The ones who don’t make it to Westminster
John Wood, the Green Party candidate for Keighley and Ilkley, reflects on a lost election and more
This was the first time I’d ever been a political candidate – and because of this, I was rather naive about what to expect or what I’d be doing. It started by being asked if I'd like to put myself forward as a Green Party nominee for the Keighley and Ilkley constituency. This was after an already selected candidate had dropped out.
I had to go through the rigours of writing out a 500-word application explaining why I should be selected and being interviewed by my peers. After it was over, I had the feeling that I had underwhelmed with my performance and, given the competition, I wasn't hopeful of a good result. As it turned out, I was selected, which was great news. I was surprised but happy.
What swung in my favour was the fact that I was from the Bradford district area – I have lived here all my life. Moreover, for a couple of years back in the late 80s, I lived in Keighley, and between 2008 and 2015, I lived in Ilkley, so I’m familiar with both towns, which was a good thing for both the Green Party and voters. It meant that an outsider wouldn’t have to be brought in to contest the seat, which often irks constituents. People like their representatives to have some connection with the area.
I don’t have a bad word to say about the other candidates. The professional politicians did what was expected of them and the amateurs, like myself, gave it a good go. I spoke with all candidates at some point, apart from the Reform UK candidate, Andrew Judson. I only saw him on the night of the election at the counting hall.
Labour’s candidate, John Grogan, who was MP between 2017 and 2019, seemed very friendly and came across as a nice guy. Given the nation's sentiment – sick to death with spending cuts and corrupt policymaking – I truly believed he would win easily. Most did, even the Conservative candidate, Robbie Moore, who said on the night that the result was “completely unexpected”.
Although it didn't happen for John, it was close, which says something. Maybe if the new PM, Sir Keir Starmer – a two-headed snake is the best way I can describe this contemptible person – hadn’t turned on the Muslim voters (who make up a good number of Keighley’s population) in favour of his lobbyist backers, winning the seat would have been a walk in the park for John. After all, it was clear that many of the 2,000-plus votes that went to Vaz Shabir, the independent candidate – who largely fought on a pro-Palestinian ticket – would have gone to him.
That said, John would also have lost some votes to Reform UK (Robbie, too) and to the Green Party, namely left-leaning Labour supporters who felt abandoned by Starmer. It was a complex election in many ways.
As for Robbie, I was impressed he was able to retain his seat. It wasn’t that he had necessarily done anything wrong that would have cost him being reelected. On the contrary, all I heard was praise for Robbie and what he had done in the district. So, give that man a medal, especially given all the hate that has been directed towards the leadership of the Conservative government, which at times seemed chaotic and incompetent.
I would be lying if I said I had properly stated my case to those who attended the hustings at St Andrew's Church. It was my first public speaking experience, and being an introvert, my nerves got the better of me. However, some of the audience members I spoke with after the event said that they thought I had made a few good points, so it couldn’t have been all bad. Who can’t be encouraged by that kind of feedback?
It was always going to be hard for a Green Party “paper” candidate. Even if there had been the funds available for a Napoleonic-style campaign and a “Dream Green Team” behind me – which wasn't the case – cutting through in a meaningful way would still have been difficult. This is because there are a few things in our manifesto that are still too radical for most people. As a result, the benefits of what we have to offer overall are often missed.
Which is a shame because we have some really great, ambitious and inclusive ideas. For instance, our policies would help the middle class stay affluent and bring some of the working poor and those in poverty out of their suffering. That really doesn't get highlighted. What does, however, get attention, are things to do with climate change, whether it’s the widespread reforms of industry that are seen as being too radical or the fear that we’re going to take away people’s right to drive a 180mph sports car.
What the Greens believe in is that if you want real change for the better, it involves stopping tax avoidance and increasing taxes for the wealthiest of this nation by 1%. The reality is that if you want better infrastructure, better public services and more policing, then we need to stop enabling tax avoiders. The rich can do with one less Chanel or Birkin bag a year and one less Rolex being added to the watch collection. I'm sure LMVH won't go bust if the wealthiest among us cut back a little. It’s a little condescending of me, I know, though it needs to be stated.
I also believe that the north is economically deprived on purpose, where people are kept in the dark and fed bullshit. Nothing is done to highlight the real issues, where the money is going or explaining dodgy government policies that disempower the rights of its citizens and hand over more control to the state and the mega-corporations that are taking control.
They are the worst tax avoiders and the biggest drain on society yet nothing is ever done about this. Assets are constantly being stripped and privatisation of everything is happening under our very noses, meaning that we, the people, receive no benefits yet instead get all the financial burden. How can that ever be acceptable?
I hate to say this about a new government that is supposed to bring hope and optimism, but it’s my opinion that nothing good will come from Starmer. For example, he won’t stop until the NHS is fully contracted out to the private sector – and that's just part of it. The future under this new government will be bleak for the nation and I am more of the belief than ever – and I hope I'm wrong about this – that democracy, what we thought we had, doesn't really exist. But that’s a topic of conversation for another day.
All in all, being a candidate in Keighley and Ilkley was an interesting experience. I got to dip my toes in the waters of the political pool properly for the first time (I won't say swamp). I got to meet some good people out there who believe in what they are doing, who want to represent the electorate on matters they believe are being ignored. And I also came across some good campaigners, passionate about pushing worthy causes, like a ceasefire in Gaza, like those who continue to hold a peace vigil daily outside of Barclays Bank on North Street in Keighley. Should you happen to drive past them, between 2pm–3pm on a week day, I am sure they'd appreciate you honking your horn to acknowledge a show of support.
I don't know what I will do in the future, if I will ever stand again as a candidate for either the local council or as an MP. The jury is still out on that. If I do, let me say this: ignore tactical voting. I hate it, it stinks. My advice is to stick to your beliefs and in a political party that aligns with your values. It’s another reason why there needs to be political reform of the voting system, with proportional representation potentially restoring some faith in the system and putting an end to tactical voting.
To the constituents of Keighley and Ilkley, it has been a pleasure. And to Robbie, many congratulations, the best of luck and may you continue to serve locals well.