Green Leaders
And this from Unlock Democracy
Green Leaders
By Simon Maine
Politics without leaders? This has been the philosophical mantra behind the Green Party ever since its inception in 1973. The party is unique in British politics by adopting a policy of collective leadership with two principal speakers. But this may be set to change as Britain’s persistent niche party debates the possibility of joining the mainstream by adopting a single leader.
The issue is set to dominate the party’s conference in Liverpool next week and a binding poll amongst members in November offers the opportunity to elect someone to lead the call for a more environmentally sustainable way of life. The ‘Yes’ campaign has already begun; Caroline Lucas MEP explains in a press release:
“Other Parties are incapable of leading on critical issues, such as dangerous climate change: their commitment to the chimera of endless economic growth - and their having been captured by corporate interests - make it impossible for them to do so. The Green Party needs to be visibly seen and shown to be leading on this, the central issue of our time: but how can we do so, if we don’t even trust ourselves enough to have a Leader?”
She makes a good point. It’s admirable that the party doesn’t want to rush headlong into copying the centralized models of other parties but maybe it’s time that some real leadership was exercised on the ‘green issue’. The Green Party knows it can never become a party of government. Under the current electoral system they would be lucky to get even one MP. Its real raison d’être is as a pressure group and in the coming years it will become less likely that the political mainstream can ignore the calls from the Greens. No doubt there will be much philosophical hand wringing at the party conference but it would be best if the Greens wised up to face the world as it stands and not the world they would like to live in. Collective leadership is admirable but ineffective.
Green Leaders
By Simon Maine
Politics without leaders? This has been the philosophical mantra behind the Green Party ever since its inception in 1973. The party is unique in British politics by adopting a policy of collective leadership with two principal speakers. But this may be set to change as Britain’s persistent niche party debates the possibility of joining the mainstream by adopting a single leader.
The issue is set to dominate the party’s conference in Liverpool next week and a binding poll amongst members in November offers the opportunity to elect someone to lead the call for a more environmentally sustainable way of life. The ‘Yes’ campaign has already begun; Caroline Lucas MEP explains in a press release:
“Other Parties are incapable of leading on critical issues, such as dangerous climate change: their commitment to the chimera of endless economic growth - and their having been captured by corporate interests - make it impossible for them to do so. The Green Party needs to be visibly seen and shown to be leading on this, the central issue of our time: but how can we do so, if we don’t even trust ourselves enough to have a Leader?”
She makes a good point. It’s admirable that the party doesn’t want to rush headlong into copying the centralized models of other parties but maybe it’s time that some real leadership was exercised on the ‘green issue’. The Green Party knows it can never become a party of government. Under the current electoral system they would be lucky to get even one MP. Its real raison d’être is as a pressure group and in the coming years it will become less likely that the political mainstream can ignore the calls from the Greens. No doubt there will be much philosophical hand wringing at the party conference but it would be best if the Greens wised up to face the world as it stands and not the world they would like to live in. Collective leadership is admirable but ineffective.
posted by Jon at 5:39 PM
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