Bristol Pound: sound

The Bristol Pound is a good idea and I'm glad to see that a date for its launch has now been set in May this year. Given the chaos that has ensued from creating fewer currencies within the EU, doing the opposite and creating more currencies seems good sense. The Schumacher Society state the advantages very well, saying '...local currencies are a legal, but underutilized tool for citizens to support local economies. Local currencies function on a regional scale the same way that national currencies have functioned on a national scale—building the regional economy by creating a protective “membrane” that is defined by the currency itself. Local businesses that accept the currency are distinguished from chain stores that do not, building greater affinity between citizens of the region and their local merchants. Individuals choosing to use the currency make a conscious commitment to buy locally first, taking personal responsibility for the health and wellbeing of their community, laying the foundation of a truly vibrant, thriving local economy.'

Anyone who simply does not like the idea of supporting local businesses that take the local currency doesn't have to use the Bristol Pound. Personally I object to the money I spend in Bristol not circlulating here and doing more work here, so I support moves such as local currencies

 See:

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Date-set-launch-Bristol-Pound-city-s-currency/story-15145749-detail/story.html

A few previous posts on local currencies, community banking and related matters:

http://vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com/2009/01/time-for-community-banks.html

http://vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com/2010/03/voluntary-community-and-social.html

http://vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com/2011/01/bristol-local-exchange-trading-scheme.html

Euroland: grand??

The recent EU summit agreement - the UK aside - to economically integrate, harmonise and centralise is aimed at creating a fiscal union. I cant see how the agreement solves the fundamental problems with the nature of the euro zone though, either economically or politically. Can economic harmony be achieved with socio-economic systems as varied as Greece and Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, Italy and Denmark, Portugal and Sweden? Wasn't it always going to be a problem having one exchange rate over such a huge area? And what of the politics of this? Surely the attempt to bring together such diverse economies - almost creating one much larger country - is likely to cause huge political problems as the people in those countries realise the implications of what has been agreed? There's no realistic joined-up - systems - thinking here. The plan for Euroland is not grand.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8947625/EU-treaty-David-Cameron-stands-as-the-lone-man-of-Europe.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/dec/09/eurozone-countries-treaty-exclude-britain

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/16131346

Euro: no

'Bailout for Greece' - but is it? Isn't it more a bailout for bankers who lent to them, a bailout for corrupt politicians who fiddled Greek national accounts, a bailout for those who have and still seek to protect their euro currency project and the closer political union across the continent...The idea of a common EU currency, the euro, was always a daft idea - poor economics and poor politics. Just look at the situation now. Greece is on the edge, perhaps already over it, economically and socially. It cannot devalue its currency as its in the euro and it is having its economic policy dictated to it by other countries. Its already very difficult in Greece and whatever they do there is going to be more pain but they would be better getting out of the euro - and it would be better if the whole euro project was brought to a controlled end or very significant scale down. But instead...

Greek PM presses EU leaders for new bailout tranche: The Greek prime minister is having a day of talks with fellow EU leaders to approve a new bailout tranche Greece needs to avoid bankruptcy in October.
George Papandreou is meeting European Council chief Herman Van Rompuy and others in Warsaw before seeing French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris.
International inspectors in Athens to decide whether Greece should receive the 8bn euros (£6.9bn; $10.9bn).
Protesters forced the rescheduling of a meeting on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, the expansion of a general bailout fund for the eurozone looks on track for approval...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15120696

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14418539

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14977728

The Big Fish Fight - Channel4 - 4Food

Help ease the pressure on our seas and swap your cod, tuna and salmon for more sustainable mackerel, herring, sardine and others [click picture to enlarge list of 20 examples] - they are very tasty, healthy eating too. Ask your chippie if they will try offering mackerel...Find out more here: The Big Fish Fight - Channel4 - 4Food
Channel 4's top chefs join forces in the Big Fish Fight championing sustainable seafood and celebrating lesser known delicacies of the deep.

Hugh's Fish Fight

Around half of the fish caught by fishermen in the North Sea are unnecessarily thrown back into the ocean dead.

Join the fish fight here

http://www.fishfight.net/

The problem is that in a mixed fishery where many different fish live together, fishermen cannot control the species that they catch. Fishing for one species often means catching another, and if people don’t want them or fishermen are not allowed to land them, the only option is to throw them overboard. The vast majority of these discarded fish will die.

