Guest Post: Natalie [1] for the London Assembly

By Matty Mitford (picture from last night's protest against the cuts in Camden): In the interests of partiality Jim's asked me to talk about why I'll be voting Natalie Bennett as my first choice for the GLA list, something I won't find hard to do.

Natalie's done some amazing work for the Green Party and in Camden at least, her diplomacy and commitment is viewed with respect even by people of opposing political views, which is no mean feat in the dogfight that is local politics.

Natalie was a excellent Parliamentary candidate in Camden and her performances at hustings were always impressive, winning her support from all sides. She can debate with the heaviest of hitters, something most definitely an essential quality in an Assembly Member who has to use Mayor's Questions to hold the London executive to account.

Her background as a respected journalist is of great benefit in engaging with the media and maximising the Green voice, which we so desperately need.

Her local campaigning is impressive and committed, one example is in Somers Town where she's lead the opposition to the UKCRMI development, using her abilities as a mediator to unify many differing political interests into an effective campaign, (again attributes of real value for City Hall, where working with other parties is so key).

She's worked all the angles for Somers Town, from late night leafletting to giving evidence in front of a Parliamentary Select Committee and has significantly raised the profile and opinion of the Green Party in the area, something I know she'd do in the wider context of a London representative.

All this and I've still not mentioned her work on the national executive, her founding of Green Party Women, formulation of much Green Party policy on women's equality and her frankly frightening levels of energy and drive.

In short, Natalie is the sort of politician I'm happy to leaflet in the rain for her because she proves time and again her commitment, the thoroughness of her research and understanding on any issue on which she speaks, her political integrity and her extreme willingness to engage with the grunt work of coordinating, leafletting, stall-ing and all the other day to day organising a local party needs.

I'm voting Natalie [1], and I'd like to encourage everyone to do the same.

Green London Mayoral Hustings: Farid Bakht

London Green Party is selecting who is to be our Mayoral candidate in 2012. There are three candidates for the job Shahrar Ali, Farid Bakht and Jenny Jones who all very kindly agreed to answer some of my questions. Here is what Farid has to say.
If you had to choose one campaigning priority for the Green Party Mayoral Campaign what would it be?

My priority is to widen our appeal to people from all communities and the working class within London. Why is it that white working class people don't generally vote for us?

We need to demolish the myth that we are a white, middle class party interested only in a narrow agenda not in tune with people's everyday lives.

We also need to reach out to the one in three people of foreign origin in London.

I would actively approach ethnic minority communities via their media to link up with leaders and organisations. We need to recruit new, active members who understand how politics works in their communities. We can attract them with our message of environmental and social justice, our support for small businesses, our humane approach to immigration and our commitment to free education & health & our programme to create jobs.


How would you use the role of the Mayoral Candidate in relation to the Assembly Campaign?

As Mayoral candidate, I would use the platform to articulate a vibrant, positive and bold vision for Londoners. Too many people still think we are a one-issue Party. We aren't but we need to talk up our Party, come out of our comfort zone and stake a claim to be a credible alternative to three very similar Parties.

We need to recover from our shattered electoral position in London, beat the Lib-Dems and attract disaffected Labour voters.

We have to be ambitious and overcome the fear that says we might lose an Assembly Member.
We should aim to increase our numbers instead.


I want to work as part of a team, listening to colleagues on setting priorities rather than 'do my own thing'.

We must speak as one with a common purpose.

I am comfortable with the battleground being the media at one level. I would also campaign across the capital to support local Green Party activists, strengthen our grass-roots and motivate neglected members.


How should we political approach the Livingstone bid to become Mayor again?

I understand, am involved in and support the idea of creating coalitions around vital issues: e.g., the permanent wars our country is embroiled in and the anti-cuts movement.

However, I want to fight a determined campaign to raise the profile of the Green Party, move second preference votes to first and rejuvenate our local parties.

“Cosying up to Ken” could be damaging as voters incorrectly think voting for Greens is a wasted vote.

