tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17124902831023083012012-02-16T07:35:48.730-08:00Reflections on how to build a modern, inclusive and participatory Green Party.Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.comBlogger551100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-9968113030558056162012-01-26T07:14:00.000-08:002012-01-26T07:20:23.901-08:00

As we curl up at home on these grim winter nights, a highlight has been my creeping addiction to Borgen. This new Danish political drama focuses upon the female leader of a minor party, who suddenly finds herself thrust into leading a coalition government as Prime Minister. There is a distinct similarity to the journey taken by the Green Party in the last couple of years. It hasn’t hurt to see

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-51613594778487423672011-11-28T07:44:00.000-08:002011-11-28T08:40:10.733-08:00

One of the savviest investments by the Green Party in nurturing it's democratic health over the last couple of years has been to invest in the Member's Website. As I wrote earlier in the year, using this private space to lay out all potential policy motions to our conference has allowed members to more easily input into honing and redrafting these so that they are smarter and more likely to be

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-39283611518515931622011-11-21T06:21:00.000-08:002011-11-22T23:41:00.754-08:00

If the last few months of campaigning amongst the membership have taught me anything, it is that there are more amazing and talented people in the Green Party than ever before. It really does feel that with the substantial leap in members over the last couple of years, a renewed sense of purpose and urgency has transformed the party’s outlook.As regular readers know, one of the original aims for

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-17107336368553456442011-11-13T09:34:00.000-08:002011-11-13T09:42:37.691-08:00

Over the last couple of months, the Committee for the LGBTIQ Greens group has been working on a strategic plan for the coming year. I thought it would be useful to share our thinking behind some of the key areas we will be focussing our attention upon. For members of the Green Party, the full summary of activities can be found on our Member's Website.Organisation:To ensure the group is

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-84903582137433946092011-10-28T07:18:00.000-07:002011-10-28T13:59:47.149-07:00

When opening a broadsheet newspaper in the last few weeks, you can’t have failed to see a disproportionate number of column inches devoted to a shift in policy from the UK Government towards LGBT rights. Making international aid conditional on a good track record on LGBT rights is now floated as a concrete policy, with countries such as Uganda and Ghana in the firing line for cancelled aid. On

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-43401749459873984072011-10-23T04:40:00.000-07:002011-10-23T04:54:31.603-07:00

In the last few weeks, my blog posts have been a little bit less frequent than I would have liked. Other commitments have made their bid for my attention, so apologies for the radio silence from me. With the political ground shifting under our feet on an almost weekly basis, you’ll be hearing more from me in the coming weeks! One of the most exciting things I am working on at the moment is the

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-87290140020934376622011-10-03T06:28:00.000-07:002011-10-04T10:13:01.537-07:00

We hear all too frequently these days that party political conferences should be scrapped, but I have to disagree. I've spent the last three weeks knee-deep in policy announcements, soundings from fringe events and the shifting of political allegiances between key figures in their parties. For the Green Party, generally thrust in the media shadows around this time, this presents an ideal

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-79854437672957215422011-09-11T03:21:00.000-07:002011-09-11T08:56:29.309-07:00

As you might expect, the second day of conference is where party business intensifies. Once the national news cycle around the Leader's Speech subsides and remaining delegates arrive in the city, attention turns firmly to voting upon policy motions and the substantive discussions on the fringe circuit.Things kicked off early with the Deputy Leader's speech. Viewed as a rallying cry to enthuse

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-21557180136449311772011-09-10T01:21:00.000-07:002011-09-10T01:51:45.632-07:00

Greetings from Sheffield! As delegates start drifting back in this morning from their night at the bar, I thought I'd write a quick report on some of the highlights and my reflections on the first day of conference. The dominant event of the first day was the keynote speech by Caroline Lucas as party leader. Although she is always someone who speaks plainly, I was impressed to see a slightly

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-79303369005066146812011-09-08T03:07:00.000-07:002011-09-08T09:06:53.697-07:00

As regular readers will no doubt be aware, tomorrow marks the start of the Green Party's autumn conference in Sheffield. I'll be making the long journey from Brighton pretty early tomorrow morning and will be blogging daily from the conference to share some of the highlights.Considering the stormy summer we've just gone through, it will be interesting to see how our Leader Caroline Lucas MP and

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-27079702887540480112011-09-06T09:02:00.000-07:002011-09-06T09:45:12.002-07:00

As we head into party conference season, public debate has sharpened again on a variety of topics, as battle-lines are drawn between political parties keen to differentiate themselves from each other. Nowhere is it more stark than in the recent outpourings from the Conservative Party, increasingly confident in asserting it's distinctive platform and radical zeal in "modernising" the state's

