They say in politics you should never say ‘I told you so.’ But I was reminded yesterday of a phrase I’ve often used: “the future of politics doesn’t look like the past.” I don’t say it now, because it is a statement of the obvious.

One of the things I’ve always tried to do, and encourage others to do, is celebrate our victories. We’ve led on 20mph speed limits, on the living wage, on taking air pollution seriously. And we’ve made progress on all of those issues.

And in the news in the past 24 hours, we’ve seen two victories for our causes. One’s small, but important – the government has finally, belatedly, announced a ban on microbeads in cosmetics.

The other’s big, really big – the US and China have jointly ratified the Paris climate deal. That makes Theresa May’s abolition of the department of energy and climate change, and her appointment as Environment Secretary of Andrea Leadsom look very out-of-step, very out-of-date, very dangerous.

If we’re not to be entirely left behind Britain must also ratify the climate treaty now. If China and the US can do it, those two great polluters, we certainly can.

Once again we’re the trailblazers in British politics

As you might expect, I’ve been reflecting back over not just my past four years as leader, but over my 11 years as a member of the Green Party. That’s included 21 conferences and nine major elections.

Elections are like we wish buses were – they just keep coming along. But they’re also like buses in that they don’t always keep to the timetable – something we need to keep in mind in the coming months. Internal elections also just keep coming, and I want to congratulate all of the internal election winners, but particularly Caroline and Jonathan.

When I became leader of the Green Party in 2012 it was historic – the first time a woman had taken over from another woman as a leader of a political party in British history. Now the Green Party has made history again, with the first job-share leadership.

Once again we’re the trailblazers in British politics, proving that the Green Party really does do politics differently – cooperatively, collegiately, working together for the common good. That’s what I’ve experienced through the four years of my leadership – massive support, great help, loving care in the tough times and the good.

I’ve often needed your support. For in the Green Party, although we’re now a major part of the political landscape, we’re still operating with a fraction of the resources of those we’re challenging.

To do my job I’ve had to rely on thousands of unpaid volunteers – volunteers who’ve worked out itineraries, guided me, dealt with the press, written briefings, put me up in their spare rooms. I couldn’t have done it without you – thank you! These have been four wonderful years, both for me, and for the Green Party.

We won more votes than in every previous general election added together!

It is worth reflecting on your achievement in the 2015 general election. You won more votes – 1.1 million – than the Green Party in every previous general election added together. We contested 93% of seats, with 535 candidates, and saved 126 deposits. (In 2010 we saved just six.) That was symbolically and practically important – it saved us £63,000.

In four years as leader I’ve travelled up and down the country. I really should have kept track of my train miles. A journalist asked me this week if I’d ever sat on the floor of a train carriage. Have I ever? I’ve been getting more passionate about bring the railways back into public hands about three times a week.

My recent memorable train journey was going to the wonderful Hen Harrier Day at Edale, with eight hours on trains for three hours on the ground. I’d do it again tomorrow. For a ban on driven grouse shooting wouldn’t just protect our majestic hen harriers, but also the ecology of our uplands, and the flood-threatened communities below them.

The past four years have, however, for British politics, society and our precious natural world, been awful years. The British people last year were stuck with a Tory government backed by only 24% of eligible voters. And the Conservative 2015 manifesto, which assumed we’d remain part of the EU, is now irrelevant. And there’s no democratic guidance on what ‘Brexit’ means.

Theresa May has no democratic legitimacy. She has no right to proceed without a general election. She’s in that position after what the Electoral Reform Society judged a referendum campaign that failed to meet basic democratic standards.

The understandable anger of voters at the state of the nation found an outlet. Brexit is the collateral damage from fire rightly directed at the British political class.

The Green voice in politics has never been more important!

Globally, over the past four years, well: Donald Trump’s a huge worry but Jill Stein and Bernie Sanders are signs of positive change.

Renewable energy has surged ahead in much of the world, the concept of the universal basic income has moved from the fringe very firmly into mainstream debate. But one thing’s clearer by the moment:  Britain needs the Green Party, the world needs its Green parties.

Increasingly voters are recognising that. In Germany the Greens are part of more state governments than Angela Merkel’s CDU. In Australia, the Greens won 10% of first preference votes – but under the Alternative Vote system still only one seat. Remember the hashtag – #AVisnotPR.

Britain and the world need not just Greens offering good ideas, campaigning for them and waiting for others to get the message. Britain, and the world, needs to stop electing the wrong people, then hoping they’ll do the right things. On councils, in national governments, we must elect more, lots more, Greens.

The county council elections next May will be a great chance to do that – I’m confident we can win our first council elections in May in Wales and in many parts of England, and grow our representation on councils where we’ve only recently gained footholds.

And we’ve got a great chance to get the Green message out in upcoming ‘metro mayor’ elections. We don’t agree with the Osborne plan but the elections give us the chance to explain what genuine local power and decisionmaking could look like.

I’m delighted to congratulate our Liverpool candidate, announced yesterday. Tom Crone’s going to be great. And we know that he, and all of our candidates, have the message that people want to, need to, hear.

We are the only truly ‘realistic’ party

For the Green Party message of economic and environmental justice is the message for today. It brings the promise of jobs that people can build a life on, the security of the universal basic income and thriving communities built around small independent businesses and cooperatives.

The environmental crisis extends far beyond climate change: plastics in the oceans, destruction of our soils, biodiversity loss. These crises are a huge threat, but also an opportunity: in making the necessary radical changes to our society to heal our environment we can also build a better, more secure, life for everyone.

What’s clear is that we cannot continue as we are. If someone tells them Green plans are ‘unrealistic’, look them straight in the eye and say: “You’re the unrealistic one. Dream on if you think we can continue as we are.”

The need for Green politics was clear in the referendum debate. Our Greens for a Better Europe campaign provided positive, effective messages, addressing issues from workers’ and human rights to the environment, passionately defending the way in which free movement in Europe enriches all of our lives.

And that’s something that we’ll continue doing, and continue presenting the facts, not the lies that continue to be casually presented, on immigration and other European issues.

The real issue is not immigration

Last week I was at the French Greens Summer University. I was telling Greens from across Europe an important fact about the referendum. Something they need to know and that we need to stress in Britain. People did not vote Leave primarily on the basis of opposition to immigration.

Lord Ashcroft’s detailed study shows that half of Leave voters said the biggest single reason was “the principle that decisions about the UK should be taken in the UK”. It was only one third who cited their main reason for voting leave “as control over immigration and borders”.

The many politicians, quite a few of them from the Labour Party, who are going around saying “this was a vote about immigration and it shows we have to stop free movement” need to be challenged. Strongly. This was not ‘a vote against immigration’.

And even those voters who say they’re concerned about immigration, when you ask them to explain, most talk about low wages, crowded schools and hospitals, the cost of housing. Those are all rightful concerns. But they are caused by the failed policies of privatisation, of austerity, of financialisation of our economy, of centralisation on Westminster. They are not caused by immigration.

The Brexit hashtag #takebackcontrol sums up the reason why people voted to leave – they were saying they didn’t feel in control of their own lives, their own communities, their own futures.

And that’s no wonder when we’ve got giant, market-dominating companies casually failing to pay their workers the supposedly legally binding minimum wage. They are parasites, tax-dodgers sucking huge profits from our society without paying for the infrastructure essential to generating them.

Time to #takebackREALcontrol

To restore trust, restore democratic control, to stop the plutocrats, what we need is a fair electoral system, a system in which people can vote for what they believe in, and get it. A proportional electoral system: that has to be the key goal, the change on which the essential political, social, economic and environmental transformation can be built.

In the ‘mother of all parliaments’, it’s time to get democracy!

On a global scale, ‘take back control’ could also be the hashtag for another critical issue of the coming year – nuclear weapons. We’ve lived under the threat of nuclear annihilation for three generations. And the world’s said enough. One hundred and thirty eight countries have signed up to work for a global ban on these hideous weapons of mass destruction.

In Britain, with Trident renewal on the horizon, we’ve got a unique opportunity to make a huge global impact with our policies, not simply to replace our 1% of the world’s nuclear weapons, the weapons that from one submarine could kill 10 million people.

