Recently, I have spoken out about how all forms of extremism, coming from both the left and the right, must be called out for being the destructive force that they are to our society. Although the Green Party is by no means at the extreme end of the political spectrum, they stand for something which will nonetheless bring havoc to our nation: a politics built on an agenda which lacks empirical foundation and pushes dangerous virtue signalling.
The Green Party has always been somewhat of a fringe party, taking a strong local presence in some areas of the country. However, they have never been a stark force in Westminster – which has meant there has been little need to call out their nonsensical policies which they have always peddled.
This has suddenly changed under their new leadership of Zack Polanski, with the Green Party now rising in the polls.
As voters on the left become increasingly disillusioned by the other parties on that side of the political spectrum, it feels like the Greens may become a serious choice people are now contemplating. Labour is now too far connected to the establishment status quo, and the Corbyn / Sultana ticket being far from a certain choice at the ballot box.
With this resurgence comes a newfound need to really scrutinise what the Greens have to offer and call out their policies for what they are.
This comes with the precursor that the Greens are not daft to the extent they think they can be in government – their previous manifestos evidently point to this, with an economic plan that serves purely as an outlet for voters to show their disdain for the wealthiest in society. Nonetheless, I will look at each policy under the microscope here as I would with any other party.
Image: Leader of the Green Party Zack Polanski with Carla Denyer MP – Bristol Green Party
Let’s start by what has recently come out of the Green Party conference in Brighton, where leader Zack Polanksi backed a motion to legalise all forms of drugs. Now as a conservative, you may think I am going against my beliefs built on liberalism not to back this motion, however it goes against two main principles, not only that conservatives embody, but our society as a whole: that being law and order, as well as pragmatism.
A completely unregulated system in Britain to this extent isn’t just ridiculous, which most of the Greens’ policies are, it is reckless. The case can be made for a slight deregulation of the legislation surrounding drugs in this country – for reasons hinging on the economic benefits of doing so, as well as freeing up police resources in the process – but to legalise incredibly fatal substances, such as fentanyl, which has burdened the US, should not be a policy stance by a serious party looking to govern our country.
An entirely unregulated system will have irreparable damage to our youth and do no favours for our police resources. It may not be a crime to own these drugs under a Green government, but the immense strain on our public services when more people commit more crimes whilst intoxicated makes this policy recklessly dangerous.
Also coming from their conference is a new stance to “ban landlords” which the Green leadership have said to view in a rhetorical sense. That statement is even more bizarre than it already is up against the backdrop of their stance on legalising drugs. Looking at these plans in detail, it is clear it is dominated by the Greens’ usual obsession with taxing everything. They will impose a “Land Value Tax” on landlords which will drive away growth in the housing sector – a levy that hits investment, punishes prudence and destabilises markets.
The most economically troubling policy the Green Party has always relentlessly pushed for is a radical wealth tax. The current plans are to impose an annual levy of 1 percent on individuals with net assets over the valuation of £10 million. Now to the Greens, this is their silver bullet to fix our public services and “fix Britain”. They plainly think it is free money and is an easy way out. The truth is, if that were the case, it would have been implemented long ago. A wealth tax to that extent has never worked, and it never will.
Let’s focus on the fundamentals of why this will simply not work. You can only tax people who are in the country. If your government’s rhetoric is so anti-growth to this extent, the wealthy will simply move out of the country. This leaves Britain still burdened with underfunded services, while simultaneously signaling to global investors that our nation is not open for business. This then turns the plans into a levy that punishes investment rather than raises funds.
The general message this signals is that “if you are successful – we will take everything you have earned from you”. This goes against everything Britain stands for in its values of growth and aspiration – it purely says that Britain is not open for business.
This makes it clear that the Greens offer nothing for those in this country who want to make something of themselves; the self-starters who want to innovate, or the young people who seek to build a prosperous future. We must be cautious not to allow this rhetoric to become a common theme in our politics.
One thing remains clear; Zack Polanski’s Britain is one where aspiration is frowned upon, pro-enterprise rhetoric is hounded, and prosperity is axed.
Featured Image via Scottish Greens – Christian Gamauf
