14 Questions with: Andrew Cooper

The Green Party is currently in the middle of an election for it’s main leadership positions and half of it’s national executive. Meet Andrew Cooper, candidate for the deputy leadership, and see what he has to say about beer, allotments and Ruth Davidson.

The ‘14 Questions’ series aims to get to know the personal side of the candidates running for the Green Party leadership and the deputy leadership. The format is quite simple: 12 questions with a spread of personal and political topics and another 2 questions specifically tailored to the candidate. All the candidates have been contacted and will have the opportunity to answer some questions!

For the debut article we have Andrew Cooper, who is running for the position of deputy leader.

1. What inspired you to first join the Green Party?

I joined the Green Party in 1988. I’d joined the Liberal Party in 1985 inspired by the strong anti- nuclear and anti apartheid campaigns but left in 1988 when they merged with the SDP. It signalled a shift to the right that I felt very uncomfortable with. I felt the new Liberal Democrats wouldn’t ‘end well’ and you know what? They didn’t. The Green Party was my natural home from then on as it is strong on environmental and social issues and I knew I wouldn’t have to compromise my principles.

2. You get given a ticket for you and a plus one to see your favourite band or artist. Who do you take and who do you go to see?

Very hard question. I’ve wide tastes in music including Punk, Classical, Folk and even Gregorian chants if I’m in that sort of mood. I’ll say Chumbawamba (a good West Yorkshire band) and I’d go with my wife Liz.

3. Politics aside, who inspires you and why?

A lot of my real inspiration comes from people I meet every day who aren’t in the public eye. The people who keep community activity going with no thought of recognition or reward. As a local politician these are the people you want to help. Often a little bit of support to these people results in real benefits to whole communities. Locally in the ward I represent there is a project called ‘Growing Newsome’ which is in many ways a simple food growing project but in reality they grow friendships, local pride and combat isolation. The people who run the project aren’t politicians but have a quiet passion to bring people together and growing food is almost a by-product of their activity.

4. What do you consider to be a formative moment in leading you to where you are today?

I think it has to be when I won my Kirklees Council seat in 1999. Having been elected, Kirklees (one of the largest Councils in the country) became ‘hung’ and has been ever since. This has given the Green Party lots of influence and the opportunity to implement Green Party policies. Our most significant was perhaps Kirklees Warm Zone, a £20 million scheme to insulate over £50,000 for free. Much has sprung from that election including me now being a member of the UK Delegation to the EU Committee of the Regions. So I’m one of 24 UK reps who influence EU policy on local and regional matters. What future that role has over the next few years we’ll have to see.

5. What’s the most embarrassing thing you have ever done (that you’re willing to talk about!)?

It’s generally been stuff that involves drinking too much alcohol when too young with the inevitable consequences of that. Not pretty!

6. You have the choice of going to dinner or a drink with Jeremy Corbyn, Tim Farron and Theresa May (or all three at the same time). What would you talk about? What do you think they would be like?

Rather obviously I’d talk about climate change and ask whether they really ‘got it’. The evidence is that all 3 Party leaders don’t and that includes Corbyn. I think like many people on a one to one basis they would be personable and good company. The real challenge would be to get them to loosen up a bit and reveal more about themselves. I could ask them about embarrassing thigs they’ve done. I’d take them to the Magic Rock Tap in Huddersfield

7. It’s been a long day and you just want to let everything go for the evening. How do you unwind and relax?

I would sit down in our back garden with a few friends, get the wood burner going, get some nice beer, a bit of music playing (probably Motorcycle Diaries) or Liz on her guitar and look up at the stars and contemplate infinity. It’s that or I’d go for a long walk in the hills around where I live in Huddersfield.

A clip from The Motorcycle Diaries:

8. If you had decided not to go into politics, what do you think you would be doing instead?

I’d be developing energy efficiency or renewable projects in the community. It was what I was doing before the Government massively cut funding for energy projects. It is really satisfying to know that a scheme you have initiated has reduced the energy bills of people on low incomes and put money back in their pockets. It’s practical work. It is about building a sustainable future and we should have thousands people working in this field than we do.

9. What, specifically, will you do to provide support to regional parties, particularly those in the north, and other members groups such as the Young Greens?

