A Promising Start

Amidst all the comings and going of the coalition last week, a truly historic moment in UK politics almost slipped by unnoticed. Our first ever Green MP gave her maiden speech in parliament last Thursday. You can find the full text of Caroline Lucas' speech here.

I've got to say that I was impressed, almost inspired. I think it was a very promising beginning by a woman who is clearly determined to use her position to the utmost. There was fitting recognition of her predecessor and of the traditions of parliament, a willingness to stand up for her constituents and then she really moved into gear:

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Now, after nearly four decades of the kind of work on doorsteps and in council chambers which I am sure honourable members are all too familiar, we have more candidates and more members, and now our first MP.

A long journey.

Too long, I would say.

Politics needs to renew itself, and allow new ideas and visions to emerge.

Otherwise debate is the poorer, and more and more people will feel that they are not represented.

So I hope that if, and when, other new political movements arise, they will not be excluded by the system of voting. Reform here, as in other areas, is long-overdue.

The chance must not be squandered. Most crucially, the people themselves must be given a choice about the way their representatives are elected.

And in my view, that means more than a referendum on the Alternative Vote - it means the choice of a genuinely proportional electoral system."

A very clear and persuasive statement. And given the fact that support at this election (despite a supposed squeeze of the smaller parties) combined support for the big two was lower than at any election since 1918, UK politics is going to have to adapt sooner or later to the changing face of politics and will be the richer the sooner it adapts.

Ms Lucas goes onto talk about what she can do as lone MP in terms that make it clear that she intends to use her position to the utmost. The fact that she uses this speech to raise the Trafigura issue demonstrates that she is not going to shy away from hard issues. She finishes the speech on her home territory, so to speak, with calls for cuts in carbon emissions.

All in all its a very promising beginning and the voters of Brighton Pavilion have every reason to be proud of their new MP. Hopefully she will be around for many years to come and be joined by colleagues from her party at the next election.