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Green Party: the right to a place on the platform

Greens are a national party, they have policies for the nation and they have a seat. I believe it is only right and proper that they should take part in at least one televised debate before the coming national election. People say they only have one seat but maybe that's partly because they have not been given the TV debate platform. The motives of the other party leaders on this are irrelevant.

Another reason is that it would open them up to peer-group review by the other party representatives. We have a right to hear and the broadcasters (especially the BBC) have a responsibilty to facilitate this. Instead, they have spent more time broadcasting the mind games than debating the real, life-affecting issues.

Who is a friend or enemy of democracy in this?

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the more I think about this issue with the leader debates, the less I consider the greens deserving, weirdly enough
this was a decision made by an independent body that decided that the green party doesn't have convincing grounds to consider themselves part of the group of parties that are popular or supported enough to the same extent as the other parties
from this, I, myself, can't help but agree - they've been nowhere in terms of media coverage, they haven't exactly done greatly in terms of elections *or* polls, and the fact that they have more *party members* than UKIP really doesn't speak to me in terms of relevance, and this isn't only in my opinion because people had joined a lot recently because of the election debates issue

who are we going to suggest has authority on this issue? OFCOM or the prime minister? one is neutral, one obviously isn't. but in term of what I personally think, I don't mind if the greens are included, but honestly, they would be riding on the backs of UKIP if they got in because UKIP are the "minority party" that rose through the ranks alone from the greens, but now the greens are using UKIP's recent success to get in through the back door. they should be a little more modest about themselves - even on the EU issue, nobody agrees with them, and really, they have basically the exact same policy, if not, a worse one, than the conservatives!
Original post by NJA
Greens are a national party, they have policies for the nation and they have a seat. I believe it is only right and proper that they should take part in at least one televised debate before the coming national election. People say they only have one seat but maybe that's partly because they have not been given the TV debate platform. The motives of the other party leaders on this are irrelevant.

Another reason is that it would open them up to peer-group review by the other party representatives. We have a right to hear and the broadcasters (especially the BBC) have a responsibilty to facilitate this. Instead, they have spent more time broadcasting the mind games than debating the real, life-affecting issues.

Who is a friend or enemy of democracy in this?


The Green Party aren't a national party. They stopped being a national party in 1990.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Party_%28UK%29

You do understand this don't you?
Reply 3
Avatar for NJA
NJA
OP
20
Original post by MatureStudent36
The Green Party aren't a national party. They stopped being a national party in 1990.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Party_%28UK%29

You do understand this don't you?
Obviously not!
Reply 4
Avatar for Wattsy
Wattsy
19
Original post by MatureStudent36
The Green Party aren't a national party. They stopped being a national party in 1990.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Party_%28UK%29

You do understand this don't you?


Nor are the Conservatives then by your logic. They have a specific Scottish Conservative arm too, Do they not deserve a place at the debate?

This is an awful argument for denying the Green Party a place at the leadership debates. It's certainly a debatable topic but not on this ground!
Original post by Wattsy
Nor are the Conservatives then by your logic. They have a specific Scottish Conservative arm too, Do they not deserve a place at the debate?

This is an awful argument for denying the Green Party a place at the leadership debates. It's certainly a debatable topic but not on this ground!


The conservatives also have a devon arm, a Cornwall arm and a whole host of other sub branches everywhere else through the UK.

Can you tell me who the leader of the Green Party is?

the main reason for denying the Green Party a place other than they don't represent the whole of the UK is that they are. A fringe political party with low levels of support and one MP.
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 6
Avatar for Wattsy
Wattsy
19
Original post by MatureStudent36
The conservatives also have a devon arm, a Cornwall arm and a whole host of other sub branches everywhere else through the UK.

Can you tell me who the leader of the Green Party is?

the main reason for denying the Green Party a place other than they don't represent the whole of the UK is that they are. A fringe political party with low levels of support and one MP.


Natalie Bennett is the leader of the England and Wales Green Party. That's the main part of it I suppose. You could theoretically win a majority government with only England and Wales constituency wins. Actually I think the Conservatives have probably been close to that at some point or other.
Original post by Wattsy
Natalie Bennett is the leader of the England and Wales Green Party. That's the main part of it I suppose. You could theoretically win a majority government with only England and Wales constituency wins. Actually I think the Conservatives have probably been close to that at some point or other.


