THE leader of the Green Party was quizzed on topics such as immigration, ISIS, electoral reform and the size of the armed forces when she visited Hereford Sixth Form College.

Upwards of 350 students – nearly a fifth of the entire college – crowded into the college’s performing arts centre last Friday to hear Natalie Bennett spell out her values and policies.

Bennett stressed that Green Party policy is evidence-based rather than ideological, referring to climate change and drug legislation as examples.

Responding to a question about the realism of the party’s policies, she said the major parties were the ones out of touch, believing that unending economic growth is possible on a finite planet.

On the refugee crisis, Bennett said the UK has a moral and legal obligation to take its share of the refugees fleeing conflict and oppression, and that with 12% of the EU population we ought to be welcoming around 240,000.

She dismissed the idea that immigrants are a burden on Britain, pointing to the contribution they make to staffing the NHS; and saying that competition for housing is the result of our failure to build enough affordable homes.

Before meeting the Hereford sixth formers, Bennett had lunch with local Green Party members and supporters at The Courtyard, enjoying the special h.Energy menu. High on the agenda over lunch were the proposals to build more roads in the county.

Carole Protherough, chair of the newly formed Herefordshire Transport Alliance, and Leominster Green Mayor Felicity Norman re-iterated their opposition to the Southern Link Road.

Local renewable energy supporters heard Bennett praise community solar schemes in Herefordshire and criticise government plans to slash feed in tariff subsidies that could put an end to such schemes.

Later in the afternoon, Natalie Bennett visited the retrofitted eco-home of Jane and David Straker, open as part of the h.Energy fortnight.

On leaving, Bennett expressed herself delighted with what she had seen saying that she believed Herefordshire was becoming a Green Party stronghold.