York Green Party statement on Gaza

Greens say: Gaza bombing must stop

Also, a protest arranged by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign will take place on Saturday January 3rd at 1pm in St Sampson's Square.

Greens have called for an immediate and unconditional stop to Israel's bombing of the Gaza strip, which has so far killed well over 300 people, around 10% of whom are believed to be children.

This is in response to rocket attacks on Israeli territory launched from the Gaza strip that have killed 4 people since the recent ceasefire broke down and 23 people in the last eight years.

Andy Chase, Green Parliamentary Candidate for York Central, said: "Rocket attacks from Gaza must cease, though the situation is complicated because many are carried out by militants who are not under the effective control of the Palestinian authorities. However, the Israeli offensive has killed over ten times as many people as all of these attacks in a matter of days. The international community must tell Israel that this is not acceptable. Policies of 'collective punishment' are the best way of creating more hatred and extremism."

He continued: "Israel imposed a blockade on the Gaza strip in 2007, since when there have been terrifying increases in poverty in the territory. In recent months, this has become more severe as even essential supplies of food and medicine have experienced difficulties in getting through. Unemployment is at 45% and there are serious concerns about proper nutrition and food security for many people. The way to stop rocket attacks is by giving people in Gaza a viable economic and political future and ending the blockade forthwith."

Green Party leader and Member of the European Parliament, Caroline Lucas, said, "The Israeli action is clearly counterproductive to the prospects for peace. The population of Gaza is already suffering from the Israeli blockade, which has accelerated their decline into even greater hunger and poverty. Casualties among the civilian population only serve to make people more angry and sow the seeds for further violence."

Where do the contents of your ready meal come from?

Farming Today had an interesting story today. It is apparently legal for ready meal producers to label their product as British if it has been produced in Britain but the meat has been sourced elsewhere.

They looked at the case of a Chicken Tikka Masala produced by a famous supermarket chain. After some enquiries it became evident that the chicken was sourced from Thailand.

I imagine many of my readers on Green Feed are vegetarians, but for those of us who eat meat it is disturbing. Although there are valid concerns about the treatment of poultry in this country it is still of a higher standard than elsewhere in the world, which is why many people look for the British label when purchasing meat.

Out of interest I would appreciate people filling in the poll on my blog as I would be interested in how many of you are vegetarian/vegan.

Elvington Airfield

I today spoke at the Elvington Airfield Inquiry representing Heslington Parish Council. Here is what I said:

When Heslington Parish Council received the application for hangars on Elvington Airfield there was no supporting information relating to estimated flight and traffic movements or the environmental effect of such an application. We still remain opposed to the application for the erection of hangars for the following reasons.

Under Heslington's Village Design Statement we call for:

1. No further significant development of Elvington airfield should be consented to by the City Council, or even considered, without there first being in place a Masterplan or design
statement for the development of the airfield. This should set the airfield in its wider context and identify its longterm objectives so that it can be subjected to a public consultation
process.
2. This Masterplan should identify and anticipate all future development of the infrastructure of the site, together with anticipated growth of commercial, leisure and freight traffic over, say, the next 15 to 20 years, and provide full supporting economic, transport and environmental impact assessments.
3. It should undergo a full series of public consultations in accordance with Government policy guidance, which would include formal consultation with all impacted surrounding communities likely to be affected by the noise footprint and traffic growth, including Heslington.

These conditions have not been met. We do not have a clear idea what the intentions of Elvington Park are for future development of the airfield and what the environmental consequences of approval would mean.

We do not believe the road network on the east of York can cope with an increase in traffic which will no doubt be a result of extra traffic travelling to and from Elvington. We are already expecting extra demands on the road network from the University, Derwenthorpe and Germany Beck developments.

Elvington Park have proved to be an inconsiderate neighbour since taking over the site, which was backed up in court this June when they were ordered by York Crown Court to cease Formula One testing after years over excessive noise and an unwillingness to conform to the reasonable conditions set down by York City Council, showing total disregard for local residents concerns. We believe any expansion of air activities on the site will once again cause unreasonable disturbance to local residents in Heslington.

There is no evidence that refusal of the application will affect the commercial interests of the city. With airports already located in Humberside, Doncaster, Newcastle, Leeds/Bradford and Manchester the region is already more than amply served. This has been proved by the failure of Sheffield Airport, which despite being a much larger city than York could not continue as a going concern. York also already has a flying school at Rufforth.

In conclusion we do not feel there are any special circumstances which could justify the proposed development on Greenbelt land. A development which would inevitably have an intolerable effect on local life for the surrounding villages. And furthermore, due to the lack of information available at the time of application we feel the development has not faced adequate public scrutiny.

York Green Party also sent out the following press release:

York Greens have condemned the proposal to expand Elvington Airfield to accommodate up to 10,000 flights a year.

The Green Party's Heslington Spokesperson Andrew Collingwood will be among those people attending the public inquiry. He was quoted as saying:

"This expansion could be the thin end of the wedge leading to hugely increased air traffic in and out of the airport.

It will be an environmental disaster for York. It will pour traffic onto the road network in and around the South East of York, which is already unable to cope with all of the new developments at Germany Beck, Derwenthorpe and the University.

It seems incredible that with the possibility of the Arctic Ocean being ice-free during the summer within ten years, people can seriously contemplate a development that would drive a coach and horses through local carbon reduction targets. It's like sailing around in a ship trying to find an iceberg to crash into.

It will also be an economic disaster. The proposal will create a relatively small number of jobs that will be vulnerable every time there is another spike in oil prices. This is at the expense of noise pollution and traffic chaos that will blight the south east corner of the city and deter firms from locating there.

What we need are innovative, environmentally aware local businesses that will bring long-term jobs and prosperity to the city, not useless facilities that will be obsolete within twenty years."