Because discards are not monitored, it is difficult to know exactly how many fish are being thrown away. The EU estimates that in the North Sea, discards are between 40% and 60% of the total catch. Many of these fish are species that have fallen out of fashion: we can help to prevent their discard just by rediscovering our taste for them.

Others are prime cod, haddock, plaice and other popular food species that are “over-quota”. The quota system is intended to protect fish stocks by setting limits on how many fish of a certain species should be caught. Fishermen are not allowed to land any over-quota fish; if they accidentally catch them – which they can’t help but do - there is no choice but to throw them overboard before they reach the docks.

THE SOLUTIONs
We need to diversify our fish eating habits, and we need to change policy so that it works for fish, fishermen and consumers.

The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which is the political framework for the quota system, is currently being reformed for 2012. Scientists and environmental groups have suggested a number of ways that that the policy can work to protect fish stocks. Some details of these can be found on our solutions page.
Re-writing the Common Fisheries Policy is going to be an enormously complicated business, and unfortunately there is no one easy solution to ending discards. Many people agree that the answer will lie in a combination of different ideas and policies.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
• Sign up to the campaign on the sign up page. You will be writing directly to policy makers in Europe to let them know that the unnecessary and unethical discarding of perfectly good fish must stop. We can make a difference. If enough people sign up to the campaign, they have to listen to us. We aim to get 250,000 signatures by summer 2011.
• Write to your MP to ask them to support the Fish Fight Early Day Motion.
• Expand the selection of fish that you eat by trying some of the lesser-known species of local fish currently being discarded as trash. In the UK, cod, salmon and tuna account for more than 50% of the fish that we consume, and tasty, exciting and nutritious fish such as flounder, dab, coley and pouting are overlooked and thrown away.
• Spread the word, tell all of your friends and family about Hugh's Fish Fight and get them to sign the campaign too.Together we can stop this ridiculous carnage. Join Hugh’s Fish Fight now!

Thanks very much,

Hugh's Fish Fight - Half of all fish caught in the North Sea is thrown back overboard dead

Avonmouth imported biofuel power station plan: no environmental impact assessment conducted!!

Been looking closely at the planning application to build a biofuel power station in Avonmouth. Seems to me that there are several flaws in the application itself let alone all the surrounding local impacts and global environmental justice and human rights issues previously outlined. Most notably there is no environmental impact statement – and no indication that any kind of environmental impact assessment procedure has been or will be conducted. Under the European Council Directive on Environmental Impact Assessment, 97/11/EC, an environmental impact assessment is mandatory for ‘Thermal power stations and other combustion installations…’ (EC EIA Directive Annex I projects).

To make matters worse, from a personal involvement viewpoint, I called the Bristol Council Case Officer dealing with this application on Monday of this week and left a message with detailed queries – and called again the following day, leaving my details on his answerphone, because although there was a promise of a return call it did not materialise. It’s the end of the week now and I’ve still not had my calls returned!! As a consequence I’ve been unable to ask why there is no environmental impact assessment and whether one will be conducted at some point soon. Yet this city claims its green credentials are good!!

The EIA Directive (EU legislation) on Environmental Impact Assessment of the effects of projects on the environment was introduced in 1985 and was amended in 1997. Member States have to transpose the amended EIA Directive by 14 March 1999 at the latest.

The EIA procedure ensures that environmental consequences of projects are identified and assessed before authorisation is given. The public can give its opinion and all results are taken into account in the authorisation procedure of the project. The public is informed of the decision afterwards.

The EIA Directive outlines which project categories shall be made subject to an EIA, which procedure shall be followed and the content of the assessment.

Following the signature of the Aarhus Convention by the Community on 25 June 1998, the Community adopted in May 2003 Directive 2003/35/EC amending amongst others the EIA Directive. This Directive intends to align the provisions on public participation in accordance with the Aarhus Convention on public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters.

Unelected master of manipulation Mandelson is really running the country

Give him credit (and his full 37 word post-reshuffle title), the Right Honourable Baron Mandelson of Foy in the county of Herefordshire and Hartlepool in the county of Durham, Lord President of the Council, First Secretary of State, and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, has not taken long since Gordon Brown brought him back from his unelected position within the European Union to become the unelected person who is really running the country.

