Bennett spells out vision of booming green economy

Ms Bennett told delegates at the start of the party's conference in Nottingham that Ed Miliband had just been muttering "empty platitudes about one nation."

She accused him of relying on the Tories to hand him the next election on a plate.

She said the last Labour government had championed "light-tough regulation" of financial firms and "undemocratic academies."

She said that Mr Miliband was "only offering more of the same that we had for 13 years under Blair and Brown."

She said that people across Britain would take attacks on their living standards "no more" and praised groups such as UK Uncut and students occupying a conference centre at Sussex University, whom she visited earlier this week.

Ahead of the Green Party's 40th birthday celebrations today, Ms Bennett told delegates they must convince voters that it's "essential" to "fix our economic and environmental crises together."

She stressed that being "anti-cuts isn't enough," and said her party believes in a country where "the minimum wage is a living wage, where benefits are set at a level allowing a decent life and granted ungrudgingly to all who need them, where there are warm, comfortable low-carbon homes for all."

Ms Bennett said that the party could win up to seven Euro MPs in 2014 "with a tiny swing of just 1.6 per cent" - a result that could deny a seat to fascist Nick Griffin.

She told the Morning Star after he speech that she would not stand in the European elections but is instead likely to target Bristol, an area "that you feel should have a Green MP," in the 2015 general election.

She also defended the record of Green-led Brighton Council, which had introduced a living wage for all staff and protected libraries and children's services despite "savage funding cuts from the national government."