Fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood has lauded the Green Party as the “only opposition” in the lead-up to next month’s General Election.
Describing the key political parties as largely “the same” when it comes to environmental policies, she said that switching to green energy sources was more important than voting at all.
The activist claimed that the nature-conscious group was the best bet for protecting both the natural world and a fair economy.
Dame Vivienne, 76, said: “The only way out of this (environmental crisis) is a green economy, and the Greens are the only opposition we’ve got. Green is the only non-wasted vote.”
“Switching to green energy is much better than voting because, not only does it help the environment, but it sabotages the rotten financial system,” she said.
“If the NHS switched to green energy that would make it safe for the future because its budget would suddenly become stabilised.
“A green economy is a free world economy, it is based on the idea that what nature gives for free cannot be privately owned.”
Her comments came as she picked up the Beacon Award for outstanding partnership between her own philanthropy and her work with charity Cool Earth, during a ceremony at London’s Mansion House on Tuesday.
Run by UK Community Foundations, the prize recognised her tireless efforts to encourage some of the UK’s biggest organisations to convert to green energy, as well as supporting Cool Earth’s work to prevent excessive destruction of the rainforest.
“I am very good at practical solutions,” she said, demonstrating the tote bag she designed for this year’s London Fashion Week.
Her ‘Ecotricity’ design features the captions: “Bad politicians are all the same, they’re the ones who always get in power,” and: “At one end is the taxpayer, poverty, austerity – at the other end the profit for the rich…Switch, perhaps the most important thing you will do in your life.”
“I am working with the British Fashion Council to get this switch to green energy going and then we hope to go to all the other institutions in this country,” she continued.
“Our target is to get half the country switched to green energy in three years.”