Let's focus on our radical message, explain that we do support some of the initiatives before 2008 but also how we are against the failure to tame an out-of-control financial sector, the failure to build council homes and the failure to build a diversified, greener economy.

We should fight to increase Green numbers. We need to build up our base. If there are any negotiations with parties external to us, we should always do so from a position of strength and nearer the end of the cycle.


What is the most fun part of campaigning for you?

In general, I like getting on the streets & talking to people.

Last year, in Tower Hamlets, I found it shocking at first to hear people say that was the first time they had heard of the Greens.

It turned out to be the best opportunity to persuade people that we were credible.


What would be your top tip to someone who is just starting to get active in the Green Party?

Pick one or two meetings to get involved with as it can be overwhelming - keep active and doing things, that's why you joined up.

Green London Mayoral Hustings: Shahrar Ali

London Green Party is selecting who is to be our Mayoral candidate in 2012. There are three candidates for the job Shahrar Ali, Farid Bakht and Jenny Jones who all very kindly agreed to answer some of my questions. Here is what Shahrar has to say.


If you had to choose one campaigning priority for the Green Party Mayoral campaign, what would it be?

GREEN JOBS. It’s more difficult than ever for people either to find work or to keep their job. Our answer is to roll out training and employment in sustainable industries, such as decentralised renewable energy schemes, repairing stuff, and home insulation. This agenda speaks to both the climate change emergency and the creation of jobs with a social purpose, sometimes through redeployment. We can advertise the progressive policies Greens have fronted, such as Jean on work-life balance and Darren and Jenny on the London Living wage.

We are also part of the anti-cuts movement which seeks to protect jobs in the public sector, such as local library provision, without which the life chances of some of the most vulnerable and most disadvantaged in society will be unconscionably set back (see my letter, “Libraries are essential”).


How do you see the role of the Mayoral candidate in relation to the Assembly campaign?

HIGHLY CONSEQUENTIAL. Previously there’s been greater focus on the Mayoral contest than the Assembly constituency and list selections. As your mayoral candidate, I’d showcase Green campaigns and successes across the London boroughs, alongside our GLA candidates, and regularly remind voters of the need to vote in the proportional elections. Let’s get more Greens elected than ever before!


How should we politically approach Ken Livingstone bid to become Mayor again?

SELF-DISCIPLINE NOT SELF-INDULGENCE. I would advocate the approach, as your representative, that London Green party members decide upon – in terms of second preferences or none, at a time of our choosing.

There is a strategic side to this, so it’s not just a question of my declaring my personal preferences ahead of time. What I can say is that, with your mandate, I’ll hold my own in any public meeting with Ken and Boris, and won’t give an inch. Here’s a recent question to Boris at People’s Question Time on the woeful state of London’s tubes (and I challenged Ken on cronyism in public appointments, in an exchange of press letters in 2005).


What is the most fun part of campaigning for you?

Meeting new people, anticipating or vocalising their concerns and SEEING POSITIVE RESULTS. On road safety, for example, we campaigned for two years locally to get Asda to redesign their loading bay and put a stop to lorry drivers endangering pedestrians by parking on a crossing. It was very rewarding to finally get action on this and for Greens to be rightly credited for it, see “Green Party declares victory in ASDA delivery lorries row”.


What would be your top tip to someone who is just starting to get active in the Green Party?

STAND FOR THE NEXT LOCAL ELECTIONS! And help others get elected elsewhere! As campaign coordinator for last year’s local elections in Brent, I’ve already popped the question to many an aspiring Green and often received the right answer.

We stood a record 62 candidates in 2010, with good balance in terms of both gender and diversity, too, for which we got heightened publicity and credibility. See headline article “Party on a mission to Green Brent”. As local party support, I’ve also proactively supported candidates in neighbouring local parties (see Susanna Rustin’s article, “My first election as a Green Party candidate”).

We need to make sure that all those Londoners who voted for us last year and before are ready to come back for more, and then some. For that you need a mayoral candidate who understands and respects the internal democracy and accountability of the party, with a track record of promoting green politics through public speaking, electioneering and campaigns year in year out!