We have been told by our politicians that they will change our discredited democracy to bring it closer to the people. In the new Brown Cabinet 7 members/attendees come from the unelected House of Lords: Mandelson (Business…plus kitchen sink!!), Adonis (Transport), Malloch-Brown (Foreign Office) , Drayson (Business, Innovation, Skills), Scotland (Attorney General), Royall (Lords Leader), Kinnock (Europe). This is a higher proportion than for many, many decades. Not a good start is it!!!

10 More Green MEPs across EU, Green vote in UK up but no extra MEPs

The five seats shown as Green include 2 Green Party, 2 Scottish Nationalist and 1 Plaid Cymru (these parties all belong to the Green/EFA group in the EU Parliament).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/elections/euro/09/html/ukregion_999999.stm

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Full breakdown of Green/EFA results via this link. Ten additional Green/EFA MEPs, in the main due to significant gains in France (8 more MEPs).

http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/topics/dok/288/288971.2009_european_elections_results@en.htm

Green local elections gains, including Devon and Glos, but not in Bristol

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/elections/local_council/09/html/region_99999.stm

Vote Green: positive, principled politics

News from the Green Party:

Green Party leader wins ethical politician award - again!

Observer ethical awards honour Caroline Lucas MEP for second time

On the eve of the European elections, with the Greens showing at a record 15% in today's ComRes poll, the Green Party is proud to announce that Dr Caroline Lucas MEP is to be named as the Ethical Politician of the Year in the fourth annual Observer Ethical Awards.

Caroline Lucas beat Liberal Democrat shadow chancellor Vince Cable and Conservative leader David Cameron to the top spot - picking up the prestigious award for a second time.

Caroline, a passionate campaigner on social justice, green economics, the environment and animal welfare – at both the grassroots level and in the European Parliament – also won the title in 2007 against David Cameron and Gordon Brown, and is delighted to have been chosen to receive the award once again by readers of the Observer.

Dr Lucas said: "I am honoured that Observer readers have chosen to recognise my work in this way – it means a great deal. At a time of serious political malaise, economic upheaval and environmental challenges, the Greens’ positive vision for the future has never been more important. The party’s policies to create up to a million new green jobs, tackle climate change, protect public services and safeguard civil liberties are at the forefront of efforts to create a new political landscape in which people and planet are always at the heart of decision making.

"I am proud to be a member of a political organisation with strong principles and clear ideas, which is driven by a determination to bring progressive, engaging and ethical politics into the mainstream."

For more information on the Observer Ethical Awards, please visit http://www.guardian.co.uk/observer-ethical-awards.

UKIP: we need genuine euro sceptics not this negative, reactionary, backward-looking mish-mash of mavericks

Searches on the web for information on the political parties before tomorrow's local and Euro elections shows that more people are now looking for information on the Green Party than any other party, except UKIP (graph here). Voters, apalled by the MPs expenses scandal, should beware of voting UKIP as an alternative to the Labour, Conservative or other parties however - not least because their record on personal ethics is a very poor one (see below)!!

UKIP centres mostly on what it does not want and what it is opposed to rather than putting forward a positive and coherent strategy (which they dont have anyway). We need genuine euro-sceptics to challenge the current grossly undemocratic EU. UKIP are a negative, reactionary, backward-looking mish-mash of mavericks who often have more in common with the notorious Republican candidate for Vice President of the USA, Sarah Palin, than British people with good sense who rightly question much about the current EU. Some key members of UKIP dont believe in Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection and are in denial about climate change despite overwhelming, independent evidence, which has been verified over and again - these are not people who are in the 21st century!! (See here).

Open Europe, an independent think tank which questions 'ever closer union' as a feature of the EU, ranked UKIP's leader tenth from bottom in a league table of our MEPs for transparency, accountability, democracy and waste. Of the bottom thirteen MEPs six are from UKIP. Green Party leader Caroline Lucas came top the British MEPs in Open Europe's league table.

In the 2004 Euro election UKIP had 12 MEP's elected - but now only 8 remain to represent us. Former leader Roger Knapman left, accusing current leader Nigel Farage of being more interested in plush offices than principles (Farage has reportedly boasted about using his £2million worth of EU allowances to finance his campaigning). Robert Kilroy-Silk left after his leadership bid failed. Ashely Mote was convicted of benefit fraud and kicked out. Tom Wise was charged with money laundering and kicked out. That these people were amongst those selected as candidates to begin with shows very poor judgement and standards (more here).

