5 out of 6 potential Green voters want a leader

As ballot papers arrive this week for the Green Party's referendum on whether to replace our "Principal Speakers" with a Leader and Deputy Leader, a new poll has shown that 5 out of 6 potential Green voters would prefer the Party to elect a leader.

The YouGov poll shows 84% of those who expressed a view think the Party should replace its "Principal Speakers" with a Leader.

There is very little variation by gender, age or region - the lowest levels of support for a leader are in the North East region and the 18-24 age group (81% in favour) and the highest in East Anglia (92% in favour).

Given this overwhelming message from the people we hope to be elected to represent, I hope that Party members will join me, Darren Johnson, Caroline Lucas, Sian Berry and 75% of our elected councillors in voting YES when their ballot papers arrive.

The Central Issue of Our Time

From The Guardian's "Backbencher" column

Hang on a minute, say Green activists. What about our party conference? It's a fair point. The Greens are meeting in Liverpool between tomorrow and Sunday when a series of fringe debates will culminate in a major debate on the conference floor on the issue of the moment: leadership, the very topic the Ming-ites are keen to avoid.

The Greens too have traditionally avoided hierarchy and leaderism which they dislike. But they pay a price for having collective leadership and titles like "principle speaker": diminished political impact in an era which elevates leaders who come in handy on TV. Theirs is a hard conference to report on. Colleagues of the Backbencher's have tried.

Today Sir Jonathan Porritt, chairman of the government's big-tented sustainability commission, weighed in to join those backing the need for a leader, who include Darren Johnson, a London assembly member, and Dr Caroline Lucas MEP, who grandly calls it "the central issue of our time".

"If ever there was a time when the Green party needed a formally elected leader, it has to be now. The Green party's analysis and policy proposals are more relevant today than ever before, but with all the major parties seeking their share of the 'green mantle', the party urgently needs a clear, passionate and persuasive leader out there, doing the job in a way that both the public and the media can relate to much more easily than is the case today," he explains to slow learners.

Even Greens need leaders - Mark Lynas

Ex-Green Party member and Six Degrees author, Mark Lynas, makes a good case for radical Green leadership in this week's New Statesman. It's good to see the debate getting outside the activist forums and into places that the average member (or potential member) might see it.