I was recruited into Green politics by a climate-denying conspiracy theorist. A thread.
When I first joined the Green Party as a 20yo back in the 1980s the very first person I spoke to was an affable chap called Justin Walker. [1]

I rang him up about getting involved locally in the north-west and he was the contact. Posh, ex-military and charmingly bonkers, Justin reminded me of an eccentric version of Michael Palin. On that first phone call he enthusiastically welcomed me. [2]

And urged me to get involved. Which I did.

Anyway, I was reading an article by @DrMatthewSweet about conspiracy theorists on the train yesterday and saw the name Justin Walker mentioned in connection with some tedious Rothschilds conspiracy. [3] https://unherd.com/2021/04/could-you-spot-a-conspiracy-theorist/">https://unherd.com/2021/04/c...

I googled to check and it is indeed the very same Justin Walker who first welcomed me to the Greens. He& #39;s now moved on from the Green Party to denouncing climate change as a hoax by the elite to control the world& #39;s population, along with 5G. [4]
https://www.newchartistmovement.org.uk/articles/real-greens-v-fake-greens-part-1?">https://www.newchartistmovement.org.uk/articles/...

So the first person I spoke to about getting involved in Greens a climate-denying conspiracist. Who knows? My life (including a 16 year stint in full-time politics) could have been very different had he not been so affable with me on the phone 34 years ago... [5]