Benn: Green politics can renew Labour

Mike Ion Thu Mar 22, 2007 at 05:01:02 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

In a recent speech to SERA Hilary Benn has argued that the Labour party must put the environment at the heart of its renewal.



Benn argued that all too often, environment campaigners have been on the sidelines of party debates and that green ideas have often failed to make it into the political mainstream. He told SERA that he agreed with David Miliband who has argued that the green movement has been seen, rightly or wrongly, as being anti-growth. Benn said that the idea that growth is bad is not only politically unpalatable but it is also immoral. Why? Because, argued Benn, it hurts the world's poor the most. During his stint at DfID Benn said he had seen first hand how economic growth is the surest way to lift people out of poverty, to provide them with jobs, with healthcare and with the chance to go to school.

He argued that environmental politics had to be fair politics and said that David Cameron's proposals on air taxed would do little to cut emissions but would do a lot to take money from the poor. Labour politics must be green politics said Benn and green politics must be Labour politics. He said that Labour should make being a member make more attractive, that historically we have recruited a lot of people, only for them to drift away from the party. Labour should host debates on local issues in venues away from constituency party meeting rooms and offices. It should be talking about the things that the people we hope to represent are talking about. We need to listen more.

According to Benn if we make Labour the party that makes the difference on environmental issues, it will bring more people, and more active people, to the party than anything else. For Benn green politics offers Labour a once in a generation opportunity for renewal.


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Benn: Green politics can renew Labour | 4 comments (4 topical)

Re: Benn: Green politics can renew Labour (#1)

by red flagger on Thu Mar 22, 2007 at 07:52:30 PM GMT

I agree- the green agenda is an excellent way to bring truly progressive ideas back into the party, and a great chance for positive renewal.


Re: Benn: Green politics can renew Labour (#2)

by swatantra on Thu Mar 22, 2007 at 08:15:47 PM GMT

True, but are there any votes in it.


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Re: Benn: Green politics can renew Labour (#3)

by Mike Ion on Thu Mar 22, 2007 at 08:34:37 PM GMT

swatantra

I think there are votes in it - but I sense that was not the main thrust of Benn's argument. He was talking about how we renew the party, how we re-engage with members (old, new and disaffected)and supporters.


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Re: Benn: Green politics can renew Labour (#4)

by swatantra on Fri Mar 23, 2007 at 09:35:07 AM GMT

At a local level people are concerned about the quality of their immediate environment, their their individual space; that their homes should be decent, safe, secure and private. They are concerned about the quality of the air around them that affects the health of their children; and whether their children can get safely to school and receive a decent education to prepare them for the competitive world we live in today. Whether they can get from home to work to shops and to their leisure activities, conveniently and not be caught up in traffic.  They are concerned about the diminishing level of their disposable income which is swallowed up by housing costs and taxes. And they are concerned about job security and domestic issues of crime and disorder. They are concerned about terrorism. These are the issues that concern the ordinary person and we as a Party should be addressing and they want to see us address. Unfortunately the global environment is not uppermost in their minds at the moment.


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Benn: Green politics can renew Labour | 4 comments (4 topical)