Leader:
Pippa Bartolotti
Natalie Bennett
Peter Cranie
Romayne Phoenix –
http://www.romayneandwillforgreenleadership.org.uk/romayneabout.html

Deputy Leader:
Caroline Allen
Richard Mallender
Alexandra Phillips
Will Duckworth –
http://www.romayneandwillforgreenleadership.org.uk/willabout.html

All members will be balloted in due course.

Bridgend Chair, Andy Chyba’s view

The joint ticket of Romayne and Will represents a Green Left dream ticket as far as I am concerned and gets my full support.
I have been promoting Romayne’s candidature since Caroline’s announcement about standing down.
They present the strongest ecosocialist credentials, and are also the only cohesive partnership on offer.

It is my firm conviction that the Green Party has to position itself unashamedly to the left and pronounce itself as the radical, progressive, ecosocialist and anti-capitalist party. Romayne has proven credentials in promoting these values.

Romayne is perhaps currently best known for her work as the Chair of the Coalition of Resistance. COR is a broad movement of active resistance to the Con-Dem government’s budget intentions. Affiliates include MPs, trade unionists, economists and many others. Romayne was recently part of a delegation that visited Greece, meeting, amongst others, with Alexis Tsipras, leader of the Syriza Party that that came a close second in elections there recently. During her time as a Councillor in Lewisham, Romayne was one of the group of six Green Councillors that succeeded in securing the London Living Wage for Lewisham employees.

We also have to be avowedly internationalist and outward looking as the challenges humanity faces are global challenges. This message is especially important to us here in Wales as we have to contend with, and differentiate ourselves from, the inwardly focussed environmentally aware left wingers in Plaid Cymru. Nationalism is the inevitable fatal flaw in the Plaid Cymru manifesto. As no lesser mind than Albert Einstein said: “Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind.”

Romayne and Will understand the need for collaboration, support and coordination with groups who support our aims across the world. With Derek Wall elected to the GPEx post of International Co-ordinator alongside them, with your help, we will have the strongest possible team to manage this crucial area of policy and practice.

I therefore urge all members, first and foremost, to do their own due diligence, as I have done, and come to their own conclusions.

If any Bridgend member would like to share their views and promote any candidate on this blog, again as I have done right here, then I will happily publish this here for you. Just forward it via email as usual. Anyone, of course (member or not), can also use the Comments facility to continue the debate.

But for those interested in my advice, that advice is clear enough: VOTE FOR ROMAYNE & WILL FOR THE GREEN PARTY LEADERSHIP.