RUGBY GREEN PARTY MAKES FRONT PAGE OVER TESCO TROLLEY AVON RIVER DUMPING

(Rugby Advertiser Article)

Rugby Green Party has made front page news in the Rugby Observer this week over our survey of Tesco's trolley and rubbish dumping in the historic River Avon.

The story was also given a prominent place in the Rugby Advertiser and was covered on Rugby FM.

Pressure is mounting on Tesco's to clean up their act and ensure none of their belongings are left in our River Avon - no news on our demand for a meeting yet - but we can assure people and Tesco that the issue will not be swept under the carpet.

*More information further down this site on this issue

VOTE GEORGE HOUGUEZ (GREEN PARTY) IN THE DUNCHUCH & KNIGHTLOW BY ELECTION ON THURSDAY 2ND DECEMBER

Rugby Green Party is standing George Houguez in the forthcoming by election for the Dunchurch & Knightlow ward of the Rugby Borough Council on the 2nd December.

George who has stood in the ward a number of times is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and lecturer for The London College of Clinical Hypnosis and has practiced in Bank Street, Rugby for 6 years.

In explaining why he is standing for the Green Party, George says “Our psychological well being is closely related to our lifestyles and environment. Green Party policy promotes sustainable community and a responsible attitude towards the environment.”

MAKE A DIFFERENCE – VOTE GREEN

Printed, Promoted and Published by Roy Sandison on behalf George Houguez and Rugby Green Party PO Box 4123 Rugby CV21 9BJ

DO THE RIGHT THING?- A LETTER SENT TO LEADING RUGBY LIBERAL DEMOCRATS FROM RUGBY GREEN PARTY

This letter has been sent to the following leading Liberal Democrats in Rugby:

Rugby General Election Candidate & Councillor Jerry Roodhouse , Councillor Sue Roodhouse, Councillor Richard Dodd,

Councillor Gwen Hotten, Councillor Bill Lewis, Councillor Sue Peach, Councillor Sally Ravenhall, Councillor Noreen New, Councillor Niel Sandison, Dave Upstone, Tom Hardgrave. - We await their response.

24 November 2010

Dear Rugby Liberal Democrat Councillor or leading members of the Rugby Party.

NICK CLEGGS SHAME

As many of you will know. I was the Green Party Parliamentary Candidate at the General Election for Rugby and was pleased to agree with Jerry Roodhouse and the Lib Democrats over the issue of student fees against the Labour Party and the Tories position at the hustings and in print.

Jerry increased the Lib Dem vote in Rugby as did the Lib Dems across the country not least because of their strong support for students.

Unfortunately the opinion polls show that it is very likely the Liberal Democrats will face an electoral melt down at the next local elections if they continue jumping to the Tories tune not least over student fees and will lose some good progressive councillors in Rugby.

I notice from reading your Rugby Liberal Democrat website that the Rugby Party appears to be swinging behind Clegg’s discredited position – I would ask you to think again!

Watch the students protests today and do the right thing – confirm that you as an individual stand firm to your electoral pledge over students fees and that you will be contacting Liberal Democrat MP’s to demand they also keep their electoral promises to students.

And also read this below from Jenny Jones Green Party member of the London Assembly and Sam Coates Co-Chair of the Young Greens before making up your mind:

"A whole generation of young people are having their futures torn up in front of their eyes as policies they explicitly voted against are put into effect with the support of a party many of them voted for.

They note that university fees in the UK are already among the most expensive in Europe, and if trebled to £9000 will be the most expensive in the world.

University fees in the UK are already among the most expensive in Europe and if trebled to £9000 will be the most expensive in the world. The average across all sectors in the US is around £7000 and even private universities in Japan (£4379 a year) and South Korea (£5379 a year) will be cheaper than public universities here. Sweden, Finland, Denmark and some others all still charge no fees at all and the OECD average is just £1427 per year.

