What would I be like as a councillor for Knowle?

**A councillor for Knowle, brought up and living in Knowle, ready and available to respond to local issues

A councillor who will challenge corrupt politics as usual institutions, decision making processes and politicians

A councillor who will fight for: respect for our environment; stronger local communities; meeting needs now and in the future; local and global fairness; efficiency; renewability; health, wellbeing and quality of life

A councillor who is independent minded and doesn't have to vote the way party whips tell him

A councillor who's prepared to stand down if that's what the electorate wants

A councillor who can look beyond ward and city boundaries - thinking globally and acting locally

A councillor who'll champion vulnerable minorities and work for a fairer, more equal city

A councillor who'll help enable Bristol's transition into a low-carbon, low waste, sustainable city

A councillor who'll do all he can to protect our common assets.

**click image to enlarge and see details of all the candidates standing in Knowle in 2011.

Councillors Code of Conduct

All councillors sign up to Bristol City Councils Code of Conduct for Members which includes the ten principles of public life below*. I have to say that the way conventional party politics works – with Whips enforcing a party line - it’s very hard to see how all councillors are consistently ‘making decisions on merit’ and reaching ‘their own conclusions on the issues before them and act in accordance with those conclusions’. This is something I will certainly examine and challenge if elected because its very important that councillors are objective and make good personal judgements (note that elected Green Party councillors won’t use a Whip system like other parties do). No point in signing up to a code you only follow part of!

*The Ten General Principles of Public Life

Selflessness – member should serve only the public interest and should
never improperly confer an advantage or disadvantage on any person.

Honesty and integrity – members should not place themselves in situations where their honesty and integrity may be questions, should not behave improperly, and should on all occasions avoid the appearance of such behaviour.

Objectivity – members should make decisions on merit, including when
making appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards or benefits.

Accountability – members should be accountable to the public for their
actions and the manner in which they carry out their responsibilities, and
should co-operate fully and honestly with any scrutiny appropriate to their particular office.

Openness – member should be as open as possible about their actions and those of their authority, and should be prepared to give reasons for thoseactions.

Personal judgement – member may take account of the views of others, including their political groups, but should reach their own conclusions on the issues before them and act in accordance with those conclusions.

Respect for others - members should promote equality by not discriminating against any person, and by treating people with respect, regardless of their race, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability. They should respect the impartiality and integrity of the authority’s statutory officers and its other employees.

Duty to uphold the law – members should uphold the law and, on all
occasions, act in accordance with the trust that the public is entitled to place in them.

Stewardship - member should do whatever they are able to do to ensure that their authorities use their resources prudently, and in accordance with the law.

Leadership – members should promote and support these principles by
leadership and by example, and should act in a way that secures or preserves public confidence.

BBC News - Carbon emissions 'hidden' in imported goods revealed

The extent of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions "hidden" in imported goods is growing, according to two studies. Official statistics do not include emissions created by making imported goods but researchers say they should. It comes as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports 26% of global emissions come from producing goods for trade. The Carbon Trust found such "embedded" CO2 could negate domestic carbon cuts planned in the UK up to 2025...The Carbon Trust research, posted on its website as draft findings not for circulation, confirms that the UK has increased emissions since 1990 rather than decreasing them, as politicians typically claim.

What may alarm ministers even more is a projection that the radical CO2 cuts planned by government into the 2020s may be offset by ever-increasing levels of CO2 in imports.

BBC News - Carbon emissions 'hidden' in imported goods revealed

Royal Wedding Dictators invite list

"St James's Palace claims the Queen invited eight royal dictators to the royal wedding with the agreement of the Foreign Office. This approval was presumably sanctioned by the Foreign Secretary, William Hague," said human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation...

...As a result of protests by human rights campaigners, Bahrain's royal autocrat is no longer attending the wedding. But seven other dictator monarchs are still on the guest list," noted Mr Tatchell."It is deplorable that the Queen is still inviting royal dictators from Saudi Arabia, Swaziland, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Brunei and Abu Dhabi. All seven royal families preside over severe human rights abuses, such as detention without trial, torture, the denial of free speech, restrictions on press freedom and the violent suppression of peaceful protests...

Another Green World: Royal Wedding Dictators invite list

The Greater Bristol Cycling City project

Great letter in today's Post from Jeremy Gardner - over £20 million spent on cycling in the Bristol area and there are still many glaring issues with the existing cycle network.

I WISH to make a number of points about the Greater Bristol Cycling City project. I approach this issue as a cyclist and a pedestrian and I would like to see more done to improve safety for both...In short, the cycle and pedestrian network across Bristol and urban South Glos is still in need of investment but there is no need for grandiose projects like bridges and new routes just to show the councils can spend the cash. What we really need is for the network we already have to be sorted out and made it safer. The reason many people don't cycle is because of safety issues so that must be the first priority.

Greens keen to pick up protest vote

The Greens Deputy Leader Adrian Ramsay and Norwich Greens have set an excellent example for local Greens Parties to emulate:

Adrian Ramsay, a lynchpin of Green support in the region is standing down as a councillor in Norwich. It ends eight years on the council he was elected to at the tender age of 21.

He has now risen to the dizzying heights of Deputy Leader of the Green Party.

"I need to concentrate on my national role but I will still be campaigning in Norwich," he says.

The Green Party is once again hoping that this will be the election when they make the big breakthrough.

"I don't think we've reached a glass ceiling. We're growing around the region and particularly in Norwich. I think there are seats we can gain there - seats we contested strongly last time."

They are already in opposition in the city with 14 councillors to Labour's 16 and the party is hopeful of taking votes from disaffected Lib Dems who are unhappy at the coalition.

Mr Ramsay argues: "We've picked up lots of support in the last 13 years from people who felt let down by the Labour Government when they wanted a new type of politics and didn't get it. Similarly a lot of them voted Lib Dem.

"A lot of them voted Lib Dem tactically at the general election and feel let down in all sorts of ways on lots of issues and we have already started to see lots more people joining the Green Party who used to be in the Lib Dems. And in the local elections in Norwich in September we made another gain from the Lib Dems.

"We've got 38 councillors across the East of England, that's more than any other region in the country. It really is the Green Party that's strong in terms of organisation and picking up support from people who feel let down by the other parties."

Now firmly established in Norwich, the Greens are hoping for further success.