No to Elvington Airport

A public inquiry has started today into a proposed development which will allow an old RAF airfield which is currently used for a around 800 flights a year the right to accept up to 10,000 flights a year. In other words turning it into a small airport.

If the proposed development gets the go ahead it will be disastrous for the environment and local residents. We do not need any more airports, we already have 3 in Yorkshire alone.

Neighboring parish councils Elvington and Heslington oppose the development, as do the city council. It is on Greenbelt land, which will require the owners to prove special circumstances to get permission. We can only hope that the inquiry rules that there are no special circumstances.

I'll keep you posted on the developments as they happen.

The curse of Blair still haunts us

Newsnight tonight dug out a classic gem from the Blair archive:

"Something is seriously awry when … the Financial Services Authority that was established to provide clear guidelines and rules for the financial services sector and to protect the consumer against the fraudulent, is seen as hugely inhibiting of efficient business by perfectly respectable companies - that have never defrauded anyone."

This is New Labour all over, and Brown is no better when it comes to cosying up to business. The FSA has been seen is lacking over the past few years, and it is clear Labour were not willing to give them teeth when it comes to financial regulation.

The full article can be found at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2918368/What-Blair-really-thinks-about-the-FSA.html

Also, we now find out that Blair may have misled parliament over the F1 tobacco advertising debacle http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7668112.stm

The working class who voted for Labour have been let down. They are Tory Light and it is clear they are only interested in maintaining the status quo with a sprinkling of neo liberal policies.

One benefit of the financial crisis

There was a lot of speculation on tonight's Newsnight about what government departments would suffer as a result of the financial salvage package. As Brown has promised to maintain the current level of funding on Health and Education it is likely that the defence budget will suffer.

The result of this is that we may see an early withdrawal from Iraq, and along with the US a reluctance to get involved in other military adventures.

Newsnight did suggest that Russia, China and Iran may get emboldened and take risks they would not usually contemplate. I personally feel this is doubtful as Russia and China are also affected by the financial crisis.

The country is in economic crisis, but at least it will clip the wings of our imperialist leaders.

The crisis explained

This excellent sketch by John Bird and John Fortune explains why we have arrived at the current crisis.

Unfortunately I doubt the current economic crisis will change the system, governments will just keep throwing tax payers money at the problem to defend capitalism.

Rothko

Got to see the Rothko exhibition at the weekend. It really is worth a visit, as he is one of those artists you cannot really appreciate unless you are looking at the original, as the work relies so much on textures and colours which are lost on prints of his works.

It did however remind me of this clip from L.A.Story

LA Story - emotionally erect

Capitalism is up the creek

I am rather a novice when it comes to economics and I'm sure plenty of my colleagues in the Green Party have a far more insightful view on the current problems than myself. But anyhoo, here are my views...

Banks should be at the back of the queue when it comes to nationalisation. The rail network and energy companies would be a good start considering we currently subsidise the rail network while paying shareholders and allow energy companies to rip their customers off to guarantee profits to their shareholders.

So, the banks. I don't have all the answers, but my suggestion is for the future that banks and other financial institutions should pay into a government scheme to protect customer's savings. Then, at the end of the day if they get into trouble it is tough, they may act a bit more cautiously in future. If it wasn't for all the buy to let mortgages it is likely property prices would be lower than the current insane levels they are at.

There is however a major concern for trade unionists. Pension schemes are at real risk due to the current state of the market. We should never have got into the position where we are so reliant on work based pensions, but we are here now and a major fall in share prices will result in schemes closing down or requiring employees to pay a lot more in. More than ever, we need a reliable state pension which gives pensioners a living income so it does not have to be supplemented by work based pensions.

Press release from York Green Party

York Green Party has reacted with great dismay to the announcement that the Remploy factory in York has been recently sold on the day that the GMB union announced at the Labour Party conference that it would campaign to re-open the factory.

Of the 54 workers who lost their jobs when the York factory closed down around half have been unable to find alternative employment.

Green Party Trades Union Spokesperson Andrew Collingwood stated, "Remploy workers from York and across the country have been seriously let down by the Labour government. They have been forced into menial jobs well below their skill levels or, even worse, unemployment. We call for an immediate and independent review of the factory closures and for the government to support those Remploy workers who have been unable to find employment after 6 months."

The Green Party's candidate for York Central, Andy Chase, added,"We should stop mumbling platitudes about 'mainstream employment' and instead sit down and listen to the Remploy workers themselves."

Labour lets down Remploy workers

It is with great dismay that I must report the announcement that the Remploy factory in York has been recently sold on the day that the GMB announced at Labour party conference that they would campaign to re-open the factory.

Of the 54 workers who lost their job when the York factory closed down half have failed to find alternative employment.

The government has seriously let down Remploy workers across the country through its series of factory closures.

Stephen Fry's Podgrams

I'm currently suffering from a bout of illness. While lying in bed I have found the delights of the Stephen Fry Podgram, which I have been downloading through ITunes. This following excerpt about his views on dancing made me laugh out loud:

At a pinch I would welcome that over the continued existence of endless long ballroom routines in which you have to be taught the steps of quadrilles, cotillions, gavottes, waltzes and so forth. I suppose the descendant of that ghastly form of entertainment is the vile terror known as Line Dancing, a proceeding so fatuous and horrible as to defy language. I have twice been caught with nowhere to run in one of those events. It was like being on the gymnastics mat at school, or in the infant Music and Movement room. The sweaty, ghastliness of it all and the silly hats and embarrassing clapping. Oh god, I’ve given myself hives just thinking of it.

