POSITIVE GREEN VOTE RISES IN RUGBY!

The results for Rugby Green Party in the Rugby Borough Council elections were positive with a gain of votes on 2010.

11.7% (More than 1 in every 10 person who voted – voted Green) was the average support of the Greens in the nine seats we contested across Rugby and in a number of wards we reached figures much higher.

25% in Ryton, 15% in Benn and 16% in Newbold showed real promise for the future.

In the New Bilton and Overslade wards – Green Party candidates finished ahead of the Liberal Democrats and just behind them in Admirals and Brownsover North wards.

In Benn, Earl Craven, Newbold and Ryton the Liberal Democrats actually failed to find a candidate, which bodes very poor for them in the future.

While the decline of the Liberal Democrats was more limited than else where in the UK (largely for personal vote factors) they still lost by a long way in a seat in Dunchurch. New Labour increased their vote as a positive by product reaction to the anti cuts campaign – but not as much as they may have hoped for! The Tories also suffered a marked reduction in support despite gaining the Liberal Democrat seat.

The Trade Unionists and Socialists Coalition – against the Cuts (who stood with the support of the Rugby Against the Cuts Group – as did the Green Party) did fairly well – with good results in Brownsover South (12.6%) and Leam Valley (16%).

In conclusion, as with the Poll Tax struggle, we believe that the fight over the cuts will intensify over the coming period and with New Labour’s compliance over the reason for the crisis and their craven implementation of the cuts, that people will not support them at the ballot box and will be looking for the ethical Green Party as an alternative to ‘more of the same’.

Admirals Ward

· Labour Party Candidate - 811

· Liberal Democrats - 166

· LAFFY Steve - Green Party – 139 – 6.3%

· Conservative Party - 1068 - ELECTED

Turnout = 41.41%

Benn Ward

· Conservative Party - 503

· SANDISON Paul David - Green Party – 248 – 15.3%

· Labour Party - 858 - ELECTED

Turnout = 35.55%

Brownsover North

· Liberal Democrats - 168

· REYNOLDS Peter Stephen - Green Party – 144 – 8.0%

· Conservative Party - 998 - ELECTED

· Labour Party Candidate - 471

Turnout = 37.66%

Earl Craven and Wolston

· Conservative Party - 1448 - ELECTED

· RODERICK Ellie - Green Party – 171 – 9.5%

· Labour Party - 513

Turnout = 45.68%

New Bilton

· Conservative Party Candidate - 587

· SANDISON Roy Leonard - Green Party – 171 – 9.0%

· Liberal Democrats - 170

· Labour Party - 970 - ELECTED

Turnout = 35.42%

Newbold

· DUNLEAVY Lorna Beryl Joyce - Green Party – 272 – 16.0%

· Labour Party - 876 - ELECTED

· WATTS Teri - The Conservative Party Candidate - 546

Turnout = 36.25%

Overslade

· Labour Party - 677

· GOODCHILD Laurence Stephen - Green Party – 178 – 9.3%

· Conservative Party - 884 - ELECTED

· Liberal Democrats - 159

Paddox

· GODDEN Phil - Green Party – 83 – 6.4%

· Labour Party - 244

· Liberal Democrats - 612 - ELECTED

· Conservative Party - 348

Turnout = 45.97%

Ryton on Dunsmore

· BENNETT Sarah Catherine - Green Party – 150 – 25.2%

· SPIERS Ian - The Conservative Party Candidate - 443 - ELECTED

Turnout = 42.88%

BOMB SCARE BRINGS RUGBY TOWN CENTRE TO A HALT – EVENTUALLY

Chaos; as it takes 20 minutes to clear Rugby town centre area

– This before the Police cuts!

A dramatic incident took place in Rugby Town Centre today at 12,45pm with a bomb scare in the main shopping centre...

What happened today? What was the plan?

Rugby Green Party members and Rugby Against the Cuts members were leafleting at dinnertime around the clock tower at the time of the incident and were witnesses to the chaos that took place after people were eventually moved out of the Clock Towers Shopping Centre at around 12.45pm to the Clock Tower area in Market Place in the centre of Rugby.

Roy Sandison from Rugby Green Party explains what happened;

Roy says “I was very worried at the time for people’s safety and unfortunately It was clear that their too few Police Officers were on hand to coordinate a full scale evacuation of local people to a place of safety – Just two Police Officers in Market Place had way too much to do by themselves, which meant that people were still buying food from stalls, passing by the entrance of the shopping centre and also people were able to enter the eastern part of Market Place and join 100’s of confused people in Market Place up to 20 minutes after the alarm was raised..”

