ANDREW COOPER

Andrew Cooper responses to questions for all

candidates in the current Green Party Leader and

Deputy Leader elections submitted by Green Left

members to help inform Green Left and Green

Party members about your views on various issues

relevant to the election

1. Do you agree our anti austerity and Ecosocialist polices have led to growth of our party and its influence in England and Wales amongst millions of people?

I think the fact that we are a left of centre party that sticks to its principles has helped us carve out a niche for ourselves. Opposition to austerity definitely identifies us as ‘progressive’ and in many people’s views as left of centre.

2. Do you believe that in marginal seats where a candidate of another party is standing who shares many of our core values including PR, we should stand down, as we did with Salma Yaqoob at a recent general election?

No I don’t believe in standing down without some form of reciprocation that will benefit the Green Party. I would also want to be convinced that standing down is the right thing to do

3. What do you understand by the term “Ecosocialist”? 'Would you see yourself as being an ecosocialist? and what does that mean to you?

Ecosocialism is a vision of a transformed society in harmony with nature, and the development of practices that can attain it. It is directed toward alternatives to all socially and ecologically destructive systems, such as patriarchy, racism, homophobia and the fossil-fuel based economy.

I’ve never called myself an ‘Ecosocialist’ though in conversation with people who od we come to similar conclusions on many occasions

4 Which one of the following 4 campaigns will be your top priority?

PR

• Devolution and constitutional reforms

• A People's Vote on the terms of the final trade deal with the EU.

• De-growth

Given the limited choice offered I’d have to say a Peoples Vote as Top Priority means what is the most immediate concern that needs addressing

5 While national and specialist news media have deadlines and our party 'leadership' are still supposed to be 'speakers' rather than directors, how would you ensure that you make pronouncements that are a truly democratic way forward in times of democratic crisis such as parliamentary boundary changes reports?

I’d use the Party structures that exist to check a response to issues where no current policy exists such as GPRC and Political Committee as appropriate. I wouldn’t make pronouncements.

6 How can succession of postholders for electoral office within GPEW be handled in such a way that there can be a 'level playing field' between candidates, rather than it being regarded that those who had most advanced notice of a vacancy having an unfair advantage?

Our Party rulesmean that people have advanced notice of forthcoming elections. For Leaders/Deputy’s that is every 2 years

7 It is a mistake to put all our resources toward winning elections into the election period, if. we must first have a budget for campaign resources to boost our 'street cred’ and have more street stalls. Discuss.

We should be campaigning all the year round to win local elections and build support for Parliamentary success later. So Local Elections require work outside the election period but there is an onus on Local Parties to raise their own funds for this activity. Nationally led campaigns such as Train Fares increases will require resource from the centre for production of leaflets etc

8 What is your view of the Liberal Democrats politically?

They lack a clear political focus and their embracing of economic based Neo- Liberalism has compromised any credibility they had on social policy. They are frequently contradictory on Environment Policy and had an awful record in Government.

9 What is your view of Spokespersons pooling their knowledge for greater insight into this Government's hidden agendas? (Eg, Consider the implications of this search link for closer collaboration between Health Spokesperson and Work and Pensions Spokesperson with Leaders/Principal Spokespersons as hubs https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/?s=health+work+programme+unum)

Spokespeople should work together on common and overlapping policy areas. There is a wider question as to whether or not we are making best use of our Spokepeople and have a strategy to raise their profile with the media. More work is required here.

10 How to respond to demonising of, say, benefit claimants and anti-Zionists?

We need to make sure that we are seen to be standing up for those who are oppressed whether they are benefit claimants or Palestinians. That will mean directing people to look at these issues with a wider perspective looking at the causes of the ongoing crisis in the middle east and the root causes of Poverty.

11 'Do you believe every local party should be organising a public meeting promoting PR in the next few months'

I believe we need a Strategy to decide how we are going to effectively campaign for PR before we hold a meeting. We need to strongly consider a campaign of non violent direct action.civil disobedience for PR

12 'What lessons can the Green Party take from the campaign in Sheffield?'

So many. Labour does bad PFI deals too. That we can have popular electable candidates from the BME Community. That without Target to Win we would not have been in the space to take advantage of Labour’s demise in Sheffield.

13 How can Green Party communications of their policies be made more relevant to the working class (White and Black Minority Ethnic)?

We need people to be familiar with the Green Party as part of their everyday lives. Taking up the issues and problems of working class people instead of just talking about them. Growing our Councillor base is a good way of building strong roots in communities and making ourselves relevant to people who often have challenging lives with limited incomes. I work a lot with the muslim community in Huddersfield and it is by close contact with communities and taking up their concerns that helps build support.

14 In the event that Brexit does go ahead, including the possibility of an immediate no-deal departure in March 2019, what are your plans for the party's focus post-leaving and how would you propose to reach out to the 52% who voted to leave?

We have to ensure that the Party has a plan to take us from the 2-3% we are in the Polls at the moment to 10% and overtaking the Lib Dems. That means having a strong vision of where we want to take society base on our values. I would want to initiate a piece of work to plan how we are going to reach out and gain more support in the next 2 years.

15. What is your view of ecosocialist perspectives which are more dominant in developing countries e.g. Latin America which are streets ahead in terms of renewable energy. Wind farms are seen to be the solution to dire poverty and whole communities are stabilized, giving respite from the never-ending 'war on drugs', drug economies and gang violence...?

Initially I’d probably ask Derek Wall about Latin American issues as I’m sure he knows more than I do about it. Renewable Energy can be a liberating technology linked with energy storage in that it can provide free limitless energy. It is part of the solution and immediately redfines people as simply users of energy and not consumers paying large corporations for the energy they consume.