This blogpost was written by Newham Green Party member Rachel Collinson who recently ventured up to Liverpool to participate in her first Green Party conference. Here is her take on Green politics in action.
Real democracy
This is the only main UK party conference where YOU, the member, get to set and vote on policy. It is true democracy. And it was thrilling to be able to raise my voting card, along with the 1,300 other people there. One of the things I voted on, heart pounding, was what the Green Party’s response would be to potential coalition negotiations in the event of a hung parliament.
Making history
Here, everybody is truly in it together
Other highlights for me included:
- Forming a Christian Greens group and helping others to start similar faith groups within the Green Party
- Attending the UK’s first ever political party conference event on intersex and trans issues
- Giving a standing ovation to Amelia Womack’s barnstorming speech (see below)
- Watching Natalie Bennett vote alongside everybody else
- Seeing the vast room full of young Greens doing a stirling job of fundraising
- Joining in solidarity with the climate march on Saturday
- Seeing the care and attention paid to including everybody.
And I mean everybody, from parents with young children, to non-members, to those angrily opposed, to non-binary gender folks, to the working class, to people with limited mobility; even waiting for a person with a stutter to make their contribution during a tense debate. And even those described by the Telegraph as the frizzy-haired do-gooders, like me.
Newham Green Party 