Let’s join with the majority of the people of the world, take back control and ban nuclear weapons.

No, I will not be joining Ed Balls on Strictly Come Dancing

Lots of people are of course asking what I’ll do next – now I’m no longer Green Party leader.

Well I’m going to let you into a long-hidden secret. In primary school a boy who hated being partnered with me in folk dancing lessons complained I had ‘rusty joints’ – and that became my nickname.

So I promise you, I’m not going to follow Ed Balls on to Strictly Come Dancing. What I will be doing is getting out on the picket lines supporting our junior doctors. Jeremy Hunt says what they’re planning is the worst strike in NHS history. Well he’s got the something right – the adjective. He’s the worst Health Secretary in the history of the NHS.

He really should take English lessons. Jeremy, a contract is an agreement, not something you impose!

What I’ll also be doing in the coming weeks and months is campaigning on education. Students in schools, colleges and universities have told me how they feel failed, damaged, by an education that prepares them for exams, not life, that puts crushing pressure and fear of failure into young lives.

The Green Party education policy – abolishing SATs and the awful phonics test, getting rid of Ofsted, and of course abolishing tuition fees and restoring maintenance grants – is wonderful. And it’s up to all of us to ensure that every pupil, every teacher, every parent – everyone who cares about the future – knows what it is.

I’ll also be campaigning for the restoration of cultural education and cultural funding. Drama, music and art are essential parts of a healthy society. And given the importance of these sectors of the British economy, is plainly, simply stupid.

I’ll also be campaigning also to highlight the abject, total failure of the Thatcherite policy of the privatisation of public services. For we know – it’s demonstrated by the failure of the Labour Party to back the NHS Reinstatement Bill championed by Caroline Lucas – that the Green Party is the anti-privatisation party.

We’re the people who say that prisons, courts, policing, military activities should not be in private hands. The coercive power of the state should never be privatised! We’re the people who consistently resisted the privatisation of the Royal Mail, who understand that privatisation is built on cutting the level of services, slashing the pay and condition of services, and shovelling public money into private hands.

I’m standing down as Green Party leader. But I’m not going away

So I think you’ve got the picture. I’m standing down as Green Party leader, but I won’t be going away. If we had a fair, proportional electoral system we’d have 25 MPs in Westminster. Just imagine it, Caroline Lucas 25 times over! But since we don’t, we’ve got to be more creative – find ways to give more people roles and prominence.

My title will be ‘former leader’, but the reality is that I’ll be joining you all in being leaders – for every member of the Green Party is a leader.

You’re helping lead Britain, and the world, away from the destructive, inhumane, unsustainable politics of the past four decade, towards a society, a world, that works within the environmental limits of our one fragile planet while delivering a decent life for everyone.

You’re making a difference in your community – as a councillor, as an organiser, as a talker and a doer – people who together can transform our society.

Thank you for everything you’ve done, and everything you’re going to do. I look forward to what we can achieve, united, together. 

Natalie Bennett is the former leader of the Green Party of England & Wales.

This article is the very slightly edited text of Natalie’s speech to the Green Party conference on 3rd September.

They say in politics you should never say ‘I told you so.’ But I was reminded yesterday of a phrase I’ve often used: “the future of politics doesn’t look like the past.” I don’t say it now, because it is a statement of the obvious.

One of the things I’ve always tried to do, and encourage others to do, is celebrate our victories. We’ve led on 20mph speed limits, on the living wage, on taking air pollution seriously. And we’ve made progress on all of those issues.

And in the news in the past 24 hours, we’ve seen two victories for our causes. One’s small, but important – the government has finally, belatedly, announced a ban on microbeads in cosmetics.

The other’s big, really big – the US and China have jointly ratified the Paris climate deal. That makes Theresa May’s abolition of the department of energy and climate change, and her appointment as Environment Secretary of Andrea Leadsom look very out-of-step, very out-of-date, very dangerous.

If we’re not to be entirely left behind Britain must also ratify the climate treaty now. If China and the US can do it, those two great polluters, we certainly can.

Once again we’re the trailblazers in British politics

As you might expect, I’ve been reflecting back over not just my past four years as leader, but over my 11 years as a member of the Green Party. That’s included 21 conferences and nine major elections.

Elections are like we wish buses were – they just keep coming along. But they’re also like buses in that they don’t always keep to the timetable – something we need to keep in mind in the coming months. Internal elections also just keep coming, and I want to congratulate all of the internal election winners, but particularly Caroline and Jonathan.

When I became leader of the Green Party in 2012 it was historic – the first time a woman had taken over from another woman as a leader of a political party in British history. Now the Green Party has made history again, with the first job-share leadership.

Once again we’re the trailblazers in British politics, proving that the Green Party really does do politics differently – cooperatively, collegiately, working together for the common good. That’s what I’ve experienced through the four years of my leadership – massive support, great help, loving care in the tough times and the good.

I’ve often needed your support. For in the Green Party, although we’re now a major part of the political landscape, we’re still operating with a fraction of the resources of those we’re challenging.

To do my job I’ve had to rely on thousands of unpaid volunteers – volunteers who’ve worked out itineraries, guided me, dealt with the press, written briefings, put me up in their spare rooms. I couldn’t have done it without you – thank you! These have been four wonderful years, both for me, and for the Green Party.

We won more votes than in every previous general election added together!

It is worth reflecting on your achievement in the 2015 general election. You won more votes – 1.1 million – than the Green Party in every previous general election added together. We contested 93% of seats, with 535 candidates, and saved 126 deposits. (In 2010 we saved just six.) That was symbolically and practically important – it saved us £63,000.

In four years as leader I’ve travelled up and down the country. I really should have kept track of my train miles. A journalist asked me this week if I’d ever sat on the floor of a train carriage. Have I ever? I’ve been getting more passionate about bring the railways back into public hands about three times a week.

My recent memorable train journey was going to the wonderful Hen Harrier Day at Edale, with eight hours on trains for three hours on the ground. I’d do it again tomorrow. For a ban on driven grouse shooting wouldn’t just protect our majestic hen harriers, but also the ecology of our uplands, and the flood-threatened communities below them.

The past four years have, however, for British politics, society and our precious natural world, been awful years. The British people last year were stuck with a Tory government backed by only 24% of eligible voters. And the Conservative 2015 manifesto, which assumed we’d remain part of the EU, is now irrelevant. And there’s no democratic guidance on what ‘Brexit’ means.

Theresa May has no democratic legitimacy. She has no right to proceed without a general election. She’s in that position after what the Electoral Reform Society judged a referendum campaign that failed to meet basic democratic standards.

The understandable anger of voters at the state of the nation found an outlet. Brexit is the collateral damage from fire rightly directed at the British political class.

The Green voice in politics has never been more important!

Globally, over the past four years, well: Donald Trump’s a huge worry but Jill Stein and Bernie Sanders are signs of positive change.

Renewable energy has surged ahead in much of the world, the concept of the universal basic income has moved from the fringe very firmly into mainstream debate. But one thing’s clearer by the moment:  Britain needs the Green Party, the world needs its Green parties.

Increasingly voters are recognising that. In Germany the Greens are part of more state governments than Angela Merkel’s CDU. In Australia, the Greens won 10% of first preference votes – but under the Alternative Vote system still only one seat. Remember the hashtag – #AVisnotPR.

Britain and the world need not just Greens offering good ideas, campaigning for them and waiting for others to get the message. Britain, and the world, needs to stop electing the wrong people, then hoping they’ll do the right things. On councils, in national governments, we must elect more, lots more, Greens.

The county council elections next May will be a great chance to do that – I’m confident we can win our first council elections in May in Wales and in many parts of England, and grow our representation on councils where we’ve only recently gained footholds.

And we’ve got a great chance to get the Green message out in upcoming ‘metro mayor’ elections. We don’t agree with the Osborne plan but the elections give us the chance to explain what genuine local power and decisionmaking could look like.

I’m delighted to congratulate our Liverpool candidate, announced yesterday. Tom Crone’s going to be great. And we know that he, and all of our candidates, have the message that people want to, need to, hear.

