Hull Green Party

Adrian Ramsay to visit Hull, Dec 2nd

2011-11-25T13:34:00.004Z

The Green Party Deputy Leader, Adrian Ramsay, will be in Hull next Friday.
There's an open meeting at Hull Uni (Larkin, Lecture Rm F) from 2pm.
Come along and listen!

Nov 30th - Protect Public Pensions.

2011-11-24T13:41:00.002Z

Hull, 11am, Queen Victoria Square, Wed Nov 30th.

The proposed sweeping changes by government to pensions will mean all public sector workers:

having to work up to 3 years longer,
having to pay more pension money (hundreds of pounds per year), and,
receive less pension when they retire.

Union members, across the country, representing millions of workers, have voted overwhelmingly for strike action. The following rallies are taking place in our region -

Leeds, 12 noon, Art Gallery
Bradford, 11 am, Centenary Square
Sheffield, 12 noon, Barker's Pool, City Hall
York, 12 noon, Clifford's Tower, for march to York Minster, for 1pm rally. (facebook)
Hull, 11am, Queen Victoria Square

Royal Wedding: winners and losers

2011-05-01T12:03:00.010+01:00

Martin Deane, standing for Avenue Ward, gives a Green take on the Royal Wedding

Great to be in the park on Friday with so many others escaping the Royal Wedding day pomp.

Now you royalists! Don't get me wrong! I wish them as much happiness as any other couple getting married - whom I don't know.

But there's lots about the RW, and many people's reaction to it, which is troubling - precisely because of what it stands for.

If you're a fully paid up Tory, this is so not going to make any sense to you! But from a global perspective (which is the Green Party one) Britain continues to have a lot to answer for, and the royals, as a symbol of what the whole country stands for, are part of a problem not part of a solution.

The royals stand for massive, inherited, wealth, privilege and power, built up and reinforced over centuries with the might of great navies and armies and the slaughter of millions of "the enemy", and no small amount of our own, in one way or another.

Great spectacles like Coronations or Funerals or Royal Weddings, help foster national pride and a sense of unity, for "we subjects", under Her Majesty and Her Government so they do no harm - to the elite.

Events play on people's emotions who suddenly and inexplicably feel caught up in the excitement, or tragedy, of what befalls people whom they don't know except through telly and the papers. For many it's much more emotional than it is rational!

The use of the massive spectacle for political purposes is ancient, made famous in the Roman tradition of "bread and circuses" as the main policy to keep people happy while Empire continued to expand and kill those who got in the way of the divine right to rule the Known World.

It's no great surprise that countries, like Britain, who elite still crave a modern empire, put on such shows. They may be called a Royal Wedding, or funeral, or an American Election, or the 2012 Olympics...

They serve as a huge distraction while government simply disempowers people while they watch telly. At the same time Kate was going up the aisle, government announced swingeing cuts to the NHS (Plan to starve NHS of funds) of up to 37% over 5 years. Tens of thousands of jobs will be lost (as some of us have been saying for months).

The NHS is the people's single greatest gain after World War II. Now after many assaults, including Labour ones, the Con-Dems set to with the knife and we wonder how long before the NHS, as we knew it, folds and just becomes some pale version of an American system where health costs huge amounts of money to individuals - and no money means next to no healthcare.

Countries less set on empire, like Holland and Sweden, don't quite have these events despite having royal families too. Do their royals mean less to their citizens? Or are they not looked up to as superheroes because their societies are more equal? Right now Britain is suffering from record inequality since the Second World War. Perhaps the social setups of other countries have something to teach Britain.

Certainly we should care about people, even random people, who may have lost someone or who may be going to get wed. But how many weddings are their in the UK a day? (730 on average!) And how many of those do we care about? Emotion is a core part of empathy and compassion. But emotion is also a human effort and we can only do so much.

We need to be more careful about what we care about.

Maybe next time we get caught up in colours and flags and pretty, pretty things, we may take a few moments to look at how much we could be losing from society - even as the magic words go on.

And learn to be more focused - and active - about those things within society which are worth the effort and which are more than just a spectacle.

Vote Green on May 5th.
Vote YES to AV.

Vote. It's no joke!

2011-04-20T13:38:00.001+01:00

It's no joke!

Vote Green to keep the real jokers at bay.

To help - contact martinjdeane@gmail.com

Voting CAN change society

2011-04-20T08:51:00.002+01:00

Letter to the Hull Daily Mail

19.4.11

Dear Editor,

A lot of people in Hull don't vote, especially in local elections - but that vote was hard fought for: so is the sort of society we really want.

