Friday, July 18, 2008

Adrian Ramsay's Deputy Leadership Bid

Adrian Ramsay has launched his bid to become the very first deputy leader of the Green Party. Adrian is a bit of a local legend round these parts and is in a good position to oust Charles Clarke at the next General Election so I thought I'd take a quick look at his rather impressive campaign website, just as I did for Caroline's and just as I'll do for any other leader or deputy leadership campaign materials that come my way.

In keeping with Adrian's formidable reputation for organisational tasks the very first thing you see when you visit the site is the box to sign up as a supporter (unlike Caroline's where you have to dig around to get there). Other additional features include rss feeds (essential for people like me), videos (that I'm less keen on) and a prominent call for standing orders to the Green Party.

In other words it's focused on the task in hand and presented in a slick professional manner.

Possibly one area where Caroline's site has the edge is the clarity and simplicity of her approach. It's very easy to see at a glance what her politics and vision are - with Adrian's campaign site, because it has that much more packed into it, it takes slightly more work to get to the overall political vision.

So the top stories at the time of writing are a discussion on the Severn Barrage, support for the public sector strikes and a statement from his campaign manager, the most excellent Peter Cranie. An excellent balance, and people should not take it for granted that someone going for a leadership position would give such prominent the support for strike action, but that balance will undoubtedly change as new news stories crop up, so it serves more as a news feed and snap shot than political programme.

However, I really do recommend that people dig that little further because the areas that Adrian chooses to highlight are really quite revealing. I think it's fair to précis them like this (in this order);

  • the party is part of a movement
  • social justice and affordability
  • climate change
  • anti-privatisation
  • fair trade
  • animals and wildlife
A clearly outward looking, left, internationalist, and green agenda. One that starts with the claim that Green Party "co-operation with campaign groups and trade unions is crucial". Clearly not just a machine politician then.

His launch press release states that "the Green Party combines a clear vision of environmental sustainability with a clear commitment to social justice at home and abroad - such as our opposition to the privatisation of council housing and our proposals for making Fair Trade the norm.

"We need long-term, positive solutions to the rising cost of living that reduce our society's dependence on oil. This must include free insulation schemes to tackle fuel poverty, more reliable and cheaper public transport and a low-carbon, localised economy."

For my part I think this will hit all the right buttons with Green Party members and, to be honest, me. I'll be interested to see who, if anyone, will be standing against him to be able to compare and contrast what alternative positive contribution they can make to the direction of the party. That would be a very useful discussion indeed.

7 comments:

Matt Sellwood said...

To be honest, I think the only 'line of attack' that would be effective against Adrian's candidacy (given that Darren and Peter C and Peter T have indicated that they won't stand) would be a debate about whether the Deputy Leader should have more time to dedicate to *that role alone*, as opposed to also being a councillor, target Parliamentary candidate, and so on.

Anyone (given that Darren et al have already 'quit the field') who tries to challenge Adrian on his organisational and electoral record will probably lose, and he's laid out his political stall in a very decent, 'middle of the road Green' sort of way.

In short, a strong candidacy!

Matt

Anonymous said...

I'm encouraged by what I've read about Adrian. I especially like the fact that he's young and hope this will inspire other young people to progressive green activism.

After all they need this planet to be in some sort of fit state in the second half of this century.

Douglas Coker
(Fifty-Seven and 3/4!!)
Enfield Green Party

Aaron said...

How old is Adrian?

Jim Jepps said...

He's twenty six and has been a member since he was sixteen - he was elected as a councillor at the earliest age allowable - 21.

Although when was re-elected in 2007 he showed just how greedy young people can be by gaining 62% of the vote (up from 50% four years previously) - come on Adrian - give the others a look in!

Aaron said...

Awesome, sounds like my kind of guy!

Anonymous said...

Run, Derek, Run!

Anonymous said...

Yes, AWAY!