We are the only truly ‘realistic’ party

For the Green Party message of economic and environmental justice is the message for today. It brings the promise of jobs that people can build a life on, the security of the universal basic income and thriving communities built around small independent businesses and cooperatives.

The environmental crisis extends far beyond climate change: plastics in the oceans, destruction of our soils, biodiversity loss. These crises are a huge threat, but also an opportunity: in making the necessary radical changes to our society to heal our environment we can also build a better, more secure, life for everyone.

What’s clear is that we cannot continue as we are. If someone tells them Green plans are ‘unrealistic’, look them straight in the eye and say: “You’re the unrealistic one. Dream on if you think we can continue as we are.”

The need for Green politics was clear in the referendum debate. Our Greens for a Better Europe campaign provided positive, effective messages, addressing issues from workers’ and human rights to the environment, passionately defending the way in which free movement in Europe enriches all of our lives.

And that’s something that we’ll continue doing, and continue presenting the facts, not the lies that continue to be casually presented, on immigration and other European issues.

The real issue is not immigration

Last week I was at the French Greens Summer University. I was telling Greens from across Europe an important fact about the referendum. Something they need to know and that we need to stress in Britain. People did not vote Leave primarily on the basis of opposition to immigration.

Lord Ashcroft’s detailed study shows that half of Leave voters said the biggest single reason was “the principle that decisions about the UK should be taken in the UK”. It was only one third who cited their main reason for voting leave “as control over immigration and borders”.

The many politicians, quite a few of them from the Labour Party, who are going around saying “this was a vote about immigration and it shows we have to stop free movement” need to be challenged. Strongly. This was not ‘a vote against immigration’.

And even those voters who say they’re concerned about immigration, when you ask them to explain, most talk about low wages, crowded schools and hospitals, the cost of housing. Those are all rightful concerns. But they are caused by the failed policies of privatisation, of austerity, of financialisation of our economy, of centralisation on Westminster. They are not caused by immigration.

The Brexit hashtag #takebackcontrol sums up the reason why people voted to leave – they were saying they didn’t feel in control of their own lives, their own communities, their own futures.

And that’s no wonder when we’ve got giant, market-dominating companies casually failing to pay their workers the supposedly legally binding minimum wage. They are parasites, tax-dodgers sucking huge profits from our society without paying for the infrastructure essential to generating them.

Time to #takebackREALcontrol

To restore trust, restore democratic control, to stop the plutocrats, what we need is a fair electoral system, a system in which people can vote for what they believe in, and get it. A proportional electoral system: that has to be the key goal, the change on which the essential political, social, economic and environmental transformation can be built.

In the ‘mother of all parliaments’, it’s time to get democracy!

On a global scale, ‘take back control’ could also be the hashtag for another critical issue of the coming year – nuclear weapons. We’ve lived under the threat of nuclear annihilation for three generations. And the world’s said enough. One hundred and thirty eight countries have signed up to work for a global ban on these hideous weapons of mass destruction.

In Britain, with Trident renewal on the horizon, we’ve got a unique opportunity to make a huge global impact with our policies, not simply to replace our 1% of the world’s nuclear weapons, the weapons that from one submarine could kill 10 million people.

Let’s join with the majority of the people of the world, take back control and ban nuclear weapons.

No, I will not be joining Ed Balls on Strictly Come Dancing

Lots of people are of course asking what I’ll do next – now I’m no longer Green Party leader.

Well I’m going to let you into a long-hidden secret. In primary school a boy who hated being partnered with me in folk dancing lessons complained I had ‘rusty joints’ – and that became my nickname.

So I promise you, I’m not going to follow Ed Balls on to Strictly Come Dancing. What I will be doing is getting out on the picket lines supporting our junior doctors. Jeremy Hunt says what they’re planning is the worst strike in NHS history. Well he’s got the something right – the adjective. He’s the worst Health Secretary in the history of the NHS.

He really should take English lessons. Jeremy, a contract is an agreement, not something you impose!

What I’ll also be doing in the coming weeks and months is campaigning on education. Students in schools, colleges and universities have told me how they feel failed, damaged, by an education that prepares them for exams, not life, that puts crushing pressure and fear of failure into young lives.

The Green Party education policy – abolishing SATs and the awful phonics test, getting rid of Ofsted, and of course abolishing tuition fees and restoring maintenance grants – is wonderful. And it’s up to all of us to ensure that every pupil, every teacher, every parent – everyone who cares about the future – knows what it is.

I’ll also be campaigning for the restoration of cultural education and cultural funding. Drama, music and art are essential parts of a healthy society. And given the importance of these sectors of the British economy, is plainly, simply stupid.

I’ll also be campaigning also to highlight the abject, total failure of the Thatcherite policy of the privatisation of public services. For we know – it’s demonstrated by the failure of the Labour Party to back the NHS Reinstatement Bill championed by Caroline Lucas – that the Green Party is the anti-privatisation party.

We’re the people who say that prisons, courts, policing, military activities should not be in private hands. The coercive power of the state should never be privatised! We’re the people who consistently resisted the privatisation of the Royal Mail, who understand that privatisation is built on cutting the level of services, slashing the pay and condition of services, and shovelling public money into private hands.

I’m standing down as Green Party leader. But I’m not going away

So I think you’ve got the picture. I’m standing down as Green Party leader, but I won’t be going away. If we had a fair, proportional electoral system we’d have 25 MPs in Westminster. Just imagine it, Caroline Lucas 25 times over! But since we don’t, we’ve got to be more creative – find ways to give more people roles and prominence.

My title will be ‘former leader’, but the reality is that I’ll be joining you all in being leaders – for every member of the Green Party is a leader.

You’re helping lead Britain, and the world, away from the destructive, inhumane, unsustainable politics of the past four decade, towards a society, a world, that works within the environmental limits of our one fragile planet while delivering a decent life for everyone.

You’re making a difference in your community – as a councillor, as an organiser, as a talker and a doer – people who together can transform our society.

Thank you for everything you’ve done, and everything you’re going to do. I look forward to what we can achieve, united, together. 

Natalie Bennett is the former leader of the Green Party of England & Wales.

This article is the very slightly edited text of Natalie’s speech to the Green Party conference on 3rd September.

They say in politics you should never say ‘I told you so.’ But I was reminded yesterday of a phrase I’ve often used: “the future of politics doesn’t look like the past.” I don’t say it now, because it is a statement of the obvious.

One of the things I’ve always tried to do, and encourage others to do, is celebrate our victories. We’ve led on 20mph speed limits, on the living wage, on taking air pollution seriously. And we’ve made progress on all of those issues.

And in the news in the past 24 hours, we’ve seen two victories for our causes. One’s small, but important – the government has finally, belatedly, announced a ban on microbeads in cosmetics.

The other’s big, really big – the US and China have jointly ratified the Paris climate deal. That makes Theresa May’s abolition of the department of energy and climate change, and her appointment as Environment Secretary of Andrea Leadsom look very out-of-step, very out-of-date, very dangerous.

If we’re not to be entirely left behind Britain must also ratify the climate treaty now. If China and the US can do it, those two great polluters, we certainly can.

Once again we’re the trailblazers in British politics

As you might expect, I’ve been reflecting back over not just my past four years as leader, but over my 11 years as a member of the Green Party. That’s included 21 conferences and nine major elections.

Elections are like we wish buses were – they just keep coming along. But they’re also like buses in that they don’t always keep to the timetable – something we need to keep in mind in the coming months. Internal elections also just keep coming, and I want to congratulate all of the internal election winners, but particularly Caroline and Jonathan.

When I became leader of the Green Party in 2012 it was historic – the first time a woman had taken over from another woman as a leader of a political party in British history. Now the Green Party has made history again, with the first job-share leadership.

Once again we’re the trailblazers in British politics, proving that the Green Party really does do politics differently – cooperatively, collegiately, working together for the common good. That’s what I’ve experienced through the four years of my leadership – massive support, great help, loving care in the tough times and the good.

I’ve often needed your support. For in the Green Party, although we’re now a major part of the political landscape, we’re still operating with a fraction of the resources of those we’re challenging.

