Tom Scott - Campaigns Co-ordinator

 

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 think these have made the party attractive to many voters (old, and perhaps even more importantly, young) who are disillusioned with the reversion of the Labour Party to a Blairite model. I believe strongly in the redistribution of wealth (including a wealth tax) and in the public ownership of key utilities and services that provide public goods, and believe that these are also popular with very large numbers of voters. The importance of these Green Party policies has been highlighted by the current "cost of living crisis" (which is really a crisis of extreme poverty and inequality) and by the increasingly obvious fact that capitalism's model of perpetual growth is not compatible with the survival of the world's ecosystem and everything that depends on it.

2. The recent Tory by-election defeats suggest the electorate are making their own decisions on strategic voting. How can the Green Party intervene to turn that to its advantage?

I believe the best way to encourage people to vote Green is to highlight the distinctiveness of our policies, especially in the current political context, in which the three main parties are all offering variations on a neo-liberal economic model, all of which can only drive social injustice and environmental destruction. There may sometimes be opportunities for collaboration with other parties at local level (e.g. not targeting seats where a like-minded candidate of another party has the best chance of winning). But the prospects of a meaningful progressive alliance nationally look remote at present.

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?

Campaigns Committee (with which I have been working as coopted Campaigns Coordinator), has identified the "cost of living crisis" as being by far the most urgent issue facing most voters and the one that is likely to dominate the political agenda for some time to come. I hope to see non-electoral campaigns reflect this and highlight ways in which Green Party policy can offer concrete help to people facing unpayable bills and potential loss of their homes. These would include campaigns on housing (e.g. to stop and actively resist Clause 21 evictions, for home insulation to save money on fuel bills), on public transport costs (I would love to see a campaign for an emergency policy of ultra-cheap public transport as successfully introduced under Germany's current government), and for genuinely redistributive taxation, including carbon tax and a wealth tax. I have also been centrally involved in developing campaigning around Jenny Jones' Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill, which is attracting significant cross-party support and would greatly improve health and quality of life in many urban communities. As for finance: Campaigns Committee has no budget of its own - something I would like to see changed, but in the meantime we rely on collaboration and support from various groups within the party, and from the staff team, to make sure that campaigns we develop are rolled out to local parties and members. Campaigns do not have to cost very much to develop, and if they are attractive to local parties then local..[curtailed as word count exceeded]

4. How can the Party improve the way it communicates its policies to the BAME and white working class?

Highlight the ways in which these policies can make immediate and concrete improvements to their situation. For instance, air pollution is very much a class/race issue, as it tends to affect working class and BAME communities disproportionately. We also need to make much more of an active effort to support people from these groups so that they come to occupy more senior positions in our party. Otherwise we will continue to be viewed as a mainly white, middle-class party. And I believe that the Green Party should be doing everything possible to work with Trade Unions, quite a few of which are increasingly disillusioned with the Labour Party.

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?

NATO's own founding treaty envisions a situation in which European security structures would need to be fundamentally revised, giving a greater role to regional/UN peacekeeping. This is something I would like to see when the situation allows, and I think that the Green Party has failed to explain it clearly. I am fundamentally opposed to nuclear weapons, and whether or not we remain in NATO in the longer term I believe we should reject these as part of UK defence policy. However, I do not think that now is the best time to be urging withdrawal from NATO as a near-term Green Party aim.

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?

Make sure that we select spokespeople who are well versed in Green Party policy, have strong communication skills, and who are regularly discussing policy positions that may need to be developed or nuanced in response to rapidly moving events, with the party leadership, the relevant working groups and with each other so that everyone speaking publicly is on the same page.

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?

A good question. One way that might work is having regular meetings of all of our spokespeople, so that they can share ideas and contribute to joined-up positions. This might be something that the External Communications Coordinator could facilitate, and I think Green Party comms staff should also be involved.

8. How would you raise the international relevance and profile of the GPEW?
I think its's extremely helpful to be meeting with other Green Parties internationally, to share ideas and approaches. This does happen, through (for example) Global Greens and the COP 26/27 steering group. But I think GPEW should be doing more of this and more to highlight the achievements of Greens in government in other countries, e.g in Scotland and Germany.

9. The Green Party has recently encountered difficulties in maintaining a respectful and comradely debate on issues where there as been sharp disagreement. What would be your approach to improving the atmosphere in which these debates take place?

I strongly believe that we should be able to have serious and respectful debate on all issues, without resorting to vitriolic personal abuse. The party leadership, committee chairs and so on need to take a strong line in not allowing any such abusive behaviour and enforcing our code of conduct. But I also believe that it is important for anyone representing the party not to be advancing positions that are clearly contrary to democratically decided party policy.

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?

I am not sure that I have an answer to that. Some candidates will inevitably enjoy a higher profile than others, both within and outside the party. I think the important thing is to make sure that all candidates have an equal say in hustings and that these hustings are better promoted to party members.