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The Green Party

(159 Posts)
Teetime Wed 26-Apr-17 16:50:07

I have voted Labour all my adult life but feel I cannot support Mr Corbyn so I wont be voting Labour. I will not vote Conservative and am then left in a quandary. I am seriously considering voting for the Green Party their ideals seem to match with mind other than over Brexit as I am a 'Leave' but that is not as they say a deal breaker for me.
Anyone like to say anything for or against the Greens to help me make up my mind. All comments welcome (silly or malicious ones will be not be responded to). Thank you.

durhamjen Sun 30-Apr-17 10:23:20

Roses, you really should keep off a thread if that's all you can say.
Nothing wrong with being idealistic. All politicians were 'green' at one time.

I have never heard anyone in the Green Party talking about rainbows and unicorns.
How many Green Party meetings have you been to?

rosesarered Sun 30-Apr-17 10:22:47

Still, it's your thread and your vote, but think it was a mistake to rely on GN and it's 'debates' to influence you.

rosesarered Sun 30-Apr-17 10:20:02

Teetime you say 'he was as green as his Party' shock that's the problem with the Greens, what on earth can they do for the UK......nothing.
Talking of rainbows and unicorns in everybody's garden will not run an economy.

durhamjen Sun 30-Apr-17 10:16:41

Well done, Teetime.
Haven't heard anything about a Green Party candidate round here, either local or national.
However the Tories have just sold off the Green Investment Bank.

Teetime Sun 30-Apr-17 09:23:14

Well I went to listen to the Green candidate locally yesterday and I joined up. Not because of what he said bless him he was as green as his party but a very well intentioned young man but because I want a whole new perspective on politics having as I said voted Labour all my adult life. The 'debates' on Granset which I read thoroughly but chose to rarely join in as they felt quite toxic at times did nothing to enthuse me to any of the main parties. I was looking for something fresh and what I heard yesterday just that.

durhamjen Sat 29-Apr-17 12:24:28

www.thecanary.co/2017/04/27/new-green-party-alliance-become-theresa-mays-worst-nightmare/

durhamjen Sat 29-Apr-17 11:58:08

I've just done an ONS survey on income distribution.
According to them I have £5000 more disposable income than I get each year.
Not sure I'll believe the ONS statistics again.

M0nica Sat 29-Apr-17 11:52:37

Is that why the economy was in such a mess in 2010, with a huge debt because Gordon Brown took a gamble on the economic cycle and ran up debt hoping to pay it off when the economy picked up, when, oopsie there was an international financial crisis.

Remember the Secretary for the Treasury's (I have forgotten his name) note to his successor, something to the effect; Sorry, the money has all gone.

durhamjen Sat 29-Apr-17 11:43:23

But it's the Conservatives who are doing it.
Labour took people out of poverty.

M0nica Sat 29-Apr-17 11:25:08

Oh, durhamjen, you know better. I have never expressed any support for the Conservatives, or ever voted for them.

Why is it morally more acceptable for the Labour party to plunge millions into poverty and deprivation but not the Conservatives?

durhamjen Fri 28-Apr-17 23:46:28

So the Tories can draw up a manifesto that plunges millions into poverty and deprivation, and that's okay because they are a big party, is that it?
They can borrow twice as much as the whole of the labour governments ever have, and that's okay because they are Tory?

M0nica Fri 28-Apr-17 15:05:29

It is not what the Green Party stands for but how economically and practically sound these policies are.

I could draw up a manifesto full of warm cuddly social measures that everybody would want to sign up to, but if they lead to this country going bankrupt and plunging many into poverty and deprivation what good do they do.

If I say that these policies would require basic rate income tax to rise by 10p in the £1, support would disappear like snow in summer.

durhamjen Fri 28-Apr-17 13:58:47

Any other party saying this?

www.greenparty.org.uk/we-stand-for/free-education.html

durhamjen Fri 28-Apr-17 13:56:58

Does any other party have this policy?

www.greenparty.org.uk/we-stand-for/safe-climate.html

durhamjen Fri 28-Apr-17 13:54:18

www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2017/04/28/green-party-agrees-electoral-alliance-with-women%E2%80%99s-equality-party/

durhamjen Fri 28-Apr-17 13:52:09

Which other party says this?

"The Green Party is the only party standing up for students and putting young people at the heart of its campaign. Education is a right not a commodity to be bought and sold, and we need a level playing field so everyone has the chance to go to university or college.

“Students need a liferaft in the Brexit storm. They are being ignored in the Brexit negotiations, despite having the most to lose. Funding for our universities is under unprecedented threat. The Green Party will not let young people miss out on opportunities to study, travel and work across Europe because of a decision that they so emphatically voted against.

“Building a better future for young people is an absolute priority and today we are committing to policies that will help us work towards an open, fairer society where everyone has the chance to succeed.” "

durhamjen Fri 28-Apr-17 13:49:52

What other party supports the basic income?
Or the Green New Deal?

M0nica Fri 28-Apr-17 11:26:17

The Greens are not as 'alternative' in policies as they would like us to believe. Just espousing policies espoused by the other parties and trying to suggest they are different, or at least this is how posters on GN are presenting them.

durhamjen Fri 28-Apr-17 11:14:28

Sorry, I don't undersatnd that post. What does boringly mainstream mean?

M0nica Fri 28-Apr-17 11:07:48

The Conservatives and, I think, Labour were opposed to the Euro, that is why we are not in it. On that subject Caroline Lucas is going with the majority.

British governments of all hues, come to that governments throughout the EU, who have supported it, have questioned almost every element in it at some time or another. The problem is on very few issues has they been in any accord about how it should be changed - and when majority voting was introduced to try and get action, The Brexiteers of all parties and none in the UK used it as an excuse to lobby for the referendum we had last year.

It strikes me that Caroline Lucas is boringly mainstream.

durhamjen Fri 28-Apr-17 00:15:46

If you want to see about the old boys network that parliament is, you should read Caroline Lucas's book Honourable Friends?

Eloethan Fri 28-Apr-17 00:02:12

Economists haven't been that successful in guiding various economies and they often disagree with one another as to what measures should be taken so, yes, I agree with you durhamjen. And since we are in a situation where a very small number of people own half the world's wealth, it would seem that economic theory and practice bears little relation to what most people would consider to be a properly and fairly functioning system.

Caroline Lucas had concerns about the introduction of the euro and the effect it had on certain countries such as Portugal. I see it as a plus that someone who broadly supports a particular system/organisation is nevertheless willing to question some of the elements within it, if those elements are judged to be potentially damaging.

M0nica Thu 27-Apr-17 20:27:37

A Europe where regulation - to protect the environment, human rights or social provision - is frowned upon as an impediment to free trade....."

But I thought the argument for Brexit was that Europe had too many regulations to protect the environment, human rights or social provision(s) at the expense of free trade

I did not support Brexit but my memory of pre-Brexit days is the UK constantly opposing EU directives on these subjects (for example the Uk opposition to the recent EU desire to ban the use of glyphosphates because they are potentially carcinogenic and also neonicotinoids because they are harmful to bees.)

durhamjen Thu 27-Apr-17 18:59:35

Why would Caroline Lucas need a good grasp of economics?
May doesn't have one.

durhamjen Thu 27-Apr-17 18:58:23

inews.co.uk/essentials/news/politics/caroline-lucas-green-party-will-reverse-cuts-domestic-violence-centres/

A reason to vote Green?