New Green Party leader vows to fight cuts

NATALIE Bennett was elected the new leader of the Green Party in England and Wales yesterday, promising to fight the coalition Government’s “economically illiterate cuts”.

The 46-year-old Australian-born former journalist was declared the victor of a ballot of party members – beating off the challenge of closest rival, Scot Peter Cranie, in the final round of a contest fought under the STV system of proportional representation.

The vacancy arose after the party’s first and only MP, Caroline Lucas, stepped aside as head of her party. The party will announce the result of a vote for a new deputy leader later after delays to the vote counting forced a postponement.

Green Party equality rules mean that the two posts cannot be filled by people of the same gender, so a man and a woman must be elected. Ms Bennett will head straight into the party’s autumn conference, taking place in Bristol from Friday, where she will deliver the keynote speech.

She told a press conference that Green Party policies were “the only viable way forward for British people, for the world”.

Green MSP Patrick Harvie said: “Natalie has the skill and passion to push the Green Party to new heights and to build on the superb work done by Caroline Lucas. I look forward to seeing Natalie at their party conference this weekend and I hope to welcome them to Scotland in the near future. I look forward to our parties working together as we head towards the important European elections in 2014.”