More analysis of UKIP as a party against progress here.

Greens overtake Lib Dems and battle UKIP for third place - new poll

The polls are pretty volatile at present but even so this latest one shows excellent and growing support for the Greens (see comment direct from the Green Party below). At this level of support Ricky Knight would become the first Green MEP for the South West and many other Greens would be elected and re-elected across the UK.

Greens on 15% overtake LibDems

Big vote predicted for "a million green jobs to tackle recession and climate crisis at same time"

A poll to be published the day before the European elections suggests the battle for third place will be between the Green Party, the LibDems and UKIP.

In the new poll, conducted by ComRes (1), the Greens have overtaken the LibDems for the first time since 1989. The poll suggests the Greens may be about to match their historic 1989 Euro-election vote of 15%.

The poll shows support for the different parties as follows:

Conservative: 24%
Labour: 22%
UKIP: 17%
Green: 15%
Lib Dems: 14%
BNP 2%

If the poll proves accurate, the Greens will probably win seats in the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands, East Midlands, South West and Eastern regions plus Scotland, as well as holding existing seats in London and the South East. The Greens may even scoop up a second seat in the South East, with Brighton councillor Keith Taylor joining party leader Caroline Lucas, who was first elected in 1999.

Last Sunday's Telegraph/ICM poll showed the Greens on 11%, ahead of UKIP nationally for the first time in the campaign. The Sunday Telegraph suggested that "the resurgent Greens" might win eight seats.

And in an earlier Green Party/YouGov poll, 34% of respondents said they would either definitely vote Green or consider voting Green if they knew more about the party.

A party spokesperson said: "It's not all protest vote. I think our manifesto for a million jobs, aimed at tackling the recession and the climate crisis at the same time, has probably struck a chord with a lot of people.

"In the last few days of the campaign we need to work hard to mobilise the Green vote, because in a proportional election every vote counts. A 15% Green vote would mean a half-dozen or more extra Green MEPs to go and fight for those million jobs in the Green New Deal."


Note:

1. Poll commissioned by the Green Party. Fieldwork carried out 29-31 May 2009. Sample size 1,005 GB adults, polled by telephone.

Liberal Democrat voters the largest group likely to switch to the Greens, followed by Labour voters

Just had the Liberal Democrat Party European election leaflet through my door. A lot of it is, surprise, surprise, pretty unremarkable. However, it does feature a paragraph worthy of comment on the Greens (along with paragraphs on the Conservatives and Labour) entitled ‘Their record of shame’ (the title’s a bit rich I’d say, given that several Lib Dem MPs have been forced by public pressure to repay expenses claimed)!! Now, this paragraph is interesting because poll evidence shows that the largest group that would consider switching to the Greens are Lib Dem voters, even though its usually far more common for Greens to attract former Labour voters, who this time came second!! Obviously the Lib Dem Party feel the threat to their vote from Greens.

This is what the Lib Dem Party’s inaccurate misrepresentation said,

‘The Green Party have always been anti-EU even though it is our best chance of tackling climate change. The EU has helped to clean up British rivers and beaches and ban animal testing of cosmetics, but the Green Party let their ideology get in the way of getting things done for the environment.’

*Greens ‘anti-EU’??

Frankly the Lib Dem Party should be much more questioning about the current EU which has been distorted by vested political and economic interests into a union dominated by economic interests, which lacks democratic control, and promotes the goals of multinational corporations, not of people. Greens are not campaigning to withdraw from the EU but we do believe that it should be radically reformed so that its made up of overlapping, co-operative, democratic, decentralised groupings of nations and regions. (More detail on the Green view of Europe here).

*Greens ‘let their ideology get in the way of getting things done for the environment’??

First the list of Green initiatives for people (just some of them shown in the long list below) in itself shows that we get things done (The Lib Dem Party still have not got the idea that being Green is not just about the environment and should note the wide range of our economic, social and political as well as environmental initiatives below). Second, the statement is illogical because Green ideology is itself about getting environmental things done, in combination with the social, economic and political, through the principle and practice of sustainability.

