Five things the Green Party's next leader(s)/deputy leader(s) really need to do
The Green Party leadership election of 2020 begins next week when nominations open.
In the last two years alone there has been a pressing need for green politics and green ideas to have a more universal appeal,one that goes above and beyond the outdated "left-right" divide which is only mentioned in academic and media contexts and is rarely if ever mentioned by voters on the doorstep. In British local government elections in the last half decade in particular, Green councillors have been elected in all sorts of places, from inner-city council estates to suburbs to spa towns to villages (usually in the boundaries of National Parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty).
So here are five things the Green Party's next leader(s)/deputy leader(s) need to do:
1. Go above the "left-right" divide and think forwards instead. "Left wing" and "right wing" are no longer meaningful in political context; the divides are more city vs. country, graduates vs. non-graduates, and liberals vs. authoritarians. Green economics is fundamentally forward thinking, concentrates on holistic, wellbeing related measures like happiness and contentedness which cannot be accounted for in old-style economics, and therefore goes above and beyond "left" and "right".
2. Push for the environment to be as near to the top of the national agenda as possible. Environmental issues are by far the most important issues we face in the long-term, whether they be global warming, soil erosion, water shortages, rising sea levels, or any other phenomenon linked to climate change. They need to be at the top of the British political agenda because the sooner action is taken on environmental issues, the better we will all be in the long run and the more lives will be saved.
3. Do more to emphasise the importance of green values to everyday living. For example, a greener diet means less meat which in turn means better nutrition, a longer life expectancy, and much less risk of getting cancer or heart disease later in life. Recycling also means more materials available for re-use meaning that money can be saved and consumer costs can be kept down long-term.
4. Reach out more to town and country. Rural areas and coastal areas are more vulnerable to the effects of man-made climate change and its consequences than inland cities. Small and large towns have been suffering greatly from over-centralisation and the lack of support for localised economies; localised economies will be crucial for cutting greenhouse gas emissions due to agriculture and transport being two of the most significant contributors to man-made climate change, if not the most significant. Everyone can benefit from green economics and a green society, wherever they live.
5. Put forward a green socioeconomic vision which everyone can enjoy. Fundamental systemic change is necessary for significant green changes to be implemented and to last; our current neoliberal system is broken. The next Green Party leaders need to emphasise the importance of fundamentally shifting to a green vision worldwide and how this will benefit all of us.
In the last two years alone there has been a pressing need for green politics and green ideas to have a more universal appeal,one that goes above and beyond the outdated "left-right" divide which is only mentioned in academic and media contexts and is rarely if ever mentioned by voters on the doorstep. In British local government elections in the last half decade in particular, Green councillors have been elected in all sorts of places, from inner-city council estates to suburbs to spa towns to villages (usually in the boundaries of National Parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty).
So here are five things the Green Party's next leader(s)/deputy leader(s) need to do:
1. Go above the "left-right" divide and think forwards instead. "Left wing" and "right wing" are no longer meaningful in political context; the divides are more city vs. country, graduates vs. non-graduates, and liberals vs. authoritarians. Green economics is fundamentally forward thinking, concentrates on holistic, wellbeing related measures like happiness and contentedness which cannot be accounted for in old-style economics, and therefore goes above and beyond "left" and "right".
2. Push for the environment to be as near to the top of the national agenda as possible. Environmental issues are by far the most important issues we face in the long-term, whether they be global warming, soil erosion, water shortages, rising sea levels, or any other phenomenon linked to climate change. They need to be at the top of the British political agenda because the sooner action is taken on environmental issues, the better we will all be in the long run and the more lives will be saved.
3. Do more to emphasise the importance of green values to everyday living. For example, a greener diet means less meat which in turn means better nutrition, a longer life expectancy, and much less risk of getting cancer or heart disease later in life. Recycling also means more materials available for re-use meaning that money can be saved and consumer costs can be kept down long-term.
4. Reach out more to town and country. Rural areas and coastal areas are more vulnerable to the effects of man-made climate change and its consequences than inland cities. Small and large towns have been suffering greatly from over-centralisation and the lack of support for localised economies; localised economies will be crucial for cutting greenhouse gas emissions due to agriculture and transport being two of the most significant contributors to man-made climate change, if not the most significant. Everyone can benefit from green economics and a green society, wherever they live.
5. Put forward a green socioeconomic vision which everyone can enjoy. Fundamental systemic change is necessary for significant green changes to be implemented and to last; our current neoliberal system is broken. The next Green Party leaders need to emphasise the importance of fundamentally shifting to a green vision worldwide and how this will benefit all of us.
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