Greens hail jailed Frack Free 4 as heroes

VIDEO Jailed anti-frackers speak out HERE


Responding to the news that four environmental campaigners have been jailed for peacefully resisting fracking in Lancashire, Keith Taylor, Green Party MEP and a vocal critic of the policing of fracking protests, said:

The frack free four are heroes. These people put their lives on hold to defend our environment and climate from the destruction imposed on it by a government blindly committed to fracking at any costs. The latest cost being the liberty of three peaceful protesters whose only crime is resorting to peaceful direct action to resist an industry after every democratic route of opposition was ignored and overturned by the government. The people of Lancashire and their democratically elected representatives repeatedly said no to fracking.

It has been almost a hundred years since Britain jailed its last environmental campaigners. Since then, the theory goes, we have developed into a mature liberal democracy that can accommodate dissent. Today's decision blows that myth wide-open; authoritarianism has become a favourite tool of a minority government that lacks the public's support to force through its environmentally destructive agenda by any other means. Any government that conspires with the dirty fossil fuel industry against its own people is rotten to the core.

Dissent is not a crime in any country with a political system fit to be called a democracy. Consequently, the sentences handed to the frack-free four are chilling.

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Keith Taylor MEP: Toxic trade deal unravelling

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for the South East, has cautiously welcomed the news that a summit of EU leaders in Brussels has ended without any sign of a breakthrough on the controversial EU-Canada trade deal (CETA).

Taylor, who sits on the European Parliament's Environment Committee and is a staunch opponent of CETA and its well-known cousin TTIP, said:

Today's failure to agree a deal on CETA at the second time of asking this week is cause for celebration; the toxic trade deal is unravelling. But the deal isn't dead yet. Greens will stand with citizens across Europe until this controversial accord is defeated.

Put simply; CETA is a bad deal for the people of Britain, Europe, and even Canada, but a great deal for multinational corporations keen to escape the democratic oversight of national parliaments. It is little wonder that citizens across Europe and in North America are the loudest and more determined opponents of this toxic trade deal.  

'We ordinary people should not be the slaves of puppet governments that work for the benefit of the multinational.' So came the rallying cry of one citizen outside the European Parliament yesterday. Inside, decision makers were busy trying to find a way to resurrect the lame duck accord.

The deal, and particularly the 'Investment Court System' clause within it, poses a fundamental democratic question: do we want national parliaments to retain the power to legislate on behalf of their citizens or do we want to surrender that power to help boost the profit margins of multinational corporations? As a Green, the answer is clear; which is why I will continue working to halt this corporate power grab.

That Theresa May and her Ministers are still vehemently supporting the deal and pushing for it to be signed before Britain leaves the European Union is doubly concerning. It signals a desire to ensure Britain remains bound by the deal even after departing from the EU. It also sets a worrying precedent for the kinds of toxic trade deals desperate Ministers, supposed to be acting on behalf of the British people, will sign once the UK is outside of the EU.
 

After Paris Agreement ratified by EU bloc, Green MEPs call for united pressure on the UK government

EU Environment Ministers met today  in Brussels and  announced  that the bloc has agreed to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The UK’s Green MEPs have welcomed the news and are calling on the UK government to now ratify the agreement without delay. The European Parliament is expected to seal the decision in a vote next week. The EU’s ratification must be followed by individual agreement from all member countries.

Jean Lambert, MEP for London, said:

Its good news that all 28 EU member states have agreed to make this move and help the global agreement on climate change enter into force. The timing is important – China and the US are already on board and India says it will sign up this weekend, so the EU’s decision comes not a moment too soon if it is still to be seen as an active force on this vital issue.

With 2016 virtually guaranteed to be the hottest year on record, and new warnings from scientists about the scale of the climate challenge, the action required to meet the 1.5 degrees Celsius target in the Paris agreement cannot be underestimated. There is no time to lose. UK taxpayers’ money needs to stop propping up fossil fuel suppliers with eye-watering subsidies and go instead to a clean energy transition and the green jobs that come with it.

Molly Scott Cato, MEP for the South West, and Green Party’s spokesperson on EU relations, said:

The EU has been crucial for the fight against dangerous climate change and has set targets which prevented our government from totally crushing the renewable energy sector. But as we prepare to leave the EU it is a worrying fact that many of those who campaigned to leave and are now steering our course and are deeply sceptical about climate change and not remotely interested in pushing for a renewable energy transition.