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-45650061949050857612011-08-24T12:22:00.000-07:002011-08-29T09:46:43.789-07:00

With the Green Party Conference around the corner, I thought it would be good to revisit some highlights of the last twelve months and get a sense of the challenges ahead. A couple of weeks ago, I asked readers for their feedback - and coupled with an avalanche of correspondence from members around my current GPEX election bid, I hit a rich seam of answers! Something that I've been aware of in

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-75927200421624383092011-08-16T06:43:00.001-07:002011-08-17T01:09:58.163-07:00

I wouldn't want to influence you unduly, but if you want to take part in the voting for this year's Total Politics Blog 2011 awards, feel free to click the link at the top-right of the page!

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-60966974458772605802011-08-16T03:11:00.000-07:002011-08-17T15:26:35.721-07:00

Bucking the trend for August's silly-season, I've been pleasantly surprised to see some refreshingly even-handed reporting in the UK national press. At the weekend, the campaign organisation UK Feminista held an activist training weekend for aspiring feminist activists. Unexpectedly, in all the reporting I saw, there was none of the usual stereotyping and lazy criticism we've come to expect

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-67539646137261087982011-08-11T08:36:00.000-07:002011-08-11T10:01:09.620-07:00

The scenes of widespread violence and looting across British cities this week have been a horrifying reminder of what can happen when a community chooses to turn it's back on each other. The disenfranchised in turn react to their exclusion by violently refusing to play by the rules of the majority. I spent the first few days of the rioting watching aghast from Amsterdam and Brussels, desperate

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-87562716678645446052011-08-02T03:27:00.001-07:002011-08-03T08:15:20.205-07:00

In the run up next month's Green Party national conference, I thought it would be useful to take a look at the key issues that the party has wrestled with over the last twelve months, as well as looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.Whilst there have been some notable obvious successes to our name, most prominently the formation of the first ever Green Council in Brighton and Hove, I

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-65415680711273275532011-08-01T10:18:00.000-07:002011-08-01T10:41:10.315-07:00

Just before I head off on my summer holiday, I wanted to come back and discuss the upcoming Brighton and Hove LGBT Pride festival, which will be taking place on Saturday 13th August. I recently asked you for feedback on the decision this year to charge for entry. Thanks to all who contributed, although I wasn't ready for either the volume of responses or the polarized views I received! Whilst

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-12265268793664831712011-07-27T03:23:00.000-07:002011-08-01T10:40:25.842-07:00

As people start drifting away for their summer breaks, the dust is settling on the first three months of Brighton & Hove's new minority Green Council. Now the fake war of words around protest camps in the city and the petty politiking around Traveller encampments has died down, we have started seeing the emergence of real issues that will make or break this Council. Speaking with Councillors,

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-76927539721173171452011-07-25T01:13:00.000-07:002011-07-25T13:19:43.059-07:00

As part of my election campaign for the Green Party Executive (GPEX) Equalities and Diversity Co-ordinator, I wanted to share a number of the key activities I would hope to to take forward if I was elected to serve by the membership: Organisational change:Act as an advocate for equalities and diversity across our activities and bring that perspective explicitly to GPEX deliberations.Improve

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-82140827735554401192011-07-22T04:28:00.000-07:002011-07-22T04:30:12.295-07:00

The situation for LGBT people in African states continues to deteriorate at a frightening pace. The frequent scapegoating of homosexuality in public debate means that there is a danger of these communities becoming collateral damage in a number of diplomatic rows between the UK and African governments. Troublingly, growing "aid scepticism" amongst politicians and voters here in the UK has the

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-51744368365254945712011-07-18T10:56:00.001-07:002011-07-18T11:00:23.018-07:00

The acres of newsprint covering the tribulations of the house of Murdoch in the last two weeks has been staggering. It has blown away consideration of other crucial news stories, such as the humanitarian crisis unfolding in drought-hit East Africa and the Coalition's new privatisation plans for public services. As ever, whilst I cling optimistically to the vain hope for a balance in media

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-76215327384650738702011-07-14T12:30:00.000-07:002011-07-14T12:45:12.179-07:00

At the risk of becoming too self-referential, I wanted to write briefly to say I've started writing the odd blog post for the newly launched Huffington Post UK. I'm aiming to write my own particular brand of optimistic, Green Party, LGBT and equalities style postings for their slightly broader audience. Whilst the Huffington Post isn't without it's critics, I couldn't pass the opportunity up to