And hell, that reminds me of childhood Scottish dancing lessons, hopping over swords. Or more recent holidays with friends with Highland Reels promised as an after dinner treat. ‘In this life,’ Sir Arnold Bax is reputed to have said, ‘you should try everything once, except incest and folk dancing.’ Eightsome reels. Stripping the Willow. The Roger de Coverley, whoever the arse he was. Morris Dancing, which is fashionable to loathe, I really don’t mind at all. In fact I quite like it, because there is never the faintest chance of being invited to join in. Organised dancing and disorganised dancing in which one is supposed to participate. Both of them fill me with dread and disgust. Yes, probably self-disgust more than any other kind.

Maybe it all springs from having to sing at school the Worst Song Ever Written — Lord of the Dance. ‘Dance then, wherever you may be, for I am the Lord of the Dance said he. I’ll dance with you if you dance with me, for I am the lord of the dance said he.’ And so bloody on. If ever a song were guaranteed to create a generation of atheists and non-dancers it is that one. ‘I danced for the sun and I danced for the moon. I danced at night and I danced at noon.’ I mean, come on. Seriously shut up. Shut so up and go so dreadfully and entirely away.

http://stephenfry.com/blog/?paged=2#more-41

We're all f**ked is this woman gets elected

And with John McCain being close to his sell by date she may even become president. Barack Obama my not be the panacea to American's ailments but he has to be a better choice than the McCain/Palin ticket.

Meh

I've come away from my first GP conference feeling rather apathetic and not very motivated to campaign for the party nationally. (However, I still strongly support York Central's candidate Andy Chase, who does motivate me to get out there and campaign).

I was particularly disappointed that the original maximum/minimum wage motion was not passed with an amendment changing this:

C. For maximum income limit of 10 times the National Minimum Wage, through the establishment of a 100% rate of income tax on taxable personal income above that level.

to this:

(c) a new top rate of income tax to be levied on incomes over 10 times the National Minimum Wage

There was a lot of talk about how having a 100% tax rate would alienate some of our potential voters. I seriously doubt it. Under the current motion it would mean workers would not be able to earn over £81,700. The vast majority of the UK populace earns under this level, we would be talking about a policy which would affect under 1% of workers, people who most probably would never consider voting for us in the first place, as many of our other policies would not be in their interest. It is only with radical policies that we will really catch the attention of voters, not by putting out watered down policies for fear of upsetting a few Tory voters. There is real potential for the Green Party to attract disillusioned trade unionists who can no longer stomach New Labour and we will not do it by tinkering around the status quo.

I was also surprised by the amount of suits wandering round conference. It appears this number has grown year on year, and the suits seemed to be the those who did not support the good motions put through on maximum wage and right to rent.

The conference venue was also very dreary. No communal area for socialising (or networking if you prefer) was available until the evening. Thankfully the Malborough Arms proved a good venue for Green Left to meet in :-)

Oh well, let's see what this year brings with a new leader and GPEx. To quote this Simpsons:

The leader is good,
the leader is great.
We surrender our will,
as of this day.

Back to gloomy York

I'm now back in gloomy York after a wonderful sunny week in the Alps. It is great to finally have some colour and stop looking like a pasty northerner.

Returning back to normality after a week away emphasises just how much time you spend during the week dealing with emails. On return I had over 300 non-work emails, over 100 of which were GP related. Work a bit quiter with only about 100 emails over 4 days, it would have probably been triple that if I went a couple of months later.

Anyhow, off to the York Green Festival today and hoping for sun.

Rain, rain, rain

Wednesday - Rain
Thursday - Rain
Friday - A little bit of sun, then rain.

Leave for France tomorrow, in the hope of finding summer.

Listening to: Reading 08, earlier Mahler 5 at the Proms for a bit of contrast.

House of Saddam / US Presidential Election

Churchill was right, history is written by the victors. A perfect example of this has been the BBC's 'House of Saddam'. Although well written and acted, the whole programme was a half truth. It made no reference to the death and carnage caused by the so called International coalition. I can imagine when children are reading about this in history classes in the future it will be portrayed as an humanitarian intervention with little reference to any casualties caused by the shock and awe strategy and the subsequent unrest caused by the war.

And over in the US, McCain is winning in the latest poll, 46 to 41. You cannot help but wonder whether the latest Republican sabre rattling against Russia has not helped McCain's chances. Unfortunately it would not even surprise me if Bush took the US into another conflict, most probably Iran, before the end of his term, which would most likely boosy McCain's chances.

Greens support RMT

I was glad to see the following blog post from Derek Wall on the Socialist Unity site:

‘full support’ for RMT strike action in Tubelines: Green Party Trade Union Group
Green solidarity with public transport workers
Greens question Tory transport policy for London

The Green Party Trade Union Group fully supports the 1,000 Tubelines’ workers who intend to start the first of two 72-hour strikes, after the company tabled a poor offer on pay and conditions.

In line with trade union legislation, the RMT gave notice of their industrial action last Wednesday but have neither heard from Tubelines’ management, not Chief Executive Terry Morgan.

RMT members voted by a margin of three to one to take strike action over pay, pensions and travel facilities. The RMT’s general secretary. Bob Crow, has made the comparison with Metronet where workers doing exactly the same job as those who maintain track and trains for Tubelines on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, have been offered higher pay rates, a superior pension and better travel facilities.

“While the management of Tubelines has put much effort into scapegoating the RMT in this dispute by calling their action ‘political’, they haven’t bothered to sit down and negotiate a settlement. The only guarantee of a quick resolution to this crisis is for Morgan and co to sit down with the RMT and listen to the grave concerns the RMT have about the pay settlement for their members in Tubelines.” Stated Pete Murray.

Meanwhile, the break-down in communication between the management and unions has taken another turn for the worse with the resignation of Tim Parker, Chair of Transport for London. Parker’s resignation is the third resignation, as Darren Johnson, Green GLA member stated “Tim Parker is the third key figure to resign in less than four months, reflecting the rushed nature of appointments and giving an appearance of chaos in the new administration. Londoners deserve a
better deal from the man they have entrusted to run their city.”