So it is critical at this time that climate campaigners, those from the renewable energy sector, progressive politicians; indeed, anyone who cares about a safe and secure future, work together. We need to pile pressure on the government to sign the Paris Agreement without further delay, to stay within the single market which will protect the most important climate and energy targets, and to bring about the transition that will make climate stability a reality.

Keith Taylor, MEP for the South East, and member of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, said:

Again, the UK is set to follow where the EU leads, with Theresa May announcing her intention to ratify the Paris Agreement ‘sometime before 2017’. Such a loose and lackadaisical commitment demonstrates a failure to understand the importance of the agreement and suggests little intention of honouring it.

With no indication from the government that it intends to drop plans to continue fast-tracking fracking and oil and gas drilling, or reject the ‘airport capacity crisis’ myth and say no to expansion at Gatwick and Heathrow, ratification is empty symbolism. Theresa May can sponsor the development of new fossil fuel reserves and encourage expansion of an aviation industry that already emits more CO2 than 129 countries. Or the Prime Minister can make a genuine commitment to meeting the climate objectives set out in the Paris Agreement. She cannot do both.

Green MEP says EU Exit must not be used as a cover to abandon air quality laws

Keith Taylor, MEP for the South East of England, has responded with concern following the government's refusal to commit to retaining EU air quality laws after an exit from the European Union.

The Environment Minister, Therese Coffey, and Minister for Exiting the European Union, Robin Walker, were asked no less than seven times, during questioning by the Environmental Audit Committee on Wednesday, whether the UK would maintain EU air quality laws post-Brexit. Neither minister made a commitment.

Taylor,  who sits on the European Parliament's Environment and Public Health committee and is a vocal air quality campaigner, said:

This is a truly concerning response from Ministers. Leaving the EU cannot be allowed to become a cover under which the government abdicates its responsibility for this public health emergency.

Despite the preventable deaths of 50,000 British people, every year, and an annual public health bill of £20bn, the government is still, apparently, failing to take the air quality crisis seriously. Under David Cameron, the government was held to account for failing to do the bare minimum, as required by EU law, to improve the quality of the air we all breathe.

EU air pollution limits are preventing thousands of deaths every year across Europe and the government readily acknowledges that it is EU law that has been the driver of any positive air quality action in the UK. For the sake of the health and prosperity of the British people, we cannot risk scrapping these safeguards.

I am calling on Ministers to make a firm commitment to maintaining and strengthening vital EU air quality standards.

UPDATE: Green MEPs criticise 'inexcusable' response to 'chaotic situation' in Calais

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Refugees in Calais and Northern France must be treated with dignity and in accordance with international law, and the British and French governments must urgently find long-term humane solutions to their plight, Green MEPs have urged today.

The call comes as the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp is again making headlines on both sides of the Channel: Protests against the camp by local residents have taken place this week; the French Government has announced plans to completely close the camp; there has been fresh disruption to cross-Channel traffic, and now there are Donald Trump-esque plans to build a monstrous wall.

Jean Lambert, MEP for London and Green Party migration spokesperson, said:

“The decision to build a wall in Calais is the latest wrong move in what is the ongoing scandal of the handling of the plight of refugees in northern France. Successive French and British governments have utterly failed to fulfil their responsibilities towards the vulnerable people who find themselves in the camps, especially unaccompanied children. A wall will do nothing to improve the security of vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers or local residents, lorry drivers and cross-channel travellers.

“Adding to the already chaotic situation will only cause more children to go missing and give more control to criminal gangs. The authorities need to gain the trust of people in the camps, provide them with the information they are entitled to, give them a sense of security, and handle their asylum claims properly.

“The UK government must get its act together. Many of the people in Calais have a legal right to be reunited with family in the UK. The slow speed at which governments are dealing with asylum claims is inexcusable. People who find themselves in these camps do not want to enter the UK illegally but they need support to access the asylum system and no matter what they need to be treated with dignity.”

Keith Taylor, MEP for the South East of England, said:

“The situation in Calais is a symptom of a problem; dismantling the camps and removing the last scraps of dignity and security from their residents will not solve the problem. Building a wall is certainly not the answer either. Only through cross-border political cooperation can we hope to alleviate what is a global crisis.

