Whilst Theresa moves in her furniture and Owen and Jeremy tear each other apart, poor old Natalie Bennett has slipped out of the limelight for the last time.
The leader of the Green party for the past four years Bennett came in for some tough criticism during last year’s general election. Often flustered and prone to gaffes, she was labelled as somewhat of a liability. But people shouldn’t be too quick to criticise. Bennett would be the first to admit that she wasn’t media savvy. In fact, she very much prides herself on not being the ‘career politician’ that other parties tend to push out in front of the camera. She would suggest that her lack of rehearsed lines, her instinct to say the first thing that came to mind, and her public shows of emotion have made her more relatable, and ultimately a better politician. I’d be inclined to agree.
Ahead of last year’s election the Greens could boast more members than UKIP, signing up more than 13,000 members in just one week! (As of this year it has more than 60,000 members). They received their highest ever vote share at the election, with more than 1 million people voting for them, and increasing their national share of the vote from 1% to 3.8%.
So I think Bennett can leave with her head held high.
But what next? The Greens, at least for the past few years, have offered a real left wing alternative to many voters who were tired of the Labour and Conservative parties’ never ending pursuit of the centre. As Labour moves further left under Corbyn there is a very real threat that Green votes will be squeezed and people will drift back to a Labour party they believe will better represent their views, with a more likely chance of electoral success. But what a shame that would be. The Green party deserve to be a real part of our national political discussions and they will need to work hard to build on the momentum of the past four years.
They don’t represent my politics but there are plenty of people who, given the choice, would cast their vote for the Greens. Those people deserve to be represented. So let’s look forward to their leadership election, and even if you don’t like them, let’s hope it delivers the Greens the leader they deserve.
Politics on the side 