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-38590027070047815652011-07-11T23:21:00.000-07:002011-07-11T23:35:06.860-07:00

One of the things I come back to in my blog is a vision of the Green Party which is richer for the diversity of outlooks and perspectives it offers to modern Britain. When we look at the relative lack of members or elected politicians within the party who are from black and ethnic minority backgrounds, it feels like we have some way to go. Where is our Chuka Umunna or Diane Abbott? Right now, we

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-27358017328522898162011-07-09T05:17:00.000-07:002011-07-09T05:22:14.806-07:00

The great paradox at the heart of green politics is that it sometimes seems as if we don't live our values. Even though we possess an inherently constructive philosophy, putting the longer term welfare and living standards of those who come after us first, we can be unfairly characterised as negative, restrictive and Cassandra-esque. Personally speaking, taking the sack-cloth and ashes route has

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-69521836719553798662011-07-05T10:44:00.000-07:002011-07-05T10:59:18.216-07:00

As the countdown continues to this summer's Brighton & Hove Pride, I am in the process of looking at the recent history of the festival and writing a blog post that tackles the controversial decision to charge for entrance to the Preston Park party for the first time. Due to the substantial amount of visitors from London and the South-East on the day, this is one of the crucial community events

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-4394095049949212162011-07-02T02:51:00.000-07:002011-07-02T03:00:08.070-07:00

The nominations have now closed for the Green Party Executive elections 2011. I have written the following 350 word statement for my bid to be elected to the Equalities & Diversity Co-ordinator role and this will be included with the voting papers for Green Party members. For those able to vote, I hope you will consider me as your preferred candidate - and for those not, I would love to hear any

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-52118511657047593242011-06-30T10:02:00.001-07:002011-06-30T10:04:33.638-07:00

Today, hundreds of thousands of public sector workers are taking industrial action against the coalition government's attack on their pensions. The majority of those people striking are on modest incomes and the changes proposed will increase their pension contributions whilst diminishing their eventual pension pay-out. It's timely then, that I wanted to take a moment to give my thoughts on Polly

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-20956036839889739702011-06-27T01:20:00.000-07:002011-06-27T01:41:30.055-07:00

Over the weekend, I travelled up to London with some fellow Green activists and attended the annual Compass conference "Building the Good Society". Because Compass has traditionally been a Labour thinktank and only just voted to allow in members of other parties this year, it was a fascinating political environment to explore. Whilst there was a notable contingent of other Greens present, I did

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-67499027565993952442011-06-23T02:08:00.000-07:002011-06-23T08:24:34.506-07:00

Yesterday, David Cameron held his second reception at Downing St for the LGBT community, inviting many well-known faces working to promote equality, as well as thanking a number of volunteers and activists for their tireless work. In his speech, the biggest headlines sprang from his commitment to do more in using his position to apply moral pressure to foreign governments (notably African) to

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-62798645034972341302011-06-20T01:23:00.000-07:002011-06-20T01:50:47.806-07:00

After taking some time to discuss it with trusted friends within the Green Party, I have decided to stand for election in this year’s Green Party Executive (GPEX) elections. I am hoping to contest the Equalities and Diversity Co-ordinator role, which regular readers will realise is an area passionately close to my heart and a position where I think I have the professional skills to offer

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-79012148640907362492011-06-18T10:32:00.000-07:002011-06-18T10:46:49.155-07:00

Coalition politics have brought a pleasingly unpredictable edge to UK politics in the last year or so. For all the uncertainty political parties are negotiating, the new political playing-field is forcing all of us to re-examine our core values. We are having to respond to a rapidly evolving public mood and this means a useful questioning of political assumptions across a wide range of areas

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-17528698819026740912011-06-15T01:33:00.000-07:002011-06-15T04:17:41.917-07:00

In yesterday's Guardian, Charles Secrett, the former Director of Friends of the Earth (FOE) strongly criticised the work being done by some of more established environmental campaign organisations, arguing that they were spending money more on bureaucracy than on campaigners or activists.Before going further, I should express an interest here. As well as helping run a local FOE group in Hackney

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-81355404951875714372011-06-12T07:38:00.000-07:002011-06-12T07:56:17.719-07:00

At the risk of looking like an incredible political geek, I wanted to share something that I have found particularly fascinating in the last few weeks: the webcasting of Brighton & Hove Council meetings. Who am I kidding? Regular readers already know I'm beyond keen in using technology to open up politics!Since December of last year, key council meetings, such as cabinet, planning and scrutiny

