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If the Greens are offered a partnership to support the Labour-led government I think the decision is less straightforward than some people suggest. 1/13
Obviously we don’t know whether a deal will be offered or what it will be like. If Labour offers a deal that is not worth more than opposition then of course the Greens should reject it. But it’s not as obvious a decision as some are making out. 2/13
Importantly, it’s not necessarily true the Greens have *zero* leverage. There is context behind the simple Labour majority in the house. First, the PM says she wants to get on with things, wants stability and continuity of work that is underway. 3/13
Retaining the Ministers etc. that have been leading this work would help the PM “keep moving” on climate, conservation, cycling and road safety, gender equity, and preventing domestic and sexual violence for example. 4/13
The PM says she knows what a support partner can offer with skills and expertise and the Green MPs who have been working as Ministers and Under-Secretary make a strong case for that with their knowledge, relationships, experience and drive. 5/13
By contrast, leaving these people out of government gives the PM less access to their talents and possibly no access at all if they leave Parliament before 2023 when the PM might need them even more. 6/13
The PM wants to build the widest consensus possible and a partnership with the Greens helps her do that. The government also won’t want to be undermined by the Greens on difficult to solve problems like climate either. 7/13
Those advising the Greens against a partnership with Labour are in fact demonstrating the existence of this oppositional leverage themselves, while simultaneously apparently arguing the Greens have no leverage at all. 8/13
The PM says she wants to be transformational with “changes that stick” and that, as a result, might take a longer period of time to build. Having a solid and constructive relationship with a reliable support partner will help her make that case in 2023 and beyond. 9/13
There’s also a whole, democratic, member-based, internal Green process for working out what the party does right now and, while it’s normal for people try to influence that, it’s also reasonable to acknowledge that process is going to be nuanced and complex. 10/13
Being in opposition is definitely attractive - it’s simpler, easier and probably more conducive to policy development. So the Greens should carefully scrutinise any deal and definitely not go into partnership with Labour simply for the sake of wielding executive power. 11/13
But there’s also evidence from the evolution of Green vote share since 1999 that voters expect the Greens to do their bit when it comes to running the country. When the Greens have cooperated more closely with aspects of government, their vote share has tended to go up. 12/13
Given that this is the decade in which we must take dramatic and unprecedented climate action and that the next three years are the most important three years of this decade, do the Greens have time to not be taking some responsibility for government? 13/13