For you
Ensured better regulations for consumer goods
Won support for tougher laws on animal protection
Worked for urgent action on climate change and the environment
Promoted peace and human rights at home and abroad
Opposed the privatisation of public services and the closure of local post offices
Campaigned to end the Parliament’s wasteful two seat arrangement in Brussels and Strasbourg
Worked towards a more local, organic and sustainable food system
Ensured the health of EU citizens is put at the heart of European policy making
Demanded a global economy which puts people before profit
Promoted a fairer system of world trade to help reduce poverty

For women
Backed EU wide action to help ensure that women are guaranteed a life free from all violence
Secured support for the EU’s Cancer Task Force to investigate the environmental causes of cancer, (delete including) especially breast cancer
Called on members of the European Union to ensure that all women can fully enjoy the right to reproductive and sexual health care and information
Campaigned for the EU to fund improvements to maternal health, specifically to prevent deaths in child birth, across the world
Challenged whether the UK’s lax licensing laws for lap dancing clubs are a breach of European legislation designed to promote equality of treatment in the workplace

For workers
Demanded a massive investment in green industry and employment training, to create hundreds of thousands of new green-collar jobs here in the UK
Called on the European Commission to review the impact of the Posted Workers Directive on national jobs
Lobbied the UK authorities about better protection for temporary workers, including guaranteeing the same basic working and employment conditions as other employees doing the same job
Backed EU plans to limit the working week, giving people the chance to opt for a better work-life balance
Worked alongside trade unions to challenge the privatisation of public services and the impact this has on workers rights and job security

For the LGBT community
Led a European Parliament campaign for mutual recognition of civil partnerships between different countries
Called on the European Commission to condemn LGBT oppression in places like Iran, Morocco, Egypt, Bahrain and Honduras
Backed calls for a new law that would outlaw hate crimes perpetrated against LGBT people
Urged the British government to offer asylum to those fleeing persecution because of their sexuality or gender identity
Placed pressure on Eastern European countries to fully support LGBT rights, including backing PRIDE marches

For older people
Called for a £165 a week non-means-tested citizens’ pension for every pensioner in the UK
Challenged the UK’s decision to withdraw entitlement to free adult education for many older people
Ensured that EU law on equality and employment (is there some text missing here?), by opposing a mandatory retirement age
Supported constituents whose pensions schemes have failed
Helped protect constituents’ right to health care when they retire and live some of the time in another European country

For younger people
Campaigned to protect higher and further education from being run for profit
Encouraged the EU to provide more funding for cross-cultural programmes between young people in different countries
Worked hard to ensure that the internet remains accessible to all
Called for a Europe wide strategy to combat the trafficking of children
Demanded that children seeking asylum in the UK are not kept in detention
Supported NGO initiatives to promote greater public understanding of younger people

Greens are the most trusted party: the evidence

Recent polling evidence shows that the Green Party is by far the most trusted. Voters were asked by You Gov which party's politicians they thought were most likely to put their own financial interests before the interests of their country. The results:



*Labour - least trusted, named by 45% as likely to put self-interest first.
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*Conservatives - almost as bad, named by 40%
*
*BNP - 20%
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*Liberal Democrats - 16%
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*UKIP - 15%
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*Green Party - most trusted, named by just 5% as likely to put self-interest first.

This is of course in the same week that campaign group Open Europe rated the Green Party's leader Caroline Lucas as the joint best British MEP on accountability, transparency and reform (details here) and Joanna Lumley urged people to vote Green.

"Vote Green" says Joanna Lumley - an Ab Fab endorsement!!

The Daily Mirror, Independent, Evening Standard and Daily Mail all report Joanna Lumley's support for the Green Party. She said "I urge you to cast a positive vote for a better future by voting Green in the European elections."

Joanna praised Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, saying that she is "a tireless campaigner... staunchly defending human rights and strongly promoting greater protection for animals".

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lumley-goes-green-in-european-elections-1691811.html

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1188893/Campaigner-Ab-Fab-star-Joanna-Lumley-comes-Green-Party.html

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http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23700109-details/Lumley:+The+Green+Party+is+the+obvious+choice+in+poll/article.do

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http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/05/28/saint-joanna-gives-greens-her-blessing-115875-21394866/

Sikh Federation urges a Green vote - and another good poll figure is reported

Very encouraging developments for Green campaigners today.