“The main road running through the town centre was also fully opened (with taxi’s still trying to pick up customers at the taxi rank)”.

“In my view the few Police and Support Officers on duty seem to be struggling with trying to get to grips with a changing plan of evacuation and seemed very small in numbers for the task in hand.”

“The Rugby Rangers whose part remit, I understand is to protect public safety and to liaise with the police were not in evidence during the evacuation despite being in evidence earlier.

Honest Discussion

“All in all, a scary chaotic scene at a time of heighten national concern about terrorism and in my mind it is very urgent that all the bodies involved in keeping us safe in Rugby have an honest discussion about what happened today in our town.”

Lucky today!

Roy say “We were lucky today that nothing happened, but with 450 Police Cuts being made in Warwickshire and other Emergency Services facing job cuts as well> Will we be anywhere near prepared for something similar in the future?”

“In my view, The Tories (including Mark Pawsey MP) and the Lib Dem are taking a risk with our safety – today could have been much worse and it will clearly be even more risky and chaotic with less Police and Support Officers and we know that bomb scares are not the only risk to our safety.”

* Photo’s available on the Rugby Green Party website, but need to be credited to R. Sandison before use.

FIGHTING THE CUTS IN RUGBY AT THE BALLOT BOX!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00gb6yn

Rugby Local Elections - listen from 2.49.11 for the voice of the anti cuts candidates - Rugby Green Party and Rugby TUSC.

BBC iPlayer - Shane O'Connor's Breakfast Show: 04/05/2011

www.bbc.co.uk

Elliott Webb sits in. Tune in for news, calls and laughter.

OUR TOP TEN priorities for a green AND Sustainable RUGBY

1. 1. Putting Rugby First! - The Green Party has been transforming politics in towns and cities across the UK. Green Councillors have saved post offices, made streets safer, and are well known for working hard for local communities because they believe in putting the community first!

2. No cuts to Jobs and services –A real threat hangs over Rugby, losing core services and facing mass unemployment to pay for the Bankers Gambling Debts! Instead the Greens say; tackle the £120bn of tax evasion every year, Tax the Bankers bonuses, Scrap the money pit that is PFI and end the £100m a year of ‘charity status’ in tax relief to elitist Public Schools like Rugby School. Why should we be expected to pick up the tab instead of the very wealthy?

3. No to backdoor sell off and privatisation of our hospital services, care homes, youth, libraries and community buildings and services – The Tories and Lib Dems are using their cuts to pursue right wing ideological policies and we in Rugby should say NO!

4. Fight Post Office closures – We would seek to reopen closed Post Offices as Community hubs.

5. Its time for Sustainable, Green and Efficient Rugby – £millions a year could be saved by the local council and local people and also provide and save jobs in Rugby. BY;

ü Sustainable purchasing from local groups of companies - instead of big business.

ü Green and efficient generation of energy needs - by installing renewable energy technology on council buildings and similarly helping local communities to produce their own cheap and sustainable energy.

ü Cutting fuels bills by providing free Insulation for many homes in Rugby – It’s been done by other local authorities through Green Party pressure by making the utility companies pay.

THis is working in other places,

so why not in our TOWN

6. No to Incineration– it damages both health and the environment.

7. Rail not Road – The Green Party wants renationalisation of the railways instead of the travel chaos that exists now! – Its also a cleaner way to move goods with 1 train = 125 lorries in levels of carbon omissions.

8. Oppose bus route closures and instead promote ‘clean’ buses as part of an integrated travel provision with trains - A flat fare of £1 in the Rugby Borough – keep free transport for Pensioners, the disabled and introduce for under 16’s.

9. Stop the plan to build at the Radio Masts Site – its ill conceive, a bog standard building plan and unsustainable!

10. No to Tory Craig Humphries unelected paid Chief Executive/Mayoral role and instead we demand open and transparent governance at the town hall – Green Councillors would bring a breath of fresh air to the cosy and sterile world of politics in Rugby.

A REAL CHANGE –

NOT MORE OF THE SAME!

*Please note all our candidates have been endorsed by the Rugby Against the Cuts campaign as ANTI CUTS CANDIDATES to support at the Rugby Borough Council Elections

VOTE GREEN IN RUGBY! NOT MORE OF THE SAME!

VOTE AGAINST THE CUTS – PUNISH LOCAL CONDEMS

As you may know, the Rugby Against The Cuts campaign wrote to all the local political parties and candidates in Rugby and to their shame (especially Labour’s) they refused to sign their pledge opposing the cuts - unlike we are proud to say, all the Rugby Green Party candidates.

