This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19462474
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Natalie Bennett elected new Green Party leader in England and Wales | Natalie Bennett elected new Green Party leader in England and Wales |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Natalie Bennett has been elected as the new leader of the Green Party for England and Wales. | Natalie Bennett has been elected as the new leader of the Green Party for England and Wales. |
| The Australian-born journalist beat three other candidates to the position in a poll of Green Party members. | The Australian-born journalist beat three other candidates to the position in a poll of Green Party members. |
| The new leader takes over from Caroline Lucas who was elected as the Greens' first MP in 2010 and remains the most high-profile figure in the party. | The new leader takes over from Caroline Lucas who was elected as the Greens' first MP in 2010 and remains the most high-profile figure in the party. |
| Ms Lucas stood down to focus on her duties as an MP and "give other people the opportunity to get well known". | Ms Lucas stood down to focus on her duties as an MP and "give other people the opportunity to get well known". |
| Ms Bennett has worked for a number of publications and is a former editor of Guardian Weekly, which she left to focus on writing and politics. | Ms Bennett has worked for a number of publications and is a former editor of Guardian Weekly, which she left to focus on writing and politics. |
| She defeated three other candidates - Peter Cranie, Romayne Phoenix and Pippa Bartolotti - in a vote of just over 3,000 English and Welsh Green Party members. | |
| 'Economically illiterate' | |
| In her acceptance speech, she said she was "deeply honoured" to be given the responsibility to lead the party and stood because she believed in its "radical vision" for Britain's future. | |
| "It offers, I think, the only viable way forward for British people, for the world." | |
| She said she wanted to see a more localised economy with more UK manufacturing and support for farmers, adding that the financial industry needed to be "reined in" to avoid another crash. | |
| "We need to not have the disastrous, economically illiterate cuts that we're seeing now. What we need to have is investment in the future. | |
| "We need investment in homes, investment in jobs, investment in energy conservation, renewable energy and public transport." | |
| Ms Bennett said the party needed to grow its number of councillors and MEPs and secure "many, many more MPs" in Parliament. | |
| She has unsuccessfully stood twice for council seats in north London and got 2.7% of the vote when she contested Holborn and St Pancras at the 2010 general election. | |
| Ms Bennett will get the opportunity to address grassroots members at the party's conference this weekend in Bristol. | |
| The party has elections every two years for the leader and deputy leader roles. The new deputy, who under party rules must be a different gender to the leader, is set to be unveiled later. | |
| This is the third election since the party decided to switch from having principal speakers to having a leader and deputy leader. | This is the third election since the party decided to switch from having principal speakers to having a leader and deputy leader. |