Tory panic sets in as they offer tax breaks to woo voters

The drop in the opinion polls has obviously panicked Tory HQ into going back to the old chestnut of offering lower taxes.

They are doing this by offering to scrap the NI increase for those earning under £45,500.  But surely this is irresponsible foolishness, considering the monumental national debt we are facing.

They claim they can save money from efficiency savings.  They are using the old right wing tabloid myth that the public services waste money and are over staffed.    This is not the case and the cuts they propose will no doubt have a negative effect on public services.  It is not possible to keep cutting funding and not see a reduction in quality from services.

What we will see is a return to the under funded public services we saw in the 1980s and early 1990s under the Conservatives.

I for one would rather pay a bit of extra NI if it helps maintain public services at their current levels.  We are already seeing the effects of funding cuts to Higher Education, with wide spread redundancies and reduced student places.  To go even further with cuts is simply irresponsible.

The only cuts I would welcome would be to the defence budget by scrapping the Trident replacement and leaving Afghanistan, but it is unlikely these areas will be touched.

Support for Green policies

I have just come across an excellent website called Vote for Policies.  The idea of the site is that it shows you policies from 6 parties and you pick which policy you prefer without seeing the party name. 

The questionnaire covers the following policy strands:

• Crime
• Democracy
• Economy
• Education
• Environment
• Europe
• Health/NHS
• Immigration
• Welfare

After you have chosen your preferred policies the site will tell you which party best matches your viewpoint.

So far 6049 users have taken the test, and the results are as follows:

BNP - 11.19%
Conservatives - 13.5%
Green Party - 30.34%
Labour - 16.64%
Lib Dems - 17.61%
UKIP - 10.72%

As you see the Green Party policies win by quite a large margin.

I would encourage you to promote this poll on Twitter/Facebook etc.  I feel a lot of people will be surprised after taking the test, not realising how much they have in common with Green policies.  It will also show voters that we have strong policies in all areas, not just environmental issues.

Why I'm voting Labour in York Outer

Many of you will be surprised to read that I have decided to support Labour in the forthcoming general election.  Unfortunately the Green Party are not standing in York Outer which has meant I have had to think carefully about where to place my vote.

I loyally voted Labour for the first 7 years of my voting life, but after the Iraq war I no longer felt I could support Labour and have not voted Labour for the past 9 years.  Even though I have a good MP in John Grogan I could not bring myself to vote for a party led by Tony Blair who I still feel should stand trial for war crimes and breaking international law.

In 2005 I ended voting Liberal Democrat, this is not an action I intend to repeat.  Since Charles Kennedy was ditched they have continued to move to the right.  So much now that we see Nick Clegg praising Thatcher and not ruling out helping a minority Tory governement.  I refuse to vote for a party which may end up propping up the Tories.

Despite the airbrushing and token statements on the environment and gay rights they have not changed.  I could write pages on why I would not vote Tory, but here are just a few reasons:

1. They wish to overturn the fox hunting ban.  This alone I feel is reason enough not to vote for them.
2. They still wish to impose their moralistic values on the country.  Two examples are their wish to give tax breaks to married couples and today's announcement by the shadow minister for children that he would like to criminalize under 16s for having consensual sex.
3. Leading members of the Tory party do not believe in man made climate change.
4. Even though we are facing cuts to the public sector in Labour, it looks like the cuts proposed by the Tories will come in sooner and be more severe.  I cannot see how firing large amounts of public sector employees will help the economy during a recession.
5. They wish to remove Britain as a signatory to the Human Rights Act
6. They are vehemently anti-union.  Cameron called on the PM to urge BA staff to cross picket lines during PMQs
7. They are members of the European Conservatives and Reformists group.  A group alleged to contain anti-semites and homophobes. (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/gay-tory-daves-embarrassing-friends-1769707.html)

So why Labour?  Gordon Brown has to accept some responsibility for the Iraq war and we are still in a pointless war in Afghanistan.  But Labour have done good, which should be acknowledged, including:

1. Drastically cutting NHS waiting lists.
2. Fox hunting ban.
3. Implementing the minimum wage.
4. Human Rights Act
5. Freedom of Information Act
6. Scrapping section 28 and improving rights for the LGBT community.

