[Tubby Isaacs]

That Monbiot "sod it, Tories can have 5 years"- he's the one who reckons big action required on climate change now?

[The Weeping Angel]

Being led by a former journalist I expected the Greens to be more media savvy than this

http://labourlist.org/2015/02/green-par ... ving-wage/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tubby Isaacs]

They seem to have dropped or downgraded the Citizen's Income.

Good decision. Won't be the last policy to go.

[Killer Whale]

They seem to have dropped or downgraded the Citizen's Income.

Good decision. Won't be the last policy to go.

Isn't that just the 'negative income tax' idea that floated around New Left circles during the 60s and 70s?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Think negative income tax is what's called working tax credits, isn't it?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 3 hrs3 hours ago
Revised @LordAshcroft outcome for December Doncast N poll
LAB 55
UKIP 25
CON 13
LD 4
GRN 2

Clearly the Greens have some Old Labour policies, but their more anti-Labour members have to face the fact at some point that they're not making very much progress in working class seats. Say what you like about the SNP, they are doing that.

A Green on another board who is particularly unpleasant about Labour made a lot of them only just beating UKIP in Haywood, and drew the conclusion Labour was too right wing. He wasn't so forthcoming on why the Greens got about 1/13 of UKIPs vote, or Labour's vote share going up, or that UKIP's vote could be accounted for entirely by falling Tory, Lib Dem and BNP votes.

The Green candidate in Redcar is senior RMT- don't know if he can make some progress. Perhaps Green candidates like him could give them some Old Labour qualities. H's ex-TUSC, so not much evidence of stardust so far. But it's surely better they have candidates like this rather than like Rupert Read.

[The Weeping Angel]

True although the candidate the SNP have selected in Paisley isn't particularly impressive.

[mattomac]

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 3 hrs3 hours ago
Revised @LordAshcroft outcome for December Doncast N poll
LAB 55
UKIP 25
CON 13
LD 4
GRN 2

Clearly the Greens have some Old Labour policies, but their more anti-Labour members have to face the fact at some point that they're not making very much progress in working class seats. Say what you like about the SNP, they are doing that.

A Green on another board who is particularly unpleasant about Labour made a lot of them only just beating UKIP in Haywood, and drew the conclusion Labour was too right wing. He wasn't so forthcoming on why the Greens got about 1/13 of UKIPs vote, or Labour's vote share going up, or that UKIP's vote could be accounted for entirely by falling Tory, Lib Dem and BNP votes.

The Green candidate in Redcar is senior RMT- don't know if he can make some progress. Perhaps Green candidates like him could give them some Old Labour qualities. H's ex-TUSC, so not much evidence of stardust so far. But it's surely better they have candidates like this rather than like Rupert Read.

Heywood and Middleton was quite poor turnout too, it generally benefits UKIP, the polls were so out but it didn't reflect UKIP gaining votes it just suggested Labour were poor at getting the vote out, hopefully that will be different in those seats at election time.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I agree with that. It wasn't a great reflection on the Greens, 3.1% on a low turnout. They've got no traction at all in working class areas.

[The Red Arrow]

RMT Union President: Why I'm standing for the Greens in Redcar
2:00, 7 February 2015
By Rachel Wearmouth

Peter Pinkney, whose union has a long history with Labour, will stand for the Greens and accuses Ed Miliband's party of betraying the working class

The RMT boss also revealed the union has donated £7,000 to Caroline Lucas, the country’s only Green MP, after the Greens were supportive of plans to renationalise the railways.

Mr Pinkney said: “Labour is no longer the working class party. They have betrayed us time and time again. They should remember that it was the unions who formed the ‘party of labour’ not deny our links.

“The radical Labour Party of 1945 is long gone. No longer do they champion nationalisation, social housing, the NHS, education etc, they are a sort of reddish Conservative Party.

“In my opinion the party of the left is now the Green Party.”

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor ... ng-8598307" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[The Weeping Angel]

They stopped supporting Labour over ten years ago

[mattomac]

How does being against HS2 sit with the RMT?

Generally I'm undecided on it but I would generally expect a Trade union of railwaymen to be for it.

Edit: Apparently they are, though they want it owned by Public Ownership which is fair enough.

Anyhow doesn't everyone champion Education, what does that even mean, yes championing the NHS and Social Housing are things you can Champion, Education is a term like Health and Housing not a specific delivery of that like the NHS and Social Housing and if I'm honest Labour are championing the NHS at Westminster level (They are also stopping right to buy in Wales).

[The Weeping Angel]

Christ sake talk about a bunch of amateurs

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20 ... -manifesto" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tubby Isaacs]

Beleaguered useless Ed Miliband in stopping Green surge shocker.

YouGov/S Times (6/2/15) – CON 32%, LAB 33%, LDEM 7%, UKIP 15%, GRN 8%
Opinium/Observer (6/2/15) – CON 32%, LAB 34%, LDEM 7%, UKIP 15%, GRN 8%
Ashcroft (8/2/15) – CON 34%, LAB 31%, LDEM 9%, UKIP 14%, GRN 6%
Populus (8/2/15) – CON 33%, LAB 34%, LDEM 8%, UKIP 15%, GRN 4%
YouGov/Sun (9/2/15) – CON 34%, LAB 33%, LDEM 7%, UKIP 14%, GRN 7%
YouGov/Sun (10/2/15) – CON 33%, LAB 35%, LDEM 6%, UKIP 13%, GRN 8%
Ipsos MORI/Standard (10/2/15) – CON 34%, LAB 36%, LDEM 6%, UKIP 9%, GRN 7%
YouGov/Sun (11/2/15) – CON 32%, LAB 33%, LDEM 7%, UKIP 15%, GRN 7%
YouGov/Sun (12/2/15) – CON 31%, LAB 34%, LDEM 7%, UKIP 15%, GRN 7%
Populus (12/2/15) – CON 31%, LAB 34%, LDEM 9%, UKIP 14%, GRN 6%

I like quite a few Green members and I think Labour should work closely with them in local government. But like others, I think we heard a suspicious amount of stuff about their advance recently, so I don't want them to do very well in the election.

[Abernathy]

Just heard Natalie Bennett's interview on LBC this morning. Talk about a car crash. Thing is, this isn't the first time that Bennett has foundered hopelessly on news media - basic stuff for a party leader.. The Greens must be thinking again about having elected her leader.