“I empathise with the frustrations of local residents, hauliers, and travellers on both sides of the channel, but we cannot allow this Humanitarian crisis to be exploited by resurgent French or British far right groups. The dehumanising campaigns against camp residents cannot become justification for abandoning our legal and moral duties to approach this crisis with humanity.

“History will not judge our nations kindly if French and British governments refuse to work together constructively on this issue. Attacking the symptoms will never solve the problem.”

Molly Scott Cato MEP, who visited the ‘jungle’ camp in Calais earlier this year and is Green Party spokesperson on EU relations, said:

“The new wall will turn out to be another hugely expensive sticking plaster that will simply result in people going further to get round it and will push up tariffs for people smugglers. Instead, the British Government should be registering applications for asylum in the camps in France to quickly identify those people with a right to enter Britain. Perhaps a wall fits better with the fortress Britain mentality which seems to be at the heart of those pushing for a hard Brexit.”

Green MEP backs Junior Hospital Doctors & calls Hunt 'incompetent'

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for the South East of England, has accused Jeremy Hunt of 'incompetence' and pledged to 'stand in solidarity' with Junior Doctors following the BMA's latest notice of industrial action.

Keith, a vocal supporter of the NHS Reinstatement Bill who sits on the European Parliament's Public Health committee, said:

It seemed inevitable that our Junior Doctors would announce further industrial action and it’s deeply saddening that they have been forced to this point by the intransigence of an incompetent Health Secretary.

That the BMA announcement comes just days after the government was forced to reveal its plans to shut down NHS services across England is a stark reminder of the perilous condition of our National Health Service after years of Tory mismanagement.

With a demoralised, woefully under-resourced workforce, a ‘7-day plan’ exposed as a cynical ploy to open up services to further privatisation, and a Health Secretary apparently charged with undermining one of our proudest public services; it is clearer than ever that this government cannot be trusted with the NHS.

A government that believed in a truly public NHS would put forward a contract that is fair and safe for staff and patients alike. A conscientious Health Secretary would cease his relentless attempts to smear a strained workforce tirelessly plugging huge rota gaps with good will alone.

Until that happens, I and other NHS champions will continue to join the overwhelming majority of the British public in offering solidarity to the frontline NHS staff fighting to protect our beloved health service. Industrial action remains the last resort for desperate junior doctors. The BMA has already made countless offers to re-open negotiations with Jeremy Hunt.

Greens: Heathrow decision 'deeply disappointing' & shows power of big business

 

Jean Lambert , London Green MEP has issued the following statement on the Davies Commission findings:

'Today’s announcement shows the power and reach of big business. Growth at any cost in our aviation capacity is not compatible with the UK's climate change commitments. Heathrow Airport is already the biggest noise polluter in Europe and with estimates that around 1.1 million people will be affected by a third runway, this is a deeply disappointing decision.’  

 In 2014 Jean Lambert  submitted a joint response to a major Government consultation on airport expansion. In it, she highlighted the impact of aviation on meeting our climate change targets and on local communities. She also submitted a response to a separate consultation on state aid for aviation, in which they called for an end to state subsidies to the aviation industry

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for South East England said:

“Despite three long years of the Commission looking at all the evidence, we still cannot build a third runway at Heathrow otherwise we will fail to meet our climate change targets.

It is and has always been a myth that the UK faces an airport capacity crisis and we already fly more than any other country.

Instead of expanding our airports the Government should introduce a frequent  flyer tax which would tax aviation much more fairly and at the same time  reduce the demand for new runways".

European Parliament TTIP vote cancelled because of huge public pressure say Green MEPs

In unusual circumstances, the planned vote in the European Parliament on TTIP tomorrow (The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) – an EU-US trade deal currently being negotiated, has been cancelled.

The official line from the Parliament is that because more than 200 amendments were tabled the vote should be postponed to enable the Trade Committee to consider the amendments before tabling them for a future plenary session.

The controversial deal seeks to remove standards and protections that are currently enshrined in laws across the EU and US. Examples of these regulations include labour rights that protect people at work, environmental regulations and food safety laws.

Included in the agreement is a clause called the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) which many MEPs have warned would allow corporations to sue Governments in secret courts if a Government passed laws which limited a corporation’s profits or activity. 

More than 2 million EU citizens have signed a petition against the deal.

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for South East England, said:

The decision to cancel the vote on TTIP stinks of political parties in the European Parliament running scared of the huge public opposition to TTIP.

