Caroline Lucas interview: “A lot of policies that Andy Burnham has announced are due to Green pressure.”
The former Green Party leader said the Greens need to take more credit for Burnham’s shift to the left on issues like Gaza, PR and Brexit
Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has said that “a lot of policies that Andy Burnham has announced are due to Green pressure.”
Lucas said that the party needs to take “more credit” for key policy areas where they have challenged Labour and forced Burnham’s party to change tack, including on Brexit, proportional representation and Gaza.
Reflecting on Zack Polanski’s leadership, Lucas acknowledged: “It was always going to be harder with the Burnham bounce, but what we need to do is take more credit for the work we’re doing.”
As an example, Lucas said that “didn’t take enough credit when Andy Burnham convened a COBRA meeting”. She criticised Burnham for only announcing a ban on disposable barbecues, saying “it isn’t the most radical policy”.
However, following pressure from Polanski, Burnham organised the Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBRA) on the extreme heat on 12 August.
Lucas added: “A lot of what Burnham is pledging is after the next election, that’s three years away, so we need to focus on what’s happening now.
“That’s why it’s important that Zack is going to make an announcement about rent controls today.”
On the Zionism is Racism conference motion, Lucas said “It clearly is a divisive issue”.
Asked about the media response to the motion, she admitted: “Because the media is talking about little else, it is becoming the focus.”
Asked if Polanski is talking enough about the environment, Lucas said: “It’s never enough for me”.
She added: “But you can’t win. When I was leader the party spoke a lot about the environment and got called a single issue party.
“Now that Zack has started talking about lots of different issues, the media is saying you’re not talking about the environment.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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