With the Lib Dems in Government they are competing to take over as the party of the protest vote.

BBC - Politics Points East: Greens keen to pick up protest vote

38 Degrees | Don't Scrap Environment Laws

The government is planning to scrap green laws which protect our planet and help prevent climate change. Politicians claim that these important laws that reduce emissions, protect wildlife and the countryside are ‘red tape’ that we're better off without.We need to act fast to tell them that we want to keep these green laws. In many cases, public pressure led to the laws being made in the first place. Now, we need to work together to show that there’ll be a huge, people-powered outcry if they scrap these precious laws which protect our environment. Sign the petition to tell David Cameron and the government that we don't think these laws are 'red tape' and we want them protected.Click here for more information about the laws that are under threat, including links to detailed media coverage of this issue.

38 Degrees Don't Scrap Environment Laws

Lib Dem 'green' claims

Wailur Rahman and Zahir Malik claim that the Lib Dems have been ‘campaigning on the environment long before the Green Party was created’ and have a ‘strong track record of delivering on the green agenda in Bristol’ (‘Credibility challenged’ letter, Post 19 April). If this is the case and it’s been effective then Bristol would be greener and more sustainable but total carbon emissions per person has risen to 12 tonnes compared to a sustainable level of 1 or 2 tonnes and this is in part caused by the atrocious traffic levels, poor public transport and huge waste of energy from Bristol’s homes and other buildings. Our carbon footprint would be made worse by Lib Dem plans to flog acres of Bristol’s green spaces against the wishes of local people!

They say the ‘idea of a transport hub at Temple Meads is not a new idea; it was even looked at when Avon County Council was in existence’. If the idea has indeed long been around and has been actively and effectively worked on we’d have a transport hub at Temple Meads – but we haven’t. If, as the Lib Dems claim, their commitment to tackling climate change is strong why haven’t they used the power and influence the have had over the years to bring about this and other changes?

The only logical conclusion is either that the Lib Dems have not been committed, not been campaigning, not been delivering or that the work they do is seriously ineffective – or both! The same applies to Labour and Tory claims. Thus, the Greens are challenging them and Lib Dem local election candidates in particular find their position is seriously under threat.

Green Councillors achievements: Kirklees excellent energy efficiency example

Energy efficiency reduces fuel poverty, tackles climate change, creates employment, generates money for the local economy, produces warm homes with lower, affordable fuel bills, less misery, ill-health and social exclusion - and lowers winter deaths due to the cold.

Green Councillors are leading the way in developing energy efficiency. In Kirklees, Green Councillors delivered a project to provide free loft and cavity insulation to every house that could benefit.
They are providing loans for more expensive insulation measures, loans which only have to be paid back when the property is sold again. Council officers in Kirklees calculate for every £1 that their council spent on a similar insulation scheme, a further £4 was generated in the local economy.

Green Party Tackling fuel poverty, addressing climate change and creating jobs

Green Party | Caroline Lucas urges voters to go Green on May 5th

I like the examples of what Green local councillors have achieved here*. In Bristol the Green Party presence on the council has: initiated the climate change select committee, vice chaired by Cllr Charlie Bolton which resulted in over 40 policies being adopted by the council; initiated the sustainable transport select committee, chaired by Cllr Charlie Bolton, which also had many policies adopted; produced the motion which led to the saving of the Bristol-Bath railway path; tried to get Bristol councillors to be eligible for ‘recall’, giving people a way to get rid of them; produced a policy motion to the council aimed at saving residential caretakers; gained extra money for energy efficiency measures; proposed a motion to decentralise the distribution of Section 106 money, now taken up by the council.

*Greens in local government have produced alternative budgets showing that savings can be made without cutting vital public services.

In Brighton, for example, Greens helped persuade the ruling Tory administration to drop plans to rip out a cycle path at a cost of over £1million.

In Oxford, Leader of the Green Group, Cllr David Williams put forward a costed budget which would have reversed some of Labour's spending cuts. Greens wanted to cut the number of senior council officers and take back their recent 23% pay increase.

Lancaster Green Party's local manifesto puts forward its vision for a fairer, greener society and explains in detail what Lancaster Green Councillors have done for their city. Local Cllr Andrew Kay says, "We will not stand by and watch the rich get richer, while ordinary people lose their jobs and the services they depend upon."

In Norwich, where the Green Party is the second largest group on the Council, Greens have invested in renewable energy, spoken out against the crippling cuts and lobbied Government to deal with the financial difficulties in a fairer way.

Green Party Caroline Lucas urges voters to go Green on May 5th

Public now to be consulted on council handling of town green applications

Pressure from a range of green campaigners has helped bring about public consultation on how the council handles town green applications. An excellent contribution to local democracy by those campaigners.

PLANS to take some town green applications out of the hands of independent inspectors have been put on hold.
The city council's public rights of way and greens committee yesterday agreed to ask the public before deciding on a rule change that could have seen some of the bids to protect open spaces from development decided entirely by a council sub-committee...

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Campaigners-victory-invillagegreenbattle/article-3463037-detail/article.html

COUNCILLORS may ditch the services of an independent inspector when deciding on town green applications.

In place of using independent legally-trained inspectors to advise on whether a town/village green application, which many Bristolians are using to try to protect their local green space, should be refused or accepted (often involving an oral hearing into contentious evidence), Bristol City Council, who controversially want to flog quite a bit of Bristol's green space, are proposing instead that the decision is based entirely on officer advice, or, in contentious cases, a hearing to be heard by a four person sub-committee of the Public Rights of Way and Green Committee. Fix of fair? I say its a fix - and it cant be fair that the council are both police officer, judge and jury!! Officers and Councillors are not independent - its impossible to separate them from the policies of the council. Decent coverage of this matter by the Evening Post.

...the Green Party believes the council wants to make the changes to "wriggle out" of creating more town greens.

In a statement, the Greens say:

"This proposal to change the procedure may seem obscure but has important implications for protecting Bristol's open spaces.

"We believe the council has about 17 new application for town green status waiting on its books for determination, and if it is intended to use the new procedure, then it is clear from the outset that this is all about saving money and not improving its fairness.

"This proposal is a false economy since the money saved by not employing an independent inspector is likely to be used up very quickly if any applicant makes a challenge to the decision in the High Court."

