the anti-war movement. However there is a wider question about the political trajectory and programme of the Green Party, which may have many instinctive socialist supporters, but clearly rejects the notion that it is a socialist party.
Repeated attempts by RESPECT in the giant South East constituency to persuade the Greens to run a joint slate with RESPECT that could maximise the impact of the anti-war vote were indignantly rejected by the Green Party's leaders, who went further, to witch-hunt RESPECT.
The Greens' manifesto at no point challenges the continuation of capitalism: indeed it centres on a localised, small-scale capitalism as an alternative to the power of the multinationals. It even contemplates import controls and other protectionist measures to prop up fledgling capitalist enterprises.
And in practice the Greens draw no class distinctions between parties in deciding their electoral alliances. One noted example of this was their prolonged (and ill-fated) alliance with the Liberal Democrats to take control of Oxford City Council - until a backlash by voters cost the Greens crucial council seats. W Leeds have gone one step further - and joined a completely unprincipled coalition with the Lib Dems and Tories to oust a relatively progressive Labour council! The so-called "Rainbow Coalition" involves 26 Liberals, 24 Tories and just 3 Greens.
Just what useful influence the Greens may feel they can wield under these circumstances, where the two big parties have an overall majority is not at all clea but what is clear is that a party willing to climb so readily into bed with Lib Dems and Michael Howard's Tories are clearly not a consistent and reliable component of the political left.
Maybe that's why they have been so reluctant to work with RESPECT? • DOWN at the bottom of the averages for HE GREEN Party vote in the Euro-elections remained largely unchanged from same sector of the electorate, and that the Green vote was little influenced by
hile Oxford Greens, who made gains in the local elections on June 10,
seem to have learned their lesson and have now correctly decided to
become the principal opposition to a hung council, their colleagues in
which mounted a very strong campaign for