The UK Government is effectively privatising universities. The whole burden of higher education is falling on individual students. Why is this Government so keen to saddle young people with debt when other nations continue to recognise the wider importance of education, especially in a recession? Graduate debt has more wide reaching effects than we realise, not only do repayments make it difficult for graduates to set up a home, they are unable to pay into pensions and will generally spend less in the economy, further damaging chances of a lasting recovery.

This is just one ingredient in a toxic cocktail of cuts and privatisation being imposed on the nation for ideological reasons. The Tory cuts are not an inevitable response to the financial crisis but an attack on the very idea of a socially-conscious, good society.

We have to ask: what kind of a socially-destructive example are Tory and Lib Dem MPs setting to the current generation of young people? And would it be surprising if this kind of behaviour by those in power were to leave millions questioning democracy?”

I look forward to each and every one of your replies.

Regards

Roy Sandison – Rugby Green Party

*Please note this letter has been published on the Rugby Green Party website - http://rugbygreenparty.blogspot.com/

“DISGUSTING MESS” SAYS RUGBY GREEN PARTY - GREENS SLAM TESCO OVER ALLOWING RIVER AVON TO BECOME TROLLEY AND RUBBISH DUMP!

PRESS RELEASE (22nd November 10)

Rugby Green Party have reacted with anger after carrying out a survey of the River Avon next to the Tesco store in Leicester Road which showed an incredible 21 shopping trolleys from the store in the river - this just at the Black Path Bridge (See attached pictures) also other rubbish from the company was seen along the banks of the river.

Roy Sandison spokesperson for Rugby Green Party explains “The scene is like a modern day version of the way that 19^th century capitalists used to care so little about how their money making operations impacted on the environment, so ending up with town rivers and canals filed up with their waste products” Roy continues “This situation has not just come to pass and it seems to show a careless approach by Tesco’s”

“It makes you wonder if Tesco would be allowed to get away with such disregard for the environment and the historic River Avon further down stream at Stratford on Avon? Why should Rugby people have to put up with these lower standards of care on our part of the River Avon?”

DEMAND FOR A MEETING

“We have written to the Manager of the Store in Rugby demanding a meeting with him to discuss with him what immediate and preventative actions his company are going to take to ensure that our river is treated with the respect and in the manner it should be.”

Roy continues “We would expect Tesco to immediately send out assessment and clean up squads to clear the river and clean up the banks. That they use their security staff and CVTV cameras to monitor the whereabouts of their trolleys and that they also assign trained staff to undertake daily clean up operations in the locality of the store – if they do this then it will show at least some commitment by Tesco to treat the local environment with respect.”

‘AVON WATCH’

Rugby Green Party are also asking local residents to keep a watching brief (AVON WATCH) over the River Avon by contacting the Rugby Green party at rugbygreenparty@googlemail.com to report any concerns about pollution issues. The Green Party will log the concern and if necessary make representation to the appropriate body... *Please put FAO ‘Avon Watch’ in the headline of the email.

ANIT CUTS GROUP AND UNITE TRADE UNION SAYS NO TO YOUTH SERVICE CUTS IN WARWICKSHIRE!

From Rugby Against The Cuts - http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com/

Rugby Advertiser 18th November 2010

Rugby Observer 18th November 2010

FULL PRESS RELEASE BELOW

ANGER AT PLANS TO DESTROY WARWICKSHIRE’S YOUTH SERVICE

Rugby Against the Cuts has expressed its anger at proposals by Warwickshire County Council to cut its budget for youth services by £4.6 million, and close the Youth Service completely. “This is the reality of the Con-Dem Governments spending cuts announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review,” the campaign’s spokesperson Pete McLarensaid today. “To cut the Youth Service, and the parallel Positive about Young People organisation, would effectively deny young people any real, voluntary access to crucial support, and lead to hundreds of redundancies. Youth clubs and related organisations provide vital services for the community, especially in deprived working class areas. The County Council should be supporting the young people of Warwickshire and be seeking ways of persuading the Government to find other ways of resolving the country’s debt problems. We have put forward a number of alternatives, including a 5% tax increase for the wealthiest 10% of the population, nationalizing the banks and financial institutions and using their profits to improve public services, and collecting the £120 billion owed by the wealthy through tax evasion or avoidance, “ he concluded.

