See you at the Torch tomorrow for biggest Brent strike rally for years

I will be back at the Torch Pub, opposite the ARK Academy in Wembley Park tomorrow, for a rally of education and other public sector workers who will be striking about their pensions.

The rally begins at 9.30am and refreshments will be available. Hundreds of teachers, lecturers, caretakers, teaching assistants, meals supervisors, school secretaries and supporters will hear speeches from several union General Secretaries and Presidents before leaving en masse about 11am for the demonstration in Central London,

It will be bigger and better than the last rally on June 30th as ATL, NUT and UCU will be joined by members of NASUWT, GMB, NAHT and UNISON who will be on striketo protect their pensions.

There will be a prize for the most imaginative placard.

The Torch is at the junction of Bridge Road and Forty Lane. Cross the road at Wembley Park Station and turn left along Bridge Road.

Green Wembley Central By-election Campaign

I will be campaigning in the Wembley Central by-election against the background of the economic crisis, cuts in the welfare state and the deteriorating international situation regarding action on climate change. A huge canvas for a small local by-election so my leaflet concentrates on local issues linked to those broader ones:

Click on images to enlarge

Will anyone who wishes to help in the campaign contact me at martin.francis@greenparty.org.uk   Thanks

Green Party supports tomorrow's strike of 2 million

The Green Party strongly supports the unions' strike over changes to their Public Sector pension schemes which will see their members having to work longer and contribute more. The 24 hour walk out is set to be the UK's biggest strike for over 30 years with over 2 million Public Sector employees taking part.

We call for a clamp down on tax evasion by the rich and a tax on financial transactions rather than the proposed public sector cuts and for the Government to urgently review the state pension which remains below poverty levels. We would like to see the rapid introduction of a citizen's pension, paid at a level that allows people to meet basic needs

Stuart Jeffrey, Policy Coordinator, Green Party National Executive

The Conservative-led Government's assault on public sector pensions is a serious concern for my constituents and for workers across the public sector. While recent moves by Ministers to improve the pensions package offered some hope, it's clear that we are still far from a genuinely fair deal.


I regret the disruption caused by industrial action, but feel confident that union leaders have resorted to a full strike only as a last resort - because public sector employees up and down the country continue to feel that the Government is simply not listening.

We must not forget that these are our nurses, teachers, civil servants - the people who provide the crucial services which we rely on every day. The Greens will not hesitate to lend our support and solidarity to them on November 30.

 Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales and MP for Brighton Pavilion

Greens at Westminster and City Hall will not cross the picket lines to work tomorrow.

Brent lagging behind on sustainable food

Kilburn and Kensal Harvesting Project (Video by Jonathan P Goldberg)

Brent is one of six London boroughs highlighted as "lagging behind disappointingly on action to support healthy and sustainable food" in a new report “Good Food for London” by Sustain and the London Food Link [1]

 

The report shows that although Brent is making progress in some areas such as - collecting food waste, community food growing spaces through the Capital Growth programme, and working towards achieving Fairtrade status, the Borough is sadly falling behind on many other areas - food in schools, “Food for Life”, sustainable fish, animal welfare, and healthy catering. 

 

Viv Stein, spokesperson for Brent Campaign against Climate Change, said:  “Brent’s recent Green Charter espoused the virtues of their sustainable credentials.  This new report shows that when it comes to sustainable food, they are way behind other London Boroughs and must do better.

 

Members of Transition Kensal to Kilburn planting on Kilburn tube station platform earlier this year.

“Community groups such as Transition Kensal to Kilburn have led the way in local food growing, and have shown that it can be grown virtually anywhere – there is even an allotment on Kilburn tube station!  Community-led fruit harvesting projects have also had a bumper year.  Whilst welcoming the Council’s forthcoming allotment and food growing strategy, when it comes to getting healthy, local, affordable and sustainable food into our schools and hospitals, Brent has a lot of catching up to do.”

 

Reference

[1] http://www.sustainweb.org/londonfoodlink/good_food_for_london/

Eight more Boroughs out of the total of 33 were praised for "making excellent progress on key food issues" - Camden, Croydon, Enfield, Greenwich, Merton, Sutton, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest - achieving progress on all or most of the key food activities surveyed. Meanwhile, six Boroughs were highlighted as "lagging behind disappointingly on action to support healthy and sustainable food" - Bexley, Brent, Hillingdon, Lewisham, Newham and Westminster.

Brent Joint Unions rally | Day of Action 30 Nov | False Economy

Brent Joint Unions rally | Day of Action 30 Nov | False Economy

Apply for Wembley Central Postal Vote here

If you will be away fro the Christmas holiday you can submit a postal vote. Follow this LINK

Chicken shops and betting shops - how can we diversify our shopping streets?

The Green Party supports small shops and high street diversity but clearly times are hard and many businesses are failing to thrive.

One type of business which seems to do well in recession is bookmakers, with money short and few ways to increase income, gambling becomes attractive. Anecdotally that seems clear from the increased number of people buying lottery tickets in the local newsagent.

There are about 34 shops on Bridge Road/Forty Avenue near Wembley Park station and although many are well established there are a few which frequently change hands as businesses set up optimistically only to close a few months later. A Polish shop was rapidly followed by a French cafe which is now shuttered.

On the corner of Chalkhill Road and Bridge Road the Piri Piri Sports Bar has struggled to attract custom with frequent changes of cuisine. In the past it has offered pizza and pasta and then Indian food. Now Paddy Power bookmakers are applying to open a large shop on the premises despite there being a Corals a couple of hundred yards away and a Ladbrokes on Grand Parade.

There are already quite a few takeaways in the immediate area with at least three offering fried chicken. What can we do to diversify our shopping streets?

Seasonal confusion in the churchyard

Snowdrops in Old St Andrew's Churchyard on Sunday

I was chatting with some fellow gardeners at Birchen Green allotments in  warm sunshine yesterday about the current strange behaviour of plants.  I picked the last of my tomatoes about 10 days ago and still have chillies flowering and fruiting in the cold greenhouse. Nasturtium seedlings were growing healthily at our feet as we spoke.

To add to the confusing  picture as I walked through the churchyard at Old St Andrew's I spied these snowdrops in full bloom with daffodils not far behind. Snowdrops before all the trees have shed their leaves...