Green London Mayoral Hustings: Jenny Jones

London Green Party is selecting who is to be our Mayoral candidate in 2012. There are three candidates for the job Shahrar Ali, Farid Bakht and Jenny Jones who all very kindly agreed to answer some of my questions. Here is what Jenny has to say.


If you had to choose one campaigning priority for the Green Party Mayoral campaign, what would it be?

It's a tough choice between Climate Change issues and Inequality issues, but if I had to choose it would be Climate Change. Greens are usually the only party to make the link between environmental and social justice, so that's our unique political selling point.

We can promote polices that cover both areas, such as home insulation (lowers carbon emissions and fuel bills for low paid), or air pollution (cut carbon emissions from polluting vehicles and improve health for poorer Londoners who can't avoid the fumes).


How do you see the role of the Mayoral candidate in relation to the Assembly campaign?

The Mayoral candidate has to promote the Assembly list at every opportunity. A Green Mayor is a very long shot, whereas two or three AM's are quite likely, and they will be able to make real change.


How should we politically approach Ken Livingstone bid to become Mayor again?

Very very carefully. In my view, our Tory Mayor has plunged us backwards, socially and environmentally, so the Ken era is starting to look like golden times. However, we have to examine both manifestos and play a little hard to get - the Labour Party isn't any more trustworthy than the Tories.

Although I have worked fairly well with Ken, I've never let him off the hook when I think he's wrong, for example on the Thames Gateway Bridge, and he knows that.


What is the most fun part of campaigning for you?

When all the big decisions are made (strategy, manifesto, leaflets, broadcast) and there's just teams of Greens leafletting, doorknocking and drinking in the pub afterwards.


What would be your top tip to someone who is just starting to get active in the Green Party?

Work with your local party and get active on the leafletting, the stalls, etc. Avoid London Fed (too mindnumbing), but go to Party conference at least once, and accept that politics is very hard work, but what option is there?

London Mayoral Selection: Farid Bakht

I first met Farid a fair few years ago and he's always struck me as a level-headed, principled Green. Likable, thoughtful and engaging he's a talented and strong minded left-winger, without some of the bile or dogma that you sometime find on the left.

Anyway, I was delighted when I heard he was standing for selection to be London's Green Mayoral candidate. So far that means we have two excellent choices before us with Farid and Jenny. I wonder if we'll get any more? Here Farid talks about his vision for London.

The next Mayoral candidate must offer Londoners an inspiring vision for the capital. We can do this in London the way our leader did in Brighton – by offering a radical, coherent alternative to the three main parties.

We must be part of the anti-cuts movement. Many Londoners will be hit particularly hard by coalition policies - young people and students, women, and people from ethnic minorities.

Investment in free education and affordable public transport are vital for this city’s development and as candidate I would defend both.

Bringing back the Congestion Charge to the Western Extension Zone is one way we can reverse the recent fare rises.

First-time buyers are priced out of the market. Meanwhile, one in ten households are stuck on housing waiting lists.

We have to pressure local authorities to use their powers to bring empty homes back into use.

We have to set out a programme to refit homes to reduce carbon emissions, reduce heating bills and reduce unemployment.

With 15 years experience running small businesses, I want to take our message to this vital sector, talk their language and explain why our party is their natural choice.

I was recently an International Coordinator for the Party, serving on the National Executive. I am a communicator on behalf of the party at rallies, meetings and in the media.

I am currently leading a working group on ethnic minorities. We can no longer ignore the one in three Londoners who are of foreign origin.

I stood as Parliamentary candidate in Tower Hamlets and took the party into communities where we had been largely absent. This was done via ethnic TV, radio, newspapers, social media, stalls, meetings, networking and door-to-door conversations

We must engage with ethnic minorities who find our beliefs, ideas and policies are most in line with them – if only we would talk to them.

This is the strategic objective we must set ourselves.

By recruiting more ethnic minorities we will boost our electoral chances.

The Greens must reflect the city in gender, ethnicity and sexuality if its people are going to vote for us.