Sikh federation urges Sikhs to vote Green:

http://rosso-verde.blogspot.com/2009/05/sikh-federation-says-vote-green.html

Greens at 9% in the polls (Guardian/ICM), very close to UKIP, BNP struggling to feature at all:

http://charlie-boltons-southville-blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/new-poll-puts-greens-on-9.html

Bring the UK Parliament into the twenty first century

The MPs' expenses controversy has seriously undermined the public's faith in the current political process and its politicians. Its no surprise that people have lost faith in the present system and many of the MPs in it. I agree with the sentiments expressed by Gerald Gannaway from Knowle Park (Feedback: MPs expenses scandal, Bristol Evening Post, May 21).

Something that makes it even worse is that the more recent political bodies set up, the London, Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies and the Scottish Parliament, have always operated under much more strict rules. It’s utterly appalling that the UK Parliament has not at least matched the processes and standards they can see elsewhere in the country.

Yes we need to ensure that the system is cleansed of MPs who don’t know right from wrong when making expense claims and that a completely open, transparent, independently verified system is put in place – but we also need to take the chance to make root and branch democratic reforms to bring our out of date UK Parliament into the twenty first century.

These ideas (and more!) should be on the table: a written constitution so we all know where we stand; decentralization of power to give more influence to local communities and regions; electoral reform so that all votes count; a Bill of Rights; laws to enable Citizens Initiatives following a local or regional referendum; a system with rules to facilitate the recall of MPs and Councillors between elections, if enough of their constituents want it; 4 year fixed term parliaments; a fully elected second chamber to replace the House of Lords…

With elections to the European Parliament and local councils coming up on June 4th many very people are wondering whether it's worth bothering to vote at all. This worries me. If the turnout is really low it makes it easier for the BNP to win a seat. So to voters who cannot bear the thought of voting Labour, Conservative or Lib-Dem, I’d say what about voting Green!! Not only will this help Green Party MEPs and Councillors get elected, it is also a positive vote for both the present and the future, including deep reform of the system.

As was said in the recent Green election broadcast - if you don't want things to continue as they are, if you think fairness, integrity and the environment belong in politics then vote Green.

Abandoning the mainstream parties? Vote for the positive, ethical Greens not the hateful BNP.

I’m urging people who intend to abandon the mainstream parties in June’s local and euro elections, and there are understandably many of them, to choose the positive, ethical alternative the Greens offer, not to avoid voting and not to vote for the BNP. I agree strongly with letter writer Liban Obsiye that we need better politicians, but not the BNP.

Plenty of talk about the BNP at the moment. They are getting a lot of frequent, fairly casual mentions in the media as an alternative to the mainstream parties. Their campaign launch received a lot of coverage time on the telly. I’ve seen their party broadcast and on Tues I received their euro election leaflet through my door despite the fact that some Bristol posties have refused to deliver them (and according to reports have forced a change in the attitude of their managers, who have now agreed to allow them to refuse!).

The BNP leaflet got an instant and angry response from my daughter, who has just finished studying IGCSE History including the rise of Fascism and Nazism in the 1920s/30s and the Second World War, who wrote about her feelings here. She is right that the BNP references to images of the Second World War on their leaflet are very odd indeed given that we fought that war to stop the Nazis and Fascists – a description that fits the BNP very well, see here. (Interestingly UKIP also link to the Second World War in their leaflet, using a large picture of Winston Churchill). She is right to draw parallels between BNP tactics and Hitler’s use of scapegoats, economic hard times and failures in the political system to appeal for voter support. Hitler combined violence and bullying with the appearance of moderation as and when it suited him.

Strange that the West Country is simultaneously hosting the Anne Frank exhibition in Bristol Cathedral whilst also giving a platform for the nazi BNP at the Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution in Queen Square this Friday (jointly organised by the BRLSI and, rather ironically given the BNP’s nature, pressure group Unlock Democracy). The Anne Frank exhibition wants to 'help us deal with intolerance and discrimination' – the BNP, a party full of hate, has a constitution that wont even allow black or Asian people to join them! The South West Greens lead Euro election candidate Cllr Ricky Knight has refused to share a platform with the BNP at the Bath meeting. He will be present outside the venue giving out leaflets explaining his Green position and answering any questions in an impromptu ‘people’s hustings’. He has written the following about the meeting:

Unlock Democracy, Bath, criticises the Greens, Labour and Lib-Dems for refusing to debate with the British National Party. On this occasion, it is the Greens and the other parties who should be doing the criticising.