TTIP represents a monumental power grab by corporations and it must be stopped in its tracks.

Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP for South West England said:

This attempt to remove the right of all MEPs to vote on this very important report on TTIP is nothing short of a scandal. Thousands of constituents have emailed me today and I will not be cheated of my right to represent their will to oppose ISDS and the undermining of European protection of environments and animal welfare.

Greens call for free public transport today to combat expected extreme air pollution

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for South East England, is calling for public transport across South East England to be made free within cities and towns today to combat the very extreme levels of air pollution that is expected across the region. 

This follows Paris’s example where the authorities made public transport free during a smog episode last year.

In previous pollution alerts France also imposed a reduced speed limit for traffic.

Alongside this the Mayor reduced city centre access for vehicles alternating with odd and even registration numbers. Similarly the Mayor is also talking about removing diesel vehicles (which are responsible for particulate emissions and NO2) completely.

Experts have recently suggested that the death toll from air pollution, usually put at around 29,000 a year in the UK, could be substantially higher because of the effect of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), emitted during fossil fuel burning, which up until now has not been taken into account.

Next Thursday 16^th April the Government are being taken to court by Environmental group Client Earth over consistently high levels of air pollution that break EU rules.

 

Keith Taylor Green MEP for South East England said:

Measures such as making public transport free for the day should be considered during serious smog episodes in Britain such as the one we’re experiencing today. Previous actions taken in Paris shows they recognise the unrest caused by air pollution and that they are prepared to take action.

The Green Party has been warning everyone for years about the serious health problems that are associated with air pollution. 

 

How many deaths does it have to take before the Government will properly act?

Greens stand alongside unions in million strong public sector strike on Thursday

On July 10 the Green Party will stand alongside unions in the largest one-day strike over pay by public sector employees since 2010.

The Green Party have pledged to support the employees’ right to strike and to picket peacefully in order to assert their right to fair wages and proper treatment. Public sector employees are facing unprecedented financial hardship with part-time and female employees the most affected under the Government’s ideological austerity agenda.

The strike will see more than one million workers protesting the Government policy of frozen and restricted pay and will include workers from the PCS, The National Union of Teachers, Unison, and others.

Thousands of people around the country are forgoing a day’s pay to express their unhappiness with the Coalition Government’s economic attack on public sector employees.

Greens across the country will show their support:

Green MP, Caroline Lucas said:

"It is very clear that austerity isn't working. It's cruel and counterproductive. It should not be the most vulnerable who are paying the price of an economic crisis that was not of their making. People are struggling, the cost of living is rising and it's time the Government recognised the value of workers who provide us with crucial services every day.

"People have had enough, it is time for plan B and it's time for the Government to listen. On July 10, people from all over the country will stand together to make their voices heard loud and clear."

Green Party leader, Natalie Bennett said: 

 "This government's austerity agenda is making public sector employees, joined with benefit recipients, the increasing numbers of poorly paid, and insecure private sector employees, pay for the financial crisis that was not of their making.

“George Osborne is cutting the tax rate for multinational companies and inviting them to dodge even that reduced rate of taxes, and at the same time has slashed the real pay of the dinner ladies, the cleaners, and the local officers who keep our communities running. I'll be showing my support on Thursday by visiting picket lines around my local area of Camden before joining the march and rally in central London.

"We cannot continue to see soaring poverty and dependence on foodbanks in Britain; we need to make the minimum wage a living wage, and ensure local government employees have a chance of decent progression beyond that."

Green Party Trade Union Liaison Officer of GPEW national executive, Romayne Phoenix:

"The economic crisis was caused by the banks; how could it ever be fair - or effective - to fix it by cutting workers' pay? Our public services benefit the majority. This is about not letting those at the top blame the rest of us for problems we didn't cause."

Green MEP for South East, Keith Taylor:

“When the government decides to stop spending their time dismantling public services and oppressing the low paid and unemployed, and instead focusses on reigning in the power and wealth of the top 1%, then I'll have a shred of sympathy for them.

“Until then I am 100% behind the strikers and their efforts to defend our services, and seek decent terms and conditions for public sector workers.”

Kirklees Green Party Councillor, Andrew Cooper commented:

"I'll be joining staff on the Picket line in Huddersfield. Kirklees Jobs and services for local people have suffered greatly due to Coalition targeting of local government for cuts.”
 
