Green Party warns voters not to be 'scared' into voting for Sadiq Khan to prevent Tory victory

The Green Party’s mayoral candidate has urged voters not to be scared into voting for Sadiq Khan to prevent a Conservative victory.

Zoë Garbett says Londoners should “vote for what they believe in”, rather than listening to Labour’s plea for Green and Liberal Democrat supporters to lend the party their vote in Thursday’s poll.

Mr Khan is fighting for his third term as mayor of London, and says the voter ID laws and the voting system will make this election the “closest capital contest yet”.

This year’s mayoral election will be the first time the election uses the first-past-the-post system, replacing the previous 'supplementary vote'.

Throughout his campaign Mr Khan has warned voters that the election is a “close two-horse race” between him and his Tory opponent Susan Hall.

Ms Garbett said it has been “disappointing” to see the two main parties play into these “old games”.

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Speaking to LondonWorld at Ridley Road Market on Tuesday, the Green mayoral candidate said: “It's just a real shame to see the Labour campaign try to scare people into voting for them rather than focusing on their vision, their values and his track record.

“It's a shame that it's come down to scaring people to vote for them. I just want people to know they can vote for what they believe in and vote for the Greens.”

The Hackney councillor expressed her disappointment at Mr Khan and Ms Hall’s failure to attend several mayoral hustings.

“I wanted to fight this on a platform of ideas and for voters to be able to vote for the candidates where they really know what they’re about,” she told LondonWorld.

“I think that’s the shame, that the other candidates haven’t been engaging in the hustings so they haven’t had those opportunities to be scrutinised and held to account.”

Zack Polanski, the Green deputy leader, said the only “wasted vote” is one you don’t believe in.

"The Conservatives clearly threw in the towel on this campaign a long time ago and are massively trailing in the polls,” Mr Polanski told LondonWorld.

“Labour have offered very little vision other than the fact they're not the Tories. Zoë and the Green Party have demonstrated our commitment to environmental ,social, racial and economic justice - and the only ‘wasted vote’ is one you don't believe in."

Ms Garbett has pledged cheaper travel and a better deal for renters in London if elected mayor of London.

She vowed to extend free peak travel to older people and free school meals to secondary school pupils.

The Green candidate has promised to reduce the use of stop and search on young people and to deprioritise the policing of drugs.

The London mayoral election is on Thursday May 2, along with elections to the London Assembly. Voters are reminded they need photo ID following the introduction of new legislation.