It was in 1918, after the huge loss of life of the First World War, that all men over 21 could vote (over 19 if you'd been on active service). Men.

Some women campaigned through the 1920s, for suffrage, the right to vote - for all women, not just those with property. After a decade campaigning, being slammed in the press, and tough campaigning too - they destroyed art exhibits, even burned down buildings and churches - women won the vote with a bill through Parliament in 1928.

After the slaughter, this time the Second World War, came the major achievements in society of a National Health Service, of housing, of social security, of free education for all.

Voting - and especially becoming more involved - offers you the opportunity to change society. Yes, we need representatives who won't let us down - but WE also need to hold them to account.

Who knows? Maybe in the end we can create a fairer society. Maybe we can even stop the slaughtering too.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Deane

Hull Green Party

10 Reasons to vote Green in Avenue

2011-04-18T12:07:00.003+01:00

#1. Youth unemployment

Hull is among the highest for youth unemployment in the country. The Lib-Dem Council is making the problem worse by making Council workers redundant and cutting young people's services. A Green Councillor would do their utmost to challenge the government, the present Council response, and work with all committed parties to protect jobs and services. Young people should not be let down.

#2. Local Planning

The Con-Lib Coalition is unpicking the Planning system which has protected our environment since 1945. The tool for this is the 'Localism Bill' currently in Parliament. This gives more power to big businesses and volume housebuilders. As usual with governments, they are focussed on the supposed housing shortages in the South East. Hull doesn't so much have a shortage of houses, rather too many of its houses and flats are in poor condition.

Greens will work for a programme of repairing and refurbishing houses and improving insulation would:
- Improve living conditions for Hull people
- Reduce energy use and fuel poverty
- Make the best use of resources such as building materials
- Create work for small local building firms
- Create job and training opportunities in building trades.
- Improve the appearance of our city.

#3. What would a Hull Green Councillor do?

The Localism Bill currently allows developers to avoid legal agreements which require housebuilders to provide funding for public facilities for the people who will live in their houses (Section 106 Agreements). Hull City Council depends on such payments to provide and maintain parks, open spaces and children's playgrounds. Your Green Councillor will do their best to ensure that developers pay their fair share towards the maintenance of Pearson Park and other open spaces.

#4.What would a Hull Green Councillor do?

Hull Green Party welcomes the ending of the waste contract with WRG which would have involved building a waste incinerator. Your Green Councillor will promote alternatives such as the repair and reuse of furniture and household goods, more local recycling, and anaerobic digestion, while at national level seeking to reduce wasteful packaging.

#5. Allotments

Hull has a significant waiting list for allotments. On Newland Allotments there are disused and underused plots which are too big. It should be relatively easy to sub-divide plots to make them more manageable. (Technically this is Newland area but some of the occupiers are Avenue residents. By comparison, Richmond Street Allotments are full).

#6. Make unused land productive

Green Party Councillors will help and support community groups who want to take over the maintenance of areas of land, especially derelict or under-used land, eg for growing fruit or vegetables.

#7. Grow your own!

Greens will encourage and help home growers to set to and grow their own, for greater ownership, self-sufficiency and to combat increasing food prices.

#8. Green spaces

A Green councillor will work to maintain and improve parks, gardens and public utilities. They will work to stop the erosion of green space. Pearson Park: Your Green Councillor will work to bring together all interested parties to seek funding for improvements to Pearson Park. The park is a central green hub for the area and could benefit from a serious bid for Heritage Lottery Funding.

#9 What would a Hull Green Councillor do?

Your green Councillor will look to gain Council support for applications for funding for the preservation of Britain's last remaining civilian bomb site on Beverley Road and its interpretation to remind people of the effect of wars on civilians.

#10. Bike it!

Green councillors will fight to make city roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists (cycling is booming in Hull), work on providing more facilities and better, safer, integrated cycle lanes. Public transport is good in the city but still needs improvement to make it increasingly attractive, easy and affordable. Greens will work with providers on this.

10 Reasons to vote Green

2011-04-16T17:27:00.004+01:00

1. Fight the cuts.

The Green Party stands full-square in opposition to the cuts. They're totally unnecessary. This is ideological bias by the Con-Dem government for the banks, for bailouts, for corporate tax avoidance - and against the rest of us.

2. Tax fairly.

After 13 years of "Labour", inequality is greater in Britain now than any time since World War II. This will worsen with 20% VAT, as young people lose many existing options through cut youth services (especially in Hull with its high youth unemployment), and as up to 1 million lose their jobs.