The Greens believe the new procedure will be open to challenge because:

■ There will be bias because the council itself owns much of the land under application so it is an interested party in the decision;

■ Councillors with their party political pressures will now be making the decision rather than an independent person;

■ The council legal advisers and officers advising on the decisions are directly employed by the council and so will be less likely to decide against its wishes.

Charlie Bolton, Green candidate for Southville, said:

"It's very important for the council's procedures to be fair and any changes must have full consultation."

Gus Hoyt, standing for the Greens in Ashley, said:

"We want decisions on town greens to be taken by legally experienced people and not along party political lines behind closed doors."

The report before councillors says: "In its capacity of registration authority, the city council has to consider objectively and impartially all applications for registration of new greens on their merits, taking account of any objections and of any other relevant considerations.

"Registration as a town or village green is dependent purely upon past use, and not upon future plans."

COUNCILLORS may ditch the services of an independent inspector when deciding on town green applications.

BBC News - Greens launch English poll push with anti-cuts message

The Green Party has launched its campaign for next month's English local elections, promising to be the "true opposition" to the coalition. [see party broadcast here]

Leader Caroline Lucas said the Conservatives, Lib Dems and Labour had all broken promises and urged the creation of a more honest politics. She called for more local action to improve the environment and a halt to the government's spending cuts.

The party is running 1,605 candidates for council elections on 5 May. At the party's official campaign launch in central London, Ms Lucas said: "We have a government that is handing financial settlements to local councils which mean they are going to make horrendous decisions and big cuts.

"It's crucial that there are Green councillors to protect people from the most harsh of those cuts."'

Extreme austerity

She added: "Our whole analysis of the cuts project is that it's the wrong approach. Yes, we need to address the deficit but a better way is to get people back into work to ensure there are more taxes coming in.

"Otherwise there is a greater risk of a double-dip recession. We can already see what extreme austerity is doing in countries like Portugal and Ireland."

Ms Lucas said the Greens expected to gain councillors in the party's power bases, which include Brighton and Norwich, and elsewhere across England.

She called on councils to protect the "most vulnerable" in society from the impact of budget cuts and also for local authorities to do more to promote the use of renewable energy sources.

The Greens' election broadcast will air on 27 April. It features Ms Lucas "ambushing" an audience at a west London comedy club to tell them about her party's policies and call for a less "cynical" form of politics.

She told the BBC:

"It is trying to make the point, in what is usually a comical setting, that the issues we are dealing with are very serious.

"We are the true opposition party and we have the people and experience to do that job across England."

The Greens have two Members of the European Parliament and Ms Lucas became the party's first Westminster MP at last year's general election.

BBC News - Greens launch English poll push with anti-cuts message

Anger at plans to change town green applications,Bristol24-7

This is called fixing the system to get the outcome you want, instead of a thorough, rational, evidence-based approach!! ...Instead of using independent legally-trained inspectors to advise on whether a TVG [town/village green] application should be refused or accepted (often involving an oral hearing into contentious evidence), they are proposing instead that the decision is based entirely on officer advice, or, in contentious cases, a hearing to be heard by a four person sub-committee of the PRWG [Public Rights of Way and Green Committee].... Following the row over the sell-off of the city green spaces, the possibility looms of councillors bound by party loyalty to agree to the plan to sell these green spaces being in charge of deciding whether local objections to those plans are allowed.... Anger at plans to change town green applications Bristol24-7

Action for Happiness

This great campaign received some good media coverage today: Action for Happiness is a movement of people committed to building a happier society. We want to see a fundamentally different way of life where people care less about what they can get for themselves and more about the happiness of others. We are bringing together like-minded people from all walks of life, drawing on the latest scientific research and backed by leading experts from the fields of psychology, education, economics, social innovation and beyond.

Members of the movement make a simple pledge: to try to create more happiness in the world around them through the way they approach their lives. We provide practical ideas to enable people to take action in different areas of their lives - at home, at work or in the community. We hope many of our members will form local groups to take action together.

We have no religious, political or commercial affiliations and welcome people of all faiths (or none) and all parts of society. We were founded in 2010 by three influential figures who are passionate about creating a happier society: Richard Layard, Geoff Mulgan and Anthony Seldon.

What we believe: the core idea behind our movement

Introductory video about Action for Happiness

Our Director Mark Williamson shares his vision for a happier society

Lord Richard Layard gives his answers to the happiness sceptics

Supporting quotes from our partners Our panel of expert advisors

Action for Happiness is currently part of The Young Foundation, which is a Registered Charity (274345) and Company Limited by Guarantee (1319183) in England and Wales. Action for Happiness

Nick Clegg no local hero as Lib Dems leave him off election leaflets | Politics | The Guardian

Nick Clegg wasn't on the Focus on Knowle Election Special leaflet pushed through our letterbox recently either - no images, no quotes, not even brief ones. First time Lib Dems have been in national government for yonks and they don't want to remind us of the achievements so far - wonder why!! Maybe he'll feature on future Lib Dem material we receive before the 5 May polling day?? Or maybe they'll at least list what they've done for local authorities so far in the coalition government?

Nick Clegg no local hero as Lib Dems leave him off election leaflets Politics The Guardian

Lib Dems doing a great job of running the city?? With £28 million cuts??

"We all have concerns about what is happening nationally, and about how the party is performing, but locally I kow that the Lib Dems are doing a great job of running the city" says Chris Davies, Lib Dem candidate for Knowle (Focus on Knowle Election Special newsletter, April 2011 - see image). Great job of running the city?? £28 million of cuts this year and more cuts to follow - going along with his Lib Dem friends in coalition with the Tories at national level! This man faces in two directions at once expressing concern but implementing cuts.

Peoples message: energy saving and renewable energy not nuclear power

Message I've just received from Friends of the Earth: 21,000 of you have now signed our petition for a safe and nuclear-free future . This fantastic support for clean, green power is backed up by a recent poll. 75 per cent of people want energy saving and renewables (like wind and solar) to be Government's top energy priorities. The petition has already travelled far and wide. But with big decisions about energy coming next month we want to organise an attention-grabbing hand-in to the Government. Please send us your ideas - as big and bold as you like. The message is clear : Energy saving and renewable resources can provide all the energy the UK needs. There's no need to gamble on nuclear. So put on your thinking caps! What's the best way to get our message across to Government?

Rupert's Read: Greens overtaking LibDems...