The groups’ Trade Union Liaison Officer Roy Sandison was particularly concerned about the effects of these cuts on young people themselves. “The Youth Service targets its provision towards areas most in need. Removing the service will have a serious impact on local communities, particularly those in deprived areas”, he claimed.

Geoff Dewhirst (Warwickshire Branch secretary of Unite – Youth Work section) went further. “Youth clubs, and the activities within them, are the vehicles through which professional youth workers gain the trust and confidence of our more marginalised young people. Their purpose is to help those young people towards constructive and fulfilling engagement with others, their communities and society at large. Withdrawing this support, encouragement and role model can only lead to continued disaffection, at a time when it’s universally recognised that disaffection is the antithesis of cohesive, safer communities. Increases in youth unemployment mean that state funded youth provision should be expanded, not decimated,” he concluded.

NOTES

• Rugby Against the Cuts was set up by local trade unionists and political activists on September 22^nd. Officers were elected as above
• Rugby Against the Cuts meets on the second Thursday of every month, 7.30pm, at the Three Horse Shoes, Rugby
• Rugby Against the Cuts can be contacted on 07881 520626, atrugbyagainstthecuts@googlemail.com, or through our web site athttp://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com
  

HELP BUILD THE MOVEMENT AGAINST THE CUTS - COME TO COR CONFERENCE!

Rugby Against The Cuts is affiliated to the COR and members will be attending.

Coalition of Resistance Conference

Saturday November 27

Camden Centre

Bidborough St, London WC1H 9AU

10am-5pm

Tickets:

• Unemployed/Student Rate £3
• Standard Rate £5
• Representative £10

Conference Agenda

10:00 – 10:30 REGISTRATION

10:30 – 11:45 OPENING PLENARY
Mark Serwotka PCS, Andrew Murray, Jean Lambert MEP, Bob Crow RMT, Christian Mahieux (Solidaires unions, France), Clare Solomon NUS, Heather Wakefield UNISON, People’s Charter, John McDonnell MP, Lindsey German CoR.

12:00 – 13:15 ORGANISING AGAINST THE CUTS LOCALLY
Range of speakers from anti-cuts and other organisations from around the country

ANALYSING THE CRISIS
James Meadway, Stathis Kouvelakis, Derek Wall, Hilary Wainwright

MOBILISING THE UNIONS
Alan Whittaker President UCU, Rebecca Allen PCS, George Binette UNISON

WHAT SHOULD POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVES DO?
Liz Davis, Samir Jeraj (Green Party), Billy Bragg, Laurie Penny

YOUTH, STUDENTS AND EDUCATION
Speakers from recent school and student protests, Alex Kenny NUT, Jean-Baptiste Tondu (NPA student , France)

RESPONSES TO CLIMATE CHANGE
Chris Baugh PCS, Jonathan Neale CACC, Peter Robinson

13:15 – 14:00 LUNCH

14:00 – 15:15 DEFENDING THE WELFARE STATE
Colin Leys KONP, Chris Nineham CoR, Dr Jacky Davis, DCH

ALTERNATIVES TO THE CRISIS
Ozlem Onaran, Richard Brenner, John Hilary (War on Want)

STATES OF INEQUALITY
Zita Holbourne, Terry Conway, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, Katherine Connelly, Linda Burnip

COR: HOW AND WHY
Paul Mackney, Andrew Burgin, Lindsey German

DEFENDING BENEFITS AND PENSIONS
George Thompson PCS, Colin Hampton (Chesterfield UWC), Pip Tindall (BBC), Pensioners’ Convention

15:30 – 17:00 VOTING, ELECTIONS AND CLOSING PLENARY
Dot Gibson (Pensioners Convention), Lee Jasper (BARAC), Jeremy Dear (NUJ), Jeremy Corbyn MP, John Rees (CoR), Kate Hudson (CND), Chris Bambery (RTW), Lowkey, Tony Benn. Chairing by Paul Mackney and Romayne Phoenix

There will be elections for a National Steering Committee – nominations will be taken at the conference from individuals,organisations and anti-cuts groups that support Tony Benn’s statement. There will a vote on a campaigning plan for the forthcoming period. The plan of action will be amendable at the conference and will include suggestions from the sessions. This is a founding conference and we are proposing that the incoming steering committee prepare a resolution based conference to take place within 9 months.

