Motion #03
Amelia notes that it’s been an honour and a privilege to serve as your deputy leader for the last eight years, and she is proud at having worked alongside so many of you to build the party to the election winning machine it’s become today. It’s with sadness that the last year of her time in office has seen her receive less support or recognition for her experience than in previous years. This has ranged from unelected spokespeople being given more prominence in our communications as well as additional support from the team, to knowledge of previous elections and campaigns being dismissed and devalued. This experience began prior to deciding not to re-stand. Having committed so much of herself to the post, she is leaving in disappointment at her experiences of the last year.
Amelia has been working with the communication and press team as part of the leadership’s team rolling media rota. She contributed weekly to the leadership and communications meetings to update and refine messaging and spot press opportunities. She also appeared frequently in national, regional, and local media to represent the Green Party and convey its messages. For example- she was interviewed by Radio 4, LBC and Times Radio during COP26; by Channel 4 on the proposed Aberpergwm coal mine and to call on the PM to convene a climate crisis emergency response group for extreme weather events and net zero; and on LBC for Cross Questions and to discuss Jubilee celebrations. She published several articles and op-eds throughout her mandate, such as her op-ed on the environmental and social justice issues of fast fashion for London Fashion Week; her op-ed in Left Foot Forward for International Women’s Day, and her articles on the Green New Deal, Biodiversity loss, Gypsy Roma Travellers rights and the Jubilee celebrations.
Amelia made her support to the field team and the party’s electoral goals across England and Wales a top priority in her deputy leader mandate. She crisscrossed the country to campaign for local parties- she visited Norwich in the Eastern region; Manchester and Burnley in the North-West; North Shropshire in the West Midlands; Greenwich in London; Oxford, Reading, Milton Keynes and Broadwater in the SouthEast; Barnsley in Yorkshire; and Newport in Wales. Her visits supported long campaigns for local elections, byelections and policy events, but also events to build local parties from the ground up and meetings to strengthen already existing ones.
With the co-leaders, Amelia has been meeting with liberation groups and their co-chairs to keep up to date with issues and provide support where possible to date, they have met with the Jewish Greens, LGBTQIA+ Greens, Greens of Colour and the Green Party Disability Group. They will be meeting this summer with the Green Left, Green Seniors, Greens for Animal Protection and will be scheduling remaining groups where possible. Amelia has been working regularly and closely with the wider leadership team, which includes parliamentarians, the CEO, the chair of GPEx, the coleaders and the leader of Wales. They updated each other weekly on respective activities and held quarterly meetings in Lewes to work on the leadership’s broad political strategy to support party goals. Amelia has also collaborated where possible with policy working groups and spokespeople to design party messaging, refine policy and consult civil society on relevant issues. With the co-leaders, she has been working with wider party governance and external experts Diverse Matters to take forward a range of work to promote good practice in equality, equity, diversity and inclusion across the party.
Amelia used much of her time as deputy leader to build Green Party ties with civil society, like-minded organisations and campaigns supportive of Green Party policy and goals. She was a delegate for the Global Greens at COP 26, where she exchanged with Canadian Greens, Green Alliance, WWF, and Make My Money Matter. At COP 26, she marched for the Green Party in the Climate Justice march, the Youth Strike for Climate march and the walkout of the venue after the people’s summit. She attended several meetings with external organisations such as the People’s Assembly Committee and the European Greens; was a keynote speaker at the Westminster Foundation for Democracy’s three-day conference in Albania; spoke at rallies such as the SOS NHS rally; and campaigned for pressure groups such as Make Votes Matter. Equality, equity, diversity and inclusion were central to her issue-based advocacy work, particularly around feminism: she advocated for a Women’s Bill of Rights; spoke at the event Thriving as a woman: yesterday, today, tomorrow as part of the European Green Party’s Green Screen Project; campaigned with Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales to petition the government for better endometriosis healthcare; and worked with feminist groups such as Canadian Green Women and Women of the World.
At Green Party Spring Conference, Amelia announced in her Deputy Leader’s Speech that she would not be seeking re-election in the summer. She looks forward to passing the baton to someone who equally has a passion in their heart, and a fire in their belly to fight for a better future, and to continue to build the party from strength to strength. She thanks all the previous leaders she has had the privilege to work with, the staff team past and present, all our volunteers and local campaigners and everyone who has committed their time to make the party a force to be reckoned with the last eight years.
She’d like to add special thanks to Bethan, Russell and Matt who have provided insights, expertise and support over the years. Hannah, Emma, Doug, Kat and Rosie for your incredible support. Finally to Tamsin, it’s a rare opportunity to find a matching passion and strategic mind with someone - I am proud to have dreamed big with you.