At its spring conference in Cardiff, the Green Party has launched an internal support network for “Diversity Champions” in each local branch of the Green Party.
The network will begin to address black, minority, and ethnic community representation, as well as bringing more working-class people into the Green Party.
Farid Bakht, the Green Party’s 2010 general election candidate in Bethnal Green and Bow in East London, said: “If our policies are good for small business people and the local economy, it makes sense to engage with ethnic minorities who own small businesses. However, at the local party level, we have an ingrained habit that says ‘Jean Lambert, our London MEP, is engaging with Tamil communities and Kurdish communities in London, so our local party don’t need to.’”
“In contrast, in Tower Hamlets, we were having Green Party street stalls in Columbia Road Flower Market. Apart from half the flower market attendees being tourists, it made more sense to have our stalls at Whitechapel Market, where a far more diverse community shops.
“And we’ve begun to engage the 4 TV stations, 2 radio stations and 12 newspapers that serve the Bangledeshi community in Tower Hamlets."
Bakht continued: “Local parties, in their membership, need to reflect the ethnic diversity in their area. In Tower Hamlets, that may mean aiming for 40% members being Bangladeshi. In North Tyneside, that could mean outreach to Balkan and Chinese minorites.
“It’s about getting stuck in and forgetting language barriers and talking with people. For example, the 26th March is not only a TUC national march against cuts, but the anniversary of Bangledeshi Independence, and local parties need to be doing media and outreach work on both issues that fortnight.”