Principal Speaker Dr Derek Wall said of RMT’s Bob Crow ‘Buy the man a drink’.

http://www.socialistunity.com/?p=2739

After New Labour's betrayal of trade unions it is time trade unionists started looking elsewhere for a party which will support their claims for decent pay offers and working conditions. Grass root trade unionists in the unions such as Unite and Unison also need to start questioning why they are bank rolling a Labour party which treats them with contempt.

The Green Party offers an alternative to New Labour. Visit the Green Party Trade Union group at http://gptu.net/pssess4X/3c/hpage.shtml


Weather: Friday - Tuesday rain, rain and more bloody rain. Cannot wait for my escape to France, the weather looks a lot nicer in Morzine

Listening to: Metallica

Questionnaire

Total Politics has interviewed the two candidates from Green leader, Ashley Gunstock and Caroline Lucas. Weggis has now answered the questions on his blog, and I will now follow suit:


Q1. Why did you get involved in the political world?
A1. 2002, I was very angry about the proposed war on Iraq

Q2. When did you join The Green Party?
A2. 2005 after becoming disillusioned with RESPECT

Q3. What is your earliest political memory?
A3. The Miner's strike

Q4. Which one law would you repeal?
A4. 42 days

Q5. Which one law would you introduce?
A5. A maximum wage

Q6. What’s your favourite view in the world?
A6. River Derwent in Elvington

Q7. What’s your favourite political quotation?
A7. "Our objective is complete freedom, justice and equality by any means necessary." Malcolm X

Q8. What music gets you up to dance?
A8. Cheesy pop

Q9. If you could have been present at any debate in the House of Commons over the last three hundred years, which would it have been, and why?
A9. The debate on the vote to go to war with Iraq

Q10. Imagine you are planning a dinner party, pick six people (living or dead) to invite.
A10. Leon Trotsky, Stephen Fry, Judy Garland, Armistead Maupin, Mark Steel, Hugo Chavez

Q11. Who is your best friend in politics?
A11. Most of my friends are less political than me

Q12. What’s your favourite form of transport?
A12. Train (when its not too crowded)

Q13. What’s your favourite dish?
A13. Pizza

Q14. Do you have any phobias?
A14. Wasps

Q15. What do you dream about?
A15. Bizarre randomness

Q16. When did you last cry, and why?
A16. Can't remember, quite a while ago

Q17. What’s the last thing you bought in a shop?
A17. A sandwich meal deal

Q18. What’s the funniest You Tube video you’ve recently seen?
A18. Clips from Robot Chicken Star Wars

Q19. What is the best speech you have ever heard (and been present at)?
A19. Probably George Galloway, even though I don't like the man

Q20. Who’s your favourite comedian?
A20. Jeremy Hardy

Q21. Have you ever cried at a film? Which one(s)?
A21. E.T.

Q22. Which is your favourite political biography or autobiography?
A22. Christopher Isherwood - Christopher and his Kind

Q23. What is your favourite novel?
A23. Armistead Maupin - Tales of the City

Q24. Name a book you have read which has failed to live up to expectations.
A24. Moby Dick

Q25. Who would you like to say sorry to, and why?
A25. No one

Q26. What job would you be doing if you weren’t involved in the political world?
A26. Comic store.

Q27. Do you have a party trick, or hidden talent?
A27. Doing Elvis on karaoke

Q28. What’s the best holiday you have been on?
A28. France 2006

Q29. Where in the world would you most like to go on holiday?
A29. San Francisco

Q30. When was the last time you used public transport?
A30. Today

Q31. When was the last time you went to the theatre and what did you see?
A31. The London revival of Cabaret

Q32. What do you collect?
A32. DVDs

Q33. What is your most unusual hobby?
A33. I think my hobbies are relatively normal

Q34. Which newspapers do you read regularly?
A34. Guardian and Morning Star on a weekend

Q35. Which websites do you visit regularly?
A35. Facebook. Far too much.

Q36. Which blogs do you love or hate?
A36. Read Derek Wall's regularly

Q37. Which magazines do you subscribe to?
A37. Economist, Time, Radio Times

Q38. Which five words would your friends use about you?
A38. Sleepy, Lush, Opinionated, Odd, Unfit

Q39. Which five words would your enemies use about you?
A39. I would hope I don't have any enemies

Q40. Are you into sport? If so, which ones?
A40. None

Q41. Which is your favourite football team and player?
A41. Don't care for football

Q42. Who is your political hero?
A42. Karl Marx

Q43. Who is your political hate figure?
A43. Norman Tebbit. Obnoxious bigoted old fool.

Q44. What’s your most memorable time in politics?
A44. 2003 anti-war march

Q45. What’s your most embarrassing moment in politics?
A45. Don't have one

Q46. What’s your prediction for the next general election?
A46. Probably the Tories, doubt it will make much difference.

Q47. Who is your favourite and least favourite political interviewer?
A47. Paxman - Montague.

Q48. What do you never miss on TV?
A48. Usually catch Doctor Who

Q49. Which current foreign politician do you most admire?
A49. Hugo Chavez

Q50. What do you listen to/watch when you get up in the morning?
A50. Today programme

Q51. Complete this sentence: The thing I hate about politics is...
A51. people who are in it to server their own interests

Q52. Complete this sentence: The thing I love about politics is...
A52. the chance to make a difference

Q53. What would you like your political epitaph to be?
A53. Meh

Bush the hypocrite - part II

Last week I was commenting on Bush's hypocrisy commenting on China's human rights abuses. Just a week later we are now faced with yet more sickening displays of double standards from Dubya.

His full speech can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/08/20080815.html. I will highlight a few of the worst parts here:

"The United States and our allies stand with the people of Georgia and their democratically elected government. Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected."

