Caroline Lucas visited Liverpool recently to support our fantastic councillors Tom Crone and Lawrence Brown in their bid for re-election in this months local elections. It was a real boost to the campaign teams.
Caroline had some inspiring words for those who stand for a small party like the Green Party and for those like Lawrence Brown and Tom Crone who have secured seats on the Council but are vastly outnumbered by the ruling party. In Liverpool, Labour hold a massive majority with 79 seats while the Greens hold four.
Caroline said: “never underestimate how much difference you make. Yes, the motions you put forward will almost always be voted down by the ruling party, but what you can do is give a voice to the people who would not usually be heard. The voices that the ruling party don’t want to hear because they don’t fit with their programme”.
Lawrence Brown said: “Caroline started her career in politics as the only Green on Oxford County Council. Look how much she has gone on to achieve since then. She is widely regarded as one of the most ethical politicians in the country. I am very proud to stand alongside her in that tradition of standing up for local residents and speaking truth to power”.
The Green Party has backed the thousands of residents who have had enough of Labour selling off our greenspace. There is a Green standing in every ward in Liverpool so everyone will have a Green alternative to Labour in these local elections. Although many people associate the Green Party with defending the environment, the party has a broad agenda to work towards a fairer society for all.
Caroline went on to speak at Edge Hill University in the evening as part of their ‘Wonder Woman’ series. She spoke passionately about the need for a voting system where seats match the number of votes cast. A system where everyone’s vote matters. Ending the first-past-the-post system would make politics fairer. She said it would create a more co-operative form of politics, it would break down the tribalism between parties, the hostility and ranquor which is alienating to so many women and men. A system in which 33% of people don’t think voting for their preferred party will make a difference.
“If we want more women in politics, she said, we need to do things differently”.
“And not only women; young people, people of colour, people with disabilities – groups who are still shamefully under represented in politics”.
Caroline went on to say: “I am proud to be in a job-share as co-leader of the Green Party. This allows me to spend the time I need to with my consitutents in Brighton and act as co-leader of my party.
Jonathan Bartley, who shares the role with her, has a disabled son. He is able to maintain his role as a carer as well as being co-leader of a political party.
She said: “I trust a time will come when we really do learn to do politics differently. For now the Green Party will continue t