Afghanistan: Time to Go Demo London SAT 20TH NOVEMBER

RUGBY STOP THE WAR COALITION said...

Afghanistan: Time to Go

SATURDAY 20 NOVEMBER * ASSEMBLE 12 NOON
SPEAKERS' CORNER * HYDE PARK * LONDON
MARCH TO TRAFALGAR SQUARE
Called by Stop the War Coalition, CND and British Muslim Initiative.

TRANSPORT FROM COVENTRY

We will be running transport from Coventry, leaving the swimming baths in Fairfax Street at 9 am. Tickets are £12/£donations for unwaged. If you want to book seats, please email or call me on or by Thursday 18th (see number below).

A large banner on this week's huge protest against education cuts said it all: Spend on Education and Jobs - Not on War.

It's a message that is clearly getting through. With little over a week before the national AFGHANISTAN: TIME TO GO demonstration in London on Saturday 20 November, the Stop the War national office is being inundated with requests for leaflets and posters, details of transport being organised around the country to bring protestors to London, and people volunteering to help.

There is a promotional video on Stop the War's youtube channel featuring interviews with Tony Benn, Joe Glenton, and the parents of soldiers who have died in Afghanistan. You can also find it on facebook.com/stopthewarcoalition .

In peace
Andy Pettit
Chair, Coventry Stop the War Coalition
Tel: 07732 030231

Caroline Lucas: "This Government's assault on education funding and future generations of students seems to know no bounds."

Commenting on the student demonstration taking place in Westminster today, Caroline Lucas, Green Party leader and MP for Brighton Pavilion, said:

“This Government's assault on education funding and future generations of students seems to know no bounds. The recession has already had a disproportionate effect on young people's lives, with rapidly disappearing university places and increasing youth unemployment. Now it's clear that they will be amongst those hardest hit by the ConDem cuts, with the Educational Maintenance Allowance being scrapped, college funding slashed and the huge hikes in university fees. I fully support the action being taken by our students today, and hope to join them on the streets to fight for their future.”

FIRE FIGHTERS DESERVE YOUR SUPPORT SAYS RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS

Rugby Against The Cuts have sent the following letter of support to striking fire fighters in London

Brothers and Sisters

Rugby Against The Cuts http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com/ are sending you our support in your current struggle to defend the Fire Service in London.

Rugby is in Warwickshire and we have just seen a number of our local fire stations closed using similar arguments to those used in your dispute – modernisation is a buzz word that really means worse and unsafe conditions for not only fire fighters but also the general public.

You will be pleased to know that the local FBU is part of our campaign and we are proud to have such dedicated workers involved.

Good luck and best wishes

Roy Sandison Joint Trade Union Liaison Officer on behalf of Rugby Against The Cuts.

FBU LEAFLET FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

GREEN PARTY TRADE UNION GROUP SUPPORTS FIRE FIGHTERS!

London FBU strike today -

The Green Party Trade Union Group sent the following statement to the London Firebrigades Union regarding the industrial action today and on November 5th and 6th. Here is also a report from the Politics Show on the issues involved and refusal of London's Tories, in the person of Brian Coleman, to deal with the dispute.

I am sending you the support of the Green Party Trade Union Group who decided at our committee meeting to totally support the London fire strike and the struggle of the FBU against the draconian measures being introduced by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority and the threat of sackings. We stand in solidarity with you and hope that your industrial action will bring the employers to the table for further negotiations and that they will end their attempts to settle this dispute under duress.

Members of the Green Party and Green Party Trade Union Group will be joining picket lines across London on November 1st and on the 5th and 6th of November.