Many people do come up with the old adage 'they are all the same' and say they will simply not vote or spoil their ballot papers.  I argue that they are not, and the thought of the return of a Tory government fills me with dread.

I therefore hope that fellow Green Party supporters will go out and vote for James Alexander for Labour in York Outer.

And, if you are lucky enough to live in York Central, please support and vote for Andy Chase for the Green Party.

The BBC, putting quality first?

In Mark Thompson's blog he states:

Today I'm going to set out the conclusions of a piece of strategic thinking we've done over the past few months. We're calling it 'Putting quality first'.

I immediately have a problem with this title.  Thompson is proposing axing quality stations BBC 6 Music and the Asian Network, which offer a service not found elsewhere on radio.  At the same time BBC 3 remains untouched, a station which offers us such gems as:

• Snog, Marry Avoid? 
• Hotter Than My Daughter 
• The Undercover Princesses 
• From WAGS to Riches 
• Freaky Eaters
• Addicted to Boob Jobs 

I could go on, but you get the idea.  You can see a full list of the trite offered at http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/programmes/a-z/by/a/all

The BBC meets its public service mandate by offering the forementioned radio stations, but not by BBC 3, which offers the same sort of programmes available on numerous digital channels.

Please send your feedback about the proposed closures to srconsultation@bbc.co.uk or fill in the questionnaire at  http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/consultations/departments/bbc/bbc-strategy-review/consultation/consult_view

Please join the Facebook group in support of BBC 6 music at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?src=fftb#!/group.php?gid=278123313911&ref=ts

Sign the petition at http://www.petition.fm/petitions/6musicasiannet/

And if Tweeting use the hash tag #savebbc6music

Please also fax your MP asking them to sign EDM 963 calling for 6 music and the Asian Network to be saved.

Tory Charlotte Vere attacks Marcus Brigstocke for performing at Green fundraiser

An argument has broken out on Twitter after Brighton Pavillion Conservative candidate Charlotte Vere (@CharlotteV) posted the following Tweet:

Fundraisers support Greens because they are not BNP?! I will be writing to the BBC about this. http://bit.ly/9Mk2HE

As Marucs (@marcusbrig) points out:

It's all so complicated and inevitably political. The idea was to help make sure there are funds enough for The Greens to have a fair chance

Charlotte picks her story up from the right wing, paranoid Biased BBC site which is obsessed with the idea that the BBC is run by a liberal left wing cabal.

On a day when it is revealed that Tory deputy-chair and donor Lord Ashcroft is a non-dom, it is a bit rich of the Tories to be attacking performers for helping out a party which does not have the benefit of millionaire donors to help it out.

Still the nasty party

I spotted an article on Socialist Unity alerting me to the following hideous Tory leaflet on Conservative Home  It is the kind of material I would expect from the BNP, not a major political party. 

 

You can read the front of the leaflet here and the back here  

This leaflet plays to ignorance, racism and hatred.  The Tories deserve to lose the election on this one act alone.

.

Vote Andy Chase for York Central

Andy Chase will be the Green Party candidate for York Central. I have a great amount of respect for Andy who has been a committed local campaigner for many years. He has been involed in many local campaigns includin:

