GPEx Management Co-ordinator

Green Left's questions to candidates - Answers below

1. A Campaigning Party vs Elections?

Within a flawed electoral system, are we focusing on winning elections, one by one seat, above being a Campaigning Party within the mass movement needed to fight capitalism and transform society before the climate change emergency becomes irreversible? Are we paying lip service to the warning from the brave climate change activists especially the youth who recognise time is running out?

2. An accountable Party?

How can the Green Party be an effective campaigning political party, with transparent internal democracy and accountability, supporting local party campaigns with devolved resources? Do we need delegate conferences to ensure policy is properly discussed at local level before conference decides?

3. A party that understands working-class communities?

Many people (with some progress) still see the green movement and subsequently the GPEW as being well meaning but not relevant to the everyday struggles of working people and working-class communities. How can we challenge that idea?

4. Austerity and reversing public service cuts

After over 10 years of cruel Tory austerity which has trashed public services for millions, we must restore those essential services which we all rely on. Not only the NHS and social care but all the local government services like environmental health, trading standards, pollution control, libraries, public toilets, parks etc and the Green Party has not focused on this sufficiently for several years. Do you agree?

5. The Movement for Green Jobs and a Green Socialist future

What do you know of the Trade Union backed Campaign Against Climate Change, Lucas Plan, The Million Green Jobs campaign and the Greener Jobs Alliance of trade unions? How would you work with these campaigns and ensure all parts of the party are engaging with these groups? Do understand and support what Just Transition means?

6. Are you an eco-socialist?

What does eco-socialism mean to you? What links do you see between climate change and the need for social, economic and democratic change?

7. Support native and oppressed peoples

Greens need to expand our world solidarity by working to liberate millions of indigenous peoples in the Americas, Asia: Kurdistan, Middle East, Tibet, and many parts of Africa etc. Internationalism is still too weak in Green culture. How would you improve this in the GPEW?

8.Minority rights

Do you oppose the colonialist oppression of minorities such as Kashmiris, the Uighurs and Tibetans in China, and support the Palestinian-led global campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)? Palestine solidarity groups world-wide have opposed the so-called 'IHRA definition of antisemitism' as an attack on Palestinian rights. Do you support or oppose this definition?

9. Making campaigning for PR a Green Party priority

It’s clear the electoral system is holding back Green Party advance at local and parliamentary elections. How can we campaign to convince members of the Labour Party, Trade Unions and Labour MPs to support this left democratic change to bring elections in line with other parts of the UK? Do you see this as a major priority for the Green Party in the next period?

10. Oppose Nuclear Power

Green Left is supporting a motion to the forthcoming GPEW Conference that calls on the Green Party to demand the government abandons the Hinkley Point nuclear project and plans for the follow-up Sizewell C nuclear project, including the regulated asset-based model and any further development of the hazardous and expensive nuclear power programme. The Green Party should also calls for all existing nuclear power plants to be shut down. No power sourced from nuclear should be imported - only renewable. Will you support this motion?

 Richard Bearman's Answers

1. A Campaigning Party versus Elections

Campaigning is very important tool for engaging with the public/voters.  As a political party, getting people elected at all levels is our aim.  so both are essential.

2. An Accountable Party 

Accountability comes in many forms,  local Green councillors are accountable to Local party members. mechanism must be in place to  make this work in practice.  

3. A party that understands working class communities

Green voters come from all backgrounds, an ability to empathise and join with working class issues is vital.   

 4. Austerity and reversing public service cuts

My actions during 8 years  as a Green councillor was very much about fighting austerity cuts to services, and also helping those worst affected in my division, which was one of the most deprived in Norwich.  

 5. The Movement for Green Jobs and a Green Socialist future

This question is not really relevant to the role of GPEx - Management co-ordinator

 6. Are you an eco-socialist?

 I have been climate change campaigner & socialist activist since 1970's - Think global,  Act local

7. Support native and oppressed peoples

This questions not really relevant to the role of GPEx - Management co-ordinator

8.Minority rights

This questions not really relevant to the role of GPEx - Management co-ordinator

9. Making campaigning for PR a Green Party priority

PR is a Green Party priority

10. Oppose Nuclear Power 

 Yes I will support this motion opposing nuclear power.  As a Stop Sizewell campaigner this opposition is essential.

