News from Brighton - Brighton Rocks!

Written by Geoff Collard Sunday, 09 May 2010

It was a fantastic night in Brighton on Thursday when Caroline Lucas won the Green Party's first ever seat in parliament as the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion!

I was there, having arrived in Brighton from Bristol mid-afternoon on Thursday's election day. I helped in the last few hours of their campaign. After the polls closed, Green activists met in a local restaurant which had a large TV screen and had agreed to stay open at least until the Brighton declaration in order to chat, drink and laugh - awaiting the result.

The result was expected about 4am, but when that passed with no news, Greens in the restaurant started becoming edgy and subdued, watching and listening to the election results more and more intently, because as time went on we assumed that it must be very close and that therefore Caroline maybe had not won.

At about 5am, the restaurant owner said he was sorry but that he couldn't stay open indefinitely, and that we would have to leave at 6am.  But at 5.47am, the TV suddenly flashed to the Brighton declaration. Caroline was on the platform with the other candidates, but we couldn't read her face. So we waited intently for the announcement.

Caroline was being challenged by Labour and the Tories (the Lib Dems were never really in the game), but results are read out alphabetically by surname, and as Labour's candidate was Nancy Platts and the Tory was Charlotte Vere, Caroline Lucas' result came first. We heard: "Caroline Lucas, Green Party, 16 thousand..." and everyone shouted, then "Shhh!!" as we waited on Labour's result: "Nancy Platts, Labour Party, 14 thousand......" we went wild, but suddenly I and others were shouting "SHHHH!" again as we knew it was only after the Tory result that we would know if Caroline had won - someone from the counting hall had said earlier that it was 'split three ways'. So we waited with bated breath; finally it came: "Charlotte Vere, Conservative, 12 thousand........." - and the whole place erupted, with people shouting, laughing, crying and jumping up and down with whoops of delight!   

In the event, it wasn't that close, because Caroline had a majority of more than 1,200 over Labour.  After, we had to leave the restaurant, and about a hundred or so of us Green activists made our way along the sea front to the Brighton Centre where the count took place, to wait outside for Caroline. Finally out came the Labour Party delegation and we all chanted "Caroline, Caroline!" as they sheepishly slunk away! And at last out came Caroline, all smiles, and made a brief thank you speech to loud cheers, before we all trooped off to a local cafe for a breakfast fry up!

What an experience, and I'm glad I was there! Very well done Caroline, and all the team who helped. And with Britain's first ever Westminster Green MP we now have a real chance to get ourselves noticed....... so let's go for it!