Caroline Lucas, on the WESTMINSTER HOUR this weekend: "I’ve taken great comfort from looking at the opinion polls coming out of Scotland at the moment, which show the Greens overtaking the Lib Dems; that is exactly the direction I think we’re likely to be going in. We’ve got the Scottish Parliament elections coming up, as I say, on two polls now Greens have been ahead of the Lib Dems, and it’s very much our strategy to replace the Lib Dems as the third party in British politics." Way to go! Rupert's Read: Greens overtaking LibDems...

Government promotion of arms trading

There is a very strong case for closing the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO). The UK's active promotion of arms trading through the UKTI DSO should end because arms trading has a devastating impact on millions of people including many living under repressive and violent regimes (see BBC report below*). Such regimes can never be relied on and selling arms to them threatens the security of both the people in those countries and UK interests.

*http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12967374

Arms export deals: MPs criticise UK's stance - Ministers past and present have been criticised over the UK's export of weapons to regimes in Africa and the Middle East.

The cross-party Committees on Arms Exports Controls accused ministers of "misjudging" the risk that the weapons might be used for internal repression. Countries recently sold UK arms include Libya, Egypt and Bahrain.

But the government, which has revoked arms licences to several countries, said its safeguards were "robust".

As recently as last year, the UK approved arms exports to regimes that have used force to confront popular uprisings.

Ammunition and tear gas were sold to Libya, with sniper rifles, sub-machine guns and CS grenades exported to Bahrain. Parts for armoured vehicles and weapons also went to Egypt.

The cross-party group of MPs noted that since January the government had "been vigorously backpedalling", revoking a total of 160 arms export licences. In February, dozens of licences for the export of arms to Bahrain were revoked after a Foreign Office review amid fears over the suppression of protests there....

(click the link* for more details)

See: http://www.caat.org.uk/

*http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12967374

http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/05-04-2011-arms-exports-report.html

Royal Wedding - Do you give a damn?

Royal Wedding - Do you give a damn? - I share Peter Tatchell's view (below), * "An ICM poll poll published in March, found that 79% of the British people are largely indifferent or don't care about the Royal Wedding. One-third of councils have no applications for Royal Wedding street parties and two-thirds have five or fewer applications. There is no great public enthusiasm for William's and Kate's nuptials. Monarchy is losing its lustre. It's becoming just another strand of celebrity culture and soap opera," said human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell. * "We should start thinking about the post-Elizabeth II era. It's time there was a serious public debate about the alternative to the monarchy - an elected head of state, chosen by the people and accountable to the people. * "This is an issue of democracy and human rights. The monarch is our head of state. The monarchical system is anti-Catholic, sexist and, by default, racist. Catholics are barred. For the foreseeable future, no black or Asian person can be our head of state. First-born girls are passed over in favour of younger male children. These discriminations are out of step with the values of modern, liberal Britain. * "I would prefer a democratically-elected, low-cost and purely ceremonial president, with no political powers and with any citizen being eligible to stand for the post, regardless of their race, gender, class, faith or sexuality. * "Our head of state ought to be chosen based on merit and public endorsement, not on the grounds of privileged parentage and inheritance. They should be subject to periodic election, so they can be replaced if they fail to fulfill their duties as expected. * "Monarchy is incompatible with democracy. It's a relic of feudalism and of a bygone aristocratic, imperial era. The time has come to consign royalism to history," said Mr Tatchell.

Spot the odd one out

"We come in the traditions that have marched in peaceful but powerful protest for justice, fairness and political change.

"The suffragettes who fought for votes for women and won. The civil rights movement in America that fought against racism and won. The anti-apartheid movement that fought the horror of that system and won."

And the radical message was...

“There is a need for difficult choices, and some cuts. But, this government is going too far and too fast...”

...not radical at all! In fact the same as the Coalition Government but a little less and a little slower

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/colleagues-defend-miliband-rally-speech-2254550.html

Great German Green victories

The Green party has taken power from Angela Merkel's conservatives in one of Germany's richest states, preliminary results from the Baden-Württemberg elections show... http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/27/german-green-victory-fukushima Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, suffered a humiliating defeat in a vital election last night in a state that had been in her party's hands since 1953 after a wave of anger over her government's nuclear policy. The anti-nuclear Green party scored a remarkable victory over Mrs Merkel's conservative party in a state election that turned into a referendum on nuclear power in the wake of Japan's Fukushima disaster... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/8410482/Angela-Merkels-party-defeated-by-Greens-in-key-vote.html

Anti-cuts demo - Caroline Lucas not invited to speak

Text of letter from human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell via this link.
Anti-cuts demo - Caroline Lucas not invited to speak

Budget for growth - for whom? how? at what costs?

I'm watching as Chancellor George Osborne is 'setting out plans to kick start Britain's stalled economy in what he says is a "Budget for growth".' Er...growth for whom, how and at what costs? Will growth enable: current and future needs to be met; a fairer more equal society and world; a less wasteful society; a more renewable society; less polluted environments; improving health and general wellbeing? Will it make local communities stronger and more self-reliant? If George's growth does enable these things then we will genuinely have made real progress - but I'm afraid they dont even enter his head and he's not even assessing and measuring them properly. Such is his fixation with GDP growth that his only interest is more money flow through the economy.

Senator Robert F Kennedy's words on growth as measured by GNP:

"The Gross National Product includes air pollution and advertising for cigarettes and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and jails for the people who break them. GNP includes the destruction of the redwoods and the death of Lake Superior. It grows with the production of napalm, missiles and nuclear warheads.

And if GNP includes all this, there is much that it does not comprehend. It does not allow for the health of our families, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It is indifferent to the decency of our factories and the safety of our streets alike. It does not include the beauty of our poetry, the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. GNP measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country…"

Part of the solution to our problems is to assess and measure the right factors in our society and economy, as long as we dont at the same time get obsessed with and tied in to a rigid, narrow approach to measurement. Progress should be assessed in terms of: efficiency; renewability; respecting environmental limits; stronger local communities; meeting needs now and in the future; local and global fairness; health, wellbeing and quality of life; and the interconnection between these. An evidence-based, reasoned, systems-thinking approach needs to be taken.

http://vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com/2007/11/sustainability-reconciling-economy-with.html

http://vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-sorts-of-economic-growth-are-good.html

Three tests for the Budget

Green Party leader Caroline Lucas MP today set out the three major tests which George Osborne should address in his budget on Wednesday:
- It should be a budget fostering the development of a sustainable economy, not a budget relying on unsustainable growth
- It should crack-down on tax evasion and avoidance and ensure that banks and corporations pay their full share
- It should use this extra taxation to support, rather than cut, public services...

