Green Party leader Natalie Bennett has released her Christmas message, wishing everyone in Britain a relaxing, reviving, happy festive season.
The video looks back over Britain’s rich history of political struggle, from the Diggers, to the Chartists to Greenham Common, and forward, to a new age of involvement in politics where we need to tackle economic, social, environmental and political crises.
Natalie also stresses that politics is changing, saying: “Politics shouldn't be just something that gets done to you. Politics should be something that you do to make a difference in your society.”
The full text:
I'd like to begin by wishing everyone in Britain a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
It's the time when we get together with friends and family, put up a tree perhaps, wear the rather curious festive jumpers that only come out at this time of year.
It's a time to celebrate, enjoy, relax, and recharge the batteries.
It's also a great time to reflect on the state of Britain today, because there's no doubt that we're currently facing economic, social, and environmental crises, as well as the political crisis that arises from the fact we have a government that only has the support of 24% of eligible voters.
Rather than looking at the moment, we can use this as a time to look back. Maybe, over the family table, ask some questions. Ask your relatives and friends about their past; what they've been doing in the past year, in previous years.
Maybe you'll make some unexpected discoveries. Maybe your auntie, who you never knew much about, it turns out she was at Greenham Common.
Maybe you'll find out there, almost forgotten in the family history, is a suffragette. Maybe, if you look around your town, city, or village, you'll find a history of political struggle, of political achievement; whether that goes back to the Chartists, fighting for democracy and liberty; whether it goes back to the Diggers, even further in our history.
Britain has a great, radical tradition, a tradition of fighting for and winning political change. That's something that, as we sit back and relax at Christmas, we can draw on, learn about, develop, into the new year.
It's very clear that we have to demand a different sort of society in Britain. We have to demand a society that works for the common good, not just for the few.
We have to demand a society in which we live within our planetary limits. At the moment in Britain, we're currently using the resources of three planets. We can only use one, and yet ensure we have a society in which no one worries about putting food on the table or keeping a roof over their head.
And, we need to demand political change; a fair electoral system in which every vote counts, in which people know that they can vote for what they believe in, and get it.
It's a time of change, a time of reflection, a time to look backwards and forwards into the future, a time to celebrate and enjoy.
I hope everyone is able to do that, and look forward into 2016 with new hope, and with the understanding that politics shouldn't be just something that gets done to you.
Politics should be something that you do to make a difference in your society.
ENDS
Notes:
Natalie's video can be viewed here.