* He was involved in the successful campaign to prevent automatic ticket barriers being installed at York station.
* He spoke at the public inquiry against the "Coppergate II" scheme against building a shopping mall around Clifford's Tower and was a member of the local campaign group;
* He has campaigned for greater social justice, for example calling on the government to reverse the "10p tax" hike against the low paid;
* He has taken action to support local facilities, such as community halls, in his local area;
* He has been involved in local residents' groups for many years;
* He opposed the war in Iraq and has protested against the programme to replace the Trident nuclear weapons system, which will cost £75bn, more than the annual budget of the NHS;
* He has been active on planning issues, opposing the demolition of Victorian buildings in the city for yet more flats, and commenting on important planning documents for the city's future development;
* He opposed the closure of post offices in the city and collected petition signatures door-to-door. Micklegate Post Office was eventually saved - one of only two offices reprieved from closure in North Yorkshire;
* He has campaigned and organized meetings on sustainable transport, and wants to see the city transformed into a green, pleasant space where people can walk and cycle in safety, with clean, efficient public transport and the city's heritage enhanced. He actively opposes the dualling of York's northern Outer Ring Road;
* He spoke out over the original plans for the Terry's site, rejected by the city's planning committee in 2007, because of concerns about overdevelopment and traffic.

Andy's full biog can be found at http://york.greenparty.org.uk/achasebiog.php

Please also visit Andy's blog at http://viewfromthecastlegreen.blogspot.com/

If you can help with the campaign please contact the local party through our website at http://york.greenparty.org.uk

Save BBC 6 music

I was mortified when I read the story in the Times on Thursday reporting that the BBC are planning to axe BBC 6 Music and the Asian Network.

The NUJ confirmed the story on their website:

Jeremy Dear and Gerry Morrissey, general secretaries of the National Union of Journalists and BECTU respectively, received a detailed briefing from Lucy Adams, director BBC People, this morning, confirming media reports as largely correct.

BBC 6 music fills a gap in the market, which no other station covers. It is for those of use who find the music and presenting of Radio 1 to be too immature and that of Radio 2 to be aimed at the older listener.

The station gives us such fine talent as Adam and Joe and Collins and Herring, which I religiously listen to every Saturday morning.

Please join the Facebook group in support of BBC 6 music at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?src=fftb#!/group.php?gid=278123313911&ref=ts

Sign the petition at http://www.petition.fm/petitions/6musicasiannet/

And if Tweeting use the hash tag #savebbc6music

If the BBC need to save money they need to start looking at some of the ludicrous salaries paid to its top presenters.

Lib Dems cannot draw graphs

I received the latest version of the Lib Dem focus magazine in the post and found this rather interesting graph:



[Taken from http://www.madeleinekirk.org.uk/]

I put these figures into Open Office and came up with a rather different looking graph:



Although the correct figures are shown on the graph it has been manipulated to give the impression that the Labour vote is only half the level of the other 2 parties standing.

They are bound to play the same trick in areas where the Greens are standing, so the moral of the story is to look at the graphics they are putting out and call them to account when the data is misrepresented.

One Year on from Operation Cast Lead: Greens call for Justice for War Crimes in Gaza

With a deafening silence coming from the 3 main parties about the appalling situation in Gaza, I am proud to be a member of a party which gives a damn:

One Year on from Operation Cast Lead: Greens call for Justice for War Crimes in Gaza

The 6th January marked the 1st anniversary of the Israeli airforce bombing of al-Fakhora school in Jabaliya refugee Camp in Gaza. The assault was part of ‘Operation Cast Lead’ which included airstrikes and a land invasion of the Gaza Strip killing more than 1,300 Gazans, including more than 300 children over the course of 22 days. Caroline Lucas MEP and Green Party parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion added: “One year on from the bombardment, we demand justice for the war crimes committed on the people of Gaza. “Israel must be subject to the Geneva Convention concerning the rights of individuals and communities, in the same way that other states are.. The resort to ‘collective punishment’ in defiance of those requirements is completely unacceptable. While we condemn the actions of the Israeli Defence Force, we also condemn the Hamas qassam rocket attacks: Greens firmly believe that there cannot be a resolution based on the use of violence.”