Green Party Three tests for the Budget

Military action in Libya

This * seemed like a sensible initial position on the Libya no-fly zone for the Greens. Given what Caroline Lucas said on last weeks Question Time, clearly siding with former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie on the panel in opposing military action, things have changed. On this issue I find myself in opposition to the Greens leader, for once, if not my party. MacKenzie basically said '‎'Not worth it...Nothing to do with us...' which is surely not something Greens want to be associated with - I certainly dont.

*On the subject of a no-fly zone, a Green Party spokesperson said:

"We are not ruling out support for a no-fly zone, but it would need to be very carefully handled and would need the support of countries in the region. It would have to be something that the civilian population wanted, and only be enforced to protect the civilian population.

"Past no-fly zones have not always achieved the desired outcome and have not always protected the civilian population.

"Most importantly, the UN Security Council must refer the situation in Libya to the International Criminal Court. Colonel al-Gaddafi must understand that all those responsible for carrying out attacks on civilians will be held to account."

http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/11-03-2011-parliamentary-vote-libya.html

Mabinogogiblog: What can we do to bring the Libyan conflict to a speedy end?

Mabinogogiblog: What can we do to bring the Libyan conflict to a speedy end?

Jenny Jones for London mayor 2012

Elected to and serving on the London Assembly in 2000, Jenny is a very strong Green candidate with a lot of experience. This experience includes: Deputy Mayor; Leader of the London Assembly Green Group ; Deputy Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee; Member of the Confirmation Hearings Committee; Member of the Transport Committee; Member of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA); and more...

Jenny Jones has been selected as the Green Party's London mayoral candidate.

Ms Jones will go up against Labour's Ken Livingstone and Conservative incumbent Boris Johnson at the 2012 election after winning 67% of the vote.

After the result was announced Ms Jones said: "London needs a mayor who will create a fairer city and reduce the gap between rich and the poor."...

...Jenny Jones fought off competition from Shahrar Ali and Farid Bakht to win what she described as a genuine contest.

She said: "These are hard times for people who care about quality services, local businesses, and protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities."

And she pledged to make fighting cuts to housing benefit, the NHS and youth services a key part of her mayoral campaign.

"Unlike elections for parliament or local councils, the elections for the London Assembly are held under proportional representation. That means every vote counts.

"I'll be urging Londoners to use their vote to elect more Green Assembly Members next year," she said.

Ms Jones was first elected to the London Assembly in May 2000 and has served as Deputy Mayor and Chair of the Assembly's Planning and Housing Committee

BBC News - Jenny Jones to run for London mayor in 2012 election

Also see:

http://london.greenparty.org.uk/

http://www.london.gov.uk/profile/jenny-jones

Lucas: lessons on nuclear power from the Japan disaster

The lesson from the Japanese disaster is that you can never design out every possible human error, or natural accident, or unpredictable event. The problem with nuclear power is that it’s just so inherently risky. If a catastrophe does happen, then the impacts when we’re dealing with nuclear power are uniquely catastrophic, if you like, in a way that they’re not if we were dealing with the alternatives around renewable energy and energy efficiency, and so on. Of course, all of our thoughts are with the people of Japan, and particularly with those incredibly brave people who are at the plants now trying to bring them under control, but I just think that when we’ve got alternatives that are safer and cheaper, it does raise the question as to why we would run the risk with nuclear.

-“Wave and wind energy can’t be cheaper than nuclear, can it?”

Yes it can, and it is. If you look at the documents, that’s quite clear. Sometimes it doesn’t look that way of course, because nuclear’s very clever about not putting on its books the cost of decommissioning nuclear power at the end of its life. But if you add in those nuclear decommissioning costs, then nuclear is a lot more expensive. If we’re looking in Britain at the best way of being able to meet our carbon objectives, in terms of getting our emissions down to deal with climate change and keep the lights on, then it’s far cheaper, and government’s own statistics show this, to be investing in renewable energies and energy efficiency rather than nuclear. Of course the nuclear industry right now is engaged in a massive fight-back, trying to present itself as this nice clean energy of the future. I think the situation with Fukushima just shows us that that’s not the case, and it’s never been the case.

You can’t design out unforeseen circumstances. When they built those nuclear power stations 40 years ago, they never expected an earthquake of that size. Here in Britain, just back in the 1950’s, we had storm surges which were extraordinary and killed 300 people in East Anglia – you cannot predict what’s going to come in the future, and if there are alternatives, we should be using them. If it were genuinely the case that we had to make the choice between climate change and nuclear power, then of course the situation would be different, we’d have to look at it again. That’s not the choice we’re being faced with right now. You can never “design out,” whether it’s a terrorist attack, whether it’s human error, and when you’re dealing with something that’s as inherently risky as nuclear, it doesn’t make sense to take that risk.

Caroline Lucas MP, Green Party leader, on BBC Radio Sussex – 16 Mar 2011

Money spent up, recycling down: another Lib Dem failure

So much for the Lib Dem 'plan' to increase Bristol's recycling rate to 50%. They banged on about this so much (see policy six in their 'six to fix') but have not delivered - and it looks like there are lessons to learn for all who want higher recycling rates about how to get larger numbers of the public onside.

BRISTOL City Council spent £45,000 hiring "waste doctors" to encourage more people to recycle but they appear to have had the opposite effect.

The "Recycling For All" pilot scheme was launched last September with two officers monitoring the rubbish produced by 3,275 homes in the city.

But rather than improve recycling rates the statistics show fewer people recycled their food, bottles and papers after the pilot than before.

Recycling For All was one of four projects the waste doctors were involved in.

If they found people were not recycling, the officers would send letters advising them how they could.

They also had the power to issue a £75 fixed penalty fine or begin court proceedings that could result in fines of up to £1,000 if people continued to refuse to recycle.

The idea was to drive Bristol's already impressive recycling rate of 39 per cent up – one of the highest in the country – even further.

The council had hoped a successful pilot could be expanded across the city, pushing the recycling rate up to 50 per cent.

