Charity Garnett, co-founder of East Wight Primary:

The East Wight Primary exists because our first-past-the-post voting system means that unless we vote as a block, our votes won’t count. 

After 14 years of Tory misrule, which has seen poverty and unhappiness grow, and public services and privatised utilities’ performance decline, most of us are desperate to have an MP who will actually stand up for us.

Tactical voting is the only option for many of us to try and get represented. 

Rather than following distant algorithms based on poor data in the new seat of East Wight, we think better for local people, with knowledge of the candidates and the Island, to decide who we back.

See all our General Election stories here: www.countypress.co.uk/topics/politics2024/

We hosted a secure online vote for 876 registered local voters, and we are delighted to announce Vix Lowthion, Green Party candidate, as our ‘People’s Champion’ – our best tactical choice in East Wight.  

She won with 53 per cent of the vote, with Emily Brothers second on 24.2 per cent and Michael Lilley third on 22.8 per cent.  

With second preferences counted Vix won 66.7 per cent of the vote.

We know that nationally there will likely be a Labour Government, but if we don’t want another Conservative MP representing us in East Wight, we have to ‘be clever and vote together’.

We now have less than two weeks to turn the People’s Champion into our next MP.

As well as selecting the People’s Champion, the East Wight Primary has tried to treat everyone with respect and help unite local people around our many shared values.

We have also created hundreds of people prepared to be champions for tactical voting, in East and West Wight.

If you would like to help us, please email us at contact@eastwightprimary.org.  

More details about this ground-breaking, people powered local tactical voting project can be found at www.eastwightprimary.org

Standing in Isle of Wight East are Emily Brothers, Labour; David Groocock, Independent; Michael Lilley, Liberal Democrats; Vix Lowthion, Green Party; Sarah Morris, Reform UK; Joe Robertson, Conservatives.