The changes we fight for are for banks and corporations to pay their way: a Robin Hood Tax on banks, the closure of tax loopholes, the collection of high-earner tax (many high earners on £150,000 and over, have not been taxed for over a year!), and ultimately for the 50% rate to apply to those on £100,000 and over. Our taxes will be fairer and redistributive, not with the heavy bias to the rich that we see now.

3. Free University Eduction.
No to tuition fees. The LibDem u-turn on this was stunning - as is their complete sell-out, so far, to a highly right-wing Tory agenda. This is NOT what people voted for last year, especially with the Lib Dems' centre-left policy then.

4. Renewable energy for Hull.
Kirklees has lots of it - solar panels, ground source heating, why not us? Energy prices are no joke. Oil decline is about to become a reality. Hull City Council should use its power now to promote wind capability WITHIN the city and/or CHP (Combined Heat and Power) plants - for the people.

5. Anti-capitalist.
One we thing we can be certain of: the 3 leading parties are as pro-capitalist as they come! The Green Party doesn't promote itself as anti-capitalist, or pro-socialist, because the terms get in the way. But essentially we put people - and planet - before profit. Politics is for people, families and society; it's about the Earth we live on, about equality and the sustainability of the way we live now, and the coming generations.

6. Hull needs the best.
A vote for the usual suspects means yet another voice for Labour or the Lib Dems - and, in Hull, all the bigotry that's associated with it. A Green councillor will work equally with both sides for the best outcomes regardless of party camps.

7. To help protect the NHS and other health provisions, from creeping privatisation, from mass redundancies and from the plans to make all surgeries into consortiums with doctors as managers.

8. An increase in the Green vote will make the other parties stop and take note that people are responding to the pro-people policies we are fighting for, and help decrease their increasing right-wing stance.

9. So little is being done to really protect our local environment. A green voice will make a big difference when it comes to planning applications, for example, and other initiatives to promote nature over unthinking human destruction.

10. Greens are promoting a YES vote to AV. It's not PR, true, but it's a step in the right direction. By ordering your preferred candidates, it favours the most widely acceptable candidates and so excludes extremists. AV will create 44 new marginal constituencies.

Vote AV - for a game changer

2011-04-12T18:03:00.001+01:00

Letter to the Hull Daily Mail, 12th April 2011

Dear Sir,

In addition to voting for the usual suspects, this year, for the first time ever, people have a chance to vote for a game changer, an actual, favourable, change in the system.

Voting the AV system in will mean we can vote for the parties we prefer, in order, on the ballot paper. This gives you more power as a voter. The AV system is already in use in most political parties and in trade unions too.

It's not rocket science, but what it does allow is a voter to express your real preferences - rather than vote x to keep out y or "It's only a two-horse race" etc. AV opens the system up a bit. And if your top preference doesn't win enough votes, then your second preference will then count too.

Ok it's not the system we really want, because we believe the people's votes should actually be represented in proportion. However it is a step in the right direction.

AV keeps extremists out (contrary to some lies), gives voters a bit more power and will help end the "safe seat" culture more quickly.

So after Iraq, PFI, the creeping privatisation of health, the hundreds of billions given to the banks, the deficit being used to bash us over the head, record inequality under the last government, and increasing under this one, the rich becoming richer and being taxed less, the decimation of jobs and services in Hull, wouldn't you like a little more say?

So vote AV on May 5th.

Best wishes,
Martin Deane
Hull Green Party

http://twitter.com/martinjdeane

http://facebook.com/martinjdeane

It’s time to vote Yes to fairer votes.

2011-04-12T18:02:00.000+01:00

(I’ve stolen and hijacked this from Rupert Read of Norwich Greens and given it a shine )

Our electoral system is unfit for purpose. It was designed for a two-party system and it can’t cope with a multi-party system. We need to fix it and it’s time for electoral reform. It’s time to vote Yes to fairer votes. It’s time to vote Yes2AV, since the Alternative Vote is the change we need.

How is our current system broken? Being able only to crudely put an ‘X’ in one box just doesn’t work when you have three or more serious candidates standing for election.

In the 1950’s, 97% of people voted Labour or Conservative. That figure keeps dropping and dropping every year, not with just the Lib Dems but the dramatic rise of new political parties such as the Green Party and UKIP. We need a system that allows you to list your candidates by preferences, from 1 all the way down, so that you can vote for those who you support and against those who you oppose. AV is voting for who you really want to vote for – and being able to stop those you really don’t.

Our current system, called “first past the post,” (FPTP) means that you have to try to guess who is best-placed to win, and who you should vote for if you want to keep someone else out. The new proposed system, the “Alternative Vote” (AV) means that you simply list candidates in descending order of preference. AV really is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

That’s the core case for voting Yes and joining the countries that use AV in their national elections, such as Australia, India, and Ireland. AV is a modern system, an improvement on the antiquated, outdated First Past The Post system we currently have.

