I come from a very conventional and non-political background. The only newspaper in our house when I was growing up was the Daily Mail, and we would never have dreamt of discussing politics around the dinner table. So my involvement in politics came about through activism. I joined the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the 1980s and protested at Greenham Common. I supported other causes too – fighting discrimination and environmental degradation – but it was only on reading Seeing Green by Jonathan Porritt in 1986 that I realised all these issues were underpinned by the political process. The Green Party offered a political solution which recognises the connections: how our economy is built on the use of finite resources in other countries; how this leads to the exploitation of the people of those countries, interference in their political freedom, even military commitments and involvement in wars; and how those who make their money and gain their power through such economic relationships are all too well-placed to influence decision-making behind the scenes.
What job did you do before you became an MP?
I worked for Oxfam for 10 years, most recently as head of their Trade policy team, and also had a year's secondment to help set up a new international trade department in Dfid. I also held various positions in the Green Party, including national press officer, Principal Speaker, and now Leader, and won our second council seat in the UK on Oxford County Council. In 1999 I was elected to the European Parliament as the Green member for the South East and served until 2010, when I became the UK’s first Green MP, representing my constituency of Brighton Pavilion.
Which law would you scrap?
I’d like to be even more ambitious and change the central policy of this government – that of budget cuts and austerity. A government can’t cut its way out of a recession any more than you can dig yourself out of a hole. It’s not just a question of "too far too fast", as Labour claims, but the fact that it's precisely in a recession that the government needs to invest in jobs – and particularly green jobs, since a green economy is far more labour intensive than the fossil fuel economy it replaces. In terms of where to find the money, the government could start by scrapping Trident, cracking down on tax evasion and avoidance, and introducing significant green quantitative easing directly into the economy.
And if you could pass one law, what would it be?
I’d bring proportional representation – nothing would do more to open up British politics and give a greater voice to people up and down the country who have become completely disillusioned with the three main Westminster parties.
Do politics and religion mix?
No
Who is your favourite prime minister from history, and why?
Can I cheat and choose someone from the present day? The Prime Minister of Iceland, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir – the country’s longest-serving member of Parliament, first female Prime Minister, and the world's first openly lesbian head of government, she has also blazed a trail on women’s equality.
Name three dream dinner-party guests.
Mary Wollstonecraft, Gandhi and Jeanette Winterson.
Mary Wollstonecraft, Gandhi and Jeanette Winterson.
Which politician from a different party do you most admire?
Salma Yaqoob, for being so honest, principled, compassionate and articulate.
What's your karaoke song of choice?
Bit predictable really, but it would have to be "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond.
What's the last film you saw?
Marley – a really excellent biopic, which makes you appreciate just what a huge impact one individual can have on the world.
Marley – a really excellent biopic, which makes you appreciate just what a huge impact one individual can have on the world.
What’s the last work of fiction you read?
The secret intensity of everyday life, by William Nicholson – it’s an incredibly compassionate novel, as well as being very witty and intelligent.
Newsnight or Question Time?
I like both, but probably Question Time – it reaches a wider audience and you get far more input from real people, as opposed to just politicians and media commentators.
Humphrys or Paxman?
I really like Carolyn Quinn – can I choose her instead?
Who is your favourite blogger?
Too many to choose from, but I particularly follow the blogs on False Economy.
Who is your favourite newspaper columnist?
Laurie Penny at the Independent.
If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?
The hours. I’d love to spend a bit more time with my family and dog.
What's the funniest or saddest thing you've ever heard at a surgery?
Unfortunately, I hear far more sad stories than funny ones. Many of the constituents who come to see me are struggling against Kafka-esque levels of bureaucracy, whether it’s claiming the welfare payments they are entitled to or battling with the byzantine and seemingly inhuman procedures of the Border Agency.
What was your worst doorstep campaigning moment?
No one moment springs to mind, but I’ve had a few slammed doors.
Who is the most important person in your life, and why?
That’s easy - my husband Richard and our two sons, for their love, support and – fortunately - superhuman patience.
Do you think you will ever be prime minister - and if not, why not?
No. Until we have proportional representation, no-one from the smaller parties stands a chance. On the positive side, I don’t think I’d like to live in Downing Street – I’d miss Brighton too much
Read it here:
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/politics/2012/05/mp-interview-caroline-lucas
