When interviewing Rebecca Johnson, I asked how the Green Party would mitigate what would inevitably be huge transitional costs involved in moving the British economy from its current state to a radically different, more “sustainable” footing, particularly if the rest of the world did not follow suit. Johnson spoke about “growing different kinds of jobs, community based jobs, community based shops, localised, community based industry to supply the sustainable, renewable energy” and vowed to “change the architecture of how energy is produced”.
When asked about this upheaval, Johnson said: “there will be transitional changes. I see those as opportunities. With every opportunity there will be different ways in which jobs and industry and community responsibilities will change and will grow … I believe that very very quickly, people will find that they are happier, healthier, they have better communities and better living standards, they have better education and health which means better security”.
Rebecca Johnson continued: “I believe that the transition can be done in the lifetime of one parliament”.
Click here for interviews with each of the 2015 candidates standing for election in Hampstead and Kilburn, and a summary of the recent hustings organised by West Hampstead Life.
So sad that Rebecca Johnson didn’t mention (avoided?) the Green Party’s basic, or Citizens’ Income scheme as underpinning her excellent ideas. I am bitterly disappointed that the Party has seriously mishandled the policy. Perhaps somebody could point Rebecca towards my blog
clivelord.wordpress.com
as explaining the Basic Income.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks Clive as always for sharing your thoughts. I can only agree with you that the Green Party have tainted what could yet be a workable, radical policy able to garner support from across the political spectrum (basic income) through their catastrophic mismanagement and mis-selling of the idea.
I would encourage anyone reading these comments curious to know more about universal basic income to peruse your blog, as I know you have written passionately on this issue, and to undertake their own research into the topic.
LikeLike