Long-serving Green nominated for peerage
DAD OF TWO COOPER HAS SERVED ON COUNCIL FOR 21 YEARS
A LONG-SERVING Green councillor in Huddersfield is one of four activists shortlisted for a potential role in the House of Lords.
Andrew Cooper, who represents Newsome ward on Kirklees Council, will face an internal party election along with rival candidates for a Green Party peerage.
He’s up against deputy party leader Amelia Womack, academic and former MEP Molly Scott-Cato and university lecturer and Extinction Rebellion campaigner Rupert Reed.
The 55-year-old married father-oftwo, who leads the Greens in Kirklees, has been a party member for 31 years.
He was first elected to Kirklees Council in 1999 and has steered his group to 18 wins in a row in Newsome.
He became group leader 20 years ago.
The Green Party actually opposes the House of Lords, considering it an undemocratic chamber.
Clr Cooper said: “I have been elected and re-elected six times.
“Having someone in the House of Lords who is an elected politician, like an MP, who is responsible to an electorate would send a very strong message.
“I am the only candidate that is an elected politician.”
Clr Cooper and the other candidates will campaign during July. Voting will take in August followed by a decision in September.
The appointee will be announced at the party’s annual conference that month, which will be held virtually.
If appointed Clr Cooper would join former party leader Natalie Bennett, who was given a peerage in Theresa May’s 2019 resignation honours, and Jenny Jones, a former deputy mayor of London.
Clr Cooper said being a peer “is an opportunity to do good things.”
He added: “Whatever institution I have been involved with, I have always used that as a way of trying to do something and use the political leaders to make a difference.
“That’s what I would be looking to do in the House of Lords.
“It’s an honour that I’ve been shortlisted but it’s about doing positive things that are going to make the world a better place.”
Asked, if selected, whether he would choose to be known as Baron Cooper or Lord Cooper, he said it was a distraction.
He pointed out that both Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle and Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb had been inspired by the council estates in their areas.
He said: “I’m very uncomfortable with titles. I hate all the implied deferences.
“It’ll be the last thing I think of. “The point of doing this is to influence policy, not to swank around with titles. It’s about doing a job.
“To be honest the title stuff just makes me wince. It’s not what I got into politics for. When I’m forced to I will choose something.
“Jenny Jones went for the council estate where she grew up. Natalie Bennett’s title sounds very grand but it’s an area of Sheffield that to a large extent is a council estate.
“People do play around with titles but the more down-to-earth they are, the better to my mind.”
Born in Barnsley, Clr Cooper moved to Huddersfield with his family when he was a year old. He has lived in the town ever since.
He studied politics at North Staffordshire Polytechnic and for 20 years worked in the renewable energy sector.
He jokes that he lobbied Government on behalf of the Renewable Energy Association “and was ignored by some very important people”.
He also works with the Local Government Association as a peer advisor for the almost 400 Green councillors around the country and with the Green Party advising on how to fight elections.