The United States were notably quiet in condemning the attempted overthrow of democratically elected Hugo Chavez in 2002. They also supported the overthrow of democratically elected Allende in the 1973 Chilean coup which installed dictator Pinochet. These are just two examples of the US's constant interference in the affairs of democratically elected governments.

"Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century."

Surely the constant belligerent rhetoric and threats towards Iran could be seen as bullying. Certainly invading Afghanistan and Iraq without a UN mandate are not only bullying but illegal under international law.

"The Cold War is over. The days of satellite states and spheres of influence are behind us."

How about the number of countries with US bases in. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_military_bases

At the end of the day it is the US's constant push to expand NATO to Russia's borders and the creation of missile defence system in Eastern Europe which are provoking Russia.

Russia should not be invading and occupying Georgia, but the US is by no means an innocent by-stander.

Weather: Monday - Thursday rain, today had a bit of sun.

Listening to: Foo Fighters

RIP Chef / Georgia / Leadership Ballot

It was sad to hear of Isaac Hayes death. Most younger viewers will best know him as Chef from South Park, which he unfortunately left because of their ridicule of Scientology which Hayes was a member of. Most of us do not understand how people can follow Scientology and see it as something of a sinister cult, but Hayes did work with Scientology based initiatives to help impoverished inner-city schools.

The situation is Georgia is looking grim, with Russia clearly looking like the aggressor. Georgia's enthusiasm to join NATO has probably helped provoke some of the hostilities. The question is why does NATO still exist? It was supposed to be a western alliance set up as a mutual defence pact against the Soviet Union, surely it should have disbanded once the iron wall fell. Its continuing existence and constant expansion towards Russia's border is clearly going to provoke a response.

Once again the US is doing its usual bang up job of pouring petrol onto the fire with Cheney quoted as saying aggression against Georgia "must not go unanswered."

You have to wonder whether there would be as much international interest if there wasn't an oil pipeline running through Georgia to feed the fuel hunger west?

Got my voting papers for Green Leadership and Exec today. I have cast my vote for Ashley Gunstock, who I believe is the best choice for grass roots activists. And RON got my vote for Deputy Leader.

Weather: Friday - Monday wet and bloody miserable
Listening to: Brett Anderson

Bush the hypocrite

George W Bush today condemned China saying "The US believes the people of China deserve the fundamental liberty that is the natural right of all human beings" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7546376.stm). Fair enough, no one would argue with that, but Bush has no moral authority to come out with such statements.

The US is a serial flouter of human rights and international law. Only this week the US executed Jose Medellin despite condemnation from the ICJ (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7542794.stm).

We are also still faced the hell-hole which is Guantanamo Bay, where the detainees human rights are ignored with many being incarcerated for over 7 years without the right to trial.

Perhaps Mr Bush you should get your own house in order before condemning others. Particularly the selective condemnation you apply which ignores the human rights abuses of Israel, Colombia, Saudi Arabia and many others.

Or maybe you should just shut up and spend the rest of your lame duck presidency dancing away like the monkey you are:



Weather: Rainy and overcast Monday - Wednesday. Yesterday the rain was torrential:

LGBT Greens launch petition to push Urgent review of Home Office approaches to LGBT asylum

NEWS FROM THE GREEN PARTY of England and Wales LGBT GROUP

http://www.lgbtgreens.org.uk/

LGBT Greens launch petition to push Urgent review of Home Office approaches to LGBT asylum
Calls for instruction, training and guidance for all asylum staff
5.8.8

Phelim Mac Cafferty, media spokesperson for LGBT Greens stated:
“After much campaigning on the issue since the cases of Iranian LGBT asylum seekers Pegah Emembakhsh and Mehdi Kazemi came to light, we have got clearance from the web team on the Prime Minister’s website for our petition.

“We now challenge the government to start treating LGBT asylum seekers with the fairness that they deserve. These are people who’ve often fled persecution, rape and torture who flee to our country and our response is to lock them up like criminals. We say enough is enough of this inhumane policy- we need to stick our necks out now and stand up for LGBT asylum seekers.”

The full text of the petition is at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/lgbtasylum/ and below-

In the light of the cases of Pegah Emembakhsh and Mehdi Kazemi, Iranian LGBT asylum seekers, who sought asylum in the UK , we call upon the Prime Minister for an urgent review of the services provided for all LGBT asylum seekers. In particular we think that the following are needed for fair treatment -
1. Compulsory training for all asylum staff on sexual-orientation and trans-awareness.
2. Explicit instructions to all immigration and asylum staff, and asylum judges, that homophobic and transphobic persecution are legitimate grounds for granting asylum.
3. Clearer and up-to-date guidance from the Home Office for asylum judges to reflect the accurate scale of LGBT persecution throughout the world using expert information from NGOs like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
4. Legal-aid funding for asylum claims needs to be substantially increased.

No to dualling

The petition I set up in opposition to the one created by Julian Sturdy, Tory candidate for York Outer which called for the dualling of part of York's outer ring road closes this week.

It is no surprise that the pro-dualling petition has more support with 877 signatories, with the anti-dualling petition only getting 184 signatories.

People like the easy option, it would be more convenient for drivers to have 2 lanes on the ring road, but it is not the answer.

Although dualling may temporarily ease congestion on the ring road, the dualling would also unleash suppressed demand, so increasing the number of vehicle journeys along it.

The millions of pounds required for such a project could be used instead to invest funds in public transport to help reduce congestion on the current ring road.

One radical alternative would be the tram system called for by Green candidate for York Central, Andy Chase who says:

"We believe that a tram system could be at the centre of a traffic-busting overhaul for the transport system for York that is a far better option than environmentally-damaging dualling of the Outer Ring Road. The proposals in the report to York City Council are far less expensive that the minimum £150m that dualling would cost. With a frequent shuttle service instead of just the hourly train to Scarborough, the new line would attract far more people and fully justify the investment in new station facilities."