To do my job I’ve had to rely on thousands of unpaid volunteers – volunteers who’ve worked out itineraries, guided me, dealt with the press, written briefings, put me up in their spare rooms. I couldn’t have done it without you – thank you! These have been four wonderful years, both for me, and for the Green Party.

We won more votes than in every previous general election added together!

It is worth reflecting on your achievement in the 2015 general election. You won more votes – 1.1 million – than the Green Party in every previous general election added together. We contested 93% of seats, with 535 candidates, and saved 126 deposits. (In 2010 we saved just six.) That was symbolically and practically important – it saved us £63,000.

In four years as leader I’ve travelled up and down the country. I really should have kept track of my train miles. A journalist asked me this week if I’d ever sat on the floor of a train carriage. Have I ever? I’ve been getting more passionate about bring the railways back into public hands about three times a week.

My recent memorable train journey was going to the wonderful Hen Harrier Day at Edale, with eight hours on trains for three hours on the ground. I’d do it again tomorrow. For a ban on driven grouse shooting wouldn’t just protect our majestic hen harriers, but also the ecology of our uplands, and the flood-threatened communities below them.

The past four years have, however, for British politics, society and our precious natural world, been awful years. The British people last year were stuck with a Tory government backed by only 24% of eligible voters. And the Conservative 2015 manifesto, which assumed we’d remain part of the EU, is now irrelevant. And there’s no democratic guidance on what ‘Brexit’ means.

Theresa May has no democratic legitimacy. She has no right to proceed without a general election. She’s in that position after what the Electoral Reform Society judged a referendum campaign that failed to meet basic democratic standards.

The understandable anger of voters at the state of the nation found an outlet. Brexit is the collateral damage from fire rightly directed at the British political class.

The Green voice in politics has never been more important!

Globally, over the past four years, well: Donald Trump’s a huge worry but Jill Stein and Bernie Sanders are signs of positive change.

Renewable energy has surged ahead in much of the world, the concept of the universal basic income has moved from the fringe very firmly into mainstream debate. But one thing’s clearer by the moment:  Britain needs the Green Party, the world needs its Green parties.

Increasingly voters are recognising that. In Germany the Greens are part of more state governments than Angela Merkel’s CDU. In Australia, the Greens won 10% of first preference votes – but under the Alternative Vote system still only one seat. Remember the hashtag – #AVisnotPR.

Britain and the world need not just Greens offering good ideas, campaigning for them and waiting for others to get the message. Britain, and the world, needs to stop electing the wrong people, then hoping they’ll do the right things. On councils, in national governments, we must elect more, lots more, Greens.

The county council elections next May will be a great chance to do that – I’m confident we can win our first council elections in May in Wales and in many parts of England, and grow our representation on councils where we’ve only recently gained footholds.

And we’ve got a great chance to get the Green message out in upcoming ‘metro mayor’ elections. We don’t agree with the Osborne plan but the elections give us the chance to explain what genuine local power and decisionmaking could look like.

I’m delighted to congratulate our Liverpool candidate, announced yesterday. Tom Crone’s going to be great. And we know that he, and all of our candidates, have the message that people want to, need to, hear.

We are the only truly ‘realistic’ party

For the Green Party message of economic and environmental justice is the message for today. It brings the promise of jobs that people can build a life on, the security of the universal basic income and thriving communities built around small independent businesses and cooperatives.

The environmental crisis extends far beyond climate change: plastics in the oceans, destruction of our soils, biodiversity loss. These crises are a huge threat, but also an opportunity: in making the necessary radical changes to our society to heal our environment we can also build a better, more secure, life for everyone.

What’s clear is that we cannot continue as we are. If someone tells them Green plans are ‘unrealistic’, look them straight in the eye and say: “You’re the unrealistic one. Dream on if you think we can continue as we are.”

The need for Green politics was clear in the referendum debate. Our Greens for a Better Europe campaign provided positive, effective messages, addressing issues from workers’ and human rights to the environment, passionately defending the way in which free movement in Europe enriches all of our lives.

And that’s something that we’ll continue doing, and continue presenting the facts, not the lies that continue to be casually presented, on immigration and other European issues.

The real issue is not immigration

Last week I was at the French Greens Summer University. I was telling Greens from across Europe an important fact about the referendum. Something they need to know and that we need to stress in Britain. People did not vote Leave primarily on the basis of opposition to immigration.

Lord Ashcroft’s detailed study shows that half of Leave voters said the biggest single reason was “the principle that decisions about the UK should be taken in the UK”. It was only one third who cited their main reason for voting leave “as control over immigration and borders”.

The many politicians, quite a few of them from the Labour Party, who are going around saying “this was a vote about immigration and it shows we have to stop free movement” need to be challenged. Strongly. This was not ‘a vote against immigration’.

And even those voters who say they’re concerned about immigration, when you ask them to explain, most talk about low wages, crowded schools and hospitals, the cost of housing. Those are all rightful concerns. But they are caused by the failed policies of privatisation, of austerity, of financialisation of our economy, of centralisation on Westminster. They are not caused by immigration.

The Brexit hashtag #takebackcontrol sums up the reason why people voted to leave – they were saying they didn’t feel in control of their own lives, their own communities, their own futures.

And that’s no wonder when we’ve got giant, market-dominating companies casually failing to pay their workers the supposedly legally binding minimum wage. They are parasites, tax-dodgers sucking huge profits from our society without paying for the infrastructure essential to generating them.

Time to #takebackREALcontrol

To restore trust, restore democratic control, to stop the plutocrats, what we need is a fair electoral system, a system in which people can vote for what they believe in, and get it. A proportional electoral system: that has to be the key goal, the change on which the essential political, social, economic and environmental transformation can be built.

In the ‘mother of all parliaments’, it’s time to get democracy!

On a global scale, ‘take back control’ could also be the hashtag for another critical issue of the coming year – nuclear weapons. We’ve lived under the threat of nuclear annihilation for three generations. And the world’s said enough. One hundred and thirty eight countries have signed up to work for a global ban on these hideous weapons of mass destruction.

In Britain, with Trident renewal on the horizon, we’ve got a unique opportunity to make a huge global impact with our policies, not simply to replace our 1% of the world’s nuclear weapons, the weapons that from one submarine could kill 10 million people.

Let’s join with the majority of the people of the world, take back control and ban nuclear weapons.

No, I will not be joining Ed Balls on Strictly Come Dancing

Lots of people are of course asking what I’ll do next – now I’m no longer Green Party leader.

Well I’m going to let you into a long-hidden secret. In primary school a boy who hated being partnered with me in folk dancing lessons complained I had ‘rusty joints’ – and that became my nickname.

So I promise you, I’m not going to follow Ed Balls on to Strictly Come Dancing. What I will be doing is getting out on the picket lines supporting our junior doctors. Jeremy Hunt says what they’re planning is the worst strike in NHS history. Well he’s got the something right – the adjective. He’s the worst Health Secretary in the history of the NHS.

He really should take English lessons. Jeremy, a contract is an agreement, not something you impose!

What I’ll also be doing in the coming weeks and months is campaigning on education. Students in schools, colleges and universities have told me how they feel failed, damaged, by an education that prepares them for exams, not life, that puts crushing pressure and fear of failure into young lives.

The Green Party education policy – abolishing SATs and the awful phonics test, getting rid of Ofsted, and of course abolishing tuition fees and restoring maintenance grants – is wonderful. And it’s up to all of us to ensure that every pupil, every teacher, every parent – everyone who cares about the future – knows what it is.

I’ll also be campaigning for the restoration of cultural education and cultural funding. Drama, music and art are essential parts of a healthy society. And given the importance of these sectors of the British economy, is plainly, simply stupid.

I’ll also be campaigning also to highlight the abject, total failure of the Thatcherite policy of the privatisation of public services. For we know – it’s demonstrated by the failure of the Labour Party to back the NHS Reinstatement Bill championed by Caroline Lucas – that the Green Party is the anti-privatisation party.

