“a time when a person or a group faces the consequences of their past actions”.
‘ Entryism’ in the Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW) is nothing new. For decades, either through naivety of a highest order or because of self-interest – or both – all leaders, without exception, have turned a blind eye to waves after waves of new recruits joining the Party bringing with them their own ideological agenda and taking control of its policy making and instruments of governance.
Green leaders have also perpetuated the myth that the Party is ‘members’ led’, and therefore a paragon of virtue and democracy. The opposite is the case. The ‘ one members one vote’, as enshrined in the Party’s 1960s idealist constitution * is an illusion of democracy.
To the present leaders’ dismay at this Autumn 2026 Conference, 209 self-appointed participants out of 1835 members with a card vote have approved a motion proposed by Green4Palestine and the Muslim Greens groups entitled ‘Zionism is racism’.
Regardless of the content of that controversial motion, the myth of democracy has finally been exposed. The stark reality is that the GPEW has always had a huge democratic deficit. A mere Association made up of 370 loosely connected Local Parties, it is more akin to a sect rather than a political party where anyone is warmly welcome but then left pretty much to their own device.
Very few members – old and new – will have read the Party’s ecological Philosophical Basis and its Core Values. Unlike most progressive parties, there is no induction for new members and little debate locally about ideas or anything much other than how to win elections. The implementation of the Target to Win strategy has become the single purpose of all Local Parties.
There also is no awareness of the Party’s Quaker inspired rituals and, as in all sects, a somewhat unhealthy reverence or cult like mind-set towards Leaders. Zack Polanski and Gorton & Denton MP Hannah Spencer do seem to have encouraged such cult from their followers. The stark reality is that the veil has been lifted and the truth about the Party’s democratic deficit and its greatly dysfunctional governance has been revealed.
Unsurprisingly, the same leaders, past and present, are now desperately searching for a quick fix and looking for scapegoats to avoid further scrutiny and a meltdown.
There are no quick fixes.
As any policy motion approved by Conference, this policy determined by the adoption of “Zionism is racism” which also rejects the two states solution cannot be deleted or amended for another two years. Furthermore, the constitution can only be amendment by self-appointed conference attendees.
The leadership has lost control and there is no going back. Having to admit it will indeed a though one for the team.
But in their decade-long drive to get to a position where the GPEW would be seen as a potential party of government, they have turned a blind eye to the shutting down of free speech, ignored the vile treatment and discrimination endured by women and men who take the view that sex is biological, and even lost one court cases in the process costing members £1m . They now will have to face the music.
As predicted by The Green Light Blog team in our 2023 original and updated mission statement, this is the reckoning.
The Party will be taken to Court for anti-semitism, and sex discrimination. 1000 Green Councillors and thousands of hard working members in Local or Regional Parties will be left in a lurch. Will they stay or will they go ? Will they get back to basic and regroup in a democratic New Green Party, ready to mobilise people to tackle the climate crisis, make the richest pay a little bit more to end poverty and be ready for the next General Election? Who knows?
Your comments are always welcome.
TheGreelightBlog@protomail.com
Please Share and ‘like’
* CONFERENCE IS SOVEREIGN
The Constitution describes Conference as the supreme forum of the Party. It is where members debate and decide our policy, our Constitution and our governance structures, on a one member, one vote basis.
When Conference passes a motion, it becomes binding. Every governance body of the Party operates within the framework Conference sets, and no body may override a policy decision made by Conference.
Conference also elects the Party’s constitutional guardians directly, and can amend the Constitution itself by a two-thirds majority.
Key Facts
Members can change anything
The Constitution itself can be amended by member motion.
2 Conferences each year
A main Autumn Conference and a smaller Spring Conference.
ONE Member, ONE vote
Every eligible member present in plenary has an equal vote on motions.
Decisions are binding
Passed motions become Party policy and apply to all bodies.
https://greenparty.org.uk/about/our-constitution/
REVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION
i) The Constitution may be revised by a two thirds majority vote, at an Annual Conference or an Extraordinary Party Conference called by an Annual Conference in a resolution explicitly delegating this power.
ii) The Constitution may also be revised by a two thirds majority vote of the membership through a party-wide ballot. Such a ballot will be initiated by an Annual Conference in a resolution explicitly delegating this power. Such a resolution may only be proposed in advance of an Annual Conference through the normal First Agenda process. A simple majority at Conference will be required to pass the motion to initiate the ballot.
iii) No amendment to the Constitution shall be retrospective in nature/effect.
iv) Changes to this constitution take effect at the close of the Conference in which they were agreed. Or for changes that come about via a members’ ballot when the result of that ballot is agreed.
v) Where errors arise within the numbering, lettering and references within The Constitution, Standing Orders Committee are permitted to correct and republish them without recourse to conference for prior approval. All corrections made by Standing Orders Committee outside of conference will be reported to the next AGM or Spring Conference as part
