Conference 2009

I will be setting off to Hove this evening to attend the Green Party conference and will be especially involved in several fringes organised by Green Left, as well as proposing a motion on Afghanistan calling for immediate withdrawal of British troops.

Unfortunately I will arrive too late and miss the Standing Order Committee's report on the disputed internal election, which will be held this afternoon. Last night I chaired a meeting of Lambeth Green Party, and it was very much the view of the members there (very few of whom are attending conference) that the ballot for the External Communications post should be extended to all the membership and they felt quite aggrieved about the ERO's decision, so we will see what happens.

I will be chairing a Green Left fringe meeting tonight on Afghanistan with Jeremy Corbyn (Labour MP for Islington and Officer for Stop the War Coalition) and Farid Bakht (Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Bethnal Green & Bow) both speaking. Also for the first time, Stop the War Coalition will have a stall at conference, which is especially apt as this issue moves more and more to the central political agenda. Tomorrow I will be proposing a motion calling for withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and a regional peace settlement.

There is also a motion on health spending (that UK health expenditure must remain at the EU average) and I am proposing a motion that this be at Western European average rather than the low levels of expenditure found in some Eastern European states. This again is very relevant as many of the meetings I have had with NHS officials over the last few months have made it clear that there will be a total freeze on health spending from 2011 and possibly severe cuts.

I am also speaking at a Green Left fringe on Saturday, together with former Irish Green Party councillor, Bronwen Maher, about what has happened since the Irish Greens entered the coalition with Fianna Fail two years ago. The meeting is on Greens in coalition and the Irish experience. Needless to say, both of us are very opposed to what the Irish Greens have been doing there.

There is also a fascinating panel discussion on 'Just Transition' which is the idea that harmful and non-sustainable industrial production can be turned around to useful and sustainable, thus protecting jobs and creating green industries. Caroline Lucas will be speaking at that, together with several trade union activists. And the Trade Union Group, whose Treasurer I am, will be hodling a fringe meeting on Saturday on 'Welfare and Low Pay' with several experts in this area including the party's Disability Spokesperson. This is a really important issue with the government's current savage attacks on welfare - likely to be further cut by an incoming Tory administration - and the numbers of people now unemployed.

I will also, of course, take part in discussions on many other motions, including some important organisational ones, as well as voting for candidates for the new Green Party Executive and committees. I am unlikely to have time to blog, so will try and do an update on my return from conference on Sunday. I will also be meeting many people whom I have not seen for a few months at least, and in some cases over a year.