Think about it this way: If you go into a pub, and your first choice drink isn’t available, do you just walk out again? Of course not – you ask for an alternative, your second choice. But under First Past The Post, you don’t get a second choice!

FPTP means no second choice in the pub! But AV means a second choice if your favourite drink isn’t available – or even if it is but you fancy something different! Thank God that we don’t use FPTP when ordering at the bar!

For the same reason, we should stop using it for elections, too! FPTP is far too crude. But AV means greater democracy – it reflects your choices – plural - in the actual vote.

So: The case for voting YES is clear. What’s the case for voting NO? These are the two main lines I hear:

1) “AV is good for extremists”

This is simply a lie that right-wing newspapers and the Prime Minister, to their shame, are spreading in their desperation to stop electoral reform from winning the day. The truth is the opposite:

AV is a far worse deal for extremists such as the BNP, than FPTP. Which is presumably why the BNP are vigorously opposing it. That’s right: Nick Griffin and his dreadful little-Englander party of racists are campaigning for a NO vote on May 5.

Voting YES to AV – a system in which voters can in effect work together to make life harder for unpopular, hated parties – will help ensure that the BNP never gets elected to Westminster. Moreover, if AV were introduced in local government elections, it would lead to the defeat of virtually all BNP councillors anywhere.

Under AV, you need to get 50% of voters onside to win. The BNP hardly ever achieve that because a majority of voters hate them. The BNP have only ever got one Councillor elected with 50% plus of the vote. Under AV, most people wouldn’t even include the BNP in their list. AV would shut the door on the electoral prospects of the BNP.

The other argument that I hear is:

2) “To hurt the LibDems, vote NO”

The NO campaign, understandably (given that they seem to have no constructive arguments at all) are trying to turn the AV referendum into a referendum on Nick Clegg. This is an unacceptably cynical way to treat a hugely important constitutional question.

But it’s also wrong. The Lib Dems will not necessarily benefit from AV. Under AV, you can give your first preference to whoever you want to win. The Lib Dems might gain under AV in areas where they are weak, as they will no longer be perceived as a “wasted vote” in those areas. But AV will also make it possible if you want to to put the Lib Dems bottom of your voting-order!

Moreover, under AV, the Lib Dems will lose some first preference votes in areas where they are currently strong, as people will no longer be compelled to vote for them ‘tactically’ in order to cast a vote that is not “wasted.” Losing votes where you are strong loses you seats, but gaining votes where you are weak does not. Ironically, AV won’t actually be particularly good for Nick Clegg’s party! AV is good news for democracy – but not good news for Nick Clegg!

To sum up: AV won’t heal everything about our political system. But it is a positive step and it represents real progress. This electoral reform offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help revive British politics.

Are you totally happy with British politics as it is? Do you think everything is going just great? If so, maybe you should vote NO to change on May 5.

AV is fairer. AV allows you to express your preferences and to vote for who you really want to. That will help small parties such as the Greens. But at the same time, AV helps stop extremists (such as the BNP), by allowing you to place them bottom of your preferences. AV is the natural next step forward for British democracy.

The Hull Lib Dem Cuts

2011-04-12T18:01:00.000+01:00

1400 Hull jobs are expected to go. The unions warn this could rise to over 2000. Cuts include museum services where hours will be cut as well as opening times.

But the headline cut in Hull is surely the massive attack on Youth and Children’s Services. 1 in 5 young people in Hull live in poverty. 1 in 5 adults are unemployed. School attainment is amongst the lowest in the UK.

The Council cuts mean young people in Hull will be affected by:

32% cut in Children and Young People’s services.
SureStart: funding slashed by 50% (1). Lib Dems technically not “closing” the 14 of 21 centres, but staffing and provision are set to be minimal, the unions claim “a receptionist and a caretaker”! (1)
Unison estimates only 46 of 244 workers will remain. (1)
Connexions: 100% cut in careers guidance for young people. (2)
Young People’s Support Service cut 50%. Used by 1500-2000 young people every month, for help in finding a place to live, a job, education grants, etc. (2)
Youth Worker Training cut. No further provision to train youth workers. (2)
Looked-After Children’s Services cut — only two learning mentors to remain for the city. (2)
Family Group Conferencing cut. Help for families to stay together when crisis hits, and preventing youngsters being taken into care. (2)
Disability Respite cut—did provide short term breaks for disabled children and young people. (2)

Day Care Centres: NINE still threatened with closure …

Teaching Assistants cut: the Council has already made hundreds of TAs redundant and will cut back classroom support further.

