I grew up in a Conservative household, with the Times dropping on the mat each morning. My Dad and I often had lively discussions about politics, although for a long time my views on economics matched his.
Past political influences
Brought up in Croydon where everyday life was pretty multi-cultural, I already had strong opinions about the importance of fairness and equality. I joined Amnesty International at 16, and attended an anti-nuclear rally the year after, resulting in my working class Dad dissuading me from taking up a place at University, so great was his fear that I would emerge three years later as a radicalised Communist.
Luckily for him I remained a conservative voter in my 20’s, then turned to the Liberal Democrats as the Overton window shifted rightwards, but I’d never joined a political party, nor felt inclined to get involved.
Joining the Greens
So some twenty years later it was a great surprise to everyone, including me, when I joined the Green Party earlier this year.
Like many people it’s got to the stage where I feel the need to do something. I am sickened by the inequality in this country: the poverty, the threat to the NHS and the cost of basic necessities like water, electricity and gas, fish and chips and a couple of drinks in the pub.
I’m also disgusted that our current Government, who are supposed to be left wing, are adopting Tory austerity, doing nothing to reduce our cost of living, all the while arming a country committing genocide, and relishing prosecuting us when we protest.
As a Green party member I voted for Zack Polanski to be leader – I was really impressed by his honesty, authenticity and his ability to answer questions from the media truthfully and directly – it’s such a refreshing change from most politicians.
First impressions of conference
So, to the Green Party Conference – I was only able to attend the Saturday event for a few hours so I won’t be delving into any detail on policy and speeches, rather I’d like to give an impression of my first conference. When I arrived I was immediately struck by how many young people (under 30) there were – a really positive difference from most other parties. Attire was more Doc Martens and sweatshirts than suits and Loakes brogues.
Everyone was welcoming, relaxed and friendly and the venue was genuinely really well attended, with a busy, buzzy atmosphere.
There was a large hall with a variety of stands. I had a chat with the Young Greens who were buzzing with enthusiasm and a lovely lady from the Muslim Greens. The café served vegetarian and vegan food, with the vegan hot dog declared the ‘best in the world’. Hmm.
The Green Party’s policies are decided by the membership and are voted on at conference. I had no idea what to expect in terms of plenaries or voting, so I took a seat in a packed hall and listened to the proposers outline their policies, then heard others putting forward their requests to approve or not approve, then a membership vote – it was quite something to know I could influence what my new party was going to put in their next manifesto and to listen to well-thought out proposals, objections and responses.
So refreshing also to witness genuine respect and consideration for each other’s views. No heckling or anger on display here – although as an aside I heard that the ‘Greens in Exile’ attempted to infiltrate several conference motions and heckle trans members at other times.
As I came out of the hall I spotted Owen Jones – I follow him on social media and approve of his position on Palestine – he’s a bit of a thorn in the side of the Labour Party at the moment, which makes me like him more! He had just met a friend and did not know who I was but he obligingly posed for a photo and was really friendly.
Red line for Gaza
Next was the Red Line for Gaza event. We all headed off to the beach, happy that there was a glorious blue sunny sky ahead of us. The organisers rolled out a huge line of red tape for us all to hold and once everyone was in place, it stretched down the beach way beyond the reach of my phone camera.
Of course, this being England, once everyone was in place and listening to the speakers, the heavens opened – not rain, but ice cold hail! I really felt for the leaders who had donned smart, but thin, suits for the meeting, and who got absolutely drenched.
A listening leader
Once the photographers were finished we all charged up the hill back to the conference centre and I was delighted to spot Zack just getting ready to do another interview so asked if I could take a photo. He was so accommodating and immediately said yes, inviting me to be in the photo with him. Being bedraggled and soaked I initially said no and then realised: one, I really admire this man, and two, if he is going to be our Prime Minister one day then what a great picture for my grandkids. So I said yes.
He asked my name and immediately remembered that we had exchanged a couple of messages on social media. Given that he must receive hundreds of interactions every day it was confirmation that this is someone who is very good at listening to, and remembering, people – exactly what I want from our politicians.
Going forward
My thoughts on what would I like to see going forward? I was quite surprised and disappointed to see how overwhelmingly white the membership is. This may just be a consequence of the location of the conference this year but I hope that, as the Greens get broader airtime and more people understand what they are offering, the membership becomes more diverse. It’s a step forward to have a Muslim deputy leader in Mothin Ali and hopefully the Muslim vote will increase as he makes his impact, and I look forward to them generating more interest from Afro-Caribbeans, as the Green Party’s values are very much aligned with those of that particular community.
On the whole my first Party Conference was a very positive experience. Thank you Zack, Rachel and Mothin for making me feel optimistic and hopeful about the future for the first time in quite a while.
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