"A Challenge to the membership of the Green Party of England and Wales..."

Conference attracts leafletteers. Some of these leafletteers are special. This from an anti-Lucas leaflet published by the "Whole Truth Coalition":

And before you simply dismiss David Icke (whom the Green Party "establishment" likes to demonise, please consider that in doing so you'd be refuting the findings of modern Quantum Physics and a mass of political and historical evidence, plus the collective knowledge and wisdom of the indigenous peoples around the world who have oral traditions going back thousands of years.

The leaflet, written by a disgruntled individual who left the party for fear of a leadership plot, warned members against the dangers of Lucas' "establishment" values.

I find this distinctly encouraging. Importantly, because it's written by an ex-member; the lunatic fringe has left the party. We've long had trouble presenting ourselves as a sane and sensible option for voters, partially because of conspiraloons like the Whole Truth Coalition. Now they're actively against us, it'll be easier to shed that image.

Leadership election results!

The results are in and the Green Party of England and Wales has it's first ever leader and deputy leader.

On a turnout of 37.9% (up from 20% for the principal speaker posts last year) of the 7,565 members I can announced that the results are as follows;

For leader;

Caroline Lucas  2,559

Ashley Gunstock 210

And for deputy;

Adrian Ramsay 2,785 

Congratulations to the candidates. In her acceptance speech Caroline spoke of the "honour and responsibility" leading the party in a period when there is "such a vacuum in the mainstream parties" who have no answers for the extra-ordinary problems facing the world today. 

Green politics she said was essential to counter "the politics of paralysis".

Ashley, conceding defeat gave warm praise to his opponent. He also described himself as a "Green Party member and will do my best to make the leadership work - but you never know I might be back."

Adrian Ramsay, accepting the post of deputy leader said that up until this point he had been concentrating on building the party in Norwich but we were gaining ground all over the country. Adrian left us with the thought that son we'd have seats in Parliament and the opportunity to put policies into practice.

Charles Clarke and Adrian Ramsay - watch Monday's space...

Has it honestly not occured to Charles Clarke that what is needed is not a change of Leader in the Labour Party, but a huge change of policy-direction?
Here in Norwich [from when I am setting off in 30 minutes for Conference...], in Charles Clarke's own seat, the Labour Party is in free-fall, in 4th place in the seat [at this year's local elections], while the Green Party is in first place. Our experience on the doorstep suggests that this is not because of Gordon Brown nor even because of Charles Clarke -- it is because voters are fed up with New Labour, and want a real change; so they are flocking our way.
Perhaps this is why Mr. Clarke has spoken out so dramatically: because he is now seriously worried that he will lose his own seat. But his prescription for how to save his own skin will not work: under any Leader, Labour is now a Party on the way out. It's the policies (as well as the economy), stupid...
All this adds a piquancy to Adrian Ramsay's acceptance speech as our Deputy Leader (assuming that he isn't beaten by RON - a safe assumption...), on Monday. I am reliably informed (i.e. by Adrian!) that a well-rounded and full-on challenge to Mr. Clarke will form a backbone of his speech...