Ceredigion Greens are predicting that rapidly mounting concerns about the threat of climate breakdown, underlined by the Welsh government’s declaration last week of a climate emergency, could trigger a surge in the Green vote in this month’s Euro elections.

It would put the Greens on course to win at least one of Wales’ four seats in the European Parliament, while making the country the latest in Europe to see an increase in the Green vote, following large gains in recent elections in Belgium, Bavaria and Luxembourg.

Chris Simpson, a retired Bronglais Hospital consultant who is the Ceredigion party’s prospective general election candidate, said a new Greenpeace poll showed two-thirds of people in the UK recognise there is a climate emergency, with 76 per cent saying they would vote differently to protect the planet.

In a message of support for Anthony Slaughter, the Wales Green Party’s lead candidate in the European elections on 23 May, Dr Simpson said the Green offer in this month’s poll was the opportunity to vote for “radical and far-reaching action” on climate change. 

“We’ve got a manifesto full of policies to develop a sustainable society, which would see Green MEPs work effectively within a strong group of European Greens in the next European Parliament, with climate change at the core of all our policies.

“It is vital to co-operate with our neighbours on this.

“There is no more important issue. There is no Planet B.

“A vote for us on 23 May will also be a vote for Europe.

“Greens have long campaigned for a final-say referendum on any Brexit deal, with the ballot paper including the option to remain in the EU.”

In European elections, Wales elects four MEPs using the d’Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.

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