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| Greens coming of age, Lucas says | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| New Green leader Caroline Lucas has said the party was "coming of age" and expected to secure its first MPs. | |
| Ms Lucas, unveiled as the party's first leader at its annual conference, has also said she plans to draw attention to the party's social justice policies. | |
| But she returned to its traditional focus by joining calls for a windfall tax to be imposed on energy companies. | |
| She added the party switched from two principal speakers as people respond to "a face" better than "abstract ideas". | She added the party switched from two principal speakers as people respond to "a face" better than "abstract ideas". |
| Ms Lucas, who has addressed the party's annual conference in London, said she expected to see Green MPs at Westminster in the next two years. | |
| She identified Brighton, Lewisham and Norwich South as target seats. | |
| The MEP for South East England beat the only other candidate, Ashley Gunstock, by 2,559 votes to 210 in the leadership vote. | The MEP for South East England beat the only other candidate, Ashley Gunstock, by 2,559 votes to 210 in the leadership vote. |
| Face for policies | Face for policies |
| Ms Lucas told the BBC: "We need to redouble our efforts to get our message across even more urgently. We think that by having a leader we can do that even better." | Ms Lucas told the BBC: "We need to redouble our efforts to get our message across even more urgently. We think that by having a leader we can do that even better." |
| Ms Lucas, 47, said the decision to switch from the previous system followed "the realisation that people don't respond to abstract ideas". | Ms Lucas, 47, said the decision to switch from the previous system followed "the realisation that people don't respond to abstract ideas". |
| "They respond much more to the people and policies that represent those ideas. We have a face to put to the policies," she said. | "They respond much more to the people and policies that represent those ideas. We have a face to put to the policies," she said. |
| She added: "There is a huge number of people out there who want to hear our message and we need to get better at getting it across. | She added: "There is a huge number of people out there who want to hear our message and we need to get better at getting it across. |
| "I want to get our message out about social justice. Everybody knows we're the party of the environment. What fewer people know is that if you are looking for the real progressive force in British politics today it is the Green party." | "I want to get our message out about social justice. Everybody knows we're the party of the environment. What fewer people know is that if you are looking for the real progressive force in British politics today it is the Green party." |
| Windfall tax | Windfall tax |
| However, returning to environmental issues, Ms Lucas strongly condemned Gordon Brown for failing to impose a windfall tax on the energy companies. | However, returning to environmental issues, Ms Lucas strongly condemned Gordon Brown for failing to impose a windfall tax on the energy companies. |
| ''We've been making the argument for a windfall tax on these grotesque profits months and months ago," she said. | ''We've been making the argument for a windfall tax on these grotesque profits months and months ago," she said. |
| "It's absolutely outrageous that say, for example, three companies, BP, Centrica and Shell, together make a £1,000 profit every single second over the first six months of this year. | "It's absolutely outrageous that say, for example, three companies, BP, Centrica and Shell, together make a £1,000 profit every single second over the first six months of this year. |
| "I think when ordinary people hear that, when they see how much they are struggling with their own fuel bills, it is is absolutely incomprehensible that Gordon Brown isn't actually taking this argument right to the top and enforcing it.'' | "I think when ordinary people hear that, when they see how much they are struggling with their own fuel bills, it is is absolutely incomprehensible that Gordon Brown isn't actually taking this argument right to the top and enforcing it.'' |