Battle for a fair and representative voting systems continues - Lucas

The recent election results released were full of promises for the Green Party, but provided a disheartening result for the 'Yes to AV' campaign. Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, responding to the "No" vote in the AV referendum said:

This is a disappointing result for all of those who have campaigned for positive change in our democracy. The political context meant it was always going to be an uphill struggle; with the Tories united in opposition, a divided Labour party, and unpopular Liberal Democrats.

In the end, the nature of the choice over AV was not clear enough, thanks in no small part to the alarmist rhetoric and misinformation which characterised the ‘No’ campaign. Many have been shocked at the degree to which ‘No’ campaigners patronised and misled the British public. Rarely did we hear positive arguments in favour of FPTP – just desperate arguments begging us to cling to the status quo.

The result should not be seen by the Government as a signal that voters will not support truly progressive change. The battle for a genuinely fair and representative voting system continues – and the Greens will push for proportional representation at every opportunity.

Tiptoe through the bluebells with Misty Miller for the Woodland Trust

And now for something completely different as Monty P used to say and a chance to cheer up my blog for a green cause.

Misty Miller has joined forces with VisitWoods and the Woodland Trust to release a new charity single, 'Tiptoe Through the Bluebells'.

Download the track from itunes HERE

Caroline Lucas to speak at Gaza demonstration on Saturday

Green MP Caroline Lucas is among the speakers at Saturday's demonstration at 12 noon opposite Downing Street.

Campaigners will demonstrate  against the siege of Gaza and in support of the Freedom Flotilla 2. The demonstration is timed to commemorate the Nakba, the catastrophe which began in 1948 with the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their homeland and continues today with Israel’s violent and illegal siege of Gaza.

Speakers at the demonstration will include:

Andy Slaughter, Labour MP for HammersmithBaroness Jenny Tonge, Liberal Democrat Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion Palestinian musician, Reem KelaniJody McIntyre, journalist and political activist
Jonathan Ledger, General Secretary of NAPO Hugh Lanning, Deputy General Secretary of PCS Simon Dubbins of Unite the Union His Excellency Manuel Hassassian, Palestinian General Delegate to the UKDr Karma Nabulsi, Oxford academic and a former PLO representative
Dave Randall, guitarist, producer and composerDiana Neslen of Jews for Justice for PalestiniansKate Hudson of CND
Lindsey German of Stop the War

The demonstration has been called by

Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, British Muslim Initiative, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND)l, Palestinian Forum in Britain.

It is supported by a number of other organisations including Amos Trust, Association of the Palestinian Community in the UK, Communications Workers Union (CWU), Fire Brigades Union (FBU), Friends of Lebanon, Friends of Al-Aqsa, GMB, The Green Party , ICAHD UK, Jews for Justice for Palestinians, Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine, Pax Christi, Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)l, The Russell Tribunal on Palestine, Twinning with Palestine, UNISON, UNITE the Union ,University & College Union (UCU), War on Want, Zaytoun.

NHS 'Listening Panel' Tomorrow

A poorly advertised NHS 'Listening Panel' is coming to London tomorrow, Friday May 13th to hear views on the Health and Social Care Bill which is currently on 'pause'. It will be held at Voluntary Action, 200a Pentonville Road, N1 9JP at 2pm. Anyone concerned about the changes is urged to attend and meet at 1.30pm outside the venue.

The issue of whether the Listening Panel is likely to be open-minded on the issue was discussed in April by John Lister in a Morning Star feature:  LINK

To front up the so-called “listening” exercise, an NHS Future Forum has been set up. It is stuffed with high-profile supporters of Lansley’s plans. All five of the GPs on the panel are among the minority of GPs who signed up for Lansley’s suggested commissioning consortiums. The whole forum is under the chairmanship of Professor Steve Field, who controversially supported Lansley’s white paper back in July and has since been replaced as president of the Royal College of GPs by Dr Clare Gerada, who has criticised much of the Lansley plan.

The forum on “choice and competition” will be led by Sir Stephen Bubb, a one-time Labour councillor and now at the head the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations.

Bubb is a vigorous advocate of competition and greater private-sector involvement in delivering healthcare. He led a challenge to Labour’s attempts to designate the NHS as preferred provider of community health services. Other doctors, trust bosses, primary care trust and strategic health authority bosses and senior council officers among the 40 hand-picked appointees on the forum are likely to be influenced by their career aspirations. They are unlikely to listen to any articulate critics of the Lansley plan.

The whole process has been set up to waste a month, to give the impression of responding to public opinion - and then to press through the key elements of the plan with little if any actual change.

There is no indication that the principal objections raised at the Lib Dem conference a few weeks ago have been taken on board by the Tories, not least because the suggestion that the private sector can somehow be prevented from “cherry-picking” the most profitable services from the NHS is pure fantasy.

Cherry-picking is central to the private provision of healthcare. Even the so-called “non-profit” social enterprises will have to focus on delivering a surplus from their work and will be compelled in a competitive market to withdraw from services which cannot guarantee to deliver them a surplus.

The only guarantee against the private sector cherry-picking services and destabilising existing NHS provision in many parts of the country is to drop Lansley’s plans altogether and to focus resources on investing in NHS care related to local need.

