Green Party - Leaders Live (Full Episode)

Government attack on sick and disabled

The Green Party has reacted strongly to new developments affecting sick and disabled people which it says amount to a three pronged attack that will drive thousands into greater hardship and poverty: 

1. Internal government documents seen by the BBC suggest that the government is considering cutting Employment and Support Allowance by almost £30 per week. (1) 

2. It has emerged that thousands of people with degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis are having their benefits slashed because the Department for Work and Pensions believes that they will recover enough to work. (2).
 

3 Another controversial American company Maximus is taking over the contract to assess the fitness of benefits claimants to work, the BBC understands, replacing French firm Atos, who quit the contract in March. (3)

The Green Party’s Work and Pensions spokesperson Jonathan Bartley said: “The Government is turning the screw even more tightly on the sick and disabled.  Cutting benefits for sick and disabled people, who have already been disproportionately targeted and are already more likely to be living in poverty, is completely unacceptable. (4).

“The Work Capability Assessment has proved a very expensive disaster in both financial and human terms. It must be abolished and replaced with a system that truly reflects the needs and aspirations of sick and disabled people. Those who cannot work must receive the support they need.

“It is unnecessary to pay hundreds of millions of pounds to private companies like Atos and Maximus, when sick and disabled people, and their own NHS doctors, can tell us what they need. Public services should be run for the common good, not private profit.  Maximus has already been embroiled in controversy (5) and should not be involved in crucial decisions as to what support will be offered to sick and disabled people in the UK.” 

(1) This would affect those in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG)
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/30/cuts-employment-support-allowance-papers-jobseekers-allowance 
(2) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/thousands-with-degenerative-conditions-classified-as-fit-to-work-in-future--despite-no-possibility-of-improvement-9811910.html 
(3) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29815425 
(4) Disability charity Scope recently reported that ‘disabled people are twice as likely to live below the poverty line as non-disabled people’ and face considerably higher living costs. http://www.scope.org.uk/support/disabled-people/money  
(5) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/23/AR2007072301727.html

SAVE ST CROSS - SAVE THE NHS - NO TO TTIP

Over the last several weeks, Rugby Green Party have come out in force campaigning over the threat of cuts to Rugby St Cross Hospital.

The Green Party believe that this is more likely to be as a direct result of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a treaty between the European Union and the United States.

Terry White, 22, from Rugby Green Party has said 'people have been telling us they're concerned about how much of the hospital they've lost. I haven't spoken to a single person who uses our hospital that is not concerned that we now have to travel to Coventry for services that we should be able to get from a hospital situated in a town like Rugby.'

Mr White also expressed his concern over the legal power TTIP gives to business. 'No elected government should face the threat of being able to be sued by unelected businesses.

Under TTIP, these businesses will have the freedom to buy out more and more of our NHS as well as other public services. Our campaign is all about putting public services back in public hands.

Thousands of people across Rugby aren't in a financial situation to be able to afford our health service to be sold off and the devastating part is how we haven't heard Mr Pawsey MP for Rugby say anything on this, which is why I will be writing to him to demand an explanation from him on this.

BILTON BY ELECTION - VOTE KATE CROWLEY - VOTE GREEN - 6TH NOVEMBER

Rugby Green Party has selected Kate Crowley as our Green Candidate in the forthcoming By Election for the Bilton Ward.

Kate who has lived in Rugby for over 30 years and lives nearby to the Bilton Ward is well known to many in her profession as a local Pharmacist.

Interests of Kate’s include dancing, reading, walking and charitable fundraising

Kate is campaigning to give people a positive vote in Bilton to:

• Defend our NHS.
• Protect independent local shops in Bilton – including a levy on new supermarket developments. According to ‘Local Works’ Every time a supermarket opens, 276 jobs are lost locally and we all know what our neglected town centre looks like with empty shops – we do not want this in Bilton!
• Improve bus services,
• Oppose unsuitable housing developments – build homes for local need not profit for developers.
• Promote Rugby as a place for the new green jobs – based on the skills that already exist in Rugby including the council taking the lead to improve public housing through free solar panels & Insulation etc to tackle fuel poverty and low cost grants to owner occupiers.

Kate says, “Rugby is my community and with new positive Green ideas we can start to repair the damage that has been done by the grey parties and build our town into a safe vibrant place to live”

Contact Kate and Rugby Green Party on 07935 251832 
Email rugbygreenparty@gmail.com

P & P by R.Sandison on behalf of Kate Crowley and Rugby Green Party, 21 Jubilee Street, Rugby CV21 2JJ 

Dates for Your Diary: Mobilize for a Greener, Fairer World.

Off the back of a fantastic conference in Birmingham, here are some dates which are essential for your diary.

20th of September: Demand One Million Climate Jobs

On the 23rd of September the UN will host a "Climate Summit" in New York City, USA. The stated aim is for world leaders to bring together bold initiatives to tackle climate change, and mesh these together into a legally binding agreement by 2015. Realistically, this is set to be another talking shop, which will conveniently serve to green-wash the big businesses and states involved. 

 However, on the eve of this summit there will be two important counter-events held in the UK. The first is the re-launching of the campaign for "One Million Climate Jobs". This campaign, organized by the Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Group, is primarily concerned with putting forward an alternative which serves to address the interlinked economic and ecological crises. Instead of austerity, they are calling for massive public investment in jobs that will transform our economy away from contributing to climate change, paid for by a radical redistribution of wealth. 

