A cut out 'n keep guide to Caroline Lucas
Just so you know. I did this in November 2008, and think it is worth re-visiting:
In 2004 173,351 people in the South East of England voted for the Green Party in the form of Caroline Lucas. I was not one of them, surprisingly enough. She crept in via the D'Hondt list system, not FPP, naturally.
Rooting around among some of my lesser used bookmarks, I chanced upon the 'People Before Profit' charter, via the SWP's website. Google will bring up the references, there being some sites I refuse to link to.
This is it:
Definitively hard left, is it not?
- Wage increases no lower than the rate of inflation as given by the Retail Price Index. No to the government’s 2 percent pay limit.
- Increase tax on big companies. Introduce a windfall tax on corporation superprofits, especially those of the oil companies.
- Repeal the Tory anti-union laws. Support the Trade Union Freedom Bill.
- Unsold houses and flats should be taken over by local councils to ease the housing crisis. No house repossessions. For an emergency programme of council house building.
- Stop the privatisation of public services. Free and equal health and education services available to all.
- End the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan and use the money to expand public services. Stop the erosion of civil liberties.
- Abolish tax on fuel and energy for old people and the poor. Re-establish the link between wages and pensions.
- No to racism. No to the British National Party. No scapegoating of immigrants.
- Reintroduce grants and abolish tuition fees for students.
- Increase the minimum wage to £8.00 an hour.
Ms Lucas likes it a lot:
"I fully support the Charter and am happy to lend it my support. However, I would also encourage you to seek to broaden its appeal by addressing the lack of any environmental perspective or reference to the causes of the current economic crisis and unemployment. To this end, I recommend that two additions be made to the Charter as follows:
● Fight rising unemployment with massive investment in energy saving and renewable
energy.
● End the free for all and regulate financial institutions".
That the Greens are not just a bunch of tree huggers but firmly on the hard left has been obvious for years, but I do wonder how many of those 173,351 voters realise their MP makes common ground with 4th International Trots. Note that the only other extreme left party to stand, Respect, reaped a grand total of 13,426 votes.
Labels: election 2010, Greenery
This entry was posted
on Friday, May 07, 2010 at 3:32 pm.
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God you are so right I attended a hustings here and was absolutely slack jawed with amazment at the terrifying cobblers the fat Greeny was selling
I had no idea they were no nuts
It's a sign of the decline of civilisation that she's not in a loony bin somewhere. Unfortunately the adult candidates split the vote between them so she crept through.
In a way I wish that Brighton had been on my list of Places To Visit just so that I could cross it off.
I've known this since 2001 and am amazed how whatever you call yourself, Brits take literally.
She only got 31% of the vote so can;t be said to represent even a third of her constituents.
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