Tagged with Green Party

Are the Greens Progressive?

Are the Greens a progressive party? Are they enemies of the labour movement that need combatting alongside the Tories, UKIP, LibDems and the rest? I ask because, as Graun readers may have seen, Ian Sinclair posed the question last week; “why does the left ignore the Green Party?” It’s a fair enough question to ask.

Ian provided a list of policies most Labour types wish we would take on board. Wild ultra-leftist promises like renationalising rail and public utilities, which also happen to be backed by the public at large. All progressive, all would go some way to making Britain a better place to be. Yet the reasons why the left and the labour movement don’t treat the Greens favourably is only partly thanks to the enduring image of sandal-wearing, lentil-snorting hippy-types. Continue reading →

Germany: Why the Left numerical majority isn’t a political majority

Die LinkeIl Manifesto newspaper interviews Sahra Wagenknecht, deputy leader of Die Linke, on why Merkel did so well in the elections, the failure of the SPD and the prospects of unity on the Left.

For Sahra Wagenknecht, deputy leader of Die Linke (‘The Left’), there is no doubt: the weakness of the Social Democratic challenger was one of the determining factors to promote the Chancellor. ‘Peer Steinbrück could not represent an alternative: he embodies a series of bad choices, from the bank bailout to the increase in VAT, made ​​when he was minister in the Grand Coalition [government] of 2005-2009,’, argues the 44 year old leader, figurehead of the most radical component of the party.

Against the backdrop of the christian democrat (CDU-CSU) victory, how do you judge the result of Die Linke ? Continue reading →

Labour leading in Scotland

The latest poll points to a Labour lead in the battle for the Scottish Parliament by 7% over the SNP in the regional votes which are normally the best predictor of the seats each party is likely to win. The YouGov poll shows that Labour is likely to do worse in the constituency elections — in which the SNP are slightly in the lead with Lib Dems in a disastrous 5th place after the Greens — but Labour would do much better in a Westminster election (though that is of no practical benefit). Continue reading →