It’s not as if Hull can afford more redundancies at this time, or that Hull doesn’t have enough unemployment! But this attack on communities and services cannot go unanswered which is why 5 Green Party members have put themselves forward as candidates:

Avenue Ward: Martin Deane

Newland Ward: Mike Lammiman

Myton Ward: TJ White

King’s Park Ward: Mark Gretton

University Ward: James Russell

- If you can help, please get in touch.

Hull candidates in full.

————————-

1. Guardian

2. Hull College SU

The Violence in Society...

2011-04-12T18:00:00.000+01:00

I was speaking to a friend recently about last Saturday’s march. She may not have known precisely what the marchers were marching for – despite being a very able professional - beyond it being the unions “anticuts”. She may not have known how large it was as a demonstration, maybe second only to the Iraq one in size.

She may, also, not have heard of the Robin Hood Tax: she may not know there is NO tax on international finance deals despite these wrecking the global economy in 2008. Despite being really proud to pay taxes herself, she may not know that those on £150,000 and over have not paid their 50% tax for a year, or of the 13,000 jobs to be lost at HMRC, nor that most of this money won’t be recovered. But she certainly knew about the violence, the attacks on property and the thugs.

But there’s lies in all this. From the highest levels. And they will be repeated ad nauseam by people who should know better – or who choose not to. But we ALL should know better because we’re all targets of current government policies and hyping violence at a demo really aimed at them is their way out of having to answer for their own social violence.

In this Newsnight report, according to the nice female police Asst. Commissioner, there were arrests at this demo beating a record of 5 years for a public order event. She talks about the fear of customers as Fortnum & Mason was invaded by over 100 protesters from the group UKuncut.

The trouble is – there wasn’t any trouble!

The Guardian has video of a nice female police inspector, on the scene, saying they were “non-violent” and “sensible” (as confirmed by other independent reports like Green Party Adam Ramsay or this 15 year old girl’s account, and other video). The inspector even says on camera “that’s why people were kept in here” implying the police were dealing with actual violence outside and so prevented peaceful demonstrators leaving the shop!

Yet there were 149 charged with 138 arrested at F&M. - Just watch these charges disappear when it gets to court in a few months time! This is purely for headlines now! It’s propaganda. This was a peaceful sit-in that not even the shop has protested, nor were customers harassed or even prevented from shopping!

Only a few days ago MPs voted to support the No Fly Zone over Libya. Supposedly to defend the rebels there, only 13 of the 670 MPs voted against this. Really it was a rubber-stamping of the decision already taken by Cameron to back it. This despite polls showing the public very ambivalent about getting involved in Libya.

But where’s the No Fly Zone over Gaza? There isn’t one. And there never will be one while Israel remains backed by America – no matter how many Palestinians suffer or die – or rebel.

Choosing to back the banks, choosing to cut public jobs, welfare, DLA, EMA, housing benefit, youth organisations, day care centres, essentially protects the rich and the powerful who will become richer and more powerful through these policies. They will get the money that is being “saved” – not some deficit balance!

The estimated total of one million jobs beginning to be lost by these policies (500,000 public sector jobs and another 500,000 estimated to be lost from knock-on effects) will have effects to last for years – not a few days of clearing up mess or replacing windows.

We must be aware of violence in all its forms – not just what the media, or the powerful who control them, choose to show us.

Or else we are the manipulated ones merely bowing to thought control in a democratic society.

Miliband’s new campaigns!

2011-04-12T17:59:00.000+01:00

In the wake of yesterday’s historic march, Labour’s Edward Milibland announces his new campaigns:

NO taxes on the banks!
NO taxes for the wealthy! (these haven’t been collected for over a year anyway…)!
NO closing of tax loopholes!
DON’T chase major tax avoiders!
DON’T re-regulate the financial sector!
CUT all the services anyway! (just spread them out a bit more).

The Labour Party leader, Ed Milibland, was very poor yesterday! His was the total hypocrisy of equating the 500,000 marchers (figure via police announced by Len McCluskey from stage) with apartheid and the civil rights movement, etc – WHILE he fails to share the ACTUAL policies the march was about!

A Real Alternative? Unbelievable, isn’t it? And major Unions think this is where hope lies?!?

Hull, on the other hand, was rather splendid. Somewhere around 17 coaches went, including the (Fire Brigade) FBU’s 3 from the area. (Twice the number of coaches that went for Iraq in 2003).

We had a great time. The demonstration was massive, very good-natured and determined. But we all know the battle goes on.