 Dudley Councillor and Deputy Leader, Will Duckworth said:
 “I will be on the picket lines early in the morning and then going on the planned demonstration in Birmingham with Dudley Trades Union Council.  We need to fight the Government's attempts to destroy decent pay and pensions for normal working people.”

 The Group of London Green Party Councillors said:

“It can’t go on like this. We can't continue with rapacious cuts to the NHS, the closure of local children's centres, and mounting queues at foodbanks. The government must hear the public's message that cuts are hurting the people of Britain. An alternative economic strategy and an alternative future is possible and together with communities up and down the country we will be out promoting that message on Thursday.”

North West Green Party Representative, Laura Bannister commented:

“In the North West, members will be visiting and taking part in picket lines and supporting the mass rally in Manchester. We are also sending letters of solidarity to regional TU branches on behalf of the regional party"

As a member of the Green Party and the Green Party Trade Union Group, I will be supporting the picket of Brent Civic Centre and the Central London march.

Greens celebrate election of three MEPs in Euro poll

I was relieved this morning this morning to find that Jean Lambert had been re-elected as a London Green MEP.  In the face of UKIP's gains and signs that the other parties are moving right in an effort to match their anti-immigrant policies, it is important the Jean's principled anti-racist voice has a platform.

In spite of the national swing to UKIP, the Green Party has been able to overturn the odds and now has triple the number of MEPs that the Lib Dems do. The wins, powered by 1.2 million people voting Green on May 22, come on the back of extremely positive local elections results which saw the Greens become the official opposition on Solihull, Liverpool, Lewisham, Norwich and Islington Councils.

Jean Lambert, who has been Green MEP for London since 1999, said:

I am delighted and honoured that Londoners of all backgrounds have supported the Greens in this European election and voted again for a strong Green voice in the European Parliament. Greens will continue to put forward positive policies to tackle the growing inequalities between rich and poor, whether in London or beyond, and to continue the push to a low carbon economy, which combats climate change while creating new jobs.

I was delighted to see Molly Scott Cato elected as the new MEP for the South West and reacting to her win she said:

It is fantastic that the South West now has a Green voice in Europe. I would like to thank everyone who voted Green on Thursday and I am looking forward to representing the South West in Brussels.

Keith Taylor was also returned again as Green MEP for the South East region. He tweeted:

So very proud to be re-elected as an MEP. Will stand up for my constituents, wherever they come from, every single day.

Green Party Leader, Natalie Bennett, put the wins in context:

The growth of our number of seats in the European Parliament reflects growing support for Green Party policies and values around the country. Increasing numbers of voters are inspired by our message of positive change for the common good. They support, as do a majority of the public, our views on many issues, from renationalising the railways and reining in banks, from banning fracking to making the minimum wage a living wage.

Greens surge in Ipso MORI poll

Hot on the heels of the Greens surge in the polls ahead of the May 22nd European Elections, polling out today shows the Greens have jumped five points and are polling at 8% in non-European polling  ahead of next summer’s General Election.

Reacting to the Ipsos MORI polling, a Green Party spokesperson said:

“The Greens have not polled this strongly in non-European polling ahead of a General Election since 1989, the year the Green Party secured 15% of the vote. Our message of real change for the common good is clearly striking a chord.”

Reacting to the Ipsos MORI poll, The London Evening Standard  reported that, “today’s big winners are the Greens, whose support has shot up from three to eight points on the back of higher exposure in the campaign period.”

Green leader Natalie Bennett attributed the strong polling to the popularity of Green Party policies when given more media exposure and to voters’ disenchantment with the big parties. Speaking from Leeds, she said the polls “chime with what I am hearing around the country”.

According to ICM’s European Elections polling released on May 12th, the Green Party is polling at 10% ahead of the May 22 European Elections, putting it firmly in fourth place and three percentage points ahead of the ailing Liberal Democrats (7%).

The Greens are within touching distance of meeting their target of trebling their number of MEPs from two (Jean Lambert, London, and Keith Taylor, South-East) to six. Based on a national swing the latest poll would give the Greens five seats in England plus one in Scotland. The Lib Dems would have zero seats. Among 18-24 year-olds the Greens are the second most popular political party.