I’ve been elected and re-elected 6 times so I know how to win elections and I can speak with confidence on it. So specifically I’d like to help get more Green Councillors elected in the Regions.

I’ve also know my way around policy options in local and Regional Government. Well I am in the North so it’s not a special trip and I can be in most places within an hour or so. If we end up with a London/South East Leadership I’m guessing I’ll be the one called upon to do ‘the North’ on behalf of the Leadership. This happens already to a certain extent. During the Referendum Campaign I spoke at the ‘Another Europe is Possible’ event in Newcastle as Caroline Lucas couldn’t make it. I have also spoken at rallies against Fracking and Open Cast mining recently when no one from the leadership team was available.

With the Young Greens, I am going to offer my services at an election skills workshop they are arranging in the Yorkshire and Humber Region this month but I’m keen to help with this sort of thing on an ongoing basis.

10. If you had the power, what would be the one thing in the world you would change or implement?

So let’s take it as read that Proportional Representation is a given so my choice is a bit more interesting.

I’d want to implement a plan to reduce greenhouses gas emissions to a sustainable level quickly while creating a truly sustainable society that protects those in the greatest need. Is that too much to ask?

11. In your manifesto, you mention championing social justice and combating climate change, two main tenants of the Green Party. Which two would you personally like to see brought front and centre and implemented during this parliament?

Social Justice — the Citizens Income Scheme or at least progress towards it. CI could not be implemented easily within one Parliament but we should certainly be making progress towards it for the following Parliament.

Combating Climate — implementing a plan to realise the Paris Climate Agreement but doing so specifically through energy efficiency and renewable programmes NOT nuclear.

12. The Olympics are currently on! Are there any sports or sportspeople that you are keenly looking out for?

I like watching the track/running events and I always think of that as the ‘real’ Olympics. So like many I’ll be keen to see how Mo Farah does.

13. You have the opportunity to create your own frontbench in Government. If you could pick any politician from any party, who would you pick and to which roles would you appoint them?

I’ve rather boringly chosen mainly Greens and kept the existing Cabinet titles. But I have 2 Tories in the Cabinet for very different reasons. I’d put Boris in charge of Exiting the European Union as I think he’d find it hard exiting a paper bag! I’ve also chosen Ruth Davidson as Scottish Secretary as she is intelligent, challenging and funny and by far my favourite Tory. I fully expect a ‘Cooper calls for Green/Tory Cabinet ‘ headline!

Chancellor — Molly Scott Cato

Home Office — Jean Lambert

Foreign Office — Natalie Bennett

Work and Pensions (Job Share) — David Malone/Jonathan Bartley

Transport (Job Share) — Sian Berry/Caroline Russell

Health — Jenny Shepherd ( an inspiring Health campaigner in Yorkshire)

Defence — Cllr Denise Craghill (a York Cllr and CND member)

Justice — Charley Pattison

Exiting the European Union — Boris Johnson (we’ll never leave the EU if Boris is in charge of it!)

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy — Caroline Lucas

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs — Oliver Dowding

Communities and Local Government — Cllr Sarah Lunnon

Culture Media and Sport — Shahrar Ali

Welsh Secretary — Amelia Womack

Scottish Secretary — Ruth Davidson (on the understanding that Scottish Govt called the shots and I just like her anyway)

14. What specifically, beyond what is listed in your manifesto, do you feel you can bring to the Green Party leadership?

As I’ve spent a lot of time in the rough and tumble of local politics I’m pretty resilient in tough interviews and I’m used to negotiating with other parties to get green policies introduced. This sort of experience would be of value in the Leadership team.

I represent an area that doesn’t have a ‘Bohemian Fringe’ nor is it especially rural in character. It has large Council estates and significant Muslim communities so I can bring a perspective from a consistently Green supporting area outside what some regard as our traditional strongholds.

I also believe I’ve got a sense of humour, though my sons don’t reckon much to my jokes. I did provide Natalie Bennett with a joke for one of her speeches once. I’ll tell you which one, or maybe I will after a pint or two.

You can find out more about Andrew Cooper’s campaign on Facebook and Twitter.

For more political and personal tweets by the author: @pjazzymiles