(Full story at http://york.greenparty.org.uk/news/68)

Please take a minute to sign the petition before it closes on August 9th.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/noA1237dualling/

Conference

I've decided to go to GP conference, despite the high fees on top of accommodation and travel. The registration fees are on a sliding scale based on income, which is fare enough, but perhaps there should also be consideration to the distance traveled and whether you require accommodation. I am only going for a couple of days, but with everything thrown in it likely to cost me about £200.

I have never been to conference before but feel the GP is at a turning point and it is important that as many grass roots members as possible turn up and get involved.

Weather: Yesterday and today rain, clouds and a little sun.
Listening to: Planet Rock, okay now I'm not Status Quo has come on, so instead I'll pop on 2 Many DJs

Interview with Ashley Gunstock

Ashley has given an interview to politics.co.uk http://www.politics.co.uk/news/opinion-former-index/legal-and-constitutional/feature-green-party-leadership-election-$1234509.htm

Lambeth Conference / Green Leadership

I won't go over the arguments about hypocrisy again which I outlined when the Lambeth conference started. http://thelifeofmrandyc.blogspot.com/2008/07/let-he-without-sin-throw-first-stone.html I will just say that it has come as no surprise that the Archbishop of Canterbury has put appeasing the bigots above gay rights.

Peter Tatchell concisely sums up the situation:

“The Lambeth Conference seems more interested in appeasing homophobes within the church than in defending the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people,” said queer human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell of OutRage!

“The Archbishop of Canterbury is putting church unity before gay equality. There should be no collusion with anti-gay bishops who support the imprisonment of gay people and the banning of gay churches.

“Dr Rowan Williams would never appease racists or anti-Semites. Why, then, is he seeking to accommodate within the Anglican Communion boastful homophobes like the Archbishops of Nigeria and Uganda?”

http://www.petertatchell.net/religion/lambethconferenceanglicanshomophobes.htm

The problems of internal democracy in the Green Party has now made the national press - http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/pandora/pandora-leadership-election-takes-a-nasty-turn-for-the-green-party-882620.html You will not be surprised to learn than I was one of the members who signed the letter of protest.

Weather: Cooler, a little bit of sun and rain
Listening to: Planet Rock

The nominees are announced

The Green Party leadership, deputy leader and GPEx nominees are announced.

Caroline Lucas MEP and Ashley Gunstock are nominated for Leader, Norwich Councillor Adrian Ramsay is sole candidate for Deputy Leader.

I will be supporting Ashley Gunstock and RON for deputy.

The GPEx nominees can be found at http://www.greenparty.org.uk/executive-elections

There is a disappointingly low level of interest in the posts with only 1 candidate and in some cases no candidate. I wish I could have put my name forward, but I did not feel I had the time to commit to the post on top of a full time job, study and other commitments, as well as not being put off at the prospect of having to keep traveling to London frequently.

I am also quite surprised at the amount of interest in my only recently started blog. Yesterday I had 28 visitors!

Weather: Tue/Wed sunny and hot, today very wet and hot
Listening to: Skid Row (yes, incredibly cheesy). In my defence I have also listened to Muse and Future Sound of London today.

Ashley now has a blog

http://ashleygunstock.blogspot.com/

No longer a coronation

I am very pleased to see that Ashley Gunstock will be running for the leadership of the Green Party. I was concerned that the election would end up just being a coronation of Caroline Lucas.

Ashley signed the Green Empowerment statement and I believe he is the best choice for strengthening grass roots democracy within the party.

GP Leader Candidate statement - Ashley Gunstock

Ashley Gunstock
If you are looking for a Leader – who will unite the Green Party in preparation for government – then I am the ideal candidate for the post.

Now in my twentieth year as a GP activist, I have continually promoted the fundamental values of the Party and worked hard to help these to evolve with the continual changes that affect our society. This has enabled me to more easily express to all, regardless of their original political persuasion, the need to embrace our Green vision for the future. Such long-term thinking has ensured that my vote has risen by 50% at each recent Council, GLA and Parliamentary election.

As GP Leading Spokesperson in Redbridge I am regularly consulted by the borough’s residents, campaigning groups, opposition Councillors and the media, as I was when a member in Barnet.

I am a committee member of: Fairtrade Redbridge, about to receive its accreditation; LA21 and FoE groups, with whom I influenced borough recycling and planning improvements and peace, anti-war & anti-fascist movements, seeking my Green Party endorsement.

Lately I was instrumental in ensuring that the Council, TfL and The Corporation of London implemented much needed road traffic safety measures (especially for the elderly and school children) and am at present involved in the ‘Tube re-zoning’ campaign that I established to start making travel on the London Underground more affordable.

In Barnet I was active on the Homeless Action committee – which oversaw the building of a day centre for the homeless – and remain Chair of Barnet Green Co-op, having been largely responsible for setting up The Green Room Environmental Centre.

All this has been achieved mainly due to excellent communication skills, acquired during my 30 years experience as a professional Producer, Director & actor and teaching & FA coaching in a variety of schools, attuning me to what is happening with today’s youth. This invaluable ability coupled with my assured knowledge of our Green agenda enables me, authoritatively and confidently, to maintain successful dealings with the televisual media and also appeal to the readerships of both broadsheet & tabloid press.

Therefore if you are looking for true leadership – based on compassion, knowledge and an understanding of the make-up of the electorate, our membership and our agenda, which must be delivered with resolute confidence – I urge you to elect me as Green Party Leader.

Contact details – Telephone: 020 8530 3900 or 07989 255061 or e-mail:

July 2008

Weather: It's been sunny and warm all week :-)

Today I'm of a sunny disposition

More wonderful sun and heat, must make the most of it before it escapes again.

Went to see The Dark Knight today. Really enjoyed it, my only complaint is that they could have shaved half an hour of the 2hr 30 running time. Heath Ledger was fantastic the Joker.