Brighton Greens throw down gauntlet to Pickles and Labour on Council Tax Referendum

Brighton Greens have decided to call the Coalition's bluff and hold a referendum on raising council tax to protect adult social care in the city. The controversial move will also put Labour on the spot and is likely to lead to debate amongst anti-cuts activists between those who see the priority as saving services and those who see the rise as yet another burden on a population who have seen a cut in benefits, rises in prices and rents and a reduction in wages in real terms.

The decision to let the people decide is a radical move and whichever way the vote goes will bring the debate about the impact of the Coalition's cuts to local authority funding right out into the open.

The decision to hold the referendum has been backed  by all Brighton's Green councillors, by Caroline Lucas MP, Keith Taylor MEP  for the south East, and party leader Natalie Bennett.

This is the statement on the Brighton and Hove Green Party website:

The UK's only Green council administration – in Brighton and Hove – is proposing a referendum of local people on a council tax rise to protect services for the city's most vulnerable.

As a response to central Government cuts, the minority Green administration has been working to find ways of funding local services threatened by coalition cuts, including care for the elderly.

It is asking people to consider a Council Tax increase of 4.75%, which would be used directly to fund adult social care services, including care for the elderly, and grants to third sector organisations. Residents would be asked to vote on the possible increase in a referendum - the first of its kind in the modern era.

The proposal for a referendum, announced today by Green council leader Jason Kitcat, was a unanimous decision of Green councillors and has the full support of Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas, South East Green MEP Keith Taylor and Green Party leader Natalie Bennett.

It comes as Eric Pickles, for the coalition government, is paving the way to restrict councils to a rise of 1.5% or less, on top of draconian cuts already announced. Three quarters of county councils and a third of other councils have already indicated that they plan to increase council tax to meet growing need and mitigate the worst of Westminster's cuts.

Councillor Jason Kitcat, leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, said:

The Coalition’s cuts mean we cannot deliver the services we were elected to provide and which our consciences say we should provide. We have no choice but to seek the views of local people on funding these services through a tax increase.

Westminster's ideologically driven cuts to local councils are huge and relentless while demand for our services continues to grow. Vulnerable people who depend on our services are being threatened from Westminster like never before.

We have so far been successful in saving tens of millions of pounds but we can no longer find enough efficiencies to absorb all the cuts. Without today's proposal, I fear for the serious impacts on the most vulnerable in our city from the Coalition's cuts.

Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, said:

This is a bold move and one that I know the Council is taking very reluctantly. The people have not voted for austerity. They have not chosen to have services they rely on destroyed by draconian cuts.

This is an appalling situation, for which the Coalition Government is alone to blame. A referendum would allow the people of Brighton and Hove, including my constituents in Brighton Pavilion, to decide on the best response 

 Natalie Bennett, the leader of the Green Party, said:
  
As Greens we believe that decisions should be made closest to the people who are affected. Instead of letting Whitehall impose cuts on vulnerable people in Brighton & Hove, this announcement takes the decision to the people.

It reflects Green principles being campaigned for around the country. Our Oxfordshire county councillors, in opposition, last year made a bid for a 3.5% rise to protect social care, and I know other local parties will be putting forward similar proposals this year.

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for the South East, candidate in the 2014 EU elections and former city councillor, said:

Across the south east we're seeing councils cut to the bone and all too often it is the most vulnerable who suffer. This announcement gives the people of Brighton & Hove a chance to decide for themselves what they want and to consider the best way to protect the vulnerable in the city from vicious Tory cuts.

The proposal for Brighton & Hove will pass in Council, in February, unless opposed by both Labour and Tory councillors. It would then proceed to a ballot on 22nd May - the same time as elections for European Parliament, which would significantly save on administration costs.

Jason Kitcat continued:

The other parties, especially Labour, will need to decide whether they trust the people of Brighton and Hove to make this decision. The Green administration I lead did not seek an election mandate to raise taxes in this way and in previous years I have opposed going down this route. But the unprecedented pressure on our budget from Westminster can no longer be absorbed, so we are seeking a democratic opinion from local residents - those who pay council tax and those who rely on the services it funds.

Westminster is threatening services for the elderly, who have worked hard all their lives and deserve our support in their old age — not reductions in the services which are often a lifeline for them. The city’s charities, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations provide essential services across our city’s communities. We must be able to support them.

Current calculations show that a 4.75% increase means a rise for a Band C property by £5.30 a month and for a Band D property by £5.97. Those claiming Council Tax Reduction will still be protected by the existing scheme.