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-67479138798158443312011-06-09T01:35:00.000-07:002011-06-09T06:52:14.122-07:00

At the recent Scottish Assembly elections, the SNP swept into power with a staggering majority of 69 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) elected. This result is all the more impressive for the fact that the Scottish Parliament was designed to facilitate coalition rule. For those of us interested in how political success occurs, we must analyse their approach and see whether elements of it

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-48026078952354335382011-06-07T02:54:00.000-07:002011-06-07T03:00:02.507-07:00

Of all the issues facing the UK right now, the cuts agenda of the Coalition Government is clearly the most pressing. As the enormity of what this means for the public has sunk in, it's been encouraging to see that the Green Party (and Caroline Lucas in particular) are being listened to more than ever before as a voice of reason and moderation.Research is already showing that the loss of public

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-8019341129463014512011-06-04T02:56:00.000-07:002011-06-04T03:06:55.310-07:00

Forget the honeymoon period - Brighton's Green Council is already under sustained scrutiny and attack by the other political parties in the city. They haven't wasted time on such small formalities as an analysis of their own performance at the local elections, they have gone straight to attack mode.Already, the fault lines are becoming apparent and there are both positive and troubling

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-88103959619933045072011-06-02T00:19:00.000-07:002011-06-02T00:22:14.536-07:00

The age-old problem of how to make motions to political party conferences relevant and interesting to the larger membership isn't about to disappear anytime soon. And before you run away, I don't intend to try and solve it right now in the next few lines! But I have to say, I confess to being mildly impressed with a small change in the way the Green Party is dealing with it for this September's

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-41135684162940549912011-05-31T01:21:00.000-07:002011-05-31T05:19:02.498-07:00

The Green blogosphere has been energised in the last few days by a new IPSO/MORI poll for Reuters which has placed the Green Party at an unprecedented 6% in voting elections, if a General Election was called tomorrow. This level of support in a poll is exciting, but I'm afraid we should refrain from cracking open the champagne quite yet.Looking at the detail of the poll, we can see that it is

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-5118678084658116982011-05-28T07:49:00.000-07:002011-05-28T11:20:27.120-07:00

It must be dreadfully frustrating for David Cameron. He spent years (and a fair proportion of Lord Ashcroft's tax-free millions) trying desperately to detoxify the Tory brand and make their policies seem more palatable and human. However, now his colleagues are back in power, an unattractive tone of moral judgement and reactionary social engineering has crept back into public discourse around

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-91835621125011268402011-05-26T01:46:00.000-07:002011-05-26T04:49:50.556-07:00

As well as my regular posts, I thought it was about time I started highlighting things that have caught my eye: news articles that are falling beneath the radar, showcasing fellow bloggers in action and giving quick glimpses of topics I don't have time to be able to cover on Green Politics: Sustainable Futures.So, here are some of the things that have I've been inspired, challenged or intrigued

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-44310182592518665512011-05-23T14:54:00.000-07:002011-05-23T15:37:57.235-07:00

Unsurprisingly, the big story for the Greens since the local elections has been the success achieved in Brighton & Hove, where we added a further ten councillors to our local party and took control of the local Council. Whilst this historic victory gives us a fantastic moment to savour, it has masked a deeper question we need to contemplate.In spite of the unpopularity of each of the three main

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-57611887780181956672011-05-21T09:49:00.000-07:002011-05-22T05:42:43.110-07:00

Throughout this week, I've been focussing on the fresh political landscape in Brighton and Hove. Whilst the UK is living through some of the most challenging financial circumstances in the last twenty years, those of us here on the coast are entertaining hopes that over the next four years, the Greens can forge a beacon of good governance and an inspiring alternative to politics as usual. However

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-4873089333135371312011-05-18T04:13:00.000-07:002011-05-18T04:23:12.457-07:00

Earlier this week, I started my analysis of the transformed political context in Brighton & Hove following the local elections. As our direct competition for centre-left votes, I explored the implications for Labour of our success and cautioned our supporters not to view the result as a repudiation of that party. Labour's approach in the last two weeks has been measured and publicly respectful,

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-88924732434154959382011-05-16T01:38:00.000-07:002011-05-16T01:51:50.555-07:00

Over the last few days, those of us living in Brighton and Hove have had our first inkling of what to expect politically over the coming council session. For all of the feverish excitement precipitated by our success at the local elections, the sharp realisation of what controlling our first local authority entails has been a sobering experience for the local party. In the next few days I'm

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-73972614260282946112011-05-13T09:59:00.000-07:002011-05-16T04:15:53.853-07:00