But far from improving performance, results from the pilot show recycling rates dropped by an average of 10 per cent – and in some parts of the city by as much as 30 per cent...

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/WASTE-TIME/article-3330115-detail/article.html

Green spaces sell-off? Bristol City Council has no Plan B

What sort of environmental decision making is it that does not properly consider - and in fact reconsider - all the options available, planning for a range of situations? Very poor quality, irrational, unsystematic and unsystemic - in short rubbish! Even on its own money raising terms the green spaces flog off favoured by Lib Dem, Labour and Tory Councillors alike is failing as income expected is now only a quarter of that originally envisaged. Cllr Gary Hopkins high handed, dismissive tone is again clear in the Post report on this though. Pity this man is not at the end of his 4 yr term yet - resign and put yourself up for re-election this May Gary and see how you get on!

BRISTOL City Council has never looked at ways of paying for the £87 million parks improvement plan that didn't involve selling off green spaces, it has been revealed.

The authority has always maintained that disposing of up to 64 sites across the city was the only way that enough money could be raised to pay for improvements in up to 200 others.

But it turns out that in the last five years of the Parks Green Spaces Strategy (PGSS), the council has never costed or even considered a plan that doesn't involve land sales.

The original funding for the improvement plan was £41 million from land sales; £21 million of grant funding; £15 million of money from developers and £10 million from the council parks budget. Since these 2006 estimates, the council has dropped the amount it expects to raise from selling land from £41 million to £11 million...

Bristol Green spaces Bristol City Council Liberal Democrats

38 Degrees | Save the NHS: Petition

Please sign and pass details on!!

The Petition Text: To the Coalition government,
Our NHS is precious - we won't forgive you if you ruin it
Don’t break up our health service and hand it to private healthcare companies
Listen to the the real experts - doctors, nurses and patients - when they give warnings about these plans
Don't rush through massive changes without testing them properly first
Protect patient care - don't cut beds, wards, doctors or nurses

38 Degrees Save the NHS: Petition

Nuclear emergencies in Japan

Japan has 53 nuclear power stations, making it third largest nuclear power user in the world. As a result of the earthquake and tsunami there are emergencies at 5 of them, 10% or so of the total in the country. Its incredible that nuclear stations have been built - and on a large scale - in a place where many earthquakes, large and small, often occur. Its incredible that these nuclear stations - with their systems (protected by systems) which protect systems... - have failed unsafely on this large scale. We have been told that nuclear stations are designed to do the opposite, hardly failing at all and when they fail they fail safely. Its incredible that a country leaves itself so heavily dependent on this energy source - or any single energy source. Or, given the extremely dodgy history of the nuclear industry, and given the goals that motivate industrial societies, is it so beyond belief??

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12722719

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_Japan

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12723092

Mabinogogiblog: Greens debate the Libya NFZ

I'm with Dr Lawson and his sound reasoning on this one.

Mabinogogiblog: Greens debate the Libya NFZ

Carbon Plan ‘offers little that is new’, says Caroline Lucas - Climate Action Programme

The UK’s Carbon Plan is a ‘shallow compilation’ of the government’s policies and’ offers little that is new’, says Green Party Leader and MP for Brighton Pavilion, Caroline Lucas.

The Carbon Plan launched today (8 March) by the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne, is a government-wide plan on climate change, which sets out actions and deadlines for the next five years, to help the government live up to the claim as ‘the greenest government ever’...

...However, Caroline Lucas said: “The move to elevate green priorities to the top of the Whitehall agenda may be encouraging, but I would like to have seen a stronger push, with more in the way of new and concrete proposals that are genuinely compatible with meeting the targets and facilitating the much-needed transition towards decarbonisation.”...

Carbon Plan ‘offers little that is new’, says Caroline Lucas - Climate Action Programme

Free writing workshops — Trading Local 2011

TRADING LOCALTHEATRE IN BROADWALK SHOPPING AREA, KNOWLE
on Saturday 8 October 2011

We want experienced and first time writers to create new 5 minute monologues to be performed by professional actors in Knowle shops. This is a great opportunity to turn a story into a drama!

Pieces will be developed in workshops led by Sheila Hannon, SOS’s Creative Producer. Up to 18 will be selected for professional production.

Workshops are free so just turn up!

» Download the schedule

For more information email us at: info@showofstrength.org.uk

Show of Strength Theatre Company

Claim that a Yes vote in the AV referendum will waste £250m is incorrect

Excellent letter from Chris Millman in yesterdays Post about the AV referendum. The man deserves to be elected! Here's what he said...

J ACK Lopresti's claim that a Yes vote in the Alternative Vote referendum will waste £250m does not bear scrutiny.

Of this figure, £90m is for the cost of the referendum, which was sanctioned by his government, and will be spent regardless of the result.

He goes on to claim that much of the rest will be required for the purchase of vote counting machines.
How so?

They use AV in Austrailian elections where turn out is 100% (voting is compulsory over there) yet find that they are able to count the votes manually. Why should it be different here?

The No Campaign estimates these machines will cost £125m when the actual cost will be nil. The remainder of the £250m figure that they have plucked out of the sky is to cover the cost of educating the public in how to use the Alternative Vote.

Why should this be necessary? It is a perfectly simple matter to list the candidates 1,2,3, in order of preference and if you do not feel inclined to do so, a simple X will suffice to indicate that this is the only candidate acceptable to you. No doubt the Government will spend some money encouraging people to vote, as they always do, but a voter turning up at polling station without any knowledge of AV whatsoever would still be able to cast their vote in the old fashioned way.

Mr Lopresti's other claim, that AV allows supporters of fringe parties to have more than one vote, is equally ridiculous.

The system of listing candidates in preferential order allows an 'instant run off'' to take place, so that, effectively, there can be further rounds of voting without the voter having to return to the polling station. Yes, the votes of eliminated candidates are redistributed according to the voters preference, but the votes of those whose choices have not been eliminated will also count in each 'round.'

Mr. Lopresti's contention that AV will benefit the Lib Dems is less easy to debunk, because nobody knows how people will behave when free of the temptation to vote tactically.

I think it is more likely that UKIP will be the party to profit, as there are a great many Euro-sceptics who are unhappy with the Conservative party, but keep voting for them for fear of letting Labour in. I suspect that this is the real reason that Mr Lopresti is so frightened of AV.

Chris Millman, Coombe Dingle

TALKS to end the dispute over the stadium site at Ashton Vale being turned into a town green have broken down.

