The Green Party made a lot of its commitment to cutting working hours – It says in its manifesto that “reducing working time can make us all happier, healthier and more productive.” To that end Greens bang on about much “reduced working hours and moving towards a four-day working week”…

There’s no sign of all that now job applications have opened for taxpayer-funded roles in the party, though. The Greens are looking for parliamentary assistants to bag-carry and “give advice on policy issues”, among other things. Application forms all note that employees could face a “requirement for the role holder to work outside of normal working hours“. Panicked scurrying around Parliament in the wee hours is known to all staffers – doesn’t sound much like reduced working hours for a happier, healthier life…

In the latest instalment of the usual election struggle olympics, in which Sunak has been mocked for saying he didn’t have Sky when he was a child, the Greens have provided their examples for the public to judge. Guido’s not sure these tear-jerkers will convince the public that the Greens understand what life would be like under their brand of socialism…

Co-leader Carla Denyer said her family had second-hand cars throughout most of her childhood. A terrible burden that’s shared by 82% of passenger vehicles right now… 

Adrian Ramsay had an even better one: he wasn’t allowed pets until he forced his parents to relent. Anyone have a tissue?

Guido was browsing party candidates today and noticed something surprising. One “Rachel Reeves” is standing for the Green Party in Bassetlaw…

A heavyweight facing off against Brendan Clarke-Smith in four weeks time. Was £28 billion of eco-spending not enough to convince her?

Plans for a new solar energy farm in Wales are causing a bit of a stir. Local NIMBY campaigners are opposing the construction the 350 MW-capacity farm in Anglesey, with Martin Schwaller, chairman of the local branch of the countryside charity CPRW, saying:

“While it’s great that we can host more renewable generation, and contribute to addressing climate change, this development is enormous and will cover thousands of acres of high quality farmland with black glass solar panels. The impact on the landscape and visual amenity of both residents and visitors could be quite dramatic. The Welsh Government does not permit development on the ‘best and most versatile’ farmland, however, because of the scale of the project it will be the UK Secretary of State that makes the final decision and worryingly UK policy does not have the same protections as Welsh policy.“

That’s typical of anti-solar farm arguments. Unbelievably, though, Martin Schwaller also happens to be the Green Party parliamentary candidate for Ynys Môn, standing against Tory MP Virginia Crosbie. The Greens’ credentials stop where the solar panels start….

Hat-tip: London New Liberals

The Green Party has been hit with some bad press after the locals. First, one of their councillors has faced calls for suspension after he posted a video online shouting “Allahu Akbar” and that his election was “a win for the people of Gaza.” Now, to much embarrassment, one of their three London Assembly Members, Sian Berry, has resigned just three days after being elected – a full 6.1% of the length of Liz Truss’ term. The rumour is that the Greens were expecting to make gains where they didn’t, leaving their mayoral candidate (Zoë Garbett, now AM) without a seat…

If it wasn’t totally Berry’s choice, it’s odd that the Greens didn’t look to their other AM, Zack Polanski, to edge out. Polanski has had to repeatedly apologise for taking part in an experiment where he tried to increase the size of a woman’s breasts through the power of the unconscious. During the experiment, he took a female reporter to clinic in Harley Street for a spot of breast hypnosis. Apparently four days after the session her breasts did grow, though sadly slowly returned to their normal size afterwards. Meanwhile, their other star member Caroline Russell, known to colleagues as “Caroline Toilets”, has the sole mission of “opening up the lid” – getting more loos on the tube. A serious party…

You’d be forgiven for thinking that local election candidates haven’t seen much action. A Green Party candidate for Southampton City Council seems to have had more than his fair share. Candidate Chris Bluemel’s action-packed career as an anti-war protestor started in 2006 when he cut through a chain link fence at Prestwick Airport and boarded a US military aircraft. He was only let off because it was judged the airport’s trespassing signs weren’t marked clearly enough. A regular Tom Cruise…

Bluemel has also admitted to punching a policeman in the face at a demonstration in 2009 and was most recently found guilty of aggravated trespass in 2019 when he blockaded an Atomic Weapons Establishment in Burghfield. He got a fine and a a three year conditional discharge sentence for his pains. Just think what shenanigans he could get up to when armed with the taxpayer’s chequebook…