Natalie Bennett

Natalie Bennett
Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 September 2012
Deputy	Will Duckworth
Preceded by	Caroline Lucas
Personal details
Born	(1966-10-02) 2 October 1966 Sydney, Australia
Political party	Green Party of England and Wales
Alma mater	University of Sydney University of New England University of Leicester

Natalie Louise Bennett (born 10 February 1966, Sydney, Australia) is the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, elected on 3 September 2012. She was editor of The Guardian Weekly from December 2007 until March 2012. She was previously the deputy editor of The Guardian Weekly, and had worked at other British newspapers.

Personal life

Bennett is in a relationship with Big Smoke founder and editor Jim Jepps, a former member of the Green Party.

Early life

She was educated at MLC School for girls, a private school in Burwood, Australia. Later she completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Hons) degree at the University of Sydney, a BA (Hons) in Asian Study through the University of New England (Australia), and a Master's degree in Mass Communication through the University of Leicester.

Career

Her first job in journalism was at the Eastern Riverina Observer in Henty, New South Wales, Australia. She then worked for the Cootamundra Herald and the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth. She spent two years as an Australian Volunteer Abroad working in the Office of the National Commission of Women's Affairs, before moving to the Bangkok Post newspaper, where she was chief foreign sub-editor. She has been writing for the Guardian's "Comment is Free" section since 2006. She is also a blogger.

Politics

Bennett stood for the Green party in the 2006 Camden Council election for Regent's Park ward and in the 2010 Camden Council election for Somerstown ward, losing both times. She was the internal communications coordinator on the national executive of the party from September 2007 to August 2011.

In January 2010, she was selected to stand for the Parliamentary seat of Holborn and St Pancras. She came in fourth with 2.7% of the vote.

She stood in the 2012 London Assembly elections, becoming the fourth placed candidate on the London-wide list for the Green Party.

Bennett, who has considered herself a feminist since she was a young child, founded the Green Party women's group and is a trustee of the Fawcett Society. She became interested in environmental issues when she obtained a degree in Agricultural Sciences, becoming a member of the Green Party in 2006.

On 3 September 2012 she replaced Caroline Lucas as leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. 3,127 ballot papers were returned in the 2012 Green Party leadership elections, a turnout of 25.1%. This turnout was defended by Bennett who said in a BBC interview "if you hold an election in the month of August you kind of expect that turnout won't be particularly high". Following her election as party leader Bennett told a press conference that the policies of the Green Party were "the only viable way forward for British people, for the world".

Publications

• Editor, Thailand Country Study: Best Practice Guide on Sustainable Action Against Child Labour (1998) ISBN 974-8369-59-5

• Editor, Women’s Health and Development, Country Profile Thailand

External links

• Official website
• Campaign for Leader
• Personal website
• Philobiblon (blog)
• How to: impress commissioning editors (journalism.co.uk)
• Brit's fire blast patronises pioneers (Canberra Times)
• The Guardian Weekly's 90th Birthday (editorial)
• Art and Activism at Poison and Antidote, Whitechapel (YouTube - Friends of the Earth)

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