Councillor Leo Littman, Lead member for Finance, said:

This is an increase of less than £6 a month for the average household and nothing for those on low incomes who claim under our extensive Council Tax Reduction scheme. We know many Brighton and Hove residents are hard-pressed but we hope they will see this level of increase – equal to less than half a pint of beer a week - a reasonable price to pay for maintaining key services.

The storm clouds ahead for next year’s very severe financial picture mean we need to act now. We are of course continuing to work on saving money through reviewing fees, generating new business and selling off spare buildings. But that won’t be enough in the next two years to protect the city’s elderly and vulnerable from Osborne’s austerity agenda. Fortunately the upcoming European elections mean we can hold this major consultation with our residents for less than it would have otherwise cost.

Key elements of these revised council tax budget proposals, which will be published in full for the Policy & Resources Committee meeting of 13th February, include:

• Protecting service delivery for key adult social care services, including home care, residential community care, day services, learning disabilities employment support and restoring subsidy to Able & Willing service;
• Protecting full amount of funds to third sector grants programme and sports grants programme;
• 4.75% council tax increase which would raise £2.75m more than December’s draft budget which assumed 2% tax increase;
• Referendum to be held on 22nd May along with European Parliamentary Elections.

Greens call for more regulation of tobacco industry that 'profits from death'

In the face of mass-lobbying by the tobacco industry Greens in the European Parliament are set to vote in favour of protecting people’s health by increasing the regulation of smoking.

Keith Taylor, the Green Party MEP for the South East, is backing Cancer Research UK in calling for strong regulation of tobacco products.

The European Parliament will vote next week on the Tobacco Products Directive. Proposals supported by Mr Taylor include increasing the size of health warnings on tobacco products and banning flavoured cigarettes.

Mr Taylor said:

Next week I’ll be joining my fellow Greens in the European Parliament in taking decisive action to protect people’s health.

I’ll be voting to protect young people from products aimed at enticing them to begin smoking.

The tobacco companies lobbying against this piece of legislation are shamelessly trying to protect their profits by blocking new rules that will prolong the lives of thousands of people.

In the UK 80% of smokers start by the age of 19 and more than 207,000 children, some as young as 11-years-old, start smoking.

We have a duty to protect the most vulnerable - our children in the UK and right across Europe - from the dangers of tobacco, which causes debilitating disease, costs economies millions in healthcare and lost labour, and continues to kill 100,000 people in the UK alone every year. 86% of lung cancers are a result of tobacco use.

Mr Taylor went on to say:

It’s no surprise that a quick look into the people behind pro-smoking campaigns shows that they are funded by the tobacco industry. ‘No, Thank EU’ for example is a front for the shadowy lobbying firm ‘Forest’ which is mostly funded by the tobacco industry.[2]

I hope that MEPs from the other political parties follow Greens in rejecting the desperate crowing of the tobacco lobby by voting for increased regulation of this industry that profits from death.

1)      http://www.forestonline.org/about/faq/

UK swats bee protection to protect chemical industry profits

A PROPOSED ban on pesticides linked to a collapse in Europe’s bee populations has been blocked by the UK and German governments. 

EU Agriculture ministers meeting in Brussels were due to adopt an EU-wide ban on the use of neonicitinoid pesticides today in light of growing scientific evidence that has linked their use with harm to bees – essential for pollination of food crops – and a Green Party initiative calling for a complete ban. But the proposal has been rejected after UK and German representative amongst others, refused to give their support to the initiative. 

 London’s Green MEP Jean Lambert – who earlier this week joined Green MP Caroline Lucas and fellow Green MEP Keith Taylor in calling on the UK to support the proposed ban, said:

Yet again the UK Government is blocking EU action to protect our environment, wildlife – and even the food we eat.

Bee populations are declining across much of Europe: and, according to the scientists, this proposal could have helped avert the crisis facing our bees.

But, yet again, the UK Government has blocked meaningful action, against the wishes of the vast majority of UK citizens – and MEPs - in order to protect the profits of the chemical industry who make millions from the sale of these pesticides.

I now call upon the Commission to appeal this decision and take further action to protect not only bees but also our ability to produce our own food.

Invisible killer in our sights this year

We have several spots in Brent where air pollution is often above recommended safety  levels such as Neasden Lane, Ikea on the North Circular and near John Keble School in Harlesden. LINK

It is good then to welcome renewed focus on the issue with the launch of the European Year of Clear Air.