Not a very enticing offer if this is all that it amounts to, so no surprise talks have broken down, for the moment at least.

He said: "We felt we had tabled a very good offer but for obvious reasons, I cannot discuss the details.

"As far as we are concerned, the meditation process is still on-going and we want to continue with the talks."

The Evening Post understands that part of the offer was to allow the open land to the south of the stadium site and the wetlands to be registered as a town green.

This would still allow the 19 acres that would be needed to build the new stadium on the landfill site to be developed.

TALKS to end the dispute over the stadium site at Ashton Vale being turned into a town green have broken down.

Bristol City FC joy hit by Village Green mediation failure | Bristol24-7

...In a letter seen by Bristol24-7 this morning, mediation between local community groups who want the space protected, and the club, has failed. The legal advice now being given to Bristol City Council is to approve the Village Green application.
This would permanently end the club’s plans of building a new 30,000 seat stadium near their traditional home – a bitter blow following the celebrations that took place in the chamber of the city council last night...

Bristol City FC joy hit by Village Green mediation failure Bristol24-7

BBC News - 'People's watchdog' touted to keep UK green

BBC News - 'People's watchdog' touted to keep UK green

SAINSBURY'S won permission last night to go ahead and build a superstore at Ashton Gate.

Just what we need to build a sustainable society - yet another bloody supermarket, a giant one smack in a place where local high streets would suffer too! It still may not happen though. Its simply not the case that this represents 'a giant step forward for a new...stadium'. Its not planning applications but is the town green process that has to come to a resolution either by negotiation/mediation or the legal process if necessary. If a town green goes ahead then this green belt site for the new stadium is ruled out - and would Bristol City want to sell Ashton Gate, at least on the currently thought of timescales, then??

6-1 victory: Fans greet the council decision with a standing ovation and cheers after councillors voted by six votes to one in favour of the plan. Sainsbury's won permission last night to go ahead and build a superstore at Ashton Gate.

The decision means a giant step forward for a new 30,000-seat stadium on a former landfill site at Ashton Vale.

Councillors on the planning committee which approved the supermarket plan last night voted 6-1 in favour, with two abstentions.

SAINSBURY'S won permission last night to go ahead and build a superstore at Ashton Gate.

Ruscombe Green: Call for windfall tax on banks

...At the Green party conference Caroline Lucas criticised the huge profits announced by UK banks - a stonking £25 billion. A windfall tax would restore public spending and help minimise the damage done by the cuts regime to public services, the economy and society as a whole. At a time of austerity, it is just not right that banks such as Lloyds TSB, part owned by the tax payer, are recording such huge profits. At the conference it was noted that there would be wide public support for a measure requiring the banks to pay a windfall tax on bank profits of 50%

Ruscombe Green: Call for windfall tax on banks

Norwich Green Party| Energy Scheme Will Reduce Cuts

More innovative thinking and action from Norwich Greens: Adrian Ramsay, Deputy Leader of the Green Party and Norwich City Councillor, will highlight the success of the Green Party's proposals to set up a Norfolk Energy Services Company (ESCO) at the party's Spring Conference in Cardiff this week.

The scheme will reduce the impact of national government cuts in crucial local services because it will bring in a guaranteed new income stream for the council, through the sale of surplus energy to the national grid, and reduce energy bills.

The ESCO, which would install solar panels on council property such as school, libraries and landfill sites, will also create new skilled, lasting jobs in Norfolk and reduce carbon emissions.

Norfolk County Council has agreed the principle of the scheme and Green Councillors are part of a working group that is developing the proposals.

Norwich Green Party Energy Scheme Will Reduce Cuts

Ten Reasons to Support AV | Yes to fairer votes

From the Yes to fairer votes website: In May voters will get the chance to choose a fairer voting system – the Alternative Vote. It’s a small change that will make a big difference.

The new voting system will keep what is best about our current system – the link between an MP serving their local constituency – but strengthens it by making MPs work harder to get elected and giving voters more of a say.

This is because, with AV, MPs would now have to aim to get more than 50% of the vote, and so will have to work harder and represent more of their constituents.

The AV system will change this. It will keep what is best about our current system – the link between an MP serving their local constituency, and the likelihood of decisive election results – and strengthens it by making MPs work harder to get and keep their jobs by giving voters more of a say.

Here are 10 good reasons for supporting AV.Click on your favourite ones to send them out on Twitter:

1. AV will force MPs to work harder to earn - and keep - our support

MPs need to secure a real majority of voters to be sure of winning, not just the 1 in 3 who can currently hand them power. They'll need to work harder to get - and keep - their jobs.
The expenses scandal showed how deeply out of touch some of our politicians became from the people who elect them. It arose from a culture where some MPs have ‘seats for life, and leads to poor service, complacency and taking voters for granted.

2. AV will give us a bigger say on who our local MP is

Forget tactical voting - just pick the candidate you really want to win. But if your favourite doesn't win you can still have a say.

3. AV will tackle the ‘jobs for life’ culture in Parliament

Too many MPs have 'safe' seats for life. We saw that in the expenses crisis. The AV system will change this.

4. AV is an upgrade on our current voting system

AV builds on the current system, eliminating many of its weaknesses, retaining its strengths and strengthening the link between MPs and their communities. Voters still have just one vote.

5. AV will keep extremists out of politics

AV is the anti-extremist system because candidates have to secure a real majority to be sure of winning. First Past the post enables candidates to win with a very small percentage of the vote, which means extremist parties such as the British National Party have more chance of being elected despite most people in an area opposing them. This is one of the reasons why the BNP is opposing AV.

6. AV lets you vote for who you really want

Forget tactical voting- just pick the candidate you really want to win. With AV you can back just one candidate (like now), or if you'd like to, state a second choice, or even a third choice. Voters can vote for what they really want so there is no need to vote tactically.

7. AV gives control to more voters

Less than 2% of voters decided the last election. To be sure of winning a seat with AV, candidates will have to get over 50% of the votes in that area. They will have to work harder and not just take us for granted.

8. AV will force candidates to positively engage with the wider community

First Past the Post has created a culture of complacency whereby most MPs know they can just rely on their core vote. AV rewards politicians who can reach out to a widest range of voters. Politicians will need to engage more constructively with more people if they want to be sure of winning.

