About the Green Party
What Does the Green Party Stand for
The Green Party is focused primarily on environmental issues. But unlike the mainstream political parties that became concerned about environmental issues only in the recent years, the Greens have been warning about the harmful impact of human activities on the environment for decades.
The Greens are pleased with a ‘greener’ policy and support the Government in its efforts to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint and make the environment cleaner and healthier. But they strongly oppose the government’s carbon plan which foresees retention and even expansion of nuclear power for electricity generation.
The Green Party also fights for a ‘greener’ economy and creation of sustainable society that coexists in harmony with the nature as well as with other people. Other key principles of Green politics include social justice, grassroots democracy and nonviolence.
How It All Began
Green politics has a longer tradition in the UK than most people are aware of. In fact, it all began much earlier than in Germany which is often considered to be the cradle of the Greens as a political force. The UK got its Green Party as early as 1973 when a group of four people from the so-called ‘Club of Thirteen’ founded PEOPLE. From 1975 to 1985, it was called the Ecology Party until it finally came to be known as the Green Party. In 1990, the latter broke up into three parties - of England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scottish Green Party.
In comparison to Germany and many other European countries, the Greens in the UK were not so successful at the general elections. The Party got its first parliamentarian only in 1989 (George MacLeod, Baron MacLeod of Fuinary in the House of Lords). But the UK got its first Green MP only in 2010 in person of Caroline Lucas from the Green Party of England and Wales.
Green Party’s Results at the Elections
The UK’s Greens were not particularly successful in the contest for MP seats although Northern Ireland’s and Scottish Greens achieved impressive results at the election for the Northern Ireland Assembly and Scottish Parliament. According to many experts, this is due to the fact that Northern Ireland and Scotland do not have the first past the post system. In overall, however, the UK’s Greens were much more successful at the EU than at the state level. At the 1989 European Parliament Election, the Greens won 15% of all votes which is the record in the Party’s history.
Why Vote for the Green Party
For whom to vote is up to each citizen to decide for himself/herself. On the other hand, the changes in environmental politics are taking place too slowly. If we want to reverse the climate change, stop deforestation and destruction of rainforests, ban or at least restrict genetically modified organisms and make our planet a friendlier place for all forms of life, we cannot afford to wait any longer. The Green Party is determined to take action now but it needs your help in order to be able to make a difference.