Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett’s Autumn Party Conference Keynote Speech

5 September 2014

*Green Party will be standing candidates in at least 75% of seats at the 2015 General Election

*Only progressive policies such as a wealth tax will deliver real change for the common good

*Green Party hold biggest ever Autumn Conference

*Green Party membership up 28% this year

In her keynote speech to Green Party Conference, Natalie Bennett spelled out how only the Greens offer a genuine break from the tired business-as-usual politics, can deliver real change for the common good and revealed that the Greens will stand a record number of candidates at the 2015 General Election.

Bennett, who has been re-elected for her second term as party leader, told conference attendees that the Green Party will be standing in at least 75% of General Election seats. This means far more voters than ever before – 50% more than in 2010 – will have the chance to vote Green in next year’s General Election.

Speaking at Birmingham’s Conference Aston, Bennett outlined the Green alternative:

“We’re the party of real change, the party with plans and policies for how to transform our economy so that it works for the common good within the environmental limits of this planet.

The 2015 Green Party Election Manifesto will include progressive policy pledges including a wealth tax on the top 1% (1), a minimum wage target of £10 for all by 2020 (2) and an immediate raising of the minimum wage to living wage levels. 

“These are policies that will work for the majority, the 99%  - policies that ensure rich individuals and multinational companies pay their way, policies that ensure that workers are fairly rewarded for their labours, policies that protect the vulnerable, help the young and ensure everyone can live without fear.

“Voters are desperate for alternatives to the three business-as-usual parties. Voters increasingly understand that our current model is broken, our economy and society are failing to meet our needs, and our way of life consumes the resources of three planets.

The Green Party has a vision of a new Britain, a Britain in which fear is replaced with real hope for the future, in which we can be confident our children and grandchildren will have a secure, decent life, have jobs they can build their lives on, have a social safety net in case they need it, and a natural world they can enjoy and rely on.

“And that vision matches the views of the British people. They want to see the railways renationalised, they want to see every worker paid a living wage, they want to keep our NHS publicly owned, publicly run, and services free.”

http://greenparty.org.uk/news/2014/07/29/green-party-calls-for-a-wealth-tax/

http://greenparty.org.uk/news/2014/09/05/the-green-party-calls-for-a-£10-minimum-wage-for-all/

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