I was recruited into Green politics by a climate-denying conspiracy theorist. A thread.
When I first joined the Green Party as a 20yo back in the 1980s the very first person I spoke to was an affable chap called Justin Walker. [1]

I rang him up about getting involved locally in the north-west and he was the contact. Posh, ex-military and charmingly bonkers, Justin reminded me of an eccentric version of Michael Palin. On that first phone call he enthusiastically welcomed me. [2]

And urged me to get involved. Which I did.

Anyway, I was reading an article by @DrMatthewSweet about conspiracy theorists on the train yesterday and saw the name Justin Walker mentioned in connection with some tedious Rothschilds conspiracy. [3] https://unherd.com/2021/04/could-you-spot-a-conspiracy-theorist/

I googled to check and it is indeed the very same Justin Walker who first welcomed me to the Greens. He's now moved on from the Green Party to denouncing climate change as a hoax by the elite to control the world's population, along with 5G. [4]
https://www.newchartistmovement.org.uk/articles/real-greens-v-fake-greens-part-1?

So the first person I spoke to about getting involved in Greens a climate-denying conspiracist. Who knows? My life (including a 16 year stint in full-time politics) could have been very different had he not been so affable with me on the phone 34 years ago... [5]