The message must get through: tax the banks, tax the ultra-rich, make the cuts history.

—————

Update: After rumours of attack on Fortnum and Mason’s, a mob of tweed-clad old Etonians retaliate and vandalise Lidl in Slough. #mar26

Tw: Best placard so far: ‘there are two things I don’t like about nick clegg: his face’ #26march #march26

Tw: The march was a total success – 500k. Pity the ‘alternative’ is cuts over 72 months instead of 54 months. Ed is not the alternative.

Workers may March but Labour isn’t the alternative!

2011-04-12T17:58:00.002+01:00

The biggest march this decade, to be held on Saturday, will have only one political party speaker: Ed Miliband.

Is Saturday’s huge demonstration really going to be a March for an Alternative? Or a march for more failed policies from a favoured party?

The TUC March for the Alternative on the 26th, calls for a Robin Hood Tax on banks, for closing tax loopholes and for policies for jobs and green growth.

Caroline Lucas MP, the one Green MP in Parliament, has been calling for these policies for over a year! And more: for an end to tax avoidance and evasion, for increased taxation of the rich, for closing tax loopholes for banks and big business, and not for destroying a million jobs through cuts but for creating one million jobs in green industries instead!

The policies the TUC March is calling for are from her manifesto!

But they’re not in Ed’s! Ed Miliband wrote Labour’s manifesto which called for these same cuts over 6 years, just not 4 1/2! How much history are people expected to forget to think that Labour are the answer?

Greens today call on the TUC and trade unionists to really fight the cuts, to put real pressure on politics and invite a greater representation of anti-cuts parties and politicians.

———————————————————
Martin Deane
Letter to TUC
info@tuc.org.uk, media@tuc.org.uk, bbarber@tuc.org.uk

Dear TUC,

As a teacher, an active anti-cuts campaigner and a member of a political party, I am utterly dismayed to hear today that Ed Miliband MP is to be the only party political speaker from on 26th March.

I am ashamed and disgusted by this sectarian move to allow a platform to a leader of a political party who has been advocating almost the same cuts as well as supporting the privatization of our beloved public services for over a decade.

Caroline Lucas MP is a sane voice in Parliament who has been calling for the policies this March is promoting for over a year! For an end to tax avoidance and evasion, for increased taxation of the rich, for closing tax loopholes for banks and big business, for creating one million green jobs instead of destroying a million. The policies the TUC March is calling for could be from her manifesto! But they’re not in Ed’s!

Is this really going to be a March for an Alternative? Or a march for more failed policies from a favoured neoliberal party?

I write to urge you to reconsider your decision. The March is important but if it’s simply pro-Labour then it will then be the TUC which is selling out the people. The trade unions monopolising the anti-cuts movement for the Labour Party line would be a failure of pluralistic politics, and bowing to the conservative ideology of present Labour policies. It will be truly and simply un-trade unionist.

It will be a shame if the TUC acts in this manner. Please act immediately to provide a range of political representation for people who will really fight these cuts.

Sincerely,

Martin Deane

Hull

Create jobs not destroy them

2011-04-12T17:57:00.001+01:00

The Green Party doesn’t accept the current propaganda that it’s necessary to have cuts to pay off the deficit.

The deficit has been at higher levels in history without being used as an excuse to launch an attack on ordinary people across the country. This attack is the most blatant, at this time, after just paying up to a trillion pounds to the banks to bail them out.

In the General Election last year we attacked the parties and their plans for cuts. Since then after people arguably voted for a hung Parliament, we have seen the Lib Dems unashamedly sell out the voting population (and the others!), jump into bed with the Tories and prepared to destroy a million jobs.

Our platform last year, the Green New Deal, showed how we can raise billions of pounds by taxing simply where the wealth is in society. Instead we see a rise in VAT which taxes everyone and taxes the poorest disproportionately. Our plans create a million jobs in vital green industries like energy conservation and renewable production, instead of destroying tens of thousands of jobs in the health service and more in council services across the country.

The cuts are “Disaster Capitalism” as Naomi Klein might call it. The disaster is the deficit, and big business has spotted a way to make money from it. It doesn’t matter that maybe a trillion quid has been given to the banks. Nor that the deficit has been higher with no great problems. All that matters is that they convince us the cuts are necessary. It’s propaganda. Once the cuts are in then they can move in companies to take over parts of the NHS or social services roles. And make another killing…

Connaught workers protest

2011-04-12T17:56:00.001+01:00

Martin Deane, Hull and East Riding Green Party, supporting Hull workers when Connaught workers – many who used to work for Hull City Council before privatisation and “outsourcing” – were threatened with all losing their jobs.

