Natalie Bennett

Natalie Bennett
Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales
In office 3 September 2012 – 2 September 2016
Deputy	Will Duckworth (2012–2014) Amelia Womack & Shahrar Ali (2014–2016)
Preceded by	Caroline Lucas
Succeeded by	Jonathan Bartley and Caroline Lucas
Personal details
Born	Natalie Louise Bennett (1966-02-10) 10 February 1966 Eastwood, New South Wales, Australia
Political party	Green Party of England and Wales
Domestic partner	Jim Jepps
Alma mater	University of Sydney University of New England University of Leicester

Natalie Louise Bennett (born 10 February 1966) is a British politician and journalist who led the Green Party of England and Wales from September 2012 to September 2016.^[1][2][3]

Born and raised in Australia, she began her career as a journalist with regional newspapers in New South Wales before leaving in 1995 for Thailand, where she worked for Australian Volunteers International and the Bangkok Post newspaper over the next four years. Since settling in Britain in 1999 she has contributed to the Guardian, Independent and Times newspapers. Her election as leader of the Greens came six years after she joined the party in January 2006.

Early life

Bennett was born on 10 February 1966 in Eastwood, a suburb of Sydney, Australia,^[4][5] the daughter of John and Joy Bennett.^[6] She was born to working class teenage parents: a part-time secretary and an apprentice carpenter. Her mother was killed in a car crash in 1989.^[7]

Having been awarded a scholarship, she was educated at MLC School, an independent day school for girls in Burwood, New South Wales.^[5][8] She was the first member of her family to attend university.^[7] She then took the degrees of Bachelor of Agricultural Science (BAgrSc Hons) at the University of Sydney, Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons) in Asian Studies at the University of New England and Master of Arts (MA) in Mass Communication from the University of Leicester, graduating from the latter in 2001.^[4][9][10]

Journalism

Bennett began her career in journalism in New South Wales, where she worked for various regional newspapers including the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth. She left Australia in 1995,^[8] and lived for four years in Thailand where she worked for Australian Volunteers International in the Office of the National Commission of Women's Affairs, before moving to the Bangkok Post newspaper, where she was chief foreign sub-editor.

She settled in the United Kingdom in 1999, and said in a 2013 interview for the Australian Inside Story website about the country of her birth: "I can’t imagine going there by choice."^[8] In Britain, Bennett has written for The Guardian's "Comment is Free" section since 2006.^[11] Bennett was also a blogger.^[12] She was deputy editor and then editor of The Guardian Weekly from December 2007 until March 2012. She has also worked for the London-based Independent and Times newspapers.^[10] In 2012, she took voluntary redundancy and left journalism.^[7]

Political career

Bennett in "Take Back Our World! - Global Justice Now".

Natalie Bennett campaigning in Cambridge during the general election of 2015.

Natalie Bennett joined the Green Party on 1 January 2006.^[8] Later the same year she stood for the Greens in the Camden Council election in the Regent's Park ward and again in the Camden Council election of 2010 in the Somers Town ward, but was not elected on either occasion. She was the internal communications coordinator on the national executive of the party from September 2007 to August 2011.

In January 2010, she was selected to stand for the Parliamentary seat of Holborn and St Pancras.^[13] She came fourth with 2.7% of the vote.^[10] She stood next in the London Assembly elections of 2012, as the fourth placed candidate on the London-wide list for the Green Party.^[14]

Bennett has considered herself a feminist since she was a young child, claiming that it was her "first politics".^[15] She also founded the Green Party women's group and was a trustee of the Fawcett Society between 2010 and 2014. She became interested in environmental issues when she obtained a degree in Agricultural Sciences.^[10] She is in favour of abolishing the monarchy.^[16] In an April 2015 interview, she said that she supports the Green Party policy of an economic and cultural boycott of Israel, and also thought that Britain should cease arms sales to Saudi Arabia.^[17]

Green Party leader

On 3 September 2012, Bennett replaced Caroline Lucas as leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.^[18] 3,127 ballot papers were returned in the 2012 Green Party leadership elections, a turnout of 25.1%.^[1] This turnout was explained by Bennett in a BBC interview: "if you hold an election in the month of August you kind of expect that turnout won't be particularly high".^[19] On election as party leader Bennett told a press conference that the policies of the Green Party were "the only viable way forward for British people, for the world".^[2]

In May 2014 she was selected again to contest the Parliamentary seat of Holborn and St Pancras.^[20] She was re-elected unopposed as leader of the party in September 2014.

