ANIMALS WOULD be protected under human rights laws and taxes imposed on nappies under plans to be considered by the Green Party.
The Left-wing party, which hopes to hold the balance of power after the general election by winning up to 10 seats, will also debate creating a fleet of hospital ships to serve the developing world, cutting the size of National Lottery prizes and banning the Grand National.
The plans, which could become official policy after being put to a vote of members today, underline the radical ambitions of Britain’s fastestgrowing political movement which now has 55,000 members — more than the Liberal Democrats or Ukip.
Natalie Bennett, the party leader, this weekend heralded a “peaceful, political revolution” at the general election. Her party plans to form an alliance with the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru to force a minority Labour government to impose higher taxes on companies, spend billions of pounds a year more on welfare and abandon the Trident nuclear deterrent.
Addressing members, she sought to outflank Ed Miliband from the Left with a lengthy denunciation of tax avoidance, food banks and low pay.
The proposed policies will add to the Greens’ eclectic platform of legalising hard drugs and brothels, placing new restrictions on advertising and air travel, imposing taxes on large gifts and performances by pop stars and cutting economic growth to zero in order to protect the planet.
Under the plans to be debated by members, Article Five of the UN Declaration of Human Rights — stating “no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or Natalie Bennett, the Green leader, has suffered yet another humiliating interview.
The former journalist appeared confused when she was asked to name the countries of the United Kingdom that would benefit from her £9billion pledge to give free social care to the over65s as a “human right”.
She at first insisted the scheme would apply in England, before changing her mind to include Wales.
In a difficult exchange, Ross Hawkins, the BBC’s political correspondent, asked: “In which nations of the UK would this apply?” She replied: “That would be in England.” Mr Hawkins said: “So just England? And not degrading treatment or punishment” — would be extended to “all sentient life forms”.
The declaration was drawn up in 1948 in response to the horrors of Nazi Germany.
The plans would see the same criminal penalties for the kidnap, murder and torture of dolphins, apes and elephants as for human vic- Wales?” Ms Bennett said: “No. Well, what we would have to do is look at where this is going. We are setting out the details of this.”
Mr Hawkins said: “Why would the Green Party of England and Wales exclude Wales?”
Ms Bennett replied: “We would look at the whole pattern.” Mr Hawkins said she appeared “uncertain” tims. Members also propose a ban on commercial horse and dog racing.
In a move that would increase the cost of living for young families, the party will also discuss new levies on the manufacturers of disposable nappies, as part of a campaign against landfill.
The Greens believe that the about whether it would “definitely be in Wales”.
Ms Bennett said: “This would be the pattern across England and Wales.”
Mr Hawkins said: “It would be the pattern across England and Wales? So is that a commitment to free social care for over-65s in England and Wales?” Ms Bennett conceded: “It is, yep, yep.” money spent maintaining a nuclear deterrent should be spent on foreign aid, increasing the budget to one per cent of GDP, or £16billion a year.
Members will today debate using the money to “build one or more hospital ships to provide worldwide humanitarian aid and support”. They will also propose the creation of “forest schools”, so that children can build “self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees”.
Under plans to rewrite the rules of global trade, goods would be banned from entering the UK if they are made in factories that do not comply with British health and safety standards or do not pay a living wage.
As for those who enjoy a Saturday night flutter, members propose that “rather than creating a few millionaires, we would seek to make the National Lottery more progressive by dividing prize money into smaller chunks”.
The conference is the Greens’ sovereign decisionmaking body, meaning policies approved in a vote of members become official party doctrine. An elected committee then decides which policies appear in the manifesto booklet. Party sources acknowledge the party’s lengthy policy platform, the sum of 30 years of conference votes, has embarrassed the leadership as it fights to be taken seriously.
This weekend the party leadership unveiled manifesto pledges to abolish tuition fees and provide free personal care for the over-65s.
Ms Bennett said the care policy would be paid for by curbs on tax avoidance, a financial transactions tax and higher personal taxes on those earning over £100,000 a year.
Aides declined to provide details of which tax avoidance schemes would be targeted. ÞLily Cole, the model, will tonight appear alongside Ms Bennett during a panel debate on “Latin American experiments in direct democracy”, in a sign of the party’s growing appeal among young people. The Cambridge graduate has held meetings with Caroline Lucas, the Green MP.