TV debates publicity boosts Green Party membership in Shropshire

They said the party has benefited from the publicity surrounding its role in the national television debates.

Across Shropshire there are now 333 members with 132 in the south of the county and 201 in Shrewsbury and north Shropshire. There are 2,591 members across the West Midlands.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will not take part in the leaders' head-to-heads unless the Greens are invited.

Labour leader Ed Miliband, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and Ukip's Nigel Farage wrote to the Prime Minister calling for him to take part in a televised debate ahead of the General Election in May.

They accused Mr Cameron of running scared, but the Prime Minister said it would be wrong to include Mr Farage if the Greens' Natalie Bennett was not invited to take part.

Today the Green Party said it had noticed a big rise in interest in the party across Shropshire. Party spokesman John Whitelegg, from Church Stretton, said he had noticed a big increase in membership in recent weeks.

The Shrewsbury and Atcham MP said he supported the Prime Minister's stance, but said he thought the matter would be resolved.

"I hope broadcasters think again, I'm sure they will," he said.

"If the public wish is for the debates to go-ahead, then they should, and ultimately I think the public pressure will be so great that broadcasters will allow the Greens to take part. The Green Party is currently on around eight per cent in the polls and has a MP. It would be wrong to allow some minor parties to take part in the debate, but not the Greens."

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg says broadcasters should come up with "other proposals" for the TV election debates.

The suggested schedule is for debates on 2 April, 16 April and 30 April, ahead of the UK-wide poll on 7 May.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has said it was a "pathetic excuse" to avoid the debates, but Mr Cameron said Mr Miliband was "chickening" out of debating the Greens.

Mr Clegg said Labour and the Conservatives were using the Greens as an "alibi" to block the debates.

"They want to put the genie back in the bottle. They want to run things as they've done before. I think it's too late," he said.

The party has one MP, Caroline Lucas, who won her seat in Brighton. It claims it has more members nationally than the UK Independence Party and is expecting a big rise in its fortunes come the national poll on May 7.

Mr Whitelegg said the party had certainly benefited from the publicity surrounding the row.

"I don't know whether David Cameron really is a friend of the Greens, but it has certainly helped membership," he says. "On Wednesday this week alone, we had 2,000 new members join the party nationally.

"The Scottish referendum also helped. We have separate Green parties for England, Scotland and Wales, and the Scottish Green Party was very active in the 'yes' campaign for independence." Mr Whitelegg said the party had been very closely involved in local activities, including issues surrounding the new supermarket in Ludlow and solar farms.

But he admitted the increase in membership would not necessarily translate into votes at the election.

"We had this at the last election," he said. "People said they liked what the Green Party were doing, but that does not mean they will always vote for you."

Figures released by the party nationally said it had 43,829 members, compared with Ukip's 41,966.

According to numbers given out by the parties, the Conservatives have 224,000 paying members – up 30 per cent in a year. Standard membership is £25 a year or £5 for under-23s.

Labour hav 189,531 members at the end of 2013. It costs £12 a year for those under 26, with standard membership costing £46.50. Its figure does not include registered supporters, affiliated members or "small donors".

The Lib Dems had a membership of about 44,680 in their latest figures – last April – putting them just ahead of the Greens. The proposed format for the pre-election live TV debates put forward by the broadcasters include the Conservatives, Labour, the Lib Dems and Ukip.