"Green Islands" parliamentarians meet for first ever summit
19 June 2003
The Green Islands Network - the cooperative grouping of sister Green Parties in Britain and Ireland - is to hold its first ever summit this Monday (23June 2003) in Belfast.
Northern Ireland Green Party leader, Dr. John Barry will welcome the Comhaontas Glas/Irish Green Party leader, Trevor Sargent TD, who will be accompanied by his full parliamentary team (6 TDs and 2 MEPs). Scottish Green Party leader, Eleanor Scott MSP will lead the delegation of 7 MSPs.
The Green Party of England & Wales will be represented by Jenny Jones AM, Deputy Mayor of London, and one of her London Assembly colleagues Noel Lynch AM, as well as a representative of the UK Green MEPs, Jean Lambert MEP.
Dr John Barry, announcing the visit, said that "The recent success of the Scottish Greens in electing 7 MSPs, Comhantaos Glas in the Republic tripling their Dáil representation from 2 to 6 TDs last year, the gains in the local elections for the English and Welsh Green Party and the recent appointment of London's first Green Deputy Mayor, are all signs of the growing strength of Green politics across these islands".
He added: "This Green Summit on Monday is proof that Green Parties are growing and gaining the support of more and more people and communities. The fact that it's being held in Belfast highlights the way Green politics is transcending the 'us/them' divisive politics of ethnic and national identity."
The summit will discuss key Green issues of mutual concern, like the Irish peace process, the discharges of radioactive waste from Sellafield into the Irish Sea, GMOs, the present impasse in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections, the new EU constitution and the Convention on the Future of Europe. It will mark an important step in strategic cooperation as the European elections build-up gets underway. Dr Barry concluded:
"The Greens are clearly going places, and there's a strong prospect that Britain and Ireland will return several more members to the European Parliament next June."
Notes:
1. The summit will be held at the Edge conference centre (beside the Waterfront Hall). After the summit a press conference will take place at the Edge conference centre at 12.15 pm.
2. Comhaontas Glas (the Green Party in the Republic of Ireland) tripled its representation in the May 2002 general election, increasing its number of seats from two to six. The party also has two MEPs, first elected in 1994. The CG delegation comprises Trevor Sargent TD (leader), John Gormley TD (chairman), Dan Boyle TD, Paul Gogarty TD, Eamon Ryan TD, Ciarán Cuffe TD, Nuala Ahern MEP and Patricia McKenna MEP.
3. The Scottish Green Party made spectacular gains in this year's elections, going from one to seven MSPs and emerging as the fifth largest party in Scotland, confirming their status as a major voice in Scottish politics. There is now Green MSP representation in 6 of Scotland's 8 regions. The Scottish delegation comprises Eleanor Scott MSP (party leader), Robin Harper MSP (parliamentary party leader), Patrick Harvie MSP, Shiona Baird MSP, Chris Ballance MSP and Mark Ballard MSP.
4. The England & Wales Green Party now has more elected representatives in more influential positions than ever before. There are 2 Members of the European Parliament, 1 Senator in the States of Jersey and 3 Green Party Members in the London Assembly, including Jenny Jones AM, the Deputy Mayor.
In addition the Greens have one member of the House of Lords, and 53 Greens sit on 26 principal authorities. The England & Wales delegation to the summit comprises Jean Lambert MEP (London), plus Jenny Jones AM and Noel Lynch AM of the London Assembly.
