general election, by making it known to the public that the Green Party is a legitimate option.

Also on the agenda, are the Green too idealistic? Kind of. But you know what? You have to vote for the change you want to see. Every initiative has to start from somewhere. The Greens have both long term and short term goals. They are not stupid. They know that reducing the rate of climate change, creating a more equal society or encouraging a peaceful global situation is not going to happen overnight. However, they want to push society in that direction, and that can only be a good thing. In the mean time, their short term strategies are extremely feasible. And finally, do they only care about the environment? No. They have so many great policies. They just happen to consider the environment and society along side the economy and development. I personally find it REALLY hard to comprehend the point of a "strong economy" or "low national debt" if people aren't actually benefiting from it. I would describe all of their policies as people centric. Just read their manifesto, I promise, it's not all about the environment!

[originally written in 2015]