Speakers and Chairs Against a Single Leader

Derek Wall, Principal Speaker:
"Leadership is vital. We must have effective voices. However, conventional leadership with a single leader has been disastrous for political participation. It almost always comes with commitments to water down the message, to remove real debate and participation. It turns ordinary members into observers." Read article

Peg Alexander, former Principal Speaker, GPRC Co-chair, GPEx Finance & Management Coordinator:
"Standing up for what we believe in and we feel is right and appropriate for our future, even when its not the accepted or perceived conventional wisdom, is our stock-in-trade. Our lack of a leader and our willingness to stick with what we believe in is essential to our integrity. We must not lose it."

David Taylor, fomer Principal Speaker, Euro Candidate, Conferences & Regional Coordinator
"Our opposition to having a 'leader' is totemic. It's shorthand for our whole way of doing politics; a belief in participation, networking, a grassroots bottom-up democracy and 'consensus where possible' ways of working that encourage win-win solutions."
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Margaret Wright, former Principal Speaker, Euro-Candidate and International Coordinator
"Whenever proportional systems are introduced, Greens are elected. The frustration felt in the GPEW at lack of progress is understandable. But it is clear to me that election at all levels and particularly to the House of Commons, would lift this frustration. A leader would not bring this about. Electoral reform would."
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Penny Kemp, former GPEx Chair:
"The Green Party needs to win hearts and minds and needs empowerment for all. True leadership is about being inclusive, about shared power not power over, about consensus and about ways of showing how real participatory democracy is the way forward. Single or even co-leaders do not, in my opinion, sit comfortably with the philosophical basis of the Green Party."

Alan Francis, GPEW Transport Spokesperson, former GPEx Chair
"Those in favour of re-labelling the principal speakers as leader and deputy seem to think that this is a magic bullet which will solve all of our problems. It isn't and it won't. The major difficulties that we face are lack of money and the first-past-the-post electoral system that makes it very difficult to get MPs elected."
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Jenny Jones, London Assembly Member, Southwark Councillor, former GPEx Chair:
"Compared to other British political parties, we have effective leadership without the added burden of a figurehead leader who will make up policy on the hoof, get into embarrassing situations, and generally make our Party a hostage to his or her shortcomings. Why change the leadership of several talented people for the questionable option of one person who may or may not be able to represent us all?" Read articles

John Norris, Yorkshire/Humberside GPRC Rep, former GPEx Chair and International Coordinator
"Our party has already wasted more than enough words on these futile arguments about having one Leader. Why not argue for Green politics instead?"