We’re the people who say that prisons, courts, policing, military activities should not be in private hands. The coercive power of the state should never be privatised! We’re the people who consistently resisted the privatisation of the Royal Mail, who understand that privatisation is built on cutting the level of services, slashing the pay and condition of services, and shovelling public money into private hands.

I’m standing down as Green Party leader. But I’m not going away

So I think you’ve got the picture. I’m standing down as Green Party leader, but I won’t be going away. If we had a fair, proportional electoral system we’d have 25 MPs in Westminster. Just imagine it, Caroline Lucas 25 times over! But since we don’t, we’ve got to be more creative – find ways to give more people roles and prominence.

My title will be ‘former leader’, but the reality is that I’ll be joining you all in being leaders – for every member of the Green Party is a leader.

You’re helping lead Britain, and the world, away from the destructive, inhumane, unsustainable politics of the past four decade, towards a society, a world, that works within the environmental limits of our one fragile planet while delivering a decent life for everyone.

You’re making a difference in your community – as a councillor, as an organiser, as a talker and a doer – people who together can transform our society.

Thank you for everything you’ve done, and everything you’re going to do. I look forward to what we can achieve, united, together. 

Natalie Bennett is the former leader of the Green Party of England & Wales.

This article is the very slightly edited text of Natalie’s speech to the Green Party conference on 3rd September.

SCS Global Services (SCS) is a widely respected independent third-party auditor and certification body that has operated since the mid-1980s. SCS is recognized by government agencies, international NGOs (e.g., World Wildlife Fund, Nature Conservancy), leading environmental certification schemes, companies and stakeholders worldwide for excellence, professionalism, and neutrality. 

Misleading Statement #1. “Drax’s SBP auditors: Consultants with a track-record of granting controversial certificates

The certification company chosen by Drax is SCS Global Services (‘SCS’), and it is no stranger to controversy.”

SCS REBUTTAL

 1. The term “consultant” can confuse readers internationally and it simply does not accurately characterize SCS’ role. SCS acts as a Certification Body (CB), providing independent, unbiased assessment of conformity with a set of standards. SCS does not act (and is not permitted to act) as a consultant – i.e., an entity that provides advice, tools and guidance to help a client succeed – for any company for which SCS is providing conformity assessment services.

2. All CBs working in the environmental field must necessarily tackle controversial issues on a regular basis.  For any mid- to large-scale, and even for small-scale, forest certification projects, it is quite common for there to be many strongly-held points of view among interested stakeholders.

The CB’s responsibilities include delving into the complex details of a company’s operations, providing an avenue for employees to air any concerns without reprisal, and reviewing and considering all stakeholder concerns.  Indeed, as a CB we are regularly evaluated by the accrediting body for our compliance with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standard on stakeholder consultation.

The conformity assessment audit and reporting process provides extensive transparency (e.g., 50+ page public summary reports) into these issues, and includes corrective action requests as needed. To state that SCS is “no stranger to controversy” suggests that SCS is somehow unusual in this respect, and presented out of context, carries a very negative connotation.  Every FSC CB, indeed every CB for any of the growing array of environmental certification programs operating around the world, is no stranger to controversy.   

3. SCS is deeply knowledgeable about forestry standards and certification programmes. SCS representatives participated on the founding FSC board of directors, and SCS was among the first CBs to be accredited to issue FSC-endorsed certificates in the early 1990’s. 

Having conducted hundreds of FSC certification audits over 25 years, SCS has built and maintained a strong reputation as a technically competent auditing body with a deep and abiding commitment to the values, policies and procedures of the FSC. SCS has undergone numerous oversight (accreditation) audits throughout its 25-year affiliation with the FSC, and has maintained without interruption its status as a duly-accredited FSC certification body. 

Misleading Statement #2. “Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certificates awarded as a result of SCS assessments include:

• Certification of the Jari forestry project in Brazil from 2004. In 2015, the certificate was suspended after government authorities raided the company’s offices on suspicion of massive fraud and illegal timber laundering. SCS had noted problems with the company’s documentation but had chosen to certify them regardless;
• Certification of Green Diamond Resource Company in California, despite what the Environmental Protection Information Center described as ‘Green Diamond’s aggressive clearcut logging, their legacy of toxic pollution, their decades long history of antagonistic relationships with local communities and civil society organizations, and their corporate culture of greenwash, impunity, and lack of accountability’.”

SCS REBUTTAL

1.     SCS has conducted hundreds of FSC certification audits over 25 years.  It is notable that the two examples highlighted by the author were pulled from the FSC Watch website, a small organization whose raison d’etre is to attack and seek to damage the reputation of the FSC, dating back to the 1993 FSC founding assembly, when FSC Watch’s leader, Simon Counsel, declared open opposition to the FSC on the basis of key policies decisions with which he disagreed. Notably, FSC Watch posts anti-FSC stories on its website without any effort at corroboration, fact-checking or any other form of vetting.  Does the editorial staff of The Ecologist really believe that such a website constitutes a fact-checked source confirming/validating the content of articles it publishes?

2.     SCS does not, indeed cannot, make certification decisions on the basis of opinion or discretionary choice.  Rather, as a CB, we are obligated to make certification decisions strictly on the basis of conformity to the applicable FSC certification standard(s).  We have done so for 25 years in a manner that has withstood ongoing oversight by FSC throughout those years.

3.     The FSC certification process involves extensive auditing, with a major, extremely detailed audit every five years and annual surveillance audits, all of which include documentation reviews and onsite inspections.  That said, no certification system is perfect, which is why it is important for certification scheme owners and CBs to keep our ears to the ground for signs of trouble.  When the allegations against Jari arose, even though these allegations did not directly pertain to lands under the scope of the FSC certificate, SCS took proactive measures by undertaking a special audit above and beyond the normally scheduled annual audit.  On the basis of the special audit, SCS suspended 8 of the 10 FSC forest management and chain-of-custody certificates held by Jari.  These certificates remain suspended, and can be lifted only if and when Jari provides verifiable evidence that it has corrected the issues that led to the certificate suspensions, and after SCS conducts another special audit to confirm these corrections.

4.     The Green Diamond “controversy” described by the author reflects another uncorroborated and factually inaccurate screed posted on the FSC Watch web site, now over three years ago.  While it still remains on the FSC Watch web site, nowhere on Environmental Protection and Information Center’s (EPIC) web site is there any longer a single adverse mentioning of Green Diamond Resource Company.  Indeed, both the EPIC Director and another staffer responsible for the irresponsible editorial, which was posted by FSC Watch uncritically and without corroboration on its website, have been severed from association with EPIC, in part over this very issue. 

In stark contrast to the overblown, inaccurate and now very dated hit piece that the author cited in the Ecologist, EPIC and the larger community of Humboldt County, California now have a very much more collaborative and cooperative working relationship with Green Diamond though, as is intrinsically the case for most large-scale forest operations, there remain points of discussion and deliberation between Green Diamond and its stakeholders. Does The Ecologist’s editorial staff believe it appropriate for its authors to rely on dated and, in this case, inaccurate materials that were never even casually vetted for factual accuracy?

 Misleading Statement #3.  “SCS spent a total of just seven hours inspecting logging operations across two overlapping areas from which Drax’s pellet mills source wood, each with 3.9 million hectares of forest. The SCS reports largely summarise ‘supply base’ reports written by a Drax director.”

SCS REBUTTAL

1.     The seven hours cited by the author are substantially out of context, and wildly understated relative to the time actually expended by SCS auditors on this multi-scheme project. As described in SCS’ two Public Summary reports, our audit team spent 66 hours (8.25 days) auditing Drax’s facilities against the SBP certification requirements. 

This time count includes a thorough pre-assessment, full review of procedures and documents, and on-site/field portions (including interviews and physical inspections). The on-site/in-field portions alone comprised 45 hours (more than 5.5 days). This is time spent in addition to the time devoted to evaluating Drax against the requirements of FSC, SFI, and PEFC Chain of Custody (CoC) requirements.  (It should be fully recognized that SBP certification can be achieved only when the organization/certificate holder also maintains certification to at least one of these three CoC standards: SBP is built upon the foundations of these other recognized certifications.)

