Read on Twitter
There’s an internal @TheGreenParty election going on, including positions for leader and deputy leader. Here’s my stream of consciousness (a thread)
The context right now is pretty awful: COVID-19, actual Brexit, Tory majority for the next 4.5 years at least, creeping climate breakdown, social inequality and injustice, creaking infrastructure, surveillance capitalism chewing through our souls. So depressing.
But this is a challenge. Our task is to be part of finding our way out of as many of the holes, big and small, that we can. And that means getting competent folks elected and making change.
The most powerful electoral weapon, for goor or ill, is always *hope*. It’s what Corbyn had and squandered, it’s what Trump sold the rust belt on, it’s what Tonty romped massianic with.
On the flipside, crushing the hopes of your detractors through misdirection and attrition is pure Johnson/Cummings. It’s always a fait accompli, and handling that nonsense takes both *tactics* and *strategy*.
Also not to be underestimated is *anger* at unfairness, percieved or real, and the desire to say “fuck that” or more problematically “fuck them”. That’s the kind of thing that got us brexit. It’s a trait fully harnessed by the right.
(I know I’m being very reductionist with all this, but hey, it’s Twitter.)
So this leaves us as progressives, socialists, greens, lefty beardy vegan middle class allotment holders, scratching our heads thinking it’s barely worth trying because they’ve got it all sewn up.
Nope. Not having it.
We have three options for leader;
1) the status quo @jon_bartley and @sianberry
All very well but feels like being in a holding pattern, rather than a sense of forward motion. They have worked hard but really haven’t broken through into public consciousness.
1) the status quo @jon_bartley and @sianberry
All very well but feels like being in a holding pattern, rather than a sense of forward motion. They have worked hard but really haven’t broken through into public consciousness.
2) the rather divisive @ShahrarAli ... former deputy leader with questionable responses on Trans rights. He presses all sorts of iffy buttons in things he says. I will not be voting for him. I would quit the party if he got elected leader.
3) the very smart, very interesting, literally kick-ass @DrSextonGreen
The more I see of her on here the more I’m thinking here’s one who really gets the seriousness of the fight we have to fight.
The more I see of her on here the more I’m thinking here’s one who really gets the seriousness of the fight we have to fight.
... and gets that it’s about social as well as environmental justice because the two are indivisible
... and gets that social and environmental justice is important for all sorts of people - not just the stereotypical green or disgruntled Labour voter - and that means inclusivity
... and gets that social and environmental justice is important for all sorts of people - not just the stereotypical green or disgruntled Labour voter - and that means inclusivity
... and gets that the party, to be credible, needs to be making evidence led policy, rather than indulging in hippy tropes and eco-nimbyism
... and gets that it is about having principles and sticking to them
... and gets that it’s possible to shift the needle even under FPTP
... and gets that it is about having principles and sticking to them
... and gets that it’s possible to shift the needle even under FPTP
In short she fills me with hope, and I’m sold. What do you reckon?
#rosi4leader https://www.rosi4leader.green/
#rosi4leader https://www.rosi4leader.green/