9. AV is already used by 14m people in the UK

Alternative Vote (AV) is a widely used and trusted system in Britain outside public elections, because it is used by businesses, charities, trade unions and membership organisations

10. This referendum is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for us to have our say on the current system

MPs have been deciding their own rules for far too long. This is the first time that voters are being given a say on the system we should use to elect MPs. This is our chance to have a public debate and to demand more from our democracy.

Find out more
What is AV? Introducing the Alternative Vote
AV myths Let’s separate the facts from the fiction
A broken system What’s wrong with First Past the Post?
Why a referendum? Seizing our chance for change

Ten Reasons to Support AV Yes to fairer votes

Greens call for Stadium rethink as Sainsburys' prospects fade. | News

An Ashton Gate Sainsburys will hit other local traders far harder than the grocery giant has admitted. The independent report commissioned by the council from experts GVA challenges Sainsbury claims that its superstore - the third proposed for the Ashton Gate site [1] - can sit comfortably with existing retail businesses in South Bristol, especially those in North Street and East Street. It predicts that turnover in those shops would be cut by an average of 7%...

Greens call for Stadium rethink as Sainsburys' prospects fade. News

Cameron 'committed to full Trident replacement'

There isn't all-party support for retaining the UK nuclear deterrent, though the BBC asserts that there is. The Green Party eg through Caroline Lucas MP, is very clearly and strongly opposed and regards both the threatened and actual use of any weapon of mass destruction as immoral and illegal - and there are other MPs that support this view. Ludicrously our PM David Cameron uses phrases like 'keep our guard up' and 'insurance policy' about nuclear weapons!

It is, sadly, right to say though that few politicians are now arguing a fundamental case against nuclear weapons. I watched the 1959 film On the Beach about a post-apocalyptic world again recently. Its not a cheery number - with characters played by Gregory Peck, Ava Gardiner, Anthony Perkins, Fred Astaire and others facing the end of their lives and the end of human beings as fatal radiation levels spread across the globe - but for me its a classic film that makes some very telling points.

I'm 100% with Fred Astaire's character when he says 'The war started when people accepted the idiotic principle that peace could be maintained by arranging to defend themselves with weapons they could not possibly use without committing suicide.' (see video clip). Our PM David Cameron continues, with the support of the Labour and Lib Dem leadership, to support this idiotic principle.

"In terms of the future, all I can say... is that I am in favour of a full replacement for Trident, for continuous at-sea deterrent, and to make sure we keep our guard up.

"That is Conservative policy. It will remain Conservative policy as long as I am the leader of this party."'

All-party support

Labour MP John Woodcock, whose Barrow-in-Furness constituency builds the Trident submarines, also asked Mr Cameron for reassurance that he would not go back on his word.

Mr Cameron said: "I profoundly believe we should maintain our independent nuclear deterrent. I have looked at all of the alternatives over the years and I am completely convinced that you need a submarine based alternative - a full replacement for Trident in order to guarantee the ultimate insurance policy for this country."

BBC News - David Cameron 'committed to full Trident replacement'

Government go-ahead for controversial Bristol biofuel plant | Bristol24-7

This is a very bad decision. To be expected from a dreadful Con/Dem Coalition Govt.

Government go-ahead for controversial Bristol biofuel plant Bristol24-7

Day of action for Robin Hood Tax: College Green 16 Feb

Oxfam South West to hand over ‘final demand’ to a Bristol bank As banks reveal enormous profits and bonuses, charity joins global day of action to call for Robin Hood Tax.

Oxfam South West will hand over a ‘final demand’ at a Bristol bank on Wednesday (February 16), calling for a tax on the financial sector to help alleviate poverty at home and abroad.

As part of a global day of action, involving organizations such as Comic Relief, Christian Aid, Friends of the Earth and Unite, the charity’s supporters will be at the HSBC bank on College Green, calling for a Robin Hood Tax on financial transactions.

The action comes as bonuses for bankers are revealed. A fresh wave of public anger has been ignited by news that banks are predicted to scoop bonuses of £7bn in the UK while at the same time public spending cuts start to bite.

Meanwhile, Britain's biggest banks are poised to reveal more eye-watering profits, with city analysts predicting combined profits of around £24 billion from four banking giants - HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds and Standard Chartered.

A Robin Hood Tax – a 0.05% levy on each financial transaction made by the banks – would raise up to £20bn in the UK alone. About £7 billion could stop cuts to libraries, schools, higher education and other public services, while another £7 billion could pay for free healthcare for 226 million people in poor countries around the world.

Christopher Brown, from Oxfam South West, said the action was needed to remind banks of their responsibilities to use their huge profits for positive action to alleviate poverty at home and abroad – action called for by governments around the world.

“The expected profits made by the UK banking sector are more than enough to save essential public services – which are being cut left, right and centre in the UK – and bring hundreds of thousands of people around the world out of poverty.

“A Robin Hood Tax, which has been supported by the French president and current president of the G20 Nicolas Sarkozy, is a tax whose time has come. The banks got the world into the financial mess it is in – it is time they paid their fair share to rebuild our economy and save services we all need.”

Oxfam South West will join the global call for a Robin Hood Tax on Wednesday, February 16 between 12 and 1pm at the branch of HSBC at College Green. Supporters will hand over their final demand and ask passers-by to sign a petition in support of the campaign.

The media are invited to attend – Oxfam South West volunteers, dressed as Robin Hood, will be available for interview and photographs from 12.30pm.

ENDS

For press information contact:

Christopher Brown at Oxfam South West on 0117 916 6474 or 07887 632 658 or cbrown@oxfam.org.uk

Notes to editors:

For more information about the Robin Hood Tax, visit:

http://robinhoodtax.org/

Similar events will be held in Cardiff, Hereford, Glasgow, Manchester and London, in the UK, as well as in 12 countries around the world, including France, Germany and Canada.

Oxfam works with others to overcome poverty and suffering

SouthvilleGreen: Why stand?

Standing again because of: the cause, the cuts, the councillor, and the cruds who aren't standing up for local people but are backing big business instead.

SouthvilleGreen: Why stand?

SouthvilleGreen: Bolton is back!

Hey, Charlie Bolton is back to blogging again. He's standing as the Green Party candidate for Southville in this year's local elections too. Comments to Charlie - and to Southville's Cllr Tess Green via this blog.

SouthvilleGreen