Where is the official party of opposition?

2011-03-13T12:16:00.005Z

TJ White, Hull, writes from a piece first posted on the Labour fb page.

Here is my post where they(Labour!) can't delete it!

I have joined this page to support John McArdle and all the other people at Black Triangle: You are our official party of opposition. Start OPPOSING!!!!!!

We as disabled people are being told that ... if we can push our own wheelchairs 30 yards on a flat surface we have no mobility problems, how many places in reality fit that description?... We will be trapped in our homes, sanctioned by the DWP on income based benefits because we can no longer leave the house to get to work OR go to work focused interviews.

ATOS is stealing taxpayers' money in their disability denial factories; they have been given a blank cheque and the consent to harass and persecute those who are too sick to work. What did you think would happen when you told them if they wanted to they could reassess people every three months and you would pay them to do so? Appeals have rocketed and as soon as people have won their appeal they are being reassessed again!

It's money for old rope, it's persecution. And you couldn't give a damn because all you care about really is the Daily Mail readers that you have been partially responsible for whipping into a frenzy to win votes from them.

STOP the lies, make a fair test, and yes test us, test us in a fair evenhanded manner, remove profit from the testing or you will always skew the figures.

Start OPPOSING!

Rock Against the Cuts, Fri 11th

2011-03-04T14:46:00.004Z

Rock Against the Cuts
Friday 11th, Pearson Park Hotel, 7.30pm.

Tickets £10 / £8 from Martin on 471467 and Bill on 862085.

Food Music Raffle!!! Dyslexic Kid playing, and guests.

Reserve your place now!!! A Green Party event.

March Events

2011-03-03T09:50:00.004Z

Free Film: Low Impact Man

Saturday 5 March, Boulevard Village Hall, doors open 2pm, all welcome

- follows a Manhattan-based family as they abandon their high consumption 5th Avenue lifestyle and try to live a year while making no net environmental impact.

With refreshments and opportunity for discussion after the film.

Rock Against the Cuts
Friday 11th, Pearson Park Hotel, 7.30pm.

Tickets £10 / £8 from me (471467).

Food Music Raffle!!! Dyslexic Kid playing, and guests.

Reserve your place now!!! A Green Party event.

Film: Zeitgeist: Moving Forward
£1 donation. Sat 12 March, 1pm, @ Fruit, Humber Street, Hull
Very interesting film on the world's imminent future!
With discussion space.

March 26 - Massive TUC Anti-cuts Demo

Hull Coach = 5AM, Hull centre and Uni!!
Returns 10pm -ish. Subsidised so £5 a seat!!

Contact 471467.

Hull Anti-Cuts Protests, Feb 24

2011-02-24T18:41:00.006Z

Today the LibDem run Hull City Council attempted to set its cuts budget.

At midday a crowd of many hundreds protested around the city and at 4.30 gathered again outside the Guildhall. A locally donated PA system kept the crowd entertained. Maybe a dozen speeches were heard. A crowd of 40 at a time were allowed into the gallery of the council chamber.

Occasional raised voices challenged the councillors and eventually they adjourned and called for the Gallery to be cleared. A mini invasion of the Guildhall took place.

Picture from a protester looking out from the Guildhall balcony to the demonstration below.

Hull is facing around £80 million worth of cuts this year entailing some 2000 jobs all told.

It will be the worst hit authority in the region.

Support the Guildhall Anti-Cuts Protests, Feb 24th.

2011-02-21T09:41:00.005Z

We would like everyone who can possibly make it to come to the Guildhall at 4.30pm on Thursday 24th. This will be a major protest against the cuts.

Hull City Council is losing 1700 jobs, 1400 of these are compulsory redundancies. 7/10 day care centres are to close. Children's services and youth services are receiving huge slashes in funding. Museum services are being run down and staff forced to work fewer hours.

Thursday 24th Feb: Guildhall Anti-Cuts Protest 4.30pm

See you there!

Hull Jobs Protest

2011-02-21T08:07:00.000Z

swifts

2011-02-13T20:48:00.000Z

Shan Oakes
Swift Conservation - http://www.swift-conservation.org/ - Keeping the Skies Alive! I've been very worried about the drop in numbers of swifts and delighted to find this site. They advise on things like how to make your roof better for swifts to nest in.
Swift Conservation Homepage
www.swift-conservation.org
Biodiversity

Greens welcome Hull Lib Dems attack on cuts

2011-02-12T13:38:00.000Z

I’m really pleased to learn that Council Leader Carl Minns and the Lib Dem councillors in Hull are doing the right thing and speaking up against the government led cuts.

