Caroline Lucas spoke today to the Convention of the Left and stressed the need for ‘root and branch' reform of both the banking and political systems. (1)
Speaking on the economic crisis, she called for major reform of the banking system, criticising the government's failure to act. Six months on from promises of change, ‘business as usual' is creeping back, with massive salaries and bonuses. "Some say that capitalism is in crisis, but as far as I can see, sadly it seems to be well on the way to recovery."
With the ‘grotesque spectacle' of all three major parties competing to slash public spending, the real tragedy, she argued, is not public debt but 2.5 million people being unemployed. Lucas stressed the importance of public spending for tackling unemployment, creating sustainable jobs and renewable energy infrastructure.
Major political changes are required, and Lucas said that ‘we're being governed by a political elite which has stopped listening.' The expenses scandal ‘ isn't a freak accident but a symptom of a system that is wholly dysfunctional.' She argued that reform is essential for the remotest chance of rebuilding trust between people and the politicians who are meant to represent them.
Lucas called for:
Regarding climate change, Caroline Lucas said current levels of ambition will deliver nothing like the speed and scale of emissions cuts we so urgently need, demanding instead:
Lucas argued that: "The Labour Party has well and truly lost its way; that inequality has actually risen under this Labour government is a damning indictment of its failure to stay true to its principles. We need a new political direction in which genuinely progressive elements work together to revitalize the Left."
"This is not about just changing leaders - what we need is a root and branch transformation of the political landscape, including electoral reform in order to make a more dynamic, inclusive and transparent politics possible."
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Notes to Editors
1) The Convention of the Left was a public meeting outside the Labour conference, on the crisis of capitalism and Westminster politics.