The new party leader is not afraid to say what he thinks, and that is pretty much anything to get attention
T
he invitation promised that the results of the Green party leadership election would be one of the most consequential political events of the autumn. That might be pushing it, but they were certainly more consequential than Kemi Badenoch’s “drill, baby, drill” keynote speech in Aberdeen. Not a single broadcaster could be bothered with that one. It might as well not have happened. Shame. Because as well as receiving a scholarship to Stanford University to study medicine at 16, it’s a little-known fact that Kemi was also invited to be a visiting professor in climate science at Harvard at the age of 11. One day her true talents will be revealed.
But not today. Tuesday morning was all about the Greens, and Harriet Lamb, the party’s chief executive, seemed rather overwhelmed by the attention. Standing room only at the Coin Street neighbourhood centre in central London. A phalanx of news cameras and journalists. It’s been a while since there’s been this much interest in the Greens. Lamb bobbed up and down behind the lectern, gulping nervously.
This was a pivotal moment for the whole country, she said. The Greens were poised to help create the next government. Er … Run that one past me again. Just who will the Greens be going into coalition with, given that they’ve ruled out any deals with Reform, the Tories and Labour? That just leaves Jeremy Corbyn’s as yet unnamed party and possibly the Lib Dems. If they aren’t too rightwing. Not sure I can see that coalition getting enough seats to form a government. But maybe I’m just nit picking.
