As soon as it was announced, we asked you to give nature a voice in this general election.
If you are thinking you would like to do that, then know you are not alone. Far from it! A poll[i] commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts and published on 6th June revealed a majority of the public think the main parties are doing poorly on river pollution (78%), nature loss (71%), climate change (69%), ensuring communities can benefit from nature (65%), and supporting sustainable food production (63%).
This poll also showed environmental issues are a key concern for voters - 79% of people think nature is important for our wellbeing and economic prosperity, 59% that environmental issues are at least as important as other issues facing the country, and 39% intend to vote based on the environmental policies offered by candidates.
Many of you have come back asking what it is you should say. That is completely up to you of course, but over the past two weeks, we have brought together some resources to help you find your own words for wildlife.
On our website you will find the most comprehensive information we have ever assembled for any election. In one place, you can find links telling you who is standing in your constituency, how to contact your MP and look at their voting record on various issues including, of course, the environment. Want to see how your MP voted on fracking for shale gas, culling badgers and on measures to limit sewerage pollution in rivers? The information you’re after is just a couple of clicks away.
Would you like to know more about the environment where you live and vote? From the beginning of next week we will have created a series of constituency narratives with all the information you need.
Would you like to talk to all the candidates standing in your constituency? We have created a function for you to write to every candidate with a single email letting them know how and why wildlife matters to you and what you expect them to do for nature where you live. Please let us know what they say!
We have less than three weeks to cut through into the national conversation. I hope you will find these resources useful in adding nature’s voice to the debate.
In the meantime, now that all candidates have declared, we will reach out to them and ask them to meet and discuss The Wildlife Trusts’ national priorities. The surprise announcement of the election means that time is short, so we intend to concentrate on constituencies where we know a new MP will be elected. Look out for our reports back from those meetings.
After the election we will hold public events, bringing newly elected MPs together so that they can explain, in detail, how they will deliver on the promises made before 4th July. You’ll be invited to those, and we will release details soon after the vote.
[1] The poll was conducted by Savanta and commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts: 2,221 UK adults were interviewed between 31st May and 2nd June 2024.