2.     The Supply Base Evaluation (SBE) conducted by Drax was not a requirement for its SBP certification, since all of their material inputs can be sourced with either an SBP-compliant or SBP-controlled claim. Drax voluntarily implemented this SBE program even though that measure exceeded the certification requirements. As a result, SCS was obligated to conduct our own field verification of their SBE; hence the seven hours spent at the forest level were entirely appropriate given this context. It is also worth noting that it is simply not feasible to inspect the entire acreage land area of any forest management operation. Field audits are always conducted on a sample-basis, with sampling and site selection processes taking into account variability in forest conditions across an ownership as well as risk factors in order to maximize the representativeness of the selected sample.

Misleading Statement #4.  “A simple web search casts doubt on some of the claims accepted by SCS: For example, the certification report states that there are no IUCN Red List species (i.e. endangered or threatened species) in the wider sourcing region. In fact, there are 10 Red Listed species in Louisiana alone, including the Louisiana Pine Snake, which depends on Longleaf pine forests. Drax’s own report shows that Longleaf pine forms part of the wood mix used by both pellet mills. According to IUCN, ‘intensive pine silviculture’, i.e. pine plantations, are one of two key threats to the species.”

SCS REBUTTAL

1.     Here is another factual error.  The Public Summary Report [“certification report”] does not state that “there are no IUCN Red List species (i.e. endangered or threatened species) in the wider sourcing region,” as the author claims.  Rather, SCS’ public summary reports clearly state:  “There is one International Union for Conservation of Nature (‘IUCN’) Red List of Threatened Species that is worthy of note in Drax’ supply region  – Longleaf pine (pinus palustris).  (emphasis added).

2.     The important questions to ask are 1) whether or not any listed species are present in the sourcing area (not the whole state), and 2) if so, are they affected by the forest management activities?

There is no evidence that use of Longleaf pine, which constitutes only a tiny fraction of Drax’ supply source, is negatively impacting Louisiana Pine Snake habitat. The de minimus volumes of Longleaf pine in Drax’ supply base are more likely due to the efforts of forest managers reintroducing Longleaf pine into managed forests as a way to promote its restoration, since large stands of Longleaf pine have all but disappeared due to centuries of human activity in the region. 

Again, as stated in SCS’ public summary report:  “This species [Longleaf pine] is far less common than it once was, and efforts are underway to promote longleaf pine coverage in the region.

The intent of listing species to the Red List is not to promote prohibition of their use but rather to heighten priority setting for conservation of the species (IUCN 2014).^[1] Critical to the recovery of the species is continued access to markets for longleaf pine.  If landowners do not expect to be able to sell this wood, then they will not plant the tree in the first place. This position is captured in a statement from a USDA researcher and supported by the conservation group, the Longleaf Alliance:

“Strong markets for forest products provide incentives for private landowners to keep their lands in forest cover (Wear 2013). This is particularly important across the longleaf range where recent forecasts of human population and income growth point toward increasing pressure in some locations to convert forest land to other uses (Wear 2013).^[2] Strong markets also enable landowners to invest in the management practices required to establish longleaf pine forests and implement practices such as prescribed fire and thinning which are crucial restoration activities^[3].”

 3.     It is also misleading to suggest that SCS and Drax failed to conduct such a “simple web search.” IUCN is identified by SBP in “Standard 1 – Feedstock compliance standard” as a resource for use in demonstrating conformance with several indicators in criterion 2.1 and 2.2 of the standard.  Those criteria specifically focus on: identification and protection of species of outstanding or exceptional value; assessment and maintenance of high-conservation value forests, key ecosystems or habitats, and; protection of bio-diversity.

4.     In addition to using IUCN’s red list (as well as the High Conservation Value Network, Global Forest Risk Registry and CITES), as sources of information to determine risk, SBP requires that the certification body conduct a stakeholder consultation process.  As part of SCS’ stakeholder consultation process, several environmental organizations -including the Dogwood Alliance, Longleaf Alliance, Natural Resources Defense council, and the Sierra Club (Delta Chapter) -were contacted and given the opportunity to provide comments, feedback, and criticisms. 

5.     Based on the species population data available on the IUCN website, the one species cited in the article (the Louisana Pine Snake) does not have extant populations within Drax’s current supply area.  Current populations of the species are located farther away than the 70-mile sourcing radius of Drax’s facilities.

Misleading Statement #5. “Companies applying for a certificate choose their own auditor amongst the list of SBP-approved consultancies and pay them for their services. This creates a strong incentive for certifying consultancies to provide the desired service to their ‘customers’, and to be biased in favour of granting certificates. This is a generic problem of voluntary certification schemes.

 The best ‘sustainability’ certificates money can buy

… Standards themselves are of little importance as long as companies can so easily pay another company for providing them with certificates to ‘prove’ compliance with those standards.”

SCS REBUTTAL

1.  The implication of these statements, and the author’s clear bias, is that certificates are “for sale.” This ad hominem is patently untrue, and a clear attack on SCS’ professionalism. Certification bodies such as SCS must comply with internationally accepted guidance to prevent conflicts of interest (ISO 17065), and must be accredited to FSC and PEFC. In SCS’ case, our Assessment Services Agreement and all other relevant program documents explicitly clarify that the certification applicant can expect to receive a full and fair audit, but that there is no guarantee that the result of that audit will be a certification. 

2.   SCS performs services on a strict time-and-materials basis, and levies no “marketing” fees in association with the license of certification marks (as is the case with some bodies).

3.   The ability of an applicant to choose a certification body from a list of SBP-approved CBs helps to assure that audits can be scheduled in a timely manner, and helps prevents monopolization and price gauging.  It is quite common in voluntary certification programs around the world, for everything from organic agriculture to MSC certified fish. 

4.  In this instance, the SCS audit of Drax was also witnessed by third parties responsible for assuring that our audit was in full compliance with SBP principles and criteria.

For more information visit scsglobalservices.com

[1] IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee. 2014. Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Version 11. Prepared by the Standards and Petitions Subcommittee. Downloadable from http://www.iucnredlist.org/documents/RedListGuidelines.pdf.

[2] Wear, D. N. 2013. “Forecasts of Land Uses.” Chapter 4 in Southern Forest Futures Project Technical Report.

http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/futures/reports/draft/Frame.htm.

[3] Longleaf Alliance and NCASI. 2014 “Longleaf Pine: Sustainable Forest Management and the Restoration of a Species” brochure.

Schools across the UK who have invested in solar panels could be facing surprise tax bills of over £800 next spring according to research by the climate change charity, 10:10.

This new tax will disproportionately (and unfairly) only affect state schools, as private schools, free schools and academies are exempt due to their charitable status.

The Solar Trade Association – learnt of sharp increases to business rates for rooftop solar in July – has been campaigning for ministers to intervene ever since.

And the news follows drastic cuts to support for solar last summer which saw 12,000 jobs in UK solar industry lost and the closure of the UK’s world-leading Solar Schools programme.

According to new calculations by the climate change charity, 10:10, schools which have invested in a ten kilowatt solar rig (around 40-50 panels) will have to pay £803.35 in business rates.

Previously, the small solar installations favoured by many schools were not taxed at all. Those with larger rigs – around 200 panels and more – already pay business rates, but could see bills rise to six to eight times last year’s figures.

Schools who managed to install before the solar cuts hit were still hoping to be able to pay back the cost of the panels in 5-8 years. If the changes to business rates go ahead, 10:10 estimates it will now take upwards of 10 years. And for schools planning to go solar this year, despite the cuts, the charity warns  that the new tax hike would reduce the lifetime return of the panels to near zero. They might even make a negative return.

This week also marks the official closure of Solar Schools which was established in 2011 and which has, since then, installed over 2,000 panels on 80 schools, working with over 30,000 pupils and raising over £700,000 in the process.

The 10:10 team estimate over 15,000 cakes were sold at Solar Schools fundraising events in the last five years. The total 592 kilowatts of solar power this amounts to should save nearly 4,000 tonnes of CO2 over the next 25 years.