Phelim Mac Cafferty joint International Coordinator of the Green Party stated: “One year on from the start of Operation Cast Lead, it is clear that the Israeli Defence Force believes it can act with impunity, committing what the UN described as war crimes in the bombing of the United Nations school in the Jabaliya Refugee Camp.[1] Over 40 died in the attack on the school which was packed with hundreds of people who had been ordered out of their homes with Israeli Defence Force leaflet drops and loudspeakers, in what the UN described a 'complete absence of accountability.' The Israeli action has been completely counterproductive to the prospects for peace.
“Throughout Operation Cast Lead: --Israel refused to act on the instructions of the UN Council which requested that it stop its bombardment; --The explicitly illegal bombing of built-up areas with white phosphorous was wide spread; --Such significant damage was caused to the infrastructure of Gaza, that Green MEPs, Jean Lambert and Caroline Lucas, wrote to the Israeli Ambassador to the UK calling on the Israeli Government to refund the EU for its investment in the Gazan infrastructure. “Gaza is a country where the poverty rate stands at 76% and the unemployment rate at 45%.[2] Geographically, it’s about the size of the Isle of Man except with a population of 1.5million where over half are aged under 15. Phelim concluded: “The Green Party demands an immediate lifting of the blockade imposed on Gaza by Israel which has caused a humanitarian crisis with food, fuel and medicine being blocked now since June 2007.[3] There is no military solution to the Middle East conflict. Peace is the common need of all people in the region but will only be sustained when there is justice felt by both Palestine and Israel.”

[1]http://www.palestinecampaign.org/files/4MayGltrtoSCBrd.pdf
[2]http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_weekly_briefing_note_2008_11_25_english.pdf
[3]Israel has issued a written list of goods banned from import into Gaza. The list, which has baffled UN officials, includes spices, kitchenware, glassware, yarn and paper. John Ging, director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Gaza, The Washington Post 15 November 2008 said:

Viva Palestina convoy crosses in to Gaza

You will be pleased to hear that the Viva Palestina convoy has finally passed through the Rafah crossing into Gaza.



The convoy of nearly 200 vehicles, which started their journey at the beginning of December has had every possible obsticle and diversion thrown in its path by Egypt and Israel. The activists deserve our upmost thanks for taking this long and at times dangerous journey. They have not only helped deliver much needed aid to the people of Gaza but helped remind people that the blockade imposed by Israel is still in place.

Richard Falk, UN Special Rapporteur stated last month that 'two urgent priorities must be stressed on this dismal anniversary: first, Israel 's allies must demand, with a commitment reinforced by a credible threat of economic sanctions, that Israel immediately end its illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip. Second, the Goldstone Report's recommendations, having confirmed the commission of war crimes possibly amounting to Crimes Against Humanity, by Israel and Hamas, must be fully and swiftly implemented.'

Tabloid stupidity

If you look at the cover of the Daily Express today you will see the most ridiculous headlines of the year so far - SNOW CHAOS: AND THEY STILL CLAIM IT'S GLOBAL WARMING



It is unbelievable that despite the overwhelming evidence you still end up with headlines like this.

Unfortunately the readership of such right wing tabloids believe this rubbish. A poll in the Daily Mail last week asked - 'Do you believe global warming is caused by man?'. Disturbingly only 20% answered yes!

You have to ask what hope there is for us with this level of ignorance in the country and some of the right wing media.

Convoy to Gaza at crisis point

The following is from Viva Palestina convoy:

To all friends of Palestine

Our situation is now at a crisis point! Riot has broken out in the port of Al- Arish.

This late afternoon we were negotiating with a senior official from Cairo who left negotiations some two hours ago and did not return. Our negotiations with the official was regarding taking our aid vehicles into Gaza.

He left two hours ago and did not come back. Egyptian authorities called over 2,000 riot police who then moved towards our camp at the port.

We have now blocked the entrance to the port and we are now faced with riot police and water cannons and are determined to defend our vehicles and aid.

The Egyptian authorities have by their stubbornness and hostility towards the convoy, brought us to a crisis point.

We are now calling upon all friends of palestine to mount protests in person where possible, but by any means available to Egyptian representatives, consulates and Embassy's and demand that the convoy are allowed a safe passage into Gaza tomorrow!


