SECA newsletter #10 - November 2019 - Election Special!

So it's official - there will be an election on 12 December. This is our moment to push climate action to the top of the political agenda, and make it a #climateelection.  No doubt you've already been thinking of what you can do to help to achieve this.  In this 'Election Special' newsletter we've brought together some suggestions for we can all do to make a difference locally.  If we all get going on this, we could really have an impact, as SECA member groups are active in the majority of constituencies in the South East.


Election ideas
Organise a hustings meeting
There is no better way to put election candidates on the spot than by inviting them to a hustings meeting and challenging them directly to set out their personal views on the climate crisis, and explain their party position.  You could make it a 'climate hustings' and focus just on these issues.  Or you may prefer to cover a broader range of topics, but make sure climate questions are prominent in the mix. 

Hustings meetings can take various forms, from a low-key public meeting in a village hall to a more ambitious staged event.  Here's some advice on how to organise a hustings from Greening Steyning, which has run successful events for the last three elections, using a BBC 'Question Time' format.  Friends of the Earth have put out some very useful guidance too, as have Hope for the Future.

If organising a meeting yourself is difficult, maybe you could go along to a hustings meeting run by another group and put your questions to the candidates there. One way or another, the more candidates are challenged on the climate the more they'll realise this is an issue they cannot ignore.  



Write to candidates
This is another great tactic for getting the climate message over.  A coordinated letter writing campaign across the South East worked well in the local elections.  We could repeat that for the general election.  With that in mind, we've drafted the outline of a letter to send to candidates, which can be adapted as you see fit.  You may wish to alter this so it comes from your local green group, rather than an individual.  Or you could adapt it and circulate it to fellow members of your local group, so candidates get multiple copies.  It's your call.

A few pointers on letter writing: 

1. Personalised letters are more impactful than standard form letters, so make a point of amending the text to add your perspective and maybe mention local climate issues.
2. Candidates are going to be much more responsive to letters from their own constituents, so make sure you make this clear. 
3. You can find candidates contact details by typing your postcode into the Electoral Commission website. The final list isn't published until two weeks before the date, but you might be able to find them in advance through party websites.
4. Letters sent by post have more impact than emails.  A letter sent c/o the party office should get there if postal addresses are not being published.

Various organisations have already got going with campaigns to get candidates to pledge action on the NHS and other issues.  Friends of the Earth have created a climate pledge card with the message "I'll make the climate crisis a deal-breaker in how I vote in Parliament".  So we know ours won't be the only pledge cards in town. 

But we figured there's nothing to lose in asking candidates to sign a SECA pledge card that states that "I will support action on the climate emergency".  We've asked them to sign this in the letter to candidates, and you can encourage candidates to do so when you meet them at hustings meetings or out on the campaign trail.  Print out the card.  Get them to sign it.  Take a photograph of them holding it up.  Then publicise it widely on social media using the hashtags shown on the card. 

Again, it would be great if you can email pledge photos back to SECA and we can create a Facebook compilation, as we did in the local elections in May.

December's monthly action:  Vote for Climate Action!
We're suggesting one idea each month for a combined action that SECA members can get behind, and forward on to their own friends, families and networks.  November's action was to link up with the Woodland Trust campaign to plant a tree.

Given the importance of the upcoming election, we figured we should make this the focus of December's action. The suggestions in this email are captured in a blog on the website, so if it's easier you can forward this link to your contacts to encourage them to get behind it.

Nicola Peel is coordinating the monthly actions will be contacting SECA member groups  to look for suggestions for subsequent actions. The plan is to come up with a programme for several months ahead so member groups that are interested in taking part can gear up to get involved. If you have ideas, you can email Nicola at SECA.networking@gmail.com.

Divestment campaign
Divest East Sussex are pressing ahead with their campaign and will be contacting all of the Parliamentary candidates for East Sussex to request their views on fossil fuel divestment and subsidies to the fossil fuel industry.  Their next events are in Hastings on Thurs 7th Nov, and Eastbourne on Tues 12th Nov.  Full details and info on how to join their mailing list are on their website. 

Dates for your diary

Sat 16th Nov - Climate Emergency: from Declarations to Action - conference for local climate action groups organised by the Low Carbon Communities Network at UCL, in London.  Sign up here.

Sat 16th Nov - Influencing the South East Transport Strategy - event organised by the Transport Action Network. A chance to help influence the Transport Strategy document for the South East. Sign up here.

Weds 20th Nov - Your Climate Your Choices: Responding to the climate and ecological crisis - talk starts at 7pm at King Edwards Hall, High Street, Lindfield, hosted by Fairer World Lindfield.  Details here.

If you've got events you'd like to flag up in future newsletters, email us and let us know.   And don't forget to post them on the SECA Facebook group.

Sally Barnard
Coordinator, The South East Climate Alliance
southeastclimatealliance@gmail.com