In Solidarity

Joseph Healy

Treasurer

Green Party Trade Union Group

Rugby Green Party says: As we know fire stations are being closed in Warwickshire including Brinklow. The CON DEM government appears to gearing up to fight these essential workers and their Trade Union by using a scab labour private company called Asset Co with very poorly trained 'new' fire fighters at a cost of £12 million to the public sector. Hopefully the FBU will be able to reach out and bring these workers into the labour movement as it is clearly neither a safe service for London people or the workers themselves.

From the London Standard - http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/

London's stand-in fire crews 'will struggle on bonfire night'

A stand-in firefighter has revealed major concerns about whether temporary crews will be able to keep the capital safe on bonfire night.

The contractor raised fears about their lack of training and the threat of intimidation from striking firefighters they have been hired to replace.

It came as members of the London Fire Brigade Union began an eight-hour stoppage at 10am, the second in protest at management plans to dismiss all 5,500 front-line staff and re-employ them on fresh contracts to force through new shift patterns.

Talks to halt today's strike and a 47-hour walkout on Friday, which will include firework and Diwali celebrations, broke up without agreement yesterday. The stand-in worker is one of 700 recruits hired by private contractor AssetCo under its £12 million, seven-year deal to provide back-up for the London Fire Brigade. He said that while their 12 days of “rigorous” training had given them a basic knowledge of “defensive” firefighting, he doubted their “offensive” capabilities — entering burning buildings with breathing apparatus and hoses.

The source, an HGV driver who is being paid £20 an hour to drive one of 27 fire engines providing cover for the capital during the walk-outs, said bonfire night was likely to stretch the contractors to breaking point.

He added: “I think we can cope with the eight-hour strike if we are protected and escorted. But bonfire night is going to bring this to a head. Calls quadruple on bonfire night.”

AssetCo, based in South Ruislip, draws many of its recruits from the Uxbridge-based Reliance Security Group, which provides security guards for shopping centres and to transport prisoners to and from courts. The temporary crews were sent on a course in Lincolnshire, where they were taught basic techniques in firefighting and dealing with road accidents.

There was a two-hour classroom briefing on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents, which could include terrorist attacks.

The source said: “Full-time fire crews get 16 weeks' training. We got 12 days. That tells its own story. Even after 16 weeks, full-time crews are on probation for three years.”

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: “The contingency plans have, for the second day of FBU strike action, been rolled out on schedule. All 162 contract staff providing the fire and rescue service in the capital today are either now available or waiting to be deployed from the brigade's training centre in Southwark.”

ANTI CUTS CAMPAIGNING IN RUGBY: ONE SMALL PROBLEM

Rugby Green Party members as part of Rugby Against the Cuts were on streets of Rugby this weekend leafleting and petitioning against the cuts.

Rugby will get hit hard with massive cuts planned in public and council services including social care, health, education, youth, the fire services and the Police.

In the main the day went well with a number of people signing up for the campaign and we had a good turn out by members of the campaign.

One sour note was the aggressive attitude of the one of the employees of the organisation that is supposed to assist people visiting the town centre, who are employed by a joint venture between the Borough Council and local shops called Rugby First/Rugby Bid.

It is a shame that this one individual employee felt the need to say rudely ‘”NOT IN RUGBY” in respect of us politely saying we had the right to leaflet. And also refused to take a copy of the letter entitled “TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN” for her information.

Saying our leaflets on the table were “litter” only to be seen (by a number of people and no doubt the CVTV Camera’s in the area) 10 minutes later screwing up a leaflet handed to her further up the street by a member of the campaign was hardly called for either.

The extract below clearly allows campaigners to campaign. Also the area round the Clock Tower in the centre of Rugby has always been a public open space for people to meet and chat about what is going on in town, since it was built in 1887.

Their is some good work under taken by Rugby First/Rugby Bid staff and surely it is more important that they concentrate on limiting crime like shop lifting or hand bag snatches in our town centre then treating good Rugby people with such disregard. We are pleased to see sense was allowed to prevail and we were left alone to get on with informing our community about the cuts

We trust this situation will not arise again.

COPY OF LETTER