Still disgruntled at the goings on with the party. Unless thing change I imagine I will be gone by the autumn.

Weather: Sunny and hot since Thursday :-)

Gordon is not the problem

After the disastrous result for New Labour in Glasgow East is there is the inevitable talk about whether Gordon Brown is the right man to lead their party.

GB is not the problem and replacing him will not improve their electoral prospects, as at the end of the day it is Labour's policies which cause their unpopularity.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the constant attack on civil liberties, the pointless and expensive creation of markets in the education and health systems, the abolition of the 10p tax rate, a growing gap between rich and poor and below inflation public sector pay offers are just some of the many reasons why New Labour are growing increasingly unpopular.

Meanwhile, the Green Party are becoming the obvious choice for public sector trade unionists. Yesterday's press release the GP came out with their strongest statement yet in support of public sector workers:

Greens support united strike action over public sector pay

24th Jul 2008


Greens call on public sector unions to work together to defeat pay cuts.

Derek Wall, the Green Party's Male Principal Speaker, has called for trade unions to put increased pressure on the Government and public sector employers by uniting to carry out strike action, in opposition to attempts to impose pay cuts.

Last week over 500,000 local government workers across the country - including care assistants, refuse collectors, cleaners, teaching assistants and social workers - took industrial action because employers are attempting to impose pay cuts. The employers "final offer" amounted to just 2.45 per cent, whilst food prices have risen over 9 per cent in the last year and energy bills by 15 per cent.

In the wake of a national two-day walkout by UNISON and Unite last week, many union activists are discussing the potential for joint action between unions across different sectors.

In Scotland, a local government dispute is likely to lead to strike action, whilst a decision by the National Executive Committee of the National Union of Teachers resolved to ballot for further discontinuous strike action in late September. Civil servants union, the PCS, is also to ballot its public sector membership for twelve weeks of discontinuous action. In June, delegates of the Communications Workers Union voted unanimously for strike action against pension cuts, post office and mail centre closures, and up to 40,000 job losses.

Derek Wall stated, "What public sector workers are asking for is entirely fair - that they are not forced to pay for economic problems which they are not responsible for."

"Further strike action is being planned now and Greens believe that this should be coordinated between trade unions as much as is possible."

"United action can force the hand of the employers and overturn their plans to impose pay cuts. All public sector workers deserve a pay rise not only to cover inflation, but to make up for 10 years of below inflation pay deals, which are pay cuts in all but name."

The Green Party has a record of championing trade union activism, from defending attacks on public services to advocating the repeal of the anti-trade union laws introduced by the Conservatives and left in place by Labour. On the London Assembly, Green Party Members were integral in establishing the Living Wage Unit aiming to lift London's lowest paid workers out of the poverty trap.

Weather Yesterday: Sunny and overcast and very warm.
Listening to: Planet Rock

Summer has finally arrived

Great to finally see some sun and warmth. It makes such a difference to ones mood, let's just hope it lasts.

Still rather concerned about what is happening in GP. I've got a feeling the leadership election is going to cause a permanent rift in the party. I've seen several emails from people considering whether to stay in the party, and to be honest I am rather apprehensive about the future and would not like to put money on being in the party in a years' time.

Weather: Pretty crappy Sunday & Monday - overcast and rain. Began to warm up yesterday and today we have sun :-)

Watching: Caroline in the City

What is happening within the Green Party?

When the results of the referendum on whether the Green Party should have a leader last year I was apprehensive about the future of the party. One of the attractions of the Green Party was the fact it wasn't overly centralised and still controlled by the grass roots.

My faith has not been restored with the way the election for the leader and GPEX positions is being carried out, for the following reasons:

- Candidates can spend up to £2500 on campaigning. This does not create a level playing field.
- Despite close of nominations being at the end of the month, members' who do not have email still may not be aware of the timetable. There is supposed to be info going out with Green World, which has still not landed through the letterbox.
- Candidates will be given access to members' contact details. If you do not wish to be bothered by campaigning you need to opt out, which is a questionable interpretation of the data protection act.

Let's hope the campaign can be put back on track and the rules revised.

Weather: Wed-Sat: Mainly cold, wet and overcast, with a small amount of sun.
Watching: Caroline in the City

Public sector workers are right to strike

Although there will be many criticising the two day strike by public sector workers tomorrow, I would hope the majority of the country are behind them.

They have been offered a 2.45% pay rise, which even to the most financially challenged of commentators will be seen as a pay cut. Inflation figures today announced that June was 3.8%, and more importantly the RPI, which is a more accurate measure of cost of living rises is currently 4.6%

With continuing food and fuel rises, you cannot expect the workforce to sit back and accept such a lousy offer. If the government persists in offering below inflation pay rises it is going to face strikes across the whole of the public sector.

Weather: Yesterday overcast with a tad of sun, today is the same.

Let he without sin throw the first stone

So the Lambeth conference is once again up on us. One of two things can now happen, the bigots (sorry traditionalists!) will get their way on gay priests/bishops and women bishops with the modernisers wimping out rather than standing up to them, or the traditionalists will form a break away sect. Personally, as an atheist I am not too bothered either way, and am quite happy to see the demise of the Church of England.

What does annoy me is the hypocrisy of the right wing of the church, with their selective interpretation of the bible. Yes, you can find passing references to homosexuality in the bible, and it is not the most progressive on women's rights. But there are plenty of other ludicrous passages which are no longer followed, such as the following references made in a letter to Dr Laura:

Dear Dr. Laura,

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.

a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an Abomination (Lev 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

g) Lev 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev 19:27. How should they die?

i) I know from Lev 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev 24:10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your devoted disciple and adoring fan.

http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~susan/joke/laura.htm


Weather: Thursday - Saturday, mainly overcast and heavy rain. Today cloudy and some sun. Still very low temperatures for the time of year.