Cecily Spelling, Solar Schools project manager at 10:10 says: “This new tax hike is just nonsensical. It’s punishing those that have already installed solar and discouraging more in the future.

“Solar Schools is about so much more than just generating energy – it brings communities together and gets people excited about the positive things they can do to tackle climate change. It’s also a brilliant resource for science, technology and maths education.”

Richard and Karen Ecclestone, both governors at Ludwell Primary School in Wiltshire echo her sentiments: “Ludwell Primary school has already generated over 9,200 kWh of clean, green electricity and saved 5,200 kg of CO₂ thanks to their panels, installed in September 2015.

“It’s been an exciting success story that we should be celebrating instead we’ve learned there is the threat of a massive hike in the business rates for our Local Authority school, just because we’ve done the right thing by investing in renewable technology.

“This technology is insulating us against future price hikes and allowing us to boost our budget – something we know government isn’t going to offer anytime soon. With the feed-in tariff changes dampening schools’ options for installing solar already, we can assume that this anomaly is surely not the Government’s intention and urge immediate action to exempt Local Authority schools from this punitive tax.”

Professor Sir Tim Brighouse, former Schools Commissioner for London adds: “I know many of the schools involved in Solar Schools and I’m hugely impressed by its impact on community involvement and how it motivates students … Every school should be able to find a champion to move it from their wish list to reality.”

10:10 Solar Schools Programme

As well as cutting carbon and boosting budgets, Solar Schools offers a host of opportunities for science, technology and maths education. Research conducted in partnership with NESTA – a charity that works to increase innovation in the UK – also showed Solar School participants felt more engaged in taking action on climate change with over 70 per cent changing their behavior to conserve energy and with all participants reporting that the project had helped foster a sense of community.

Solar Schools has worked with numerous partners to make the project happen including Good Energy, Mumsnet, Lush, NESTA, the Tudor trust, the ERANDA Foundation, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the Bertha Foundation.

Justine Roberts, CEO of Mumsnet says: “Mumsnet has backed Solar Schools right from the beginning, because it seems like a no-brainer to us: clean energy, revenue for schools, and clever on-site tech to get young minds interested in the future of energy. We’re really proud to be a partner and it’s been great watching it go from strength to strength.”

The Maths:

If the proposed changes go ahead in April 2017, 10:10 calculates that schools will have to pay £803.35 for a 10kw rig, a year – £550 of rateable value and a rates bill of £273.35.

10kw x £1,250 (capital cost assumption £/kw) x 4.4% (decapitalisation rate) = 550.

550 – 49.7% = 273.35. 550 + 273.35 = £803.35 in business rate payments a year.

For more on Solar Schools visit 1010uk.org

The Green Party of England and Wales has elected Jonathan Bartley and Caroline Lucas as its new co-leaders.

The pair – who won the overwhelming support of the party’s membership – have today promised policies that enable people to ‘take control’ of their lives.

In their first speech to the Green Party Conference, delivered today at the University of Birmingham, Bartley and Lucas said the party is now uniquely poised to bring forward proposals to tackle the ‘age of insecurity’ plaguing Britain.

At the core of their plan is a ‘Green Industrial Strategy’ which, they say, would deliver ‘real security and prosperity’ by creating well-paid, low carbon jobs in every part of the country, make Britain a world leader in renewable technologies and give local communities the chance to create their own energy.

They also pledged to take forward work on a ‘Basic Income,’ which provides everyone with a decent standard of living and helps protect against the ill effects of short-term contracts, low pay and job insecurity.

In the speech, they said: “Imagine a new plan that will meet our obligations to future generations – a plan that will create jobs in every part of the country.

“Imagine local communities, empowered to take control of their own energy futures. Imagine Britain as a world leader in renewable technology. Our Green Guarantee means a new industrial revolution that will work for everyone.”

Bartley and Lucas’ co-leadership of the Green Party is a first for a Westminster party.

In their speech they also reinforced the Green Party’s position following the European Referendum by calling for a second referendum on the terms of exit, and proper parliamentary scrutiny of the process.

Bartley and Lucas also gave a ‘cast iron pledge to put people in control’ by rejuvenating British democracy. At the core of such a proposal is a commitment to a fair voting system for the House of Commons and a pledge for constitutional reform. They also laid out their blueprint for a new political settlement built on progressive alliances to beat the Conservatives at the next election through a form of pact with proportional representation at its core.

They said: “Every vote needs to count. So we are resolute in wanting to explore the potential for progressive alliances with other parties that will deliver fair votes.

“We are the Party of ideas and this is a big one. So we need to have a proper conversation, starting here at conference and continuing in our local parties, in our communities.”

Amelia Womack was announced as Deputy Leader. Amelia was first elected in 2014 and at 31 and is the youngest Deputy Leader of any UK political party. She led strongly in the Greens’ European Referendum campaign and set up Greens for a Better Europe. She has also championed social and environmental rights across the UK visiting hundreds of local parties.

Amelia said: “I am thrilled and honoured to be re-elected as Deputy Leader to continue my work for the party. I look forward to working in such a formidable leadership team, and with such strong support from our membership I know that we can take the Party forward.”

Next week Bartley and Lucas, along withAmelia, will make a statement setting out plans for their first weeks as the leadership team.

Their proposals will include an ‘Equalities Commission’ to ensure the Green Party better represents marginalized communities, and a plan to launch a conversation within the party on progressive alliances.

The Green Party of England and Wales has elected Jonathan Bartley and Caroline Lucas as its new co-leaders.

The pair – who won the overwhelming support of the party’s membership – have today promised policies that enable people to ‘take control’ of their lives.

In their first speech to the Green Party Conference, delivered today at the University of Birmingham, Bartley and Lucas said the party is now uniquely poised to bring forward proposals to tackle the ‘age of insecurity’ plaguing Britain.

At the core of their plan is a ‘Green Industrial Strategy’ which, they say, would deliver ‘real security and prosperity’ by creating well-paid, low carbon jobs in every part of the country, make Britain a world leader in renewable technologies and give local communities the chance to create their own energy.

They also pledged to take forward work on a ‘Basic Income,’ which provides everyone with a decent standard of living and helps protect against the ill effects of short-term contracts, low pay and job insecurity.

In the speech, they said: “Imagine a new plan that will meet our obligations to future generations – a plan that will create jobs in every part of the country.

“Imagine local communities, empowered to take control of their own energy futures. Imagine Britain as a world leader in renewable technology. Our Green Guarantee means a new industrial revolution that will work for everyone.”

Bartley and Lucas’ co-leadership of the Green Party is a first for a Westminster party.

In their speech they also reinforced the Green Party’s position following the European Referendum by calling for a second referendum on the terms of exit, and proper parliamentary scrutiny of the process.

Bartley and Lucas also gave a ‘cast iron pledge to put people in control’ by rejuvenating British democracy. At the core of such a proposal is a commitment to a fair voting system for the House of Commons and a pledge for constitutional reform. They also laid out their blueprint for a new political settlement built on progressive alliances to beat the Conservatives at the next election through a form of pact with proportional representation at its core.

They said: “Every vote needs to count. So we are resolute in wanting to explore the potential for progressive alliances with other parties that will deliver fair votes.

“We are the Party of ideas and this is a big one. So we need to have a proper conversation, starting here at conference and continuing in our local parties, in our communities.”

Amelia Womack was announced as Deputy Leader. Amelia was first elected in 2014 and at 31 and is the youngest Deputy Leader of any UK political party. She led strongly in the Greens’ European Referendum campaign and set up Greens for a Better Europe. She has also championed social and environmental rights across the UK visiting hundreds of local parties.

Amelia said: “I am thrilled and honoured to be re-elected as Deputy Leader to continue my work for the party. I look forward to working in such a formidable leadership team, and with such strong support from our membership I know that we can take the Party forward.”

Next week Bartley and Lucas, along withAmelia, will make a statement setting out plans for their first weeks as the leadership team.

Their proposals will include an ‘Equalities Commission’ to ensure the Green Party better represents marginalized communities, and a plan to launch a conversation within the party on progressive alliances.

The Green Party of England and Wales has elected Jonathan Bartley and Caroline Lucas as its new co-leaders.

