Please vote for me for Green Party leader for a second term
The Green Party has made significant advances in the past two years with a great effort from candidates, members and supporters, seeing massive growth in membership, excellent local election results and an extra MEP elected in the South West. There are elected Green reps in more regions and on more councils than ever before. All of this has been achieved in a difficult political environment.
These results have been delivered with a radical message about the need for real change. We’ve been brave and clear on issues ranging from opposing privatisation to supporting renewable energy, saying that the poor, young and disadvantaged should not be made to pay for the fraud and errors of the bankers, and that the dangerous, divisive race to the bottom on immigration rhetoric has to end..
Speaking at Balcombe
A growing party
As leader over those two years, I’ve seen how local parties are starting, growing, developing. Travelling from Carlisle to Penzance,
Gateshead to Cardiff and many points in between, I’ve been proud to be able to support this development, and to speak to many thousands at public meetings, student meetings, and to NGOs and campaigners, reaching millions through local, regional and national media.
We’ve forged a foundation – of membership, party structures and funding — that we can build on with increasing speed and certainty. With voters profoundly disillusioned with the three business-as-usual parties, the state of politics provides opportunities that we must be ready to seize.
At a rally in Durham
Changing politics
TThe public broadly understands that our economic model is broken, the soaring inequality cannot continue, that privatisation is a failed model built on slashing the pay and conditions of workers and the quality of services. Voters are starting also to see that we have to take urgent action on climate change. That’s an opportunity, and a
responsibility, for the Green Party.
We have to offer hope, positive options for the future, whether it be the living wage for workers as a right and warm, affordable-to-heat homes for all, or looking to more radical changes, among them a citizen’s income and wealth tax.
The 2015 election and beyond
Visiting Sheffield City of Sanctuary
Our first priority in the general election is of course Brighton Pavilion, and we need to build on the strong record in Norwich South and excellent local results in Bristol West. We can also use the enthusiasm, attention and energy that a Westminster poll draws to further develop as a truly national party.
The Advance Constituency Scheme offers the chance to run strong campaigns around the country, ensuring everyone can take part in a professionally run operation, learning first-hand from others’ experience and knowledge. That will equip us for much faster growth
and development, having an integrated strategy looking forward to the 2020 general election and London, council and European polls before that.
The future of politics does not look like the past. The Green Party must advance to a significant national role, not just consistently finishing elections ahead of the Lib Dems, but stepping up further to be a major political player at all levels across England and Wales.
Contact: natalie@nataliebennett.co.uk
Promoted and produced by Natalie Bennett as part of her campaign for election to the post of leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. This is not an official site of the Green Party of England and Wales.