Green Left recommendations for GPEW Conference October 2020
Defending Democracy in the Green Party
Defending a Just Transition for Workers
Never has there been a time when the Green Party needed to campaign more to fight Climate Change and to ensure a Just Transition to a green economy and society.
Whilst the on-line format, with a cap on participation, means that the Conference is unlikely to be wholly representative, it has got off to a promising start. Nonetheless, any attempt to settle definitively some of the big questions at this extraordinary event will be unlikely to reflect the settled will of all members or to enjoy enduring legitimacy. We all need to bear this in mind.
Green Left makes specific recommendations on some important motions:
D1 Winning workers to climate change.
We are pleased that this motion - recognising the critical importance of a Just Transition and of keeping the Trade Union Liaison Officer post - topped the poll in the priority ballot.
Please do attend the discussion at Workshop 2 on Monday 5th October at 6.30-6.55pm and support the motion in the main Plenary sessions.
E3 Atonement and Reparative justice for the transatlantic traffic in enslaved Africans.
An excellent motion.
Please do attend the discussion at the Workshop 3 on Wednesday 7th October at 6.40-7.05pm and support the motion in the main Plenary sessions.
OPPOSE D4 Request that the Code of Conduct oversight group append “Antisemitism: A Guidance” to the Code of Conduct
D16 IHRA, Palestine and Free Speech
Alongside a good number of Green members who are Jewish, Green Left opposes motion D4 on the use of the now discredited IHRA “Definition of Antisemitism” in our code of conduct. Academics, human rights campaigners and leading Greens all share our serious concerns about the problematic and misused IHRA definition.
We are supporting motion D16 instead.
Both Green Left and the wider GPEW are anti-racist and anti-discrimination. Green Left supports action against individuals and groups who behave in racist or discriminatory ways and emphasises that such action must be taken properly and with due care.
Les Levidow - a long standing Green Party member and member of the Steering Group, Jewish Network for Palestine (JNP) and other Jewish pro-Palestine groups since the 1980s - explains here how motion D4, if passed, could be used to take spurious action against people like himself who disagree with the action of the Government of Israel in its activities against Palestinians. There are better alternatives to aid our practice in the GPEW.
Please do attend the discussion at workshop 2 on Thursday 8th October at 6.30-8.00 pm and support motion D16 in the main Plenary sessions.
D9 Extraordinary Party Conference - Amendment 1
Amendment 1 asks for the serious issue of Limited Liability to be our priority, safeguarding members, staff and party from the risk of financial penalty. Bundling this with more contested constitutional reform proposals is inappropriate at this stage.
Green Left are also Supporting Amendment 2 – the right of members to vote on the outcome of the proposed special conference.
Please do attend the discussion at Workshop 3 on Thursday 8thOctober at 6.30-7pm support the amendments in the main Plenary sessions.
E10 Nuclear Power.
This would bring important policy up-to-date.
Please do attend the discussion at Workshop 1 on Thursday 8th October at 7.45-8pm and support the motion in the main Plenary sessions.
Section D – Late Motion on Accessibility
Green Left members also submitted a late motion addressing the over-complicated processes required to submit motions etc.
Please support this motion in the main Plenary sessions.
If you would like to find out more or join Green Left please contact us at ukgreenleft@gmail.com
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