So in the words of Dolly Parton – Here I come again!

No sooner had we got past the District Council elections than we were thrown into a General Election that I and most other pundits had assumed would be held in October or even November.

Theories as to why we’ve been dragged into the whole merry-go-round again at this premature juncture range from speculation about the likely state of the economy and the reduction in inflation, which no political party can realistically take credit for (although the Tories are trying), to the idea that Rishi and his Tory mates needed to get their CVs in for some cushy consultancy gigs before the end of the year.

The other likely reason of course is that there was a chance that a vote of no confidence could be called in Mr Sunak and he wanted to leave the political sphere (as he is likely to do) on the high of being the actual PM, if only in terms of his name badge.

Whatever the reason, here we are having been given only a short 6 weeks to make our case to the electorate, which for parties like the Greens, without the financial and operational reserves of some of the other parties is something of a tall order. But we’re used to tall orders. In the face of what seems like a deliberate policy of starving us of media attention in favour of far more ratings grabbing pint-swilling politico-celebs like Nigel Farage, we’re still garnering support from credible commentators and respected political analysts for both our economic and social justice proposals.

Former Citibank financial trader Gary Stevenson and host of the You Tube Channel Gary’s Economics has analysed the Green Party manifesto and classified it as the most credible and honest in real terms. In a recent video he confirmed that he would be voting Green because we are the only party to be offering a radical and workable alternative to the proposals from every other party.

Trade Unionist and former General Secretary of the Labour Party Jennie Formby has also announced on Twitter that she would be voting Green in this election along with numerous other high profile political and cultural leaders such as George Monbiot. It’s also reported that more and more young people are turning to the Greens as a real alternative to the ping-pong politics of the past 50 years.

As a moderate Green myself I’ve always seen the Greens as a true alternative vote, neither left or right. The Green Party officially rejects the traditional left–right political spectrum, describing it as “something of an anachronism” and that perfectly fits with my view on the world.

I’m standing as the Parliamentary Candidate for Bicester and Woodstock mainly because it’s my home constituency and the place I’ve made my home for 32 years. But above all that, it’s a place I’ve seen change drastically in that time with even more drastic changes in the pipeline. From the massive development plans in and around Kidlington, Yarnton, Begbroke and Bicester with large areas of greenbelt being decimated by ill-conceived local plans to proposals to armour plate 3500 acres of green fields and farmland for hugely unpopular solar farm project in the west. I’m concerned about what these things will do to the place I’ve called home for nearly half my life.

There’s obviously going to be a lot more to say on this election in the remaining 2 weeks, much of which I’ve not said so far due to dealing with my new responsibilities on Cherwell District Council after being appointed to the executive on the same night that the General Election was announced (great timing Rishi!). But I’ll be breaking my silence over the next 2 weeks.

In the meantime, doors are being knocked, leaflets are being delivered and pollsters are polling. There’s been a huge amount of speculation about who can win in this constituency and I’m not going to add to that with my own obviously biased opinions. But with a newly drawn boundary, every voter has the historic opportunity to vote in a brand new Westminster constituency for the first time where we could all buck the trends and help me and the Greens to show that any prediction in an unknown and untested area could be drastically inaccurate.

Can I win? Who knows? Am I serious about my candidacy? Absolutely! But then as anyone who knows me and knows my work as a local councillor and activist would tell you, I never do things by half measures. We all know that the Tories are finished, at least for the immediate future. We don’t need to vote tactically on a local basis in this election because after 14 years of chaos the country has finally woken up and are about to consign the current administration to the political skip.

That gives every voter in this area new opportunities and new possibilities. You can vote with your heart and for what you believe in. If that’s a better future for you and your family, a fully funded NHS and social care system, public utilities returned to responsible public control (particular water and energy), a better standard of living for all, raising millions out of poverty and protecting climate and nature, voting Green really is the only alternative. Even if I don’t win the seat, a vote for me that would contribute to a large swing to the Greens nationally will strengthen our hand in influencing national politics for the better. It will also put money into the party coffers through Short Money to help us continue the fight for a better, fairer, greener world for you and you family and their families to come.

I’ll do my best over the next couple of weeks to make my case for your precious vote in this election and I hope you will seriously consider giving me that vote on July 4th. You should shortly be receiving leaflets from me explaining my priorities. You can also browse this website which is being updated with local issues that I think will be important in the upcoming election. I will also be adding new topics in the next few days. If you want hear me speak in the meantime, I was interviewed by Byline Times recently and was able to cover many topics that I think will be important to voters in this election. You can see that here.

There are also a number of hustings that you can attend to ask questions of me and the other candidates. These are :

7.30pm – 24th June – Kidlington Methodist Church (forum on poverty)
7.30pm – 25th June – St. Mary Magdelene Church, Park St, Woodstock
7pm – 26th June – St Edburg Church Bicester
6.30pm – 1st July – CPRE Country side and Environment hustings at Yarnton Village Hall

I look forward to seeing as many people at those events as possible. If anyone would like to extend other invitations I am more than happy to come along. If any other events come up I will post them here and on my social media channels.

Remember – this is the election where YOU get to vote FOR what YOU believe in, rather than AGAINST what you don’t.

If you’d like to get involved in my campaign please drop me a line at ian.middleton@greenoxford.com

You could also contribute to my joint fundraiser to help me and my 2 fellow North and West Oxfordshire candidates reach more voters in this campaign. Click here to go to our Crowdfunder page

If you’d like a poster for your window or a signboard for your garden click here to let us know and we’ll do the rest