The BNP continue to use tactics and espouse ideas that cannot be construed as being "democratic". A simple example is their use of leaflets identifying a trade unionist, printing his address, phone number and distributing leaflets designed to arouse hostility towards him.

In addition, the BNP constitutionally will not permit Black or Asian British people to become members. They even refuse to accept the fact that they are British.

I am sure that if the BNP membership exclusion extended to Jewish members, homosexuals and people with disabilities, it might become more obvious why the Greens have adopted, in informal agreement with regional Labour and Lib-Dem lead candidates, a policy not to share a platform with a political party whose views on many serious issues we find abhorrent, unethical and indefensible.

We can see from history how a ‘democratic’ party, once elected, was able to perpetrate the Holocaust. I am particularly disappointed that a respected organisation as Unlock Democracy, Bath, with such an honourable record of promoting the reform of our own electoral system, should then choose to ignore these warning signs and attempt to give the oxygen of publicity to a group whose cornerstone policies are the antithesis of the democratic process.

Bristol Greens local election campaign launch boosted by the polls - 34% considering voting Green and 11% intending to vote Green across whole country

Things are moving - many voters are seeking a positive alternative to the current mainstream parties who have brought economic chaos, environmental decline and greedy MPs.

Bristol Greens held their local election campaign launch at lunchtime today, on Castle Park's threatened green space. They announced the 10 point policy plan (below), a full slate of candidates in every ward and the fact that a YouGov has found that 34% of people either will or are considering voting Green on June 4th, in addition to a poll in the Sunday Express which showed that currently 11% of voters have already decided to vote Green in the Euro elections!!


Get serious about transport: put Bristol’s councillors on the bus!

We want the council to start seriously pursuing the creation of a transport authority for Bristol. Parking privileges for councillors should be revoked to concentrate their minds on finding practical solutions to Bristol’s transport problems, such as better buses, trams and the expansion and improvement of the local rail network.

Think global, act local

Wherever we’re elected, Greens promote local shops, post offices, schools, parks, better high streets, keeping jobs within communities, local food and more allotments. People should be able to walk to their local library or swimming pool.

It’s time for a Green New Deal – starting here in Bristol

Bristol should be leading the way investing in green jobs and green businesses. Investing more in domestic energy efficiency, for example, would fight climate change, keep homes warmer, bring in significant extra funding from government and help everyone save money.

Twenty is plenty

Support for 20mph zones across all the city’s dangerous roads is growing. This is something we’ve fought for, for many years, and we’re finally being listened to. We will also carry on our campaign to make pavements for people not for parked cars.

Green space is not a waste

The council must be made to stick to its green space strategy, and stop selling off so much green space – be it inner city spaces like Castle Park or greenbelt land.

Do the “little” things right

We would take action to make streets cleaner and improve waste and recycling collections, increase the number of street trees, deal with dog mess and poor quality graffiti and all the other things that have such an effect on the quality of life in our city.

No to putting social services into exploiting private sector hands

The LibDems lost in 2007 because they refused to back down over their plans to privatise home care. Labour won but privatised most of it anyway. Both should be ashamed of themselves. We need a policy that values the vital work done by Bristol’s home carers.

Education policy should be for our children, not for accountants

We are appalled by the council’s policy of saving money by closing some schools while making big schools even bigger. The Green Party believes in education on a human scale: all children, including pre-school, should be able to be educated in their local community.

Get climate serious – no more greenwash

Bristol should adopt a target of cutting citywide carbon emissions by at least 40% by 2020. But to be genuinely serious about stopping runaway climate change, action needs to be taken more quickly, with at least 25% cut by 2015. Time is running short.

We need a progressive voice in Bristol politics

In today’s tough economic climate, it is more important than ever to stand up for what we believe in. Every Green vote reminds the LibDem/Lab/Con parties that there is an alternative to their clogged roads, defunct economy, and overcrowded schools. Our councillors will work hard to focus attention on the topics that really matter: a sustainable economy, public services, quality of life, and the future of the planet.

Euro election launch: positive, clean politics; plans for 1 million new jobs in green industries

Every party seems to be launching election campaigns at the moment! Here's a link to the BBC's coverage of todays Green Party Euro election campaign launch.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8050021.stm

It features an excellent statement from leader Caroline Lucas showing how our economic and environmental problems need to be tackled together - after all there is no economy without an environment is there!