Former Green leader Natalie Bennett to enter House of Lords
Theresa May’s resignation honours list was released today. And among the people who are being made members of the House of Lords is ex-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales Natalie Bennett. She becomes the Green Party’s second member of the House of Lords – joining current Green Peer Jenny Jones.
Other people who will be joining Bennett in heading to the Lords are the former General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers Christine Blower and Stonewall’s former CEO Ruth Hunt.
Jones was quick to welcome Bennett’s appointment, describing herself as “so excited”:
I am SO excited! A Green colleague at last! @natalieben to join me in the Lords, holding the Govt to account. Downside: I can no longer call myself the only Green in the House. Upside: everything else. pic.twitter.com/otYtSPC6ss
— Jenny Jones (@GreenJennyJones) September 10, 2019
Green Party co-leader Sian Berry said that Natalie Bennett was “wonderful” and “invaluable”:
Another Green voice in Parliament, and one of our very strongest in the wonderful @natalieben. The Lords needs sorting out along with the rest of our creaking constitution but, in this turbulent times, Natalie will be invaluable. I am so proud of her stepping up to take this on! https://t.co/XovsWqSkSo
— Sian Berry (@sianberry) September 10, 2019
And Green MEP Molly Scott Cato also welcomed Bennett’s appointment while hitting out at the “anachronistic” House of Lords:
https://twitter.com/MollyMEP/status/1171292984731525122
The Green Party’s policy currently supports the abolition of the House of Lords and its replacement with an elected upper chamber.
Jenny Jones remains the only peer voted in there.
This appointment is tainted as it did not pass the members vote.
I would also make a claim for George Macleod, founder of the Iona Community, as the first Green member of the House of Lords. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_MacLeod.
Although Natalie will be our second current member of the House of Lords, she is actually the third Green peer. The first was Tim Beaumont who defected from the LibDems in 1999 after 32 years as a LibDem peer – he didn’t like the LibDems’ increased support for corporate globalisation and the free market.