Sam Stopp, Labour Councillor for Wembley Central, caused a stir among fellow councillors, when he posted an article professing admiration for the Green Party, naming them as the true opposition on Brent Council (despite having no councillors) and calling fro Labour and the Greens to work together: I admire the Green Party-I just don't believe them
He uses the example of Brighton to say that Greens, faced with reduced Council funding, do the same as other parties. It is a fair point but ignores the fact that this is a minority adminstration which has been subject to much criticism from within the Green Party (See Red Pepper debate). Extrapolating from one minority Green council to the party in general is a step too far.
One paragraph indicates the difference between the parties quite well:
The Green Party has a clear position of opposition to neo-liberalism and the austerity agendaLINK. As Ed Balls made clear on the BBC Radio 4 programme today, Labour is still trapped within that agenda, and we can look forward to the continuation of austerity and public sector cuts under a future Labour adminstration.
I am a former member of the Labour Party (well it is about 50 years since I left!) who counts himself a socialist and a trade unionist, and because of my concerns about the environment and climate change, an eco-socialist. That is why I am a member of Green Left. I do not think the problem of climate change can be solved within a capitalist system based on ever rising consumption and plundering the planet's resources to extinction.
Sam Stopp calls for Labour and Greens to listen to each other. I am not interested in tribal politics and as a Green will work with anyone on day to day basis to drive forward the environmental and social justice agenda but we cannot ignore fundamental differences.
Written in a personal capacity
He uses the example of Brighton to say that Greens, faced with reduced Council funding, do the same as other parties. It is a fair point but ignores the fact that this is a minority adminstration which has been subject to much criticism from within the Green Party (See Red Pepper debate). Extrapolating from one minority Green council to the party in general is a step too far.
One paragraph indicates the difference between the parties quite well:
In the never-ending age of neo-liberalism, the Greens should also be praised for calling for an end to the post-Thatcherite consensus. Often I wish the Labour Party would get back to its roots, oppose this country’s addiction to capital and unashamedly advocate a radical redistribution of wealth. But that’s for another day.The throw-away last sentence is crucial. The people suffering from the Coalition's austerity measures cannot wait for another day - they are being made homeless today, their children are going hungry today and they will be without heating today.
The Green Party has a clear position of opposition to neo-liberalism and the austerity agendaLINK. As Ed Balls made clear on the BBC Radio 4 programme today, Labour is still trapped within that agenda, and we can look forward to the continuation of austerity and public sector cuts under a future Labour adminstration.
I am a former member of the Labour Party (well it is about 50 years since I left!) who counts himself a socialist and a trade unionist, and because of my concerns about the environment and climate change, an eco-socialist. That is why I am a member of Green Left. I do not think the problem of climate change can be solved within a capitalist system based on ever rising consumption and plundering the planet's resources to extinction.
Sam Stopp calls for Labour and Greens to listen to each other. I am not interested in tribal politics and as a Green will work with anyone on day to day basis to drive forward the environmental and social justice agenda but we cannot ignore fundamental differences.
Written in a personal capacity