Rugby Greens believes the ordinary people are being asked to bail out the bankers and their gambling debts and the very wealthy in our society are getting away with out paying their due – We demand the following:

Tackle the £120bn of tax evasion every year, Tax the Bankers bonuses, Scrap the money pit that is PFI and end the £100m a year of ‘charity status’ in tax relief to elitist Public Schools like Rugby School. Why should we be expected to pick up the tab instead of the very wealthy?

ALL OUR CANDIDATES HAVE THEREFORE BEEN ENDORSED BY THE RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS CAMPAIGN AS THE ONLY ‘ANTI CUTS CANDIDATES’ IN THE SEATS WE ARE CONTESTING!

SUSTAINABLE- GREEN – EFFICIENT - RUGBY

Green Councillors in Rugby would also put on the agenda, clear sound ideas and action to generate and save £millions for local people and the Borough Council by using local companies to purchase items (Sustainable Rugby), energy production (Green Rugby) and promoting insulation in many homes in Rugby by demanding the Utility companies cough up (Efficient Rugby).

SACK HUMPHRIES AND THE TORIES!

Their is much good about our town – but the council under the leadership of the unelected Tory Chief Executive/Mayor Councillor Craig Humphries leadership is holding our town back - Pawn brokers, cash a cheque and charity shops is not the way to build our town. Keeping Youth Clubs in Rugby is much more important than giving the likes of Craig Humphries a job.

LIB DEMS IN TERMINAL DECLINE?

The announcement of candidates shows a further decline of the Liberal Democrats who are clearly failing to find local people willing to stand for them – we believe they have sold out their principles to get into Government and are doing severe harm to people in Rugby.

GREENS FIGHTING NINE SEATS

Rugby Green Party will be contesting the following 9 wards;

Admirals: Steve Laffy

Benn: Paul Sandison

Brownsover North: Pater Reynolds

Earl Craven: Ellie Roderick

Newbold: Lorna Dunleavy

New Bilton: Roy Sandison

Overslade: Laurence Goodchild

Paddox: Phil Godden

Ryton on Dunsmore: Sarah Bennett

Key Seats

· Benn Ward (No Lib Dem where they finished second last time) – ahead of a respectable Green Party vote – Paul Sandison is again standing for the Green Party.

· Earl Craven (Wolson & Binley Woods) where they Lib Dems failed again to find a candidate – where the Green Party achieved a very respectable vote last time – Ellie Roderick is again standing for the Green Party.

· Newbold on Avon – The Lib Dems have failed again to find a candidate – Lorna Dunleavy is standing for the Green Party and has achieved excellent results in the past.

· Ryton on Dunsmore – Where the Lib Dems and also Labour have failed to find a candidate . So we see a Tory vs Green Party head to head fight – with Sarah Bennett standing for the Greens.

In the past 1 in 10 (Over 4000) Rugby people have voted Green and we expect that level of support to increase across the town. We also have an aim to replace the discredited Liberal Democrats as the third party in the UK and Rugby in future

RUGBY DESERVES BETTER!

Another Green World: Greens fight in 1,600 seats on anti-cuts platform....

Another Green World: Greens fight in 1,600 seats on anti-cuts platform....: "The Green Party of England and Wales is running 1,600 candidates in the local elections. This is a fantastic achievement for a party with..."

TORIES AND LIB DEMS DON'T CARE ABOUT THE POLICE AND VICTIMS OF CRIME SAYS RUGBY GREENS

Rugby Green Party spokesperson (Roy Sandison) have accursed Tories and Liberal Democrats of promoting cuts that will will do severe damage to the local communities in Rugby over crime and policing levels.

Reprinted from letter published in Rugby Advertiser 14th April 2011

Dear Sir

The Tory Party used to claim that it was ‘The party of law and order’ and that if people wanted to be safe in their homes and on the streets then the Tories were the people to vote for.

Like many people in the past, I was dubious of such a claim and I think the present destructive cuts by the CONDEM Government at national and local levels have really shows what a falsehood this was.

Sacking 450 police staff in Warwickshire, forcing front line Police Officers into back office duties, forcing experienced Police Officers into premature retirement, cutting Police pay and conditions including their pensions and privatising the forensic crime service is not a way to tackle crime and safeguard public safety. This especially in a time of economic recession, when the crime rate goes up and the fact that drug addicted related crime levels are so out of control.

The Tories and the Liberal Democrats are doing severe damage to our communities in respect of policing and crime and I hope that in the forthcoming local elections that they don’t have the gall to say that they care about policing and crime. If they cared they would not be making these cuts!

Regards

Roy Sandison – Rugby Green Party.