Kingston’s Green Party candidate has criticized all the main parties for trying to jump on a green bandwagon in the run-up to the election.

Chris Walker claims the main parties have endorsed many of his party’s policies and dressed them up as their own. However, he remained skeptical as to their dedication to implementing these policies and to fully addressing environmental concerns.

Mr Walker made clear that it was the Green Party’s aim to push the other parties to take on their policies.  He said: “We are the only party to say, if you get elected with our policies, good on you.  However if the main parties and the Government were really that green, then you wouldn’t need a Green Party.”

Conservative candidate for Richmond Park, Zac Goldsmith declared that his party was the strongest on environmental issues, by saying: “Our manifesto will be the greenest manifesto of any serious political party in the developed world, ever.”

Mr Goldsmith added that he thought the Green Party should be more of a “glorified lobby group” than a political party.  He said “I think the problem with the green party is that they behave as if they might form a government and we all know they won't.” 

However, Mr Walker responded to this by saying he did not think there was anything of any substance in the Conservatives’ environmental campaign.  He said: “With the Torys it’s just a green-wash.  A lot of the Tory’s policies they knicked from us five years ago, which is fine.  But as soon as they get in they will be back to their old ways.”

Meanwhile, Liberal-Democrat MP for Kingston, Ed Davey, maintained that green issues are fundamental to his party’s agenda.  He said: “Every effort to increase recycling has been proposed by the Liberal Democrats - we have proved that we do not just talk about it, we act upon it.”

With the general election looming, climate change and environmental policies will be at the forefront of party manifestos, but whether they will be fully and successfully implemented remains to be seen.