In February 2015, an interview with Bennett regarding the funding of house-building on the talk radio station LBC was described by her as "absolutely excruciating".^[21]

In January 2015 Ofcom ruled to exclude the Green Party from the televised debates surrounding the 2015 election, on the grounds that, "The party has not demonstrated significant past electoral support in General Elections." This ruling led to an upsurge in Green Party support after Bennett called the ruling "disgraceful and indefensible," and David Cameron claimed that he was "quite happy for there to be no debates at all" if the Green Party was not included.^[22][23] This decision was later reversed, after which the Green Party's support increased again.^[24] The seven-way debate ultimately took place on 2 April, with Bennett present.

Cessation of leadership

In 2016, at the end of her second two-year term, Bennett did not stand for re-election as leader. At the party's 2016 autumn conference in Birmingham, Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley were elected as co-leaders of the party in a job-share arrangement.^{[25][26][27][28]}

Next general election

On 7 October 2016, it was announced that Bennett was selected to contest the Sheffield Central constituency for the Green Party in the next election.^[29]

Personal life

Bennett lives in Somers Town, London. Her partner is Jim Jepps, a left-wing activist^[5] who was a member of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) for approximately a decade before leaving the party around 2003.^[30][31]

Bibliography

• Editor, Thailand Country Study: Best Practice Guide on Sustainable Action Against Child Labour (1998) ISBN 974-8369-59-5^[32]
• Editor, Women's Health and Development, Country Profile Thailand^[33]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Natalie Bennett.

• Official website

Green Party of England and Wales
Leadership Leader Caroline Lucas (2008–12) Natalie Bennett (2012–16) Caroline Lucas / Jonathan Bartley (since 2016) Deputy Leader Adrian Ramsay (2008–12) Will Duckworth (2012–14) Amelia Womack / Shahrar Ali (2014–16) Amelia Womack (since 2016) Leadership elections 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 Principal Speakers (abolished in 2008) 1991–92 Sara Parkin Jim Berreen Andrew Simms Jean Lambert David Spaven Derek Wall 1992–2008 Female Jean Lambert (1992–93) Jan Clark (1993–95) Peg Alexander (1995–97) Jean Lambert (1998–99) Margaret Wright (1999–2003) Caroline Lucas (2003–06) Siân Berry (2006–07) Caroline Lucas (2007–08) Male Richard Lawson (Feb–Sep 1992) Mallen Baker (1992–93) John Cornford (1993–94) David Taylor (1994–97) Mike Woodin (1997–2001) Darren Johnson (2001–03) Mike Woodin (2003–24) Keith Taylor (2004–06) Derek Wall (2006–08)
Political representation British Parliament House of Commons (MPs) Caroline Lucas House of Lords (Peers) Jenny Jones European Parliament (MEPs) Jean Lambert Molly Scott Cato Keith Taylor Devolved chambers London Assembly (AMs) Siân Berry Caroline Russell
Organisation History History Election results Predecessor parties PEOPLE Party (1973–75) Ecology Party (1975–85) Green Party of Great Britain (1985–90) Sister parties Green Party in Northern Ireland (now part of the Irish Green Party) Scottish Green Party Movements Green 2000 Organisation Executive Regional Council Conferences Constitution Wales Green Party Young Greens Green Left Party platform Policies for a Sustainable Society Real progress International affiliations Global Greens European Green Party Greens–European Free Alliance
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