That’s why it’s vital that Labour and the unions crank up the pressure to force the Con-Dems to ditch the Bill.

Private Secretary sees Welfare Claimant Reality

Brent Citizens Advice Bureau report that as part of their campaign to make sure changes to the benefits system do not impact negatively on Brent residents, the bureau welcomed the Private Secretary to Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), to a day in the life of a welfare claimant at Brent CAB:

The Private Secretary, Jessica Yuille observed an adviser’s interviews with welfare benefits clients. She could see how severely disabled the client was and yet also saw the client being rated as able to work under the Government’s points system.

We are pleased that the representative from DWP was able to observe how the practicalities of Government policies translate on the ground. She commented on the main things she had taken away from the experience and would share with colleagues, ‘I learnt that the DWP telephone service and the Jobcentre Plus staff service is patchy and that reconsideration of Work Capability Assessments by DWP is often ineffective as no alternative medical evidence is requested.’

Ms Yuille’s experience at Brent CAB will feed back into her work on Universal Credits in the Welfare Benefits Bill. We hope it will help the Government address the obvious flaws in the current system, including the inaccurate assessments of disabled clients, poor customer service for those that need advice from DWP and Jobcentre Plus and the complexity of benefits forms.

Health for People - Not Profit! Come to Thursday's Meeting

COME TO THE PUBLIC MEETING THIS THURSDAY MAY 12th 7.30 pm

DEFEND OUR HEALTH SERVICE
Willesden Green Library Centre

95 High Rd, Willesden NW10 2SF 

 

This meeting has been organised by Brent Trades Council, Brent Fightback and the Campaign to Defend Brent's Health Services. It is also sponsored by NW London Hospitals UNISON and Brent Council UNISON.

Speakers will include: 

Dr Ishani Salpadoulu, Brent GP

Jim Fagan, Keep Our NHS Public

A student nurse

Cllr Navin Shah London Assembly Member for Brent & Harrow

and YOU the workers in and users of our NHS

First Salvo Fired in Library Legal Campaign

Brent Council has now been sent the Letter Before Action from Bindmans that begins the legal process for a judicial review. The action is backed by S.O.S. Brent Libraries which brings together the campaigns against the closures of six Brent libraries.

The Letter Before Action in summary claims:

1. a fair-minded and informed observer, having full regard to the facts, would conclude that there was a real possibility of predetermination by the decision-makers that these closure proposals should go ahead (indeed that there was no alternative) which, in turn, meant the results of the consultation exercise were not taken into account conscientiously and with open minds on 11 April 2011;
2. insufficient information was gathered to enable the decision- makers to take into account mandatory relevant considerations at the appropriate time, particularly in relation to questions of need for library services and equality;
3. some consultation responses were not made known to members, significant errors of fact were made in the consultation document and officers’ reports and irrational conclusions drawn;
4. the Council misdirected itself on the means by which its duty to provide a library service could be discharged; and
5. those who had made alternative proposals were not dealt with fairly.

Unless Brent Council backs down the legal process is expected to proceed by way of a judicial review of the council's decision.

John Halford of Bindmans is acting for the campaigners of the threatened libraries. He is a human rights and public law department partner who acts for individuals and groups to challenge abuse of power, human rights breaches and discrimination. He has experience of bringing cases against a wide range of public bodies and organisations, and of advising national charities, NGOs, campaigning groups and regulators. In 2007 he won the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Award for social and welfare law. 

David Butcher from Kensal Rise speaking on behalf of the Brent SOS Library Campaign said,

Thousands of people across the whole of Brent are supporting the campaign to save the local community libraries of Barham, Cricklewood, Kensal Rise, Neasden, Preston and Tokyngton. 

While Councillors Ann John and Powney are using the resources of Brent Council to force through the closures local people are determined to fight their closure plans all the way.

Brent SOS Libraries; Save Our Six Librarie have agreed to raise funds for the judicial review of the council’s decision. The Legal Services Commission requires a ‘community contribution’ of £30,000 towards the costs. Each of the library groups has pledged to raise a contribution.

Library campaigners are asking everyone to donate £5 if they can afford it. Campaigners are hopeful that the money will be raised quickly.

Information about how to make donations can be found on the website www.brentsoslibraries.org.uk

Meanwhile Save Kensal Rise Library Campaign who had advertised a lobby of Cllr Powney, who is spearheading the library cuts, claim that he went into hiding when his electorate arrived to see him on  May 7th. LINK

Teather, "Well aware of strength of feeling" on the NHS

As the debate about the future of the NHS ignites following the local elections, local Lib Dem MP and Minister for Children and Families Sarah Teather, has written to a concerned constituent saying she has been contacted by:

"an overwhelming number of constituents on this issue and am well aware of the strength of feeling. I believe our National Health Service is a major part of this country's history and something to be very proud of."

Her comments will be read out along with those of other local MPs at a  'Defend Our Health Service' public meeting on Thursday May 12th, 7.30pm, Willesden Green Library. The meeting will be addressed by GPs, other NHS workers, service users and campaigners.

As I have gone around the borough giving out leaflets for the meeting it has become clear that many residents are very concerned about the impact of the proposed reforms on the quality of provision and its accessibility to all. I hope that having received such a powerful message from her constituents that Sarah Teather will put up a real fight for a health service we can remain proud of.