Thanks for this Duncan. Fortunately there was greater rigour with some local initiatives such as the Waltham Forest Community Coalition endorsement process. We interviewed candidates in Green and left independent target wards to ascertain their commitment to our Coalition demands and their approach if elected. We didn’t endorse everyone we interviewed. However, the electoral reality was the Green ticket guaranteed wins in Waltham Forest even in wards that weren’t Green targets, none of the left independents got elected, even where the Greens had not stood. Now as a Coalition we are working through how to hold a majority Green Council to the pledges nearly all the Cabinet members signed up to, and how we continue independent grass roots community organising. Nearly all the Waltham Forest Cabinet members signed the Greens Organise pledge, including the Leader and Deputy.
Jane, this sounds exemplary. I'll DM you to see if Red Mole can interview one of you and find whether you'd do it differently, and how a smaller group of community upstarts could attempt a similar initiative.
Thanks for this Duncan. Fortunately there was greater rigour with some local initiatives such as the Waltham Forest Community Coalition endorsement process. We interviewed candidates in Green and left independent target wards to ascertain their commitment to our Coalition demands and their approach if elected. We didn’t endorse everyone we interviewed. However, the electoral reality was the Green ticket guaranteed wins in Waltham Forest even in wards that weren’t Green targets, none of the left independents got elected, even where the Greens had not stood. Now as a Coalition we are working through how to hold a majority Green Council to the pledges nearly all the Cabinet members signed up to, and how we continue independent grass roots community organising. Nearly all the Waltham Forest Cabinet members signed the Greens Organise pledge, including the Leader and Deputy.
Jane, this sounds exemplary. I'll DM you to see if Red Mole can interview one of you and find whether you'd do it differently, and how a smaller group of community upstarts could attempt a similar initiative.