Greenwash

After the May elections in Scotland, we read in the National, under the above headline:

THE Scottish Greens have hit out after a “front for fascists” party with a similar name and logo to theirs may have cost them two regional list seats.

Independent Green Voice, whose candidates included an alleged Holocaust denier and two former BNP activists, has been registered with the electoral commission since 2003. But in this election there are concerns their name and logo may have cost the pro-independence party regional seats in Glasgow and South Scotland.

https://www.thenational.scot/news/19290315.greens-say-confusion-fascist-front-may-cost-seats/

Today, the Electoral Commission responded:

Following the election some voters in Scotland raised concerns about the inclusion on the ballot paper of an emblem prominently using the word ‘green’ that was not for the Scottish Green Party. A small number expressed concern that they had been confused by another party using this word in its identifiers. 

There is a legal test related to the likelihood of a voter confusing the emblem for one party with another party. The law requires the Commission to refuse an emblem if in our opinion it is likely such confusion would result. The legal test rests on whether confusion is ‘likely’, which is a higher threshold than it being ‘possible’. We remain satisfied that the emblem was not likely to confuse as a result of the prominent inclusion of the word ‘green’, as otherwise it was significantly visually distinct from the emblem of any other party. 

The concerns raised about this emblem also questioned whether the emblem accurately reflected the party’s policies. This is not a legal criterion for approval of an emblem. 

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/elections-and-referendums/past-elections-and-referendums/scottish-parliamentary-elections/report-scottish-parliament-election-6-may-2021

‘Some voters?’ I feel sure there were many. The response is, as expected, complacent at best.

9 thoughts on “Greenwash”

  2. “Independent Green Voice” was a clear contravention of the rules over parties, it should never have been permitted to stand, particularly given Alistair McConnachie’s history.
    The retrospective justification of the “logo” being pivotal is perverse, they have previously refused parties whose names could be in the slightest confused let alone logos… Somebody slipped up or was slipped something, the EC are now arse covering mode.
    Presumably “Independent manky jaiket” was too similar to the “conservative and Unionist Party” or “Rangurs rools party” but the logos were different….
    PS – Bridge for sale

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    1. Yes but we only have semantic issues when its matters like the question to be asked at the next referendum. The issue here is going to be will it be “Yes/No” again, or “Remain/Leave” which considerable SiU polling consistently shows an advantage to them, ergo that should be the wording because “Yes/No” isnt fair. Of course “Remain/Leave” is. Or that is what they will tell Gove at the time.

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  3. A wedge now placed in the door for
    1.Neo Nazis
    2.Tactical voting by default
    Somebody within Electoral Commission
    Has been got at
    A mealy mouthed response,no doubt learned from ABC (BBC) responses to complaints

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  4. Surely the fact that some Greens voters actually mistakenly voted for the fascists posing as the Green party, should warrant a full investigation by the EC. When faced with a long list of parties on the ballot, and knowing there are queues waiting behind you to vote, it would be very possible to go to the name and logo which matched the one you are familiar with, and mark your X, also depending on where it was placed on the ballot.
    If I’d made that error due to imposters posing as a political party I’d be absolutely livid and I’d be demanding an investigation by the EC.
    This should never have been allowed to happen and must never be allowed to happen again. The Electoral commission are not fit for purpose it seems. The English
    government don’t even pretend to be functioning democratically, scary…

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    1. I’d be chary of concluding “The Electoral commission are not fit for purpose it seems” on the basis of isolated incidents, something stinks in this case for sure, but let’s not allow ourselves to be hoodwinked.

      The political tactic of convincing the public government should intervene to rectify a problem (they created in the first place) is age old, think about NHS privatisation and how the public meekly permitted it, they were convinced it “wasn’t fit for purpose”…
      Tory legislation currently in Parliament flying under the “photo-id to vote” headlines, seeks to bring the EC (legally independent) under direct political control, affecting all manner of things.

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      1. Fair enough Bob, I yes have to be careful there. They certainly play a very important role in overseeing elections/referendums in the UK.
        You have prompted me to look at their website and find out a bit more, funding, who they employ, who regulates them etc. 🙂

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    2. And regarding logos; didn’t the same electoral commission not refuse to put on the Alba logo because they said they’d submitted it too late?

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  5. The Greens got a small number of votes compared to the prominence. Promoted beyond their station and capabilities. D’Hond’t. A million votes got in the bin. To let 3rd rate losers in. The electorate does not understand it. Neither does anyone else.

    STV. 1st/2nd must be the preference. Not a cross. Misleading. Introduced by unionists, without a mandate, to give unfair advantage to their illegal Alliances. Other Parties get the highest number of elected candidates. The unionist collude to keep them out of power. Evans was responsible. Electoral Officer of responsibility when the changes were introduced. Now pensioned off discredited. A Westminster agent provocateur. The Civil Service is full of them sworn by oath to the Official Secrets Act

    There are reports another UK election is nigh. Another chance to get rid of unionists candidates. There have been 5 elections/refs in 13 years. Every two+ years. An public waste. Unlucky for some. Gerrymandering, breaking data protection rules and Laws, breaking Purdah, reneging on promises. Illegal electoral donations. Electoral commission corruption. Polling activities censured and fined many times. Making illicit profits and revenues. Irrelevant fines but no further action taken. No one is jailed. The UK parties involved and complicit.

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