1. What impact do you think the Green Party’s eco-socialist policies have had on the party’s growth and how can that be sustained?
I have always considered myself broadly on the left of the political spectrum and I am very pleased with the general direction the Party has taken since the dubious early days of 'People'. In my experience there have been lengthy periods when the Green Party has been very clearly positioned to the left of Labour and this has benefited us in terms of both membership numbers and profile. Very often we lead on social and economic policy (as well as environment policy) and others (e.g. Labour) follow. Long may this continue (and I will certainly look to continue this direction if elected).
2. The recent Tory by-election defeats suggest the electorate is making their own decisions on strategic voting. How can the Green Party intervene to turn that to its advantage?
The electorate do indeed make decisions on tactical voting in first-past-the-post elections. For that reason I see no imperative for us to stand down in parliamentary seats, even marginal ones. Indeed our standing in those seats moves the 'Overton window' to the left and puts more pressure on other non-Tory Parties to adopt more progressive policies, and also hopefully commitment to a fair voting system in the future.
3. What would be your priorities for campaigns outside election periods that would raise our profile in communities, engage our members and attract new ones? How could that be financed?
'Outside election periods'? Election periods are all year round for us, especially in boroughs with annual elections. Having said that we do desperately need to build capacity. I see promotion of our elected councillors and their achievements as a key lever to motivate new and existing members as well as raise our profile. Regarding fundraising, I think we need to be doing more to attract outside money (with suitable ethical safeguards of course). Trade Unions could be one such source if we convince them that we can exert real power.
4. How can the Party improve the way it communicates its policies to the BAME and white working class?
From experience in the North I think we are making some headway in working class areas via our local election campaigns; to win seats in those areas we have to talk to people in language they understand and address the problems they face; we are getting more councillors with a working class background as a result but still have a lot to improve on. Regarding BAME communities we are still very bad at engaging; beyond making more specific effort to listen to their needs, I think increasing our power and influence generally will help. At present these communities tend not to see us as a major player, unlike Labour, The more councillors and influence we have the more confidence they are likely to have that we can achieve change which benefits them.
5. Should the Green Party review its policy on NATO in the light of the current conflict in Ukraine and what would be your approach?
I've supported the Green Party opposition to NATO since I joined way back in the '80s. The world has changed in many ways since the end of the cold war though. I think the West made a big mistake in the 90s with its 'triumphalism' and its pushing gangster capitalism in Russia instead of fostering democracy. However, right now would be completely the wrong time to withdraw from NATO, it would play into Putin's fascist aggression. We should fully support the people of Ukraine in the defence of their freedom, including supply of appropriate weapons.
6. The 24 hours news cycle means that contributions from our spokespeople have to be rapid if they are to be given media space. How can we manage that whilst maintaining democratic accountability?
I appreciate this is a problem for the party in general and our leadership in particular. We have to trust them to respond sensibly, but require regular monitoring and reporting back (e.g. quarterly) to check that what they say is in line with Party policy. There also needs to be a mechanism by which party members can see the extent to which they did (or didn't) abide by party policy should they seek future election/ re-election.
7. Given that some Government policies such as privatisation and reducing rights are a thread crossing different sectors how can spokespeople cooperate on our overall messaging to ensure this is addressed?
One for our spokespeople to answer!
8. How would you raise the international relevance and profile of the GPEW?
I don't think we make enough of our international links; there is no reason why they should diminish with our exit from the EU and hence from the European Parliament. More favourable election systems in other countries mean fellow Greens can exert more influence there – there are things we can learn from them as a result. I think this is fundamentally a question for the International Coordinator and Committee, it's certainly something I would encourage.
9. The Green Party has recently encountered difficulties in maintaining a respectful and comradely debate on issues where there has been sharp disagreement. What would be your approach to improving the atmosphere in which these debates take place?
Respectful debate requires members behaving in a respectful manner, and also no tolerance of discriminatory language and behaviour. Social media tends towards toxicity by its very nature but it doesn't help when there are members who don't respect the rights of some minorities, e.g. trans people.
10. How can we ensure a level playing field in internal elections when some candidates have the advantage of access to a national platform and networks?
This is a very good question! Candidates with high name recognition will always have an advantage. Ideally the Party should provide more opportunities for candidates to do this fairly and equally; hustings are very poorly attended in terms of overall membership, and there is no mechanism for candidates to challenge each other. No-one wants contests like the current Tory Leaderhip(!) but the fear of negative campaigning means too much hangs on candidate statements which are unscrutinised.
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