And Patrick Harvey is the leader of the Scottish greens.
Natalie Bennetts party doesn't represent scotland.
Reply 8
Avatar for Quady
Quady
20
Original post by NJA
Greens are a national party,


Errrrrrr no they aren't....
Reply 9
Avatar for james22
james22
16
Original post by MatureStudent36
The conservatives also have a devon arm, a Cornwall arm and a whole host of other sub branches everywhere else through the UK.

Can you tell me who the leader of the Green Party is?

the main reason for denying the Green Party a place other than they don't represent the whole of the UK is that they are. A fringe political party with low levels of support and one MP.


The green party has been polling similar numbers to the liberal democrats.
Original post by james22
The green party has been polling similar numbers to the liberal democrats.

The Green Party is not a national political party.

It may be polling similar numbers than the libs dems but the Green Party of England and Wales has 1 MP. The Green Party of scotland has no mps, the Green Party of Northern Ireland has no mps.

Do you understand that the Green Party of England and wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are three completely different political parties?
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by MatureStudent36
The Green Party is not a national political party.

It may be polling similar numbers than the libs dems but the Green Party of England and Wales has 1 MP. The Green Party of scotland has no mps, the Green Party of Northern Ireland has no mps.

Do you understand that the Green Party of England and wales, scotalnd and Northern Ireland are three completely different political parties?


UKIPonly have 2, and they are only from by-elections. The green party won their seat legitimately in a full election.
Original post by james22
UKIPonly have 2, and they are only from by-elections. The green party won their seat legitimately in a full election.


UKIP as a political party represents the whole of the UK and operates throughout the whole of the UK.

The Green Party, as you call them only represent represents England and wales. There is another Green Party in scotland that is different to the Green Party of England and wales. To add even more confusion there is a third Green Party in Northern Ireland that has no links to the Green Party in Scotland or England and wales.

All three seperate political parties calling themselves the Green Party are regional political parties ( and as such shouldn't be involved in national debates because they only act on regional issues ) and have only 1 MP.

There are 650 seats in westminster. Only 1 is a Green politician.
Reply 13
Avatar for Quady
Quady
20
Original post by james22
UKIPonly have 2, and they are only from by-elections. The green party won their seat legitimately in a full election.


And Plaid Cymru have three seats won legitimately in a full election.
Original post by MatureStudent36
UKIP as a political party represents the whole of the UK and operates throughout the whole of the UK.

The Green Party, as you call them only represent represents England and wales. There is another Green Party in scotland that is different to the Green Party of England and wales. To add even more confusion there is a third Green Party in Northern Ireland that has no links to the Green Party in Scotland or England and wales.

All three seperate political parties calling themselves the Green Party are regional political parties ( and as such shouldn't be involved in national debates because they only act on regional issues ) and have only 1 MP.

There are 650 seats in westminster. Only 1 is a Green politician.


What are your criteria for being in the debates then?

Original post by Quady
And Plaid Cymru have three seats won legitimately in a full election.


They are a Wales only party, they shouldn't be involved (I doubt they would want to be) much like the SNP shouldn't.
Reply 15
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Quady
20
Original post by james22
They are a Wales only party, they shouldn't be involved (I doubt they would want to be) much like the SNP shouldn't.


Whats the difference between them and any of the Green parties then? :s-smilie:
Original post by Quady
Whats the difference between them and any of the Green parties then? :s-smilie:


The green party care about more than just Wales/Scotland. They aren't limited to a small region.
Reply 17
Avatar for Quady
Quady
20
Original post by james22
The green party care about more than just Wales/Scotland. They aren't limited to a small region.


There isn't a Green Party.
Original post by Quady
There isn't a Green Party.


Yes there is. It may have a slighty different name to "The Green Party", but that's just being pedantic.
Reply 19
Avatar for Quady
Quady
20
Original post by james22
Yes there is. It may have a slighty different name to "The Green Party", but that's just being pedantic.


It?

Who is its leader?

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