Earlier in August, with the Green
Party leadership context getting underway, I published an article about some of
the underlying issues LINK. These include the proposal for a
'progressive alliance' which forms part of the Lucas-Bartley platform.
Their election statement for co-leader proposes in their 'Comprehensive Plan to transform the Green Party':
Enforcing the democratic process in regards to The Progressive Alliance
Ashford Green Party believes that any formal national electoral alliance between the Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW) and any other political party should be arrived at through the conventional internal democratic process by which any other policy is agreed.
Ashford Green Party is calling on the leadership and all other members of the party to immediately cease from claiming that the GPEW supports a progressive alliance until a policy is passed by conference or an internal referendum which gives all members a voice on the matter.
Ashford Green Party is calling on the national GPEW to remain neutral on the issue of an electoral alliance in its use of resources and infrastructure, such as membership emails, website and social media accounts, unless and until a policy proposal is passed advocating that position. This is to ensure neither the supporters or those that oppose the policy proposal have an unfair advantage.
RESULTS – For 16, Against 3, Abstain 2
Opposing an electoral alliance with The Liberal Democrats
Ashford Green Party believes that the Liberal Democrat party has proven itself unfit for governance, having enthusiastically and unapologetically enabled the Conservative Party to deliver an austerity government which hurt the poorest and most vulnerable in Britain. This included the disgraceful cuts to the disabled which has seen thousands of people die. They are also guilty of destroying the trust of young people by going back on their promises over tuition fees.
Ashford Green Party believes this makes them a party whose values are incompatible with the Green Party of England and Wales and should not be considered for a national electoral alliance.
Ashford Green Party is calling on the Green Party of England and Wales not to enter a national electoral alliance with the Liberal Democrat party.
RESULTS – For 10, Against 8, Abstain 3
Opposing an electoral alliance with the Labour Party
Ashford Green Party believes that as long as the Labour Party is suffering a political identity crisis, it would be unwise to form an alliance with the Labour Party.
Ashford Green Party believes that Jeremy Corbyn is an ally to our cause. However, whilst the Labour Party is in its current state, with the majority of its MPs purposefully undermining Corbyn and pushing against our shared core values, Ashford Green Party also believes it would be unhelpful to form any alliance with the Labour Party.
Ashford Green Party does not accept the proposal of helping elect neoliberal Labour Party MPs who do not represent the sort of Labour Party that Jeremy Corbyn embodies, which a formal national alliance would result in.
Ashford Green Party is calling on the Green Party of England and Wales to not enter into a national electoral alliance with the Labour Party, until and unless there is a significant change to the ideals of the parliamentary Labour Party, which both unite the Labour Party and are more in accord with the Green Party’s values and policies.
RESULTS - For 11, Against 6, Abstain 4
Voting for Green Party leader, deputy leader/s and the executive closes at noon on Thursday.
Their election statement for co-leader proposes in their 'Comprehensive Plan to transform the Green Party':
CRACK OPEN THE POLITICAL SYSTEM by exploring a one-time alliance with other progressive parties at the next election in order to replace our failed electoral system with proportional representation.At a recent meeting Ashford Green Party discussed the progressive alliance and passed the following resolutions which will be of interest to Green Party members:
Enforcing the democratic process in regards to The Progressive Alliance
Ashford Green Party believes that any formal national electoral alliance between the Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW) and any other political party should be arrived at through the conventional internal democratic process by which any other policy is agreed.
Ashford Green Party is calling on the leadership and all other members of the party to immediately cease from claiming that the GPEW supports a progressive alliance until a policy is passed by conference or an internal referendum which gives all members a voice on the matter.
Ashford Green Party is calling on the national GPEW to remain neutral on the issue of an electoral alliance in its use of resources and infrastructure, such as membership emails, website and social media accounts, unless and until a policy proposal is passed advocating that position. This is to ensure neither the supporters or those that oppose the policy proposal have an unfair advantage.
RESULTS – For 16, Against 3, Abstain 2
Opposing an electoral alliance with The Liberal Democrats
Ashford Green Party believes that the Liberal Democrat party has proven itself unfit for governance, having enthusiastically and unapologetically enabled the Conservative Party to deliver an austerity government which hurt the poorest and most vulnerable in Britain. This included the disgraceful cuts to the disabled which has seen thousands of people die. They are also guilty of destroying the trust of young people by going back on their promises over tuition fees.
Ashford Green Party believes this makes them a party whose values are incompatible with the Green Party of England and Wales and should not be considered for a national electoral alliance.
Ashford Green Party is calling on the Green Party of England and Wales not to enter a national electoral alliance with the Liberal Democrat party.
RESULTS – For 10, Against 8, Abstain 3
Opposing an electoral alliance with the Labour Party
Ashford Green Party believes that as long as the Labour Party is suffering a political identity crisis, it would be unwise to form an alliance with the Labour Party.
Ashford Green Party believes that Jeremy Corbyn is an ally to our cause. However, whilst the Labour Party is in its current state, with the majority of its MPs purposefully undermining Corbyn and pushing against our shared core values, Ashford Green Party also believes it would be unhelpful to form any alliance with the Labour Party.
Ashford Green Party does not accept the proposal of helping elect neoliberal Labour Party MPs who do not represent the sort of Labour Party that Jeremy Corbyn embodies, which a formal national alliance would result in.
Ashford Green Party is calling on the Green Party of England and Wales to not enter into a national electoral alliance with the Labour Party, until and unless there is a significant change to the ideals of the parliamentary Labour Party, which both unite the Labour Party and are more in accord with the Green Party’s values and policies.
RESULTS - For 11, Against 6, Abstain 4
Voting for Green Party leader, deputy leader/s and the executive closes at noon on Thursday.
1 comment:
As I briefly viewed candidates' election statements regarding the Leader, Co-Leader and Deputy Leader and other Green Party EXecutive (GPEX) today as a voter, I noticed that some of the statements had Q&A sections with reference to 'SMART' targets.
The official definition of 'SMART' targets or objectives is 'Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-limited', whereas my take on the abuse of SMART is 'Spurious, Managerial, Arbitrary, Random & Terminal'.
And it struck me that 'SMART' targets in the conventional sense for the Green Party nationally can be inappropriate given the autonomy of each Green Party branch and region.
Alan Wheatley
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