Matthew Browne and Florence Pollock

 

1.A Campaigning Party vs Elections?

The Green Party is an arm of the environmental movement – a coalition of people and organisations committed to working together to deliver climate and social justice.  To do our full part, we need to look at what we can do, that other parts of the movement cannot. Elections is one of those, especially at a local level. By fighting and winning council seats we can do others cannot - to put environmentalists in the rooms where decisions are made, decisions that will determine how green and equitable our futures are. This ability to grow the movement into the halls of power is the Green Party’s key contribution, and should be our focus. This should not preclude for supporting allies involved in wider campaigning, like the wonderful youth strikers, but we should recognise that elections is where we can do something unique for the cause we all share. 

2. An accountable Party?

Conference must remain the primary decision making body of the Green Party, which all Party bodies are ultimately responsible to. We think it is important that people elected to fulfil specific GPEx roles stick to those roles – important decisions like how conference should work should be taken by the membership, not by GPEx members. Our position on such essential questions would be to enable the membership to vote and decide the way forward. 

3. A party that understands working-class communities?

First, we have to listen to working class people and their experience of the Green Party. After listening comes action, to ensure we do better. We have some specific ideas for how Management Coordinator work could improve working class representation – including enabling working from home for all GPEW roles (opening up employment to members based outside of London), overhauling GPEW recruitment to make it clear that applications from working class people are encouraged and that professional experience and a university degree are not pre-requisites to any application. Similarly, we would like to ensure that trade union representatives are involved in all Green Party staffing and management decisions. By changing our own recruitment and working practices, something in the remit of the Management Coordinator, we can make a start towards making our entire party more representative – as well as becoming a beacon for worker and trade union rights.

4. Austerity and reversing public service cuts

We agree. As stated in an earlier answer, we see campaigning in local government elections as key focus for the Green Party. Such electoral campaigning will allow Greens to highlight and fight the local government austerity that continues to devastate communities whilst other parties look on. 

5. The Movement for Green Jobs and a Green Socialist future

We are both trade unionists, and aware of the campaigns you highlight and the need for a Just Transition – one that redistributes wealth through the process of restoring the natural world. We would work closely with the staff trade union, and the Trade Union Liaison Officer on GPEx, to ensure the Green Party amplifies these campaigns and their message.

6. Are you an eco-socialist?

We would both define ourselves as eco-socialist. For us, the term means recognising that lasting social justice is unachievable without climate justice, and that a culture of consumption that will always result in inequality. 

7. Support native and oppressed peoples

We both recognise and support the work of our International Committee, and would work closely with International Coordinators on GPEx to support deeper links between GPEW, global Green Parties, and the people they represent.

8.Minority rights

We oppose colonialist oppression of all sorts. As stated in an earlier answer, we think it is important that people elected to fulfil specific GPEx roles stick to those roles – important policy decisions like BDS and the IHRA definition should be taken by the membership at conference, not by GPEx members. Our position on such essential questions would be to enable the membership to vote and decide the way forward.

Note – Matt Browne would like to declare, in the interests of full transparency, that he is personally in favour of the IHRA definition. If voting as an individual member at Conference he would vote for it, and would be happy to talk though the reasons for this with any member.

9. Making campaigning for PR a Green Party priority

PR is an important part of the Green Party policy platform, which we fully support. However, as stated in reply to an earlier answer, we think it is important to recognise that different parts of the environmental movement all have special roles to play. There are large campaigning organisations dedicated to pressing for PR, and whilst we should support them fully, we should not seek to duplicate their efforts. We are a political party, not a pressure group – to try and imitate the latter would be an abdication of our responsibility to the wider environmental movement to win elections and put environmental voices in the rooms where decisions are made. 

10. Oppose Nuclear Power

We are opposed to nuclear energy, as it is a costly and inefficient alternative that distracts policy makers from true potential of renewable energy.  Policy matters like this are for members to decide on at Conference, but as individual members we would vote for the Green Left supported motion against nuclear power.