Keith Taylor the Green  MEP  for South East England joined campaigners and other politicians in launching the Year. With key European legislation up for review this year, and an estimated half a million premature deaths in Europe caused by air pollution, Mr Taylor is calling for the UK government to halt its efforts to weaken existing EU air quality standards..

EU air quality safe levels were set in the 90´s and there have been mixed results since then. While air quality has generally improved the levels of some dangerous pollutants has increased. Currently 95% of city residents in the European Union breathe ozone at levels exceeding World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended levels.

In the UK air pollution causes 29,000 deaths and contributes to over 200,000 premature deaths per year. In Mr Taylor’s constituency, the South East of England, the problem of air pollution particularly affects both city dwellers and the thousands of people who commute into London.

Mr Taylor said:

With children and the elderly being hit hardest by poor air quality, and the levels of some noxious pollutants on the rise, we badly need to see strong legislation from the European Union in 2013.”

The UK government has been accused by campaigners of attempting to weaken air pollution legislation. The UK department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs proposed “Working in partnership with other Member States, we will … amendments to the Air Quality Directive which reduce the infraction risk faced by most Member States, especially in relation to nitrogen dioxide provisions’.

 Responding to this Mr Taylor said

It beggars belief that the UK Government is trying to water down European Legislation that will protect the lives of British citizens. I urge them to back strong laws on air pollution and to improve people’s health.”

 Keith recently published a public information leaflet, ‘Air Pollution: The Invisible Killer’, to raise awareness of air pollution and its damaging health impacts. The leaflet explains how air pollution is created, how widespread the problem is, how it affects our health and how pollution can be reduced.

Air pollution - the stealthy killer

Keith Taylor, the Green MEP for South East England will today launch a report about air pollution and its health impacts. Each year in the UK air pollution causes 29,000 deaths and contributes to over 200,000 premature deaths, yet public awareness of this killer is very low. Keith Taylor aims to raise awareness of the issues with his new report, ‘Air Pollution: The Invisible Killer’. The report asserts that air pollution is creating an invisible public health crisis which is not being addressed by the UK government.

Dirty air has a greater health impact than many high profile public health issues, such as passive smoking and obesity, yet unlike the smog of the 1950s it is an invisible killer. Long term exposure to air pollution is associated with heart and lung disease. The report includes recent research from California which has shown that children growing up near motorways can suffer permanently reduced lung capacity. This is an extremely worrying finding which highlights the desperate need for more research into the health effects of air pollution. Government figures show that the health costs of just one pollutant, PM2.5, are already £15 billion each year.

The UK government is currently failing to implement legally binding EU levels on air quality. In 2009 the EU started legal action against the UK for breaching safe levels of pollutants, but the government has now been granted more time to meet the EU’s deadline. If the UK doesn’t comply with safe levels the government risks being fined up to £3000.

The UK government is currently preparing to report on Nitrogen Dioxide levels to the European Commission in September and has indicated that it is likely that safe levels will not be achieved in many areas. ‘Air Pollution: The Invisible Killer’ contains a map which shows that air pollution is widespread across London and South East England. Many local authorities in the region have declared that they are likely to exceed the required EU safe levels for pollutants. Keith believes that this inertia on such an important health issue is unacceptable.

Up to 70% of air pollution in urban areas is from road transport. Keith’s air pollution campaign is calling for national government to provide adequate funding to local authorities to invest in public transport, promoting walking and cycling and introduce public information systems to alert people to air pollution.

Keith said: “The right to breathe clean air is fundamental. Yet thousands of lives in the South East are being shortened because air is heavily polluted in many places, mostly by traffic. Government data shows that air pollution contributes to over 200,000 premature deaths every year in the UK. This is an invisible public health crisis which urgently needs to be tackled. ”

“This is a widespread problem which is getting worse. The UK government has recently admitted that they will not meet the required EU limits for Nitrogen Dioxide and must now explain this sorry state of affairs to the European Commission. The EU air quality standards have been put in place and agreed on by Member States, including the UK, because they set safe limits for the air we breathe. I am putting pressure on the European Commission to make sure that they do not allow the UK government to shirk its responsibility. The Commission must take urgent action to address air pollution and its harmful effects in areas where the UK is breaching, or likely to breach, EU limits.”