The 'thoroughly unpleasant and really creepy' Nick Griffin

The BNPs Nick Griffin...extra-ordinarily racist, thoroughly unpleasant, really creepy, a nazi, wicked, viscious, misguided, repulsive, a twit.

Meet my reasonable needs to do the job of MP - no more, no less

Spoke at a very interesting meeting organised by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) last night in Whitehall. I'm grateful to the meeting organisers and to all those who attended and asked a wide range of searching questions. I'm already on record as supporting PCS campaigning to protect and promote public services, jobs, equality, those on low pay and unfair conditions of employment, and to fight fascism (see here and here). What I said went down well I think. There was good agreement in many respects between myself and TUSC candidate Rae Lynch (http://www.tusc.org.uk/) - not that this post constitutes a total endorsement of course!!

One of the most striking questions was on MPs pay and expenses. It was very powerfully put and reminded me of the commitment given now and whilst he was a Labour MP by socialist Dave Nellist to take 'only the wage of a skilled factory worker (40% of what he could have earned), less than half that which other MPs took for themselves, the rest he donated back to the Labour movement and to charities'. It also reminded me of the commitment I made on the issue of MPs pay and expenses all the way back in July 2008 (before the MPs expenses scandal) here (relevant extract below*). I am personally committed to making no net financial gain in any way, shape or form from being an MP and have always believed that only my needs to do the job of MP and should be met, no more and no less. I also believe very strongly in the merits of MPs living on income similar to that of people in general.

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*Extract from July 2008 post: I recently posted about the work of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation who looked at what various categories of people need in order to live at an acceptable standard and participate in UK society. I propose that this sort of method should be applied to all MPs, including members of the Government - get a fair, independent body to examine what is needed for MPs to do their jobs well and also live decent, reasonably rounded lives and pay them and/or provide them with appropriate facilities as required.If I was ever elected as an MP (I wish!!) I would certainly work on this basis, whether or not this kind of system was the official one. Are any local MPs willing to have an independent body go over what their actual needs are?

Remembering all who fought for us

Excellent post on the BNP over at James Barlow's blog. Well worth a visit.

Supporting and improving our public services

I recently received a letter from the Public and Commercial Services Union asking for my views on public services, I presume because I'm a local election candidate for the Greens in Eastville. Here’s how I replied to the questions they posed:

1.Do you support PCS’s campaign for fair and equal pay?

Yes, fair and equal pay is very important. We must narrow the income gap and build a secure, stable and sustainable society for people, based on strong local economies working together. The lowest paid should pay no income tax at all in my view.

2.Where do you stand on cutting civil and public service jobs?

Cuts in services must be opposed and its very unlikely that cutting large numbers of jobs would have no impact on services at all. ‘Efficiency savings’ as they have been called aren’t ‘efficient’ at all if services are cut.

3.Do you think in the current climate that [Dept for Work and Pensions] office closures should be halted?

With unemployment rising steeply its surely vital that we mobilise available resources to help people find work and training – office closures are very hard to justify therefore.

4.Where do you stand on privatising public services?

I’m very strongly opposed to the privatisation of public services. The Green Party’s ‘Green New Deal’ for spearheading the economic recovery includes significant investment in public services, including social care, housing and transport. The Green Party strongly believes that local provision and access to high quality public services such as schools, libraries, hospitals, nurseries, post offices and public transport are essential to maintain thriving communities and a good quality of life for all.

5.Do you think more tax staff should be employed to collect [lost or non-pursued] taxes, closing the tax gap [and removing tax loopholes]?

Its well worth devoting the staffing needed to pursuing taxes and closing loopholes. This pays for itself and raises money for spending on public services.

6.Do you support an extension of the ban [on the employment of racist, fascist, far-right group members] to other civil and public services [the police and the prison service have a ban already]?

Yes, we must take all effective steps to combat racism, fascism and nazism. Membership of far-right groups is clearly incompatible with non-discriminatory working practices which all civil and public service providers have signed up to.

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.

Unite Against Fascism - Bristol

Greens will be supporting and taking part in tomorrow's Unite against Fascism Cavalcade:

CAVALCADE

The cavalcade will motor through the Bristol area, assembling at 10 am at Morrisons Car Park, Fishponds joining the March at Castle Park, central Bristol.

MARCH
The March through the City Centre will assemble at Castle Park at 12 noon to the Fountains.

RALLY
The rally will be held at the fountains opposite the Hippodrome at 2pm with speakers and music.
BRING YOUR CARS, BIKES and LORRIES !
BRING YOUR WHISTLES, MUSIC AND VOICES !
BRING YOUR BANNERS ,POSTERS AND PLACARDS !

Event Supported by SW TUC,FBU, PCS, CWU, UNITE, NUJ, UNISON, NUT, Searchlight, Hope Not Hate,Make your Vote Count and several political organisations and communitygroups.

See the Unite Against Fascism - Bristol group on Facebook.

Anne Frank (and you) exhibition in Bristol: lessons from history about fascism, and more...

http://www.annefrankbristol.org.uk/ for details of this exhibition. Lots of lessons for us to learn from history.

Amongst other things the exhibition wants to 'help us deal with intolerance and discrimination' so I'm sure it will be a big hit with the British National Party!!