Wales Green Party leader set to step down as position ‘untenable’

THE leader of the Wales Green Party has said she will be stepping down at the end of the month.

Alice Hooker-Stroud will be replaced by the current deputy leader Grenville Ham.

She said her resignation had come over a feeling that a lack of funding to smaller political parties has made her position untenable.

She said: “As a party that cares about who lines our pockets we don’t take funds from big business donors like other parties do. That means our members have the biggest say, not corporate lobbyists, but it has contributed to my role being effectively a voluntary one, which, for me, has sadly become untenable.

“I am proud that every person in our party has an equal say and proud that when I speak on behalf of the party that I know I speak on behalf of our members. However, the financing of political parties in general needs urgent reform so that politicians aren’t just the mouthpieces for big business and so alternative voices are heard.”

Ms Hooker-Stroud added: “Parties that have a lot of money can do a lot and those who have a smaller amount can do less. We need to level the playing field financially for parties in Wales and in the UK.”

The party wants campaign funding to be “fairer” featuring a cap on large donations and for state funding to be available to parties who achieve more than 3% of a proportional national vote.