Queen’s students recently welcomed QUB graduate and Green Party European candidate Steven Agnew on campus for a talk hosted by the QUB Greens, the campus branch of the Green Party.

BY ADAM MCGIBBON

Agnew, who left Queens with a degree in Philosophy in 2001, spent his post-university years as a Support Worker for the homeless with a well-known charity. He joined the Green Party in 2003, not primarily as an environmentalist, but as someone more interested in the Greens’ policies on social justice.

To a room full of interested students, Agnew talked about his experiences in the European election. The ‘Green tide’ which led to a 31% increase in the Green vote from 2007 and a dramatic 300% increase in the vote since 2004, was hard-won. He spoke of the mad rush of a European election campaign during which he was the subject of a documentary about elections, interviewed by Catalan Radio, and overwhelmed by the amount of people who turned out to support the Greens – “We even had a lemonade man in North Belfast delivering leaflets and canvassing!’

Asked by students what his plans were for the future, he responded that the Greens were looking forward to the 2010 Westminster elections, but were mostly setting their sights on the 2011 Local & Assembly elections. Agnew spoke about the importance of young people to the Green Party, saying that The Green Party needs younger members to take it from modest beginnings to a Green future. He anticipated future gains for the party, which currently has 3 councillors and one MLA in the Assembly.

For someone who didn’t become an MEP last June, Steven Agnew’s profile remains high – he has recently been named as one of the nominees for Slugger O’Toole’s ‘Up and coming politician of the year’ award. Whatever happens in the future, it seems that Steven Agnew will be one to watch.