What sets the Green Party apart from other Political parties and the environmental movement more broadly?

Is the Green Party obsolete now that other parties all compete over their "green credentials"?

This event will explore the distinct philosophy of the Green Party and consider how its policies have been developed and refined over decades based upon the principles of participatory democracy, nonviolence, social justice, sustainability, respect for diversity and ecological wisdom.

Participants will emerge with a deeper understanding of the global Green movement and the Green Party's position in UK politics. The speakers are:

Pete Kennedy - Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Stroud

As an activist and campaigner, Pete has been involved in a number of campaigns: opposing austerity cuts to public services, fighting plans for fracking, and protecting pubs as community assets.

Pete studied Economics and Politics at the University of Sheffield, where he focused on environmental economics and sustainability. He went on to study law part time alongside working, and qualified as a barrister in November 2021.

Pete advises the Green Party on legislation and procedure in the House of Lords and has been involved in some of the biggest fights against the Government’s legislation like the Police and Crime Bill.

Dr. Simon Pickering - Ecologist, activist, former Stroud District Councillor & former Chair of SDC Environment Committee

Simon has been a professional ecologist for over 40 years (working on Bats to Beavers, Albatrosses to Flamingos). He has helped design and create internationally important wetlands, introduced beavers to Gloucestershire and advised Government on issues including human disturbance of wildlife, bat and wind turbines.

Simon was a Green councillor on Stroud District Council for 21 years. As Chair of the Environment committee, he oversaw the council cutting its waste to landfill by 50%, the development of nationally acclaimed natural flood management scheme and the council becoming the first carbon neutral council in Europe.

Councillor Ellie Chowns - Herefordshire County Councillor, ex MEP & Parliamentary Candidate for North Herefordshire

Ellie is not a career politician! She has enjoyed 25 years working in international development. She got involved in politics in 2015 out of a sense of frustration at the destructive, nasty direction politics was taking. Ellie wanted to be part of promoting open, positive, constructive and caring politics. She was elected as a Herefordshire councillor in 2017, re-elected with 79% of the vote in 2019, was West Midlands MEP for our last 9 months in the EU and is now the candidate in her home constituency for the next general election.