Post by Greens_Win on Jan 15th, 2015 at 9:39pm
Greens now have 'more members than Ukip'
Green Party sources say membership rises 500 a day to overtake Ukip, as Ed Miliband launches green charm offensive
The Green Party’s membership is greater than Ukip’s after growing by up to 500 people a day, it was claimed today.
Some 41,567 people in the UK are Green Party members, party sources revealed, with membership more than doubling since September. It including 500 people joining yesterday.
Today Ed Miliband will seek to woo voters concerned about the environment pledging to “decarbonise” Britain’s electricity supply by 2030.
The latest reported figures for Ukip’s membership was 41,514, growing by more than 10,000 in eighteen months and adding 500 on Monday alone.
Both parties are now in touching distance of the Liberal Democrats, whose membership was reported in November as 44,576.
The figures will boost David Cameron’s demand that the Green Party must be included in any TV debates alongside UKIP and the Liberal Democrats, whom he dubbed “minor parties” yesterday.
Victory in May’s general election is likely to turn on which of Labour and the Conservatives is more effective at holding their core vote together amid challenges from the radical left and right. Labour has formed a unit, headed by Sadiq Khan MP, to halt the Green rot.
Liberal Democrat MPs fear a significant slice of their vote could defect in protest to the Green Party.
In a speech in London, Mr Miliband will say that environmentalism “goes to the heart of my beliefs” and he will show “leadership and resolve” to tackle climate change. Labour will demand new, global targets for reducing climate emissions that tighten every five years.
He will seek a global target of zero net carbon emissions by 2050.
He will also set a target of cutting the number of people living in extreme poverty, or 80 pence a day, to zero by 2030.
“I know tackling climate change, global poverty and inequality are not as fashionable as they once were. But I also know they are more important than ever," Mr Miliband will say.
“For me, they are not luxury items in our programme for change. They are not part of a branding exercise. They go to the heart of my beliefs and the reason why I entered politics,” he will say.
George Osborne, the Chancellor, this morning insisted Mr Cameron "wants" to take part in the leadership debates but it is "only fair" that the Liberal Democrats take part. He said the broadcasters had failed to come up with a proposals that included all the minor parties.
But Nick Clegg said he was "speechless" at Mr Cameron's "teary-eyed compassion" for the Green Party. "He is running away," he said, adding he is in a "laughable" position. The broacasters should show a "bit of backbone" and stage the debates without Mr Cameron if necessary.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/green-party/11347050/Greens-now-have-more-members-than-Ukip.html
24B1DADB00000578-0-image-a-64_1421256738655.jpg (48 KB | 25
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Green Party sources say membership rises 500 a day to overtake Ukip, as Ed Miliband launches green charm offensive
The Green Party’s membership is greater than Ukip’s after growing by up to 500 people a day, it was claimed today.
Some 41,567 people in the UK are Green Party members, party sources revealed, with membership more than doubling since September. It including 500 people joining yesterday.
Today Ed Miliband will seek to woo voters concerned about the environment pledging to “decarbonise” Britain’s electricity supply by 2030.
The latest reported figures for Ukip’s membership was 41,514, growing by more than 10,000 in eighteen months and adding 500 on Monday alone.
Both parties are now in touching distance of the Liberal Democrats, whose membership was reported in November as 44,576.
The figures will boost David Cameron’s demand that the Green Party must be included in any TV debates alongside UKIP and the Liberal Democrats, whom he dubbed “minor parties” yesterday.
Victory in May’s general election is likely to turn on which of Labour and the Conservatives is more effective at holding their core vote together amid challenges from the radical left and right. Labour has formed a unit, headed by Sadiq Khan MP, to halt the Green rot.
Liberal Democrat MPs fear a significant slice of their vote could defect in protest to the Green Party.
In a speech in London, Mr Miliband will say that environmentalism “goes to the heart of my beliefs” and he will show “leadership and resolve” to tackle climate change. Labour will demand new, global targets for reducing climate emissions that tighten every five years.
He will seek a global target of zero net carbon emissions by 2050.
He will also set a target of cutting the number of people living in extreme poverty, or 80 pence a day, to zero by 2030.
“I know tackling climate change, global poverty and inequality are not as fashionable as they once were. But I also know they are more important than ever," Mr Miliband will say.
“For me, they are not luxury items in our programme for change. They are not part of a branding exercise. They go to the heart of my beliefs and the reason why I entered politics,” he will say.
George Osborne, the Chancellor, this morning insisted Mr Cameron "wants" to take part in the leadership debates but it is "only fair" that the Liberal Democrats take part. He said the broadcasters had failed to come up with a proposals that included all the minor parties.
But Nick Clegg said he was "speechless" at Mr Cameron's "teary-eyed compassion" for the Green Party. "He is running away," he said, adding he is in a "laughable" position. The broacasters should show a "bit of backbone" and stage the debates without Mr Cameron if necessary.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/green-party/11347050/Greens-now-have-more-members-than-Ukip.html
24B1DADB00000578-0-image-a-64_1421256738655.jpg (48 KB | 25
)