The pair – who won the overwhelming support of the party’s membership – have today promised policies that enable people to ‘take control’ of their lives.

In their first speech to the Green Party Conference, delivered today at the University of Birmingham, Bartley and Lucas said the party is now uniquely poised to bring forward proposals to tackle the ‘age of insecurity’ plaguing Britain.

At the core of their plan is a ‘Green Industrial Strategy’ which, they say, would deliver ‘real security and prosperity’ by creating well-paid, low carbon jobs in every part of the country, make Britain a world leader in renewable technologies and give local communities the chance to create their own energy.

They also pledged to take forward work on a ‘Basic Income,’ which provides everyone with a decent standard of living and helps protect against the ill effects of short-term contracts, low pay and job insecurity.

In the speech, they said: “Imagine a new plan that will meet our obligations to future generations – a plan that will create jobs in every part of the country.

“Imagine local communities, empowered to take control of their own energy futures. Imagine Britain as a world leader in renewable technology. Our Green Guarantee means a new industrial revolution that will work for everyone.”

Bartley and Lucas’ co-leadership of the Green Party is a first for a Westminster party.

In their speech they also reinforced the Green Party’s position following the European Referendum by calling for a second referendum on the terms of exit, and proper parliamentary scrutiny of the process.

Bartley and Lucas also gave a ‘cast iron pledge to put people in control’ by rejuvenating British democracy. At the core of such a proposal is a commitment to a fair voting system for the House of Commons and a pledge for constitutional reform. They also laid out their blueprint for a new political settlement built on progressive alliances to beat the Conservatives at the next election through a form of pact with proportional representation at its core.

They said: “Every vote needs to count. So we are resolute in wanting to explore the potential for progressive alliances with other parties that will deliver fair votes.

“We are the Party of ideas and this is a big one. So we need to have a proper conversation, starting here at conference and continuing in our local parties, in our communities.”

Amelia Womack was announced as Deputy Leader. Amelia was first elected in 2014 and at 31 and is the youngest Deputy Leader of any UK political party. She led strongly in the Greens’ European Referendum campaign and set up Greens for a Better Europe. She has also championed social and environmental rights across the UK visiting hundreds of local parties.

Amelia said: “I am thrilled and honoured to be re-elected as Deputy Leader to continue my work for the party. I look forward to working in such a formidable leadership team, and with such strong support from our membership I know that we can take the Party forward.”

Next week Bartley and Lucas, along withAmelia, will make a statement setting out plans for their first weeks as the leadership team.

Their proposals will include an ‘Equalities Commission’ to ensure the Green Party better represents marginalized communities, and a plan to launch a conversation within the party on progressive alliances.

The Green Party of England and Wales has elected Jonathan Bartley and Caroline Lucas as its new co-leaders.

The pair – who won the overwhelming support of the party’s membership – have today promised policies that enable people to ‘take control’ of their lives.

In their first speech to the Green Party Conference, delivered today at the University of Birmingham, Bartley and Lucas said the party is now uniquely poised to bring forward proposals to tackle the ‘age of insecurity’ plaguing Britain.

At the core of their plan is a ‘Green Industrial Strategy’ which, they say, would deliver ‘real security and prosperity’ by creating well-paid, low carbon jobs in every part of the country, make Britain a world leader in renewable technologies and give local communities the chance to create their own energy.

They also pledged to take forward work on a ‘Basic Income,’ which provides everyone with a decent standard of living and helps protect against the ill effects of short-term contracts, low pay and job insecurity.

In the speech, they said: “Imagine a new plan that will meet our obligations to future generations – a plan that will create jobs in every part of the country.

“Imagine local communities, empowered to take control of their own energy futures. Imagine Britain as a world leader in renewable technology. Our Green Guarantee means a new industrial revolution that will work for everyone.”

Bartley and Lucas’ co-leadership of the Green Party is a first for a Westminster party.

In their speech they also reinforced the Green Party’s position following the European Referendum by calling for a second referendum on the terms of exit, and proper parliamentary scrutiny of the process.

Bartley and Lucas also gave a ‘cast iron pledge to put people in control’ by rejuvenating British democracy. At the core of such a proposal is a commitment to a fair voting system for the House of Commons and a pledge for constitutional reform. They also laid out their blueprint for a new political settlement built on progressive alliances to beat the Conservatives at the next election through a form of pact with proportional representation at its core.

They said: “Every vote needs to count. So we are resolute in wanting to explore the potential for progressive alliances with other parties that will deliver fair votes.

“We are the Party of ideas and this is a big one. So we need to have a proper conversation, starting here at conference and continuing in our local parties, in our communities.”

Amelia Womack was announced as Deputy Leader. Amelia was first elected in 2014 and at 31 and is the youngest Deputy Leader of any UK political party. She led strongly in the Greens’ European Referendum campaign and set up Greens for a Better Europe. She has also championed social and environmental rights across the UK visiting hundreds of local parties.

Amelia said: “I am thrilled and honoured to be re-elected as Deputy Leader to continue my work for the party. I look forward to working in such a formidable leadership team, and with such strong support from our membership I know that we can take the Party forward.”

Next week Bartley and Lucas, along withAmelia, will make a statement setting out plans for their first weeks as the leadership team.

Their proposals will include an ‘Equalities Commission’ to ensure the Green Party better represents marginalized communities, and a plan to launch a conversation within the party on progressive alliances.

The Green Party of England and Wales has elected Jonathan Bartley and Caroline Lucas as its new co-leaders.

The pair – who won the overwhelming support of the party’s membership – have today promised policies that enable people to ‘take control’ of their lives.

In their first speech to the Green Party Conference, delivered today at the University of Birmingham, Bartley and Lucas said the party is now uniquely poised to bring forward proposals to tackle the ‘age of insecurity’ plaguing Britain.

At the core of their plan is a ‘Green Industrial Strategy’ which, they say, would deliver ‘real security and prosperity’ by creating well-paid, low carbon jobs in every part of the country, make Britain a world leader in renewable technologies and give local communities the chance to create their own energy.

They also pledged to take forward work on a ‘Basic Income,’ which provides everyone with a decent standard of living and helps protect against the ill effects of short-term contracts, low pay and job insecurity.

In the speech, they said: “Imagine a new plan that will meet our obligations to future generations – a plan that will create jobs in every part of the country.

“Imagine local communities, empowered to take control of their own energy futures. Imagine Britain as a world leader in renewable technology. Our Green Guarantee means a new industrial revolution that will work for everyone.”

Bartley and Lucas’ co-leadership of the Green Party is a first for a Westminster party.

In their speech they also reinforced the Green Party’s position following the European Referendum by calling for a second referendum on the terms of exit, and proper parliamentary scrutiny of the process.

Bartley and Lucas also gave a ‘cast iron pledge to put people in control’ by rejuvenating British democracy. At the core of such a proposal is a commitment to a fair voting system for the House of Commons and a pledge for constitutional reform. They also laid out their blueprint for a new political settlement built on progressive alliances to beat the Conservatives at the next election through a form of pact with proportional representation at its core.

They said: “Every vote needs to count. So we are resolute in wanting to explore the potential for progressive alliances with other parties that will deliver fair votes.

“We are the Party of ideas and this is a big one. So we need to have a proper conversation, starting here at conference and continuing in our local parties, in our communities.”

Amelia Womack was announced as Deputy Leader. Amelia was first elected in 2014 and at 31 and is the youngest Deputy Leader of any UK political party. She led strongly in the Greens’ European Referendum campaign and set up Greens for a Better Europe. She has also championed social and environmental rights across the UK visiting hundreds of local parties.

Amelia said: “I am thrilled and honoured to be re-elected as Deputy Leader to continue my work for the party. I look forward to working in such a formidable leadership team, and with such strong support from our membership I know that we can take the Party forward.”

Next week Bartley and Lucas, along withAmelia, will make a statement setting out plans for their first weeks as the leadership team.

Their proposals will include an ‘Equalities Commission’ to ensure the Green Party better represents marginalized communities, and a plan to launch a conversation within the party on progressive alliances.