Kevin Ovenden
Viva Palestina Convoy Leader

Follow the York contingent at http://twitter.com/yorktogaza and http://www.yorktogaza.blogspot.com/

and the main Viva Palestina feed at http://www.twitter.com/viva_palestina and http://vivapalestina.org/

Support the campaign to get Lowkey's 'Long Live Palestine - Pt 2' into the charts

Getting this song into the charts will reach a whole new audience who do not follow the news too closely or are aware of the suffering in Palestine:

Lowkey - 'Long Live Palestine part 2'

DOWNLOAD IT NOW

PLACES TO DOWNLOAD FROM:

http://bit.ly/7AILEC - Amazon (UK)

http://bit.ly/52cmcw - Play


***LOWKEY HAS JUST OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED THAT 50% OF MONIES RAISED FROM THIS SINGLE WILL GO TO INTERPAL, THE OTHER 50% WILL GO TO ISLAMIC RELIEF'S PALESTINE GAZA STRIP AID APPEAL .***

With all this talk about protest songs and the like, we thought it was time to make a group in Support of a fantastic rapper who goes by the name of Low-Key.
This group was set up with the intention of publicising his new single, Long Live Palestine Pt 2 which will be released to download on the 1st of January 2010.
**In order to get this in the charts, we should start downloading it on the 3rd of January**

The timing of this release is significant, as it will be released exactly one year after Israel devastated the Gaza strip with countless bombing raids and ground infantry attacks, leaving thousands of civilians dead, wounded or homeless.

**We have chosen Families Relief as our charity if you wish to make a donation along side purchasing Lowkey's track. One of the reasons we have chosen Families Relief is because they give 100% of their donations to charity

Please take the time to donate:

http://www.justgiving.com/lowkey4charts **

More about Lowkey:
Lowkey (born Kareem Dennis, 23 May 1986) is a British musician, poet, playwright and political activist of English and Iraqi descent. He first came to fame through a series of mix tapes he released before he was 18, before taking a hiatus from the music business. He would return in 2008 with wider music coverage, featured on BBC Radio and appearing at various festivals and concerts including the Electric Proms, Glastonbury, T in the Park and Oxygen in the build up to his first solo album, as well as collaborating with other famous British musicians to form the group known as Mongrel.

Families Relief do a lot of good work around the world in places such as Palestine, Pakistan, Somalia, Iraq and many more places - helping out families and orphans.
If you can't afford to make a donation, then just make dua for all of our brothers and sisters struggling to survive around the world. Please just pray for them.

It's been a year now since the last Israeli massacre in Palestine. Insha'Allah we can get Lowkey into the charts and raise awareness once more and bring Palestine back into people's minds. The media may have gotten bored of it, but the people of Palestine are still struggling long after the bombs have been dropped.

http://www.justgiving.com/lowkey4charts




Available: 1st January 2010 (Start downloading on the 3rd)
Artist: Lowkey
Title: Long Live Palestine pt. 2
Download Via: iTunes

*When this song becomes available to buy and download, we will post all relevant details here.

PREVIEW OF SONG:

URGENT ISRAELI NAVY BLOCK VIVA PALESTINA AID CONVOY

The following is from the Irish4Palestine blog:

URGENT ISRAELI NAVY BLOCK VIVA PALESTINA AID CONVOY
I just got am urgent report from the Derry to Gaza team on the Viva Palestina convoy in Syria with the latest developments which are not very good for the Convoy or Gaza:

The boats were loaded with aid today and ready to leave for AL Arish, the plan was that we would meet them there, as we would fly to Al Arish and arrive before the boats.

However, the update is that the Israelis have just announced that they will be performing military operations in these waters and therefore the aid has no way of passing through these waters. So there is no point getting flights to Al Arish tomorrow as the aid wont be arriving. Of course, it now seems highly unlikely that we will get to the Rafah crossing between the 3rd and 6th when Egypt said the gates would be open to us. The Convoy is now brought to a total standstill. The Israelis have pulled a very dirty tactic here if what we are hearing is true. For now this is all we are hearing. More updates when we get them.

Derry to Gaza Team