Several months back, this blog engaged in speculation about who might stand for the Leadership of the Green Party, if the referendum creating Leader and Deputy posts went through. Well, it did go through, and we are about to see if any of those speculations (or suggestions) were accurate or not: for nominations are about to open for the first-ever election for Leader and Deputy Leader of our Party...
Who WILL stand?
Then, as now, I hope that Caroline Lucas will stand for Leader and win. Though I also hope that there will be a contest for the post. And I'm going to say one thing new: I hope that my colleague, now the first-ever Leader of the Opposition on a Principal Authority Council, Adrian Ramsay, will stand for Deputy. I think it would be really exciting to have someone fresh and new, someone standing for the second most winnable Parliamentary seat for our Party (with Brighton Pavillion, where Caroline is standing, being the most winnable), putting themselves up for this national office...
Comments
Surely Adrian has got enough on his hands with being the 'Leader' of the Green opposition group @ Norwich and he his potentially as serious a candidate as those of other parties to challenge Charles Clark.
He needs to concentrate on those!
BUT: I do know that Adrian is seriously _thinking_ about throwing his hat into the ring.
Now, it is true that Adrian already has a lot on his plate. But the same is true of any other viable / serious potential candidate (of whom there are only a few). Sadly, as usual, it is the people who are busiest who are most likely to be called upon to do more top-qual jobs. They are busiest, BECAUSE they are very good...
If Adrian were to stand, I believe that Norwich folk would back him and pull behind him in terms of doing extra work to make it possible for him to do this vitally-important job too. That is certainly what activists around here are saying to me.
Jim's blog
http://jim.killock.org.uk/?p=33
Thanks, Weggis; no, I am definitely _not_ going to be a candidate. I have plenty on my plate already, as a University Lecturer, busy ward Councillor, and Euro lead-candidate. Plus, I wouldn't stand against Adrian (who, I note, is polling very well in Jim Killock's poll!).
If I make MEP, then in a few years' time it might be something I'd consider.