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Politics

Green Party membership is larger than UKIP and LD combined? Do you want to know why?

23 replies

jenartisteer · 25/03/2015 15:13

Since the end of last year there has been a massive Green Surge and Green Party membership is now larger than UKIP and the Liberal Democrats combined. Many people don't know what the GP stand for, but if you have kids and want a future for them, they are the only choice...

OP posts:
Smartleatherbag · 25/03/2015 15:14

Green party has massive problem with women, despite leadership. I won't vote for them on that basis I'm afraid. Otherwise, I would have.

Madamecastafiore · 25/03/2015 15:14

Kids and a future and a thriving planet but the economy would be totally fucked.

Smartleatherbag · 25/03/2015 15:17

Planet is fucked anyway. Seriously, we've had it. Greens can't reverse it now.

jenartisteer · 25/03/2015 15:20

Not sure what you mean in terms of "massive problem with women" can you elaborate?

OP posts:
SaskiaRembrandtWasFramed · 25/03/2015 17:20

Jen I can't speak for Smartleatherbag but I've seen some criticism of the Greens because their policies about prostitution.

Smartleatherbag · 25/03/2015 17:21

Have a look at all the threads about prostitution. That's just one. Also language used around abortion. It's been discussed loads on here.

Smartleatherbag · 25/03/2015 17:22

X post!

SaskiaRembrandtWasFramed · 25/03/2015 18:05

What are they saying about abortion?

houseofnerds · 25/03/2015 18:11

Jen, if you've been employed by the GP in the belief that the mn vote is all that stands between them and election success, you'd have done well to actually, y'know, type Green Party into the mn search facility. It's not rocket science.

Can't get the (probably unpaid) staff, these days...

AuntieStella · 25/03/2015 18:12

Where did you get your figures from OP?

A report to Parliament (Jan 15) had Green Party membership exactly the same as Lib Dems (rounded 44,000 each) and just ahead of UKIP (42,000).

Some figures were directly from the parties, some BBC estimates (not sure why).

GibberingFlapdoodle · 01/04/2015 09:16

SmartLeatherbag "Planet is fucked anyway. Seriously, we've had it. Greens can't reverse it now."

So that's it, you're just gong to lie down and die?? Do you have kids?? I''d guess not.

The situation is dire yes, but there is still hope. We could yet, if there was enough will, turn this around. I am actually seeing more grounds for hope now than I have for a long long time. The UK is certainly not playing the part which a) I would like it too and b) it really morally ought to, we are going to be left as a morally corrupt backwater owned by foreigners and our own beautiful island fucked, but thankfully although Britain bears more responsibility for this age of the world than any other single nation imo it is not itself the world.

Consider: the price of renewables is comng down. It is becoming more and more financially viable to install panels on individual roofs. And more people, admittedly in shitty unequal UK only the rich,have done so and are considering it. I've even heard my family consideringit on cost grounds and they're as capitalist as they come! In Germany there have been drives from cities to take back public ownership of energy grids in many cities, so that they can shift to renewable, and the are doing so. On one summer's day last year there was enoughrenewables to power their whole country. China, of all nations, the one we owe so much to for our past exploitation, is investing heavily www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-32119463. I am always disgusted by those who would blame Chinafor the worlds' ills, it is the worlds workshop because we have exported our shit there and we should be doing everything in our power to repay our debt, but they're doing it all by themselves anyway (and in the process will claim a richly deserved world leading position). There are grassroots movements to divest stocks of oil and gas - the major cause of global warming - among universities and towns in the US, even a few here,and communities around the globe are fighting fracking, tar sands oil extraction and other extreme oil and gas extractions as hard as they can and are frequently winning. They are dong it to protect their local environments, but with all of those little protections they protect the whole.

The problem is the central governments and their total disconnection from reality, from what most people actually want, continuing to enrich themselves no matter what the cost to both other people and the planet (yes those two agendas are irrevocably tied together).

And we have this chance now in May to start turning Britain around. If this is not the world you want to see,i if you want an improved ecosystem left for our children and a better fairer more supportive society then get out there and bloody vote for it.

I share the concerns of others about the greens and the status of women, but my own conclusion right now is that we need need need more of their views in in power now and we could all join the green party tomorrow and work for change from within. They do seem the group most inclined to. listen.

It is vital. The next 2/ 3 years are going to be crucial. I've seen research that says we have two years to really pull down the damage we're doing, to keep the global warming at no more than 2C. Two questions: do you want Britainto play a part or continue to destroy itself? Or are you just going to lie down and die?

Well that was long and excitable. All true though.

GibberingFlapdoodle · 01/04/2015 09:26

Hope you can understand it through the typos.

Seeker33 · 07/04/2015 12:10

Yes Jen, but in FPTP elections smaller parties dont get a fair deal . I do agree the Greens are popular. If we have several coalitions which dont work the pooer people; we may try PR. Dont hold your breath.

Seeker33 · 07/04/2015 12:12

I meant "several Coalalitions which dont work for poorer people"

Linguini · 07/04/2015 20:40

There is a massive gap on the left that labour abandoned. It's astonishing that the greens have not done better in reaching to fill this gap but a lot of their policies come across very wishy washy and "Middle Class Problems" for a majority to be bothered with.

Good for you Op as you are passionate about the greater good. The Greens have let themselves down imo by being too much of a mix bag.

To: "The economy would be fucked", I sincerely hope you are not defending the free market ideology that has lead to the absolute fuck up that we now live with.

Government's role should be to reign in the greed and destruction of the free market rather than enable it (as per current all parties)

At least the Greens ideology is in the right, responsible position.

FloraFox · 07/04/2015 20:48

The GP's manifesto seems like a mixed bag of pet projects implemented by activists with no prospect of government and no coherent political analysis. Some policies are sort of socialist and others are libertarian. Also they didn't do anything about their male diversity officer calling women names on twitter and men seem comfortable standing up to speak when women are specifically given space to speak.

HappydaysArehere · 07/04/2015 23:39

Have heard that they have been a flop in Brighton and won't get in again. That is just the opinion of someone I know who lives in there.

LineRunner · 07/04/2015 23:43

The Green Party's views on prostitution seem to support the rights of pimps and traffickers.

Fucking disgusting.

ArcheryAnnie · 07/04/2015 23:49

I want (or at least wanted) to like the Greens, but have been put off by the clusterfuck that is their weird relationship with women. Their abortion policy, for example, is just a weird mix of absolutely awful and really quite progressive, and almost everything else they do on gender equality seems to follow the same pattern of half great, half so bad that it's a deal-breaker. It really hasn't been helped by some Green activists, particularly men, who when these issues have been raised on MN, storm into the threads to tell us we are Doing Politics Wrong and should shut up.

Seeker33 · 09/04/2015 11:32

The Greens membership will probably rise after May 7th But I vote for a big party

Toadinthehole · 10/04/2015 04:48

The only reason why the Greens might have a larger membership than UKIP and the Lib Dems combined is because the latter now have tiny memberships.

ArcheryAnnie · 10/04/2015 08:41

Was this just a dump-and-run by the OP or is she going to come back?

AuntieStella · 10/04/2015 10:52

According to the figures laid in the library of the Commons in January this year, they don't have a membership larger than those two parties combined.

OP has not returned to give the source of the figures she is using.

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