Fascinating interview in Metro the other day, with the always engaging comedian-turned-activist Mark Thomas. He’s a Green Party supporter, and like me often gets fools asking ‘Isn’t that a wasted vote, though?’
My response is usually to point out that no votes for the Greens are wasted: they’re all counted and recorded forever, and are USED to help the party know they’re doing the right thing, to indicate that people actually want something to change. An election is officially announced as a Notice Of Poll, because it’s THE poll. So to vote for one of the big parties purely because they’re more likely to win is like voting for your favourite film from a choice of two, where neither is really you. What’s the point of voting for something you don’t entirely like? A vote for Least Worst rather than what you really, actually want. THAT’S a wasted vote. As is not voting at all.
Mr Thomas puts it better:
MT: I’m a Green Party voter.
METRO: Doesn’t that seem like a wasted vote?
MT: Not unless you say what you want, you’re not gonna get it. I’m not gonna play the game of ‘let’s vote for who came second in the throat-cutting competition’.