Can you blame Iran?

There is a wave of condemnation against Iran for testing its long range missiles. Where was the condemnation of Israel recently when it carried out an air rehearsal of an attack on Iran (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7465170.stm).

With such aggressive sabre rattling by Israel can you really blame Iran for flexing its muscles to prove it has the power to fight back, and maybe make Israel and the US think twice about attacking.

Weather: Today - rain and overcast, Yesterday - rain and overcast

Listening to: Newsnight

The expensive tedium of train travel

I have just purchased a single ticket to York costing £78. Is thie value for money? I would have to say no. For the price you get dumped in cramped second class accommodation, you are not guaranteed a seat and quite often face delays along route. With such a service being offered is there any wonder that people chose less environmentally friendly options. If more than one person is travelling it works out cheaper by car, and this week I saw plane operators offering one way tickets on internal flights to various destinations for around £25.

So what is the answer. RE-NATIONALISE. Any profits made by the operators should be pumped back into the system to increase the number of trains, improve reliability and reduce fares. It is ludicrous that the tax payers are paying more into the system now than when it was a nationalised service, while at the same time share holders are receiving their dividends. Train travel is the most logical and environmentally friendly method for travelling long distance and it should be improved to meet the demand.

Weather: Overcast and rainy again
Listening to: Whatever Itunes randomly throws out at me, currently South Pacific OST

Back home tomorrow

Enjoyed my time in London, back to grim rainy Yorkshire tomorrow. Managed one cultural activity by visiting the Wallace Collection yesterday. Not my favourite gallery, as it was rather militaristic, but did get to see Poussin's 'A Dance to the Music of Time'

Today I briefly visited Pride, as I'd never been before. Not really my scene, but did enjoy watching the Dr Who finale in Trafalgar Square. (Little disappointed I did want a new Doctor, at least we got rid of Catherine Tate).

I've found summer

It is in London. I am really warm, and have got some real sun today, I forgot what that feels like. Although there were a few passing showers, once they were over the sun was back again, unlike the crappy overcast climate I have become used to. Is the weather generally better down here than in York or am I just lucky to catch it?

Briefly popped into Marxism this afternoon and listened to a lecture entitled "Is queer politics radical?". The speaker had some interesting ideas, but did pump out the usual SWP line of mass action, disparaging Peter Tatchell's work which is important. So what if it is only a few activists, he has drawn attention to some serious issues, and was on Mugabe's case long before the British media paid any attention.

Tomorrow I'll do a bit more Marxism, a bit of Oxford street and a gallery. Not sure yet whether to do the Wallis Collection on Tate Modern. If I'm really energetic I may try and get a ticket for Candide in the evening.

Listening to: The Verve live at Glastonbury on BBCi

How do you solve a problem like Mugabe?

I don't have the answer, but just have arguments against a lot of the proposed actions:

1) Sanctions: The brutal sanctions against Iraq in the 90s prove this doesn't work. UNICEF announced that 500,000 Iraqi children died as a result of the sanctions. Saddam's position was not weakened as a result of the.

2) Military action: We have bombed the crap out of Iraq and Afghanistan and 5 years later they are still in a worse position than before the military action. Thousands would die as a result of any action.

3) Wait for Mugabe to die: He is 84, hopefully he will snuff it soon. But who is to say that there is not another brutal dictator waiting in the wings of ZANU.

The best we can hope for is a mass uprising like there was again likes of Ceauşescu, although that is not looking likely at the moment.

Weather: Finally summer is here. Warm and sunny. Yay

Listening to: Planet Rock

Meh

Not feeling very opinionated today. Watching the Grudge 2 at the moment which is scaring the bejesus out of me.

Weather report:

Yesterday - Overcast, rainy, some sun
Today - Overcast and some sun

What has happened to the great British summer

It looks like once again we are destined for a poor British summer. Most of June has been overcast, cold and wet. We have now been faced with such weather for the past few years. Is it an aberration which will eventually correct itself, or could it be a more permanent trend linked to climate change giving us more moderate winters and crapper summers. I hope it is the former, as it doesn't help ones state of mind constantly living in an overcast environment.

Weather: Today mainly overcast with a smidgen of sun.

Listening to: Wager - Tristan und Isolde

While the world sleeps ...

The Independent did an excellent front page this morning, which has had little coverage in the rest of the media. The situation is now so dire in the North Pole that there is a 50/50 chance that the North Pole will be completely ice free this summer. Read more at http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-no-ice-at-the-north-pole-855406.html

Weather: Overcast most of the day and rather cold.

Some are more equal than others?

Equality minister Harriet Harman has set out plans to allow firms to discriminate in favour of female and ethnic minority job candidates. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7474801.stm


So the question has to be is this fair? There is no question that at the moment that women and ethnic minorities are treated unfairly and discriminated against in some workplaces, but surely the answer is to audit employers and tackle those offenders. If a white male is the best person for the job surely he should be given the job on his merit.

Weather: Today mainly rainy, overcast and windy. Yesterday 50/50 overcast & sunny.

Green Party stand in Haltemprice and Howden

I was hoping the Green Party would not stand, not because I 100% trust David Davis' motives, but feel that we will be largely ignored by the media and get lumped in the pantomime of other candidates. But, we are a democracy and the local party have decided to run, so good luck to Shan, I hope I am wrong and we do better than a lot of us skeptics suspect (Facebook campaign group - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=765270446#/group.php?gid=33635377720).

Weather today: Started off warm and sunny, it is now rather gloomy. I would gave the day an overcast rating of 30%

Why am I writing about the weather? I am wanting to prove my point that nowadays Britain is overcast for the majority of the time, so I therefore will now keep a log of Britain's cruddy weather.

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog. Will mainly use this site for politicals rantings and grumbles about the weather.