On the 20th of September they will be hosting their conference "The International Fight for Climate Jobs" and launching an updated pamphlet. This initiative, which is linking labour and environmentalist struggles, is phenomenally important and should be supported wholeheartedly by Green Party members. 

21st of September: People's Climate March

The following day will see the People's Climate March weave through central London in order to voice its despair at the lack of action on behalf of our governments, and voice support for the ambitious and audacious transformations that will be required to stop runaway climate change. 

The march will be one of many taking part across the world, from Bogota to Johannesburg, and of course including New York City where the UN summit is being hosted. 

This march is supported by a broad coalition of pressure groups, charities, NGO's and trade unions, including the Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Group discussed above.

28th of September: March on the Tories Conference and "Hard-Up Festival"

On the 28th of September the Tories will be hosting their Autumn conference in Birmingham. At last years conference demonstrators outnumbered delegates. It is vitally important that at their final conference before the next general election we show our disgust towards the Tories austerity and continue to strengthen networks on the left. The TUC will be organizing a demonstration against the conference, which will conclude with a rally which is being dubbed the "Hard-Up Festival".

18th of October: Britain Needs a Pay Rise

"Join us for a march and rally in London on the 18th of October 2014, to help call for an economic recovery that works for all Britons , not just those right at the top , Britain needs a payrise!" - the TUC http://britainneedsapayrise.org/

I can already hear some of you saying "another march?". I too have doubts about the efficacy of well-mannered marches from A to B as tools for initiating change. However, given the scale of the problems we face, it is important to use grasp every opportunity we have. Even if government ministers and capitalist fat cats are unlikely to be swayed at all by our presence, these marches represent an opportunity to put our vision of an alternative world forward to the population. It is also vital that Greens assert ourselves as the party of, and for the working-classes. These demonstrations can act as a brilliant forum for networking with like-minded people and strengthening ties on the left. Furthermore, groups such as UK Uncut and Disabled People Against Cuts are able to use these demos as opportunities for creative direct action. 

Coaches will be converging on the capital from all over, please check for your local pick-up and book your place as early as possible. 

November 19th: National Demo for Free Education - No Fees, No Cuts, No Debt. 

For the most part, the student movement which exploded onto the scene following the ConDem's trebling of tuition fees in 2010 appears to have faded away. For anyone involved in left-wing politics back then, it was clear that the Student's were taking the leading role in fighting the austerity agenda. University campuses and school grounds were alive with grassroots organization that quickly outstripped the cumbersome and reserved NUS. The streets of many cities thronged with students and school-children that refused to passively accept the poor deal they were dealt by the government; campuses went into lengthy occupations with draconian responses from vice-chancellors on six-figure salaries; important links between working-class and student movements were made. 

However, we should not be complacent about the passiveness of today. A militant student activism that took root in 2010 continues to thrive today on many campuses. Birmingham university continues to be a battleground, Sussex students launched a vibrant occupation last year in solidarity with workers whose jobs were being outsourced, and the University of London Union became such a thorn in the side of the establishment that its democratically elected representatives have been replaced by officers appointed by management. 

On November 19th the Young Greens are co-operating with numerous other organizations to arrange a national demonstration for free education. Whether you are a student or not, we would love to see you there!

To Summarise:

• 20th of September: International Fight for Climate Jobs Conference

• 21st of September: People's Climate March

• 28th of September: Demonstration at Tory Party Conference

• 18th of October: TUC Protest - Britain Needs a Payrise

• 19th of November: National Demo for Free Education 

Laurence Goodchild - Rugby Greens Trade Union Liaison.

Rugby Greens slam St Andrew's Church Hall planned development

St Andrew's Church Hall

Letter sent to local papers & Private Eye

Sir,

We are told by the law of the land that a  Conservation Area is declared in order to preserve the character and appearance of an area.

Your readers will be concerned to note that the current planning applications to Rugby Borough Council shown above, for a new Caldecott Square that would back onto our town parish church St Andrews,would achieve just the opposite!

The applicants state that the design has been carefully chosen to fit in, but St Andrews Church House, a handsome (if unexceptional ) 1934 three storey communal building, would be demolished and replaced by a five storey apartment block , of a modernist cuboid design with flat roofs and balconies, much better suited to the Costa Blanca! ( Blocks A and B). 

The applicants argue that is all right because its appearance would be blocked by commercial buildings (the shops) , yet anyone can see that those are only three storeys high. It would also include nil social rented housing so no help for the Housing Waiting List.

Herbert Gray College in Little Elbrow Street, is a rather fine Georgian Listed Building of pre-1849 with an 18th century core, which stands to be disfigured by huge extensions of modernist cuboid glass plate walls with grey cladding panels, which could hardly be less sympathetic to the Georgian /late- Victorian buildings surrounding it.

It is understood that our Conservative-run Borough Council has already approved an earlier application here for a modernist hotel, so the planners feel pushed into accepting this new application as the existing one is even worse ; well, this is hardly an effective policy for preserving a Conservation Area and leads to the tail wagging the dog.

Bats roosting at Herbert Gray College also would not be protected , as the bat survey done is only half complete.

Readers still have a week to raise objections at the Town Hall against this architectural vandalism of our Conservation Area, and the case officer is Mr Holt.

Former users of the Church House may also wish to apply for it to get Community Asset Status which would at least freeze its demolition to see if it can be found a viable use. Anyone wishing to pursue this is invited to contact Rugby Green Party on our website as we have had  recent success in this procedure with the Imperial Hotel in Oxford Street.

At this rate we are going to lose all of Rugby's historical areas bar the School !

Thank you,

Peter Reynolds, Chair - Rugby Green Party