Regularly voting Green, I joined the Party after spending a few years in Bangladesh. There, I saw the devastating impact of floods and climate change and its connection to poverty and social injustice. I campaigned against India and China's mega-dam building projects, for the economic rights of female garments workers and for rickshaw pullers. I set up a Renewable Energy Association to promote solar power, a sector which has now taken off.

On my return, I joined the Green Party because for me it is the only one which has a coherent ideology to transform society in both rich and poor countries, for men & women, for young & the elderly.

Half-Basque, half-Bengali, born in Hackney, I was brought up in London. Married, I have a 9 year old daughter & live in West London.

Jenny Jones AM seeks Mayoral nomination

Tomorrow Jenny Jones will be announcing her intention to seek the Green Party's nomination to run for London Mayor in 2012. Jenny has been an outstanding London Assembly Member from the very beginning in 2000 and is a very capable and likable politician.

Although I've yet to make my mind up about who I'll be supporting for the role Jenny will be a strong contender for my pick.

It's no secret that I have significant political differences with Jenny around policing issues, where I think she has always been too willing to see the police's side of any question, but I've never confused this with the idea that she is unwilling to criticise the police (she is, for example when she was the instigator of reopening the investigation into Blair Peach's death) or the fact that she is an excellent and radical green politician.

I've never been one of those who expect 100% agreement with a politician in order to give them my support. If she is selected by the Green Party, I will be extremely happy to give her my first preference (and probably Ken number two, as long as he behaves).

According to the ever excellent Mayor Watch;

The party will announce its candidate in March following a ballot of all London members.

Jones will be joined her bid by fellow Assembly Member Darren Johnson who will serve as her running mate. Johnson unsuccessfully stood as Mayor in the 2000 and 2004 elections...

In a statement Jones said the capital “desperately needs the green measures that a Green Mayor would introduce for a cleaner, safer city. Whether it’s cleaning up on air pollution, investing in public transport, increasing the supply of affordable homes, or keeping the police local, Greens deliver on their promises and work for the whole of London.”

For me I'm going to wait and see who else announces their intention to run before making up my mind on who I'll be supporting for my first preference (Greens use STV in internal elections) and I'm hoping we'll have at least one or two more high quality candidates to choose from to make the race truly competitive.

Certainly one of her strengths will be that she knows exactly what is expected of a Green Party Mayoral candidate and, as a disciplined and intelligent campaigner, would be a safe pair of hands for the role in my opinion.

The Oona file

So Oona King has put her media friendly hat into the London Mayoral ring as a potential challenger to Ken Livingstone for the Labour ticket. Her candidacy has been welcomed by quite a few Labour leaning folk who want to see a proper selection contest and have been concerned about the lack of diversity among the political class.

I share those concerns but, in the absence of Ms King putting forward any vision as to *why* she wants to be London's Mayor, I thought I might take a little look at her track record to see what we might glean from her past behaviour.

King was an MP from 1997 to 2005 in Bethnal Green and Bow, a reign that was cruelly cut off by 823 votes when she was beaten by George Galloway at the height of his powers. When she was first elected she was just the second black woman to be elected to Parliament, the first one being current Labour leadership challenger Diane Abbott.

I took a look at her voting record in the House for this period to see what kind of policies we might expect from her majesty.

• She voted strongly for student fees.
• Very strongly for ID cards.
• Very strongly for foundation hospitals.
• Very strongly for the Iraq War, and very strongly against an investigation into that war once it went balls up in a plastic handcart.
• She voted against measures to prevent climate change.
• Very strongly for a stricter asylum system (you know the one where we deport gay people to their deaths and lock up children - she wanted that toughened up).

In fact the only measures she voted for that can be regarded as progressive (fox hunting ban, gay rights, hereditary peers) were all the party line, a line from which she very rarely strayed. In fact politically she was possibly the most loyal minor bag carriers of the Blair years.

If there's one thing history has shown us it's that London likes their politicians on message and loyal to the party, so a DNA New Labourite should be just the ticket, no?