The two-party system has defined British politics for centuries. But seismic changes are underway, as the status quo is under attack from Nigel Farage’s Reform, and an insurgent Green party, both looking to clean up in the May 7 local elections. On Downstream this week, Aaron Bastani speaks to economist James Meadway, about the disruptive new progressive party on the block. Meadway was an economic advisor to John McDonnell during the Corbyn years, and is now chief economist of Verdant, a new think tank set up to help Zack Polanski and his team craft the Green party’s strategy for the 2029 elections.  But who are the Green party? What is their vision for Britain? How can it build a broad coalition of voters, big enough to win elections? What mistakes can Zack Polanski learn from the Corbyn era? 00:00 Intro 05:25 Keir Starmer’s Handling of the Iran War, & Britain’s Global Position 09:34 The Source of Starmer’s Unpopularity 11:34 The Key Strategic Mistakes of the Starmer Government 15:25 Reform’s Pinch: Threats From the Left and the Right 20:19 Reform’s Relationship to Trump 22:52 The British Deep State & the Special Relationship 25:07 What Is the Green Party’s Defence Policy? 34:12 Why Does Britain Keep Getting Things Wrong? 43:59 The Differences Between Corbyn and Polanksi’s Visions for Britain 51:19 Does Britain Need Strategic Reserves? 54:48 Green Energy Strategy 1:05:58 Zack Polanski’s Strengths & Weaknesses 1:11:42 Coalition Building for the Greens 1:22:05 What Corbynism Got Wrong 1:28:58 How Important is Hannah Spencer? 1:33:14 Are the Greens Neglecting Their Power as a Social Movement? 1:36:52 How Many MPs Can the Greens Win in the Next Election? 1:46:39 What Is Verdant, James’ ‘Green-Aligned’ Think Tank? 1:57:56 The Greens’ Line on Immigration 02:07:05 What Went Wrong With Your Party? 02:09:51 Election 2029: The Green Manifesto, & the Cost of Living Crisis Sign up for the Downstream newsletter: https://novaramedia.com/newsletters/the-downstream-newsletter/ Support our work: http://novara.media/support Buy Novara Media merch: https://shop.novaramedia.com/

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