Former left Labour Westminster MP Zarah Sultana’s announcement that she intends to co-lead a new party with former Left Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has placed even more pressure on already stress-fractured Green Parties in Scotland and England and Wales.
The Scottish Greens are in the midst of an internal struggle over who will top the party’s regional lists for Glasgow and West Scotland for the 2026 Holyrood election. (in the results recently announced the leadership faction won the lead candidates in both regions)
In addition, there is also a contest for the Scottish Green leadership, due to be concluded by the end of August. On top of that there is a battle being waged for the leadership of the Green Party in England and Wales.
To a degree, these contests represent a struggle between competing tendencies that reflect the growing pressure of a section of Green Party members disillusioned with the actions of elected public representatives.
This follows Green councillors and MSPs entering coalitions and implementing cuts with other capitalist parties.
The Scottish Greens participated in a de-facto coalition with the SNP at Holyrood between 2021 and 2024. They are also part of a “working agreement” to run Glasgow City Council with the cuts-making SNP
The rapid rise in the membership of the Scottish Greens after the 2014 indyref was largely squandered by a leadership committed to, at best, working within the confines of capitalism.
The emergence of a ‘Green Left’ or ‘radical Greens’ in Scotland reflects dissatisfaction at the Scottish Greens becoming part of the political establishment.
The character of the Scottish Green leadership was evidenced by a recent attack on the Green Left who were described as a “militant tendency tribute act”.
This is a reference to Militant – the forerunner of Socialist Party Scotland – who were the Marxist wing of the Labour Party – then a workers’ party at its base – in the 1970s and 1980s before being expelled by the Labour leadership.
They went on to say: “The central faction of the Scottish Greens are broadly liberals and progressives who want to play nice with the other parties in Holyrood and consensus build..,” The Glasgow faction has built what is essentially a party within a party. They’ve become deeply bitter, paranoid and obsessed by purity. They are essentially communists who see all other parties as their enemies.”
Green cuts
In England and Wales, the Greens have 850-plus councillors. Including a majority on Mid-Suffolk council and they are largest party in Bristol. What have green councillors done to stand up to the deluge of cuts? The truth is little to nothing.
In fact Bristol City Council is making £51 million in cuts this year and its Green council leader said last year: “the reality is we have to work within the constraints that are placed upon us”. This is indistinguishable from the approach of Labour, Tory or SNP councils.
And is a million miles removed from the stand taken by the Militant-led socialist Liverpool council in the 1980s that stood up against Thatcher and refused to make cuts.
Winning tens of millions of pounds as a result, which left a lasting legacy in terms of council homes built and new schools and nurseries opened.
Zack Polanski, the “left” candidate in the leadership contest for the Green Party England and Wales, has been utterly silent on the role of Green councillors.
Although he has said he supports an “alliance” with Jeremy Corbyn if he becomes leader. Hoping to cash in no doubt on the enthusiasm that has greeted the possibility of a new Corbyn-led party.
Green Party activists who are looking for an alternative should certainly demand of their elected reps a fighting policy on council and Holyrood cuts. Including in Glasgow where the Scottish Greens have 11 councillors, which includes supporters of the Glasgow faction, but have yet to move a no cuts budget.
By building links with the trade unions and fighting on a united front for no cuts budgets and an alternative to austerity can be built.
The best way to do that is to join with Socialist Party Scotland in calling for the building of a mass workers’ party and taking part in the October 4 conference to build a fighting socialist alternative to cuts for the Holyrood election next year. And commit to building a real alternative to cuts.