Natalie Bennett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
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Official portrait, 2023
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| Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales | |
| In office 3 September 2012 – 2 September 2016 |
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| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | Caroline Lucas |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Bartley and Caroline Lucas |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 15 October 2019 Life peerage |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Natalie Louise Bennett
10 February 1966 Eastwood, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Green Party of England and Wales |
| Residences | Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England |
| Alma mater |
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Natalie Louise Bennett, Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (born 10 February 1966), is an Australian-British politician and former journalist. She was the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2012 to 2016. In 2019, she became a Baroness, which means she joined the House of Lords.
Natalie was born and grew up in Australia. She started her career as a journalist for local newspapers. In 1995, she moved to Thailand and worked for four years there. She then settled in Britain in 1999. She wrote for well-known newspapers like The Guardian, The Independent, and The Times. She joined the Green Party in 2006 and became its leader six years later.
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Early Life and Education
Natalie Bennett was born on 10 February 1966 in Eastwood, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. Her parents worked hard to support the family.
She received a scholarship to attend MLC School, a private school for girls in Burwood. Natalie was the first person in her family to go to university. She earned degrees from the University of Sydney and the University of New England. She also completed a Master's degree in Mass Communication from the University of Leicester in 2001.
Journalism Career
Natalie Bennett started her journalism career in New South Wales, Australia. She worked for several local newspapers, including the Northern Daily Leader. In 1995, she left Australia and lived in Thailand for four years. There, she worked for Australian Volunteers International and later for the Bangkok Post newspaper.
She moved to the United Kingdom in 1999. In Britain, Natalie wrote for The Guardian from 2006. She was also a blogger. From 2007 to 2012, she was the deputy editor and then editor of The Guardian Weekly. She also worked for the Independent and Times newspapers in London. In 2012, she decided to leave journalism.
Political Journey
Natalie Bennett joined the Green Party on 1 January 2006. She ran for local council elections in Camden in 2006 and 2010 but was not elected. From 2007 to 2011, she helped with internal communications for the party.
In 2010, she was chosen to run for a seat in Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras. She finished fourth in that election. She also ran in the 2012 London Assembly election as a candidate for the Green Party.
Leading the Green Party
On 3 September 2012, Natalie Bennett became the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. She took over from Caroline Lucas. When she became leader, Natalie said that the Green Party's ideas were the best way forward for Britain and the world.
In May 2014, she was again chosen to run for the Parliamentary seat of Holborn and St Pancras. She was re-elected as the party leader without anyone running against her in September 2014.
In February 2015, Natalie had a difficult interview on the radio station LBC. She found it hard to explain how the Green Party would pay for building 500,000 new homes. This interview was widely discussed.
In January 2015, the broadcasting regulator Ofcom initially decided to exclude the Green Party from televised debates for the 2015 election. Natalie called this decision "unfair." Other politicians, including David Cameron, also spoke out against it. The decision was later changed, and the Green Party was included in the debates. This helped the party gain more support. Natalie was part of the seven-way debate on 2 April.
In the 2015 election, Natalie came third in her constituency. In 2016, after serving two terms as leader, she decided not to run for re-election. Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley were then elected as co-leaders of the party.
2017 General Election
On 7 October 2016, it was announced that Natalie Bennett would run for the Green Party in the Sheffield Central area for the 2017 UK general election. In this election, the Green Party's share of votes in Sheffield Central decreased, and Natalie finished third.
Joining the House of Lords
In September 2019, Natalie Bennett was chosen to become a life peer. This means she was given a special title and a seat in the House of Lords for the rest of her life. On 7 October 2019, she became Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle.
She was officially introduced to the House of Lords on 15 October 2019. She joined Jenny Jones, Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb as the second Green Party member in the House of Lords. Natalie gave her first speech there on 17 October 2019.
Political Views
Natalie Bennett has considered herself a feminist since she was a young child. She believes in equal rights for everyone. She also helped start the Green Party women's group. She became interested in environmental issues after studying Agricultural Sciences.
She supports the idea of abolishing the monarchy in the UK. In an interview in April 2015, she said she supports the Green Party's policy of an economic and cultural boycott of Israel. She also believes Britain should stop selling weapons to Saudi Arabia.
Natalie is against HS2, which is a high-speed railway project. She thinks it is not good for society, the environment, or local businesses.
Personal Life
Baroness Bennett is single and lives in Sheffield.
See also
In Spanish: Natalie Bennett para niños
