Green Party co-leaders make call to those “who still hope for a better world” at Autumn Conference

2 October 2020

• Newly re-elected leaders used their Autumn Conference speech to set out plans for a Green recovery
• Keynote speech was streamed to members for party’s first online conference
• Jonathan Bartley: “If you too feel that this is a moment of truth where every person must play their part. The Green Party is your home, so join us.”
• Sian Berry: “At this moment of truth for the world, Greens know that something better than business-as-usual is possible.”

The Green Party has today made a call to those who have been left behind by politicians refusing to take the radical action required at this pivotal moment in history.

Newly re-elected co-leaders Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley laid out their plans for a Green recovery in their keynote speech at the start of the Greens’ first ever online conference today.[1]

As other politicians argue for cutbacks in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Bartley and Berry showed why the Greens are the only true opposition to the Government as they called out to those “who still hope for a better world”.

They set out how plans for investment in a universal basic income and a Green New Deal could tackle poverty and set the UK on the path to become carbon neutral.

The speech called to the traditional supporters of other parties who feel let down following Labour’s turn to the right [2] and the Liberal Democrat’s decision not to elect a leader who promoted more progressive policies [3].

Bartley said:

“There are now so many people who feel disenfranchised and without a political home.

“Who know that climate justice, social justice and racial justice are the same goals. Who still hope for a better world.

“If you want to shape the future, not repeat the past. If you too feel that this is a moment of truth where every person must play their part. The Green Party is your home, so join us.”

The speech set out the Green Party’s position as the political allies of the environment and social justice movement and how it has never been scared of standing up for what is right.

The co-leaders said we are at a “moment of truth” and that the Greens are the only political party now standing up for radical change. 

Berry said:

“At this moment of truth for the world, Greens know that something better than business-as-usual is possible.

“Other politicians, now, are arguing again for cutbacks and cancelling investment in the wake of the economic shock of coronavirus, a trade-off between the economy and saving lives.

“But we dissent and we say this just isn’t true.

“We say that our plan for recovery cannot be a re-run of austerity economics, and that with a Green New Deal and a basic income we can break free from the old thinking for good.

“And the public are with us. They want a new normal.”