Last week produced some fantastic results for the Greens across the United Kingdom, including an amazing opportunity here in Brighton for us to prove our mettle as a viable local authority. That said, the results were tinged with the depressing resolution of the AV campaign, which was comprehensively lost with 68% of those who voted rejecting a change to the voting system. To many Greens that I’

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-90418176457671089292011-05-09T04:33:00.000-07:002011-05-09T04:50:44.019-07:00

In one of my recent blog posts, I talked about the challenges those of us interested in LGBT rights within political parties need to wrestle with in the next couple of years. After thirteen years of unprecedented change in both legal and social terms, coming to terms with your sexuality has become a little easier for most young people. There is still a great deal more to do for these changes to

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-68020942463648718142011-05-07T05:11:00.000-07:002011-05-07T05:21:12.461-07:00

I can scarcely believe it. Early indications on Thursday night looked positive enough for us to hope we’d held firm and made advances in new areas. Even so, the scale of success for the Greens in the Brighton & Hove Council elections yesterday was shocking, even for those of us who had followed and worked on the campaign.The results were: Greens 23 (up 10 seats)Conservatives 18 (down 8)Labour 13

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-51103454003275208922011-05-05T11:44:00.000-07:002011-05-05T12:03:17.428-07:00

Early this morning, I found myself walking in drizzle towards a polling station in a staunchly Conservative corner of Brighton. I have to admit it felt that my start to this year’s local elections was an inauspicious one. In spite of first appearances, it is turning out to be quite a special day.What has really struck me is the solidarity I felt with the people I’ve been matched with outside

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-8676931182094182012011-05-03T01:31:00.000-07:002011-05-03T03:14:47.701-07:00

I thought I’d throw up a very quick and short entry to take stock of where things are with the Green Politics: Sustainable Futures blog. Just making regular time to put pen to paper has been really inspiring for me, as it is forcing me to sharpen my thoughts about policy and strategy more clearly than I’ve ever done before. I’m hoping to translate this into practical action in the coming months.

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-19665484491101346582011-05-01T06:42:00.000-07:002011-05-02T02:45:33.248-07:00

Now the royal wedding has passed, it feels like the national conversation is turning squarely to the local elections and AV referendum later this week. In line with the temperature rise outdoors, this debate is becoming increasingly heated.I’m quite enjoying a flurry of Green Party activity: canvassing voters, press-ganging my loved ones to help me stuff piles of direct-mail envelopes and

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-76966582845185891942011-04-28T02:16:00.000-07:002011-04-28T02:35:50.568-07:00

A third of the public is still undecided on AV. I suspect part of the reason why they remain to be convinced is that there are two conversations taking place in every announcement on AV: debating the merits of the policy change itself and pushing naked party political advantage. We seem unable to divorce one from the other and as a result, cynicism is rife about this referendum. I’ll try my best

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-27137579585948394322011-04-25T07:50:00.000-07:002011-04-25T08:42:17.130-07:00

Last week, the Sunday Times reported that if a general election was called right now, a majority of gay men would vote Conservative. The story piqued enough interest to make it around Twitter and the gay press. My natural instinct was to raise a slightly arch eyebrow and ask to see the data that back it up, but then realised that the article was prompting the wrong discussion.Before I get to that

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-89498787263527899932011-04-22T05:27:00.000-07:002011-04-22T05:42:29.996-07:00

For those of us with political nerd tendencies, we are two weeks away from a particularly fascinating set of council elections. Whilst I’ll be scouring the results nationally to see how other Green Parties have fared, you’ll not be surprised to learn that I’m going to be especially keen on seeing what the results will mean for my local party, Brighton & Hove!For this blog to be relevant, I’m keen

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-32867000506901673192011-04-19T03:30:00.000-07:002011-04-22T06:48:49.476-07:00

You have to give the Coalition Government some credit. They aren’t letting the grass grow under their feet. Whilst in presentational terms, they come across as dis-organised, arrogant and amateur – they are actually achieving a significant amount of their policy aims in record time.Whilst their “red tape challenge” had slipped quietly under the radar, the ramifications for what it actually

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712490283102308301.post-67742747662630495122011-04-17T07:25:00.000-07:002011-04-18T02:02:19.863-07:00

The scent of political change is in the air. The MP expenses scandal and loss of faith in the Liberal Democrats has dealt a further body blow to trust in politicians. There is a rapidly intensifying crush of voices denouncing the political “austerity” agenda.Much of the difference between the three main political parties has focused upon the timing and severity of cuts. In that context, the Green

Stephen Woodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636467362131951009noreply@blogger.com2