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Martin Bell and me at GP Conference!


I am back from Green Party Conference. The Conference blog continues here:

http://greendespatches.blogspot.com


The event that I chaired with Martin Bell (and that featured also Guardian Weekly journalist and Green Party Communications Officer Natalie Bennett) went really wonderfully well.
Bell gave an inspiring speech, in which argued that our Party could and should be anti-war and pro-peace but also pro-soldier; he mentioned the 'remarkable' fact that all 165 Murdoch newspaper editors 'independently' decided to back the Iraq war...; he called upon the Green Party to cast itself as "the Party of honest politics", and suggested that this was a very plausible string to our bow beside our 'core' issues; he said (drawing upon his experience of having fought the Eastern Region Euro-elections last time -- this is the Region where I am now our Party's lead candidate) "Rupert has a very good chance of winning in 2009; You are a mainstream Party now and deserve such breakthroughs; I wish you every good luck."
Wow! You can't get much closer to an endorsement than that...

Comments

Matt Wootton said…
Martin Bell was a wonderful speaker. And his contributions on the role of the Greens were encouraging and thought-provoking.
I wonder, having said that, whether the (rightful) emphasis on "clean politics" doesn't in itself undermine politics if you take it too far. I think your later blog about why you are in politics is quite right - and good luck to you. Let's make sure we find a way to decry politics and politicians that can still bring more ordinary people into politics.. and stimulate involvement not apathy..,!
I like the way you seem to be wearing Martin Bell's waistcoat by the way... Or has he got your jacket...? ;-) Great minds think alike :-)
20 February 2008 at 10:53
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