They speak against the “scale and pace” of the cuts even though it involves their own party leadership because they realise how profoundly these cuts will affect frontline services and vulnerable people across Hull.

In the Green Party we’ve consistently stood against all these cuts. We fought all the cuts promised by the other parties in the General Election. They’re vicious and they’re not needed. The deficit can be wound down simply by taxing more fairly – which this government refuses to do.

In fact, to add further insult to injury, there’s now a major government plan to change tax law to favour international banks and big business to the tune of tens of billion of pounds more! – something that George Monbiot has called the tax heist of the century.

Guess who will be paying for that?

———————————————————-

Martin Deane stood for Parliament in Hull last year and will stand for Council in May.

http://twitter.com/MartinJDeane

everything!

2011-02-12T10:26:00.001Z

I'm feeling highly frustrated. Why can't everyone see the appalling mess the world is in due to unleashed corporations and greed? Its no good saying 'Oh well its always been the same'. Humans ARE capable of change, and the need is so blatant we should be working together for change.

'More for Less' - this was the title of last Tuesday's conference at Bishop Burton Agricultural College. The presentations ranged from the excellent(how farming can contribute to the general good) to the grotesque (the proposed Nocton cow factory). The college should be congratulated on running this public conference to showcase these varying points of view.

Graham Stuart, Tory MP for Beverley and Holderness, spoke first and demonstrated his complete lack of understanding of the need to develop a vibrant local economy in the face of peak oil. His vision is severely limited - to yet more corporate power, 'competition', and 'growth': more of the very things which are leading to war, job loss, disease, species extinction, empty seas, poverty, climate change and so on. I was not the only one aghast at his myopic view. He repeats the mantra of 'less government' without seeing the need for a review of our collective values. He has a background in running a small business, but he needs now, as does his party, to get to grips with the bigger picture. The two 'slick and dirty' presentations were promotions for genetic modification and animal concentration camps, but the others were about how to diversify, think differently and add value and were fascinating.

At the end I met a student whose family has farmed in East Yorkshire for 4 generations - and it was his enthusiasm and the local connection which will remain with me the longest.

“I have never seen such visceral anger in Hull”

2011-02-12T10:24:00.001Z

Next Guildhall lobby: Thurs. 24th Feb, 4.30pm.

Lobby of Hull City Council, Guildhall, 20 Jan.

- by a Hull Trade Unionist

For years a lobby of the council in Hull has been a sedate affair with a good crowd a few slogans and then going off home.

Tonight a protest took place involving 350-400 people.

Workers decided to march round the Guildhall and then went into the building. They marched up to the council chamber finding the doors locked.

As people pondered what to do the doors to the public gallery were forced open and people poured in.

Initially people kept quiet as the councillors continued their business. Then a Labour councillor spoke to oppose a motion put forward by the Liberal Democrats who run the council. He had barely finished his first sentence when the workers erupted into applause and chants of shame on you to the Lib Dems.

The meeting was brought to a halt and the ashen faced Lib Dems finally got to know what anger is there. The vast majority of them slunk out of the chamber to the chants of “The Workers United Will Never Be Defeated!”

I have never seen such visceral anger in Hull and people came out confident and bouyed up by the protest. We must use this to build for strike action and the maximum possible attendance at the TUC demo.

- Hull Trade Unionist

everything!

2011-02-11T12:52:00.000Z

Dear Students, it's nice to have you back!

2010-11-11T10:23:00.010Z

If there's a lesson in life we should all learn it's that students must never break windows unless they're members of the Bullingdon Club...

http://jimjay.blogspot.com/

Typical of state propaganda to focus on broken windows instead of a government breaking the education system.

I was at Millbank yesterday. It was London's biggest student protest for years and there was a fine showing from 25-50,000 students AND lecturers on the march. Compared to the importance of this major attack on university education, the spot of trouble there was is being over-reported. Typical of state propaganda to focus on broken windows instead of government breaking the education system. I was at Millbank for a considerable time. There were a few hundred students and others there and some of the number were angry and determined. There were indeed a few broken windows. There appear to have been pockets of aggression at the front near the police - and riot police - and an attempt to occupy the building. I didn't see the fire extinguisher that apparently was thrown - but then neither did it hit anyone. I'm also aware that the police could have escalated it and, this time, didn't. As one student interviewed there said: "This is scary - but not as scary as what's happening to our future."

"Nick Clegg, shame on you! Shame on you for turning blue!"

The single most frightening event was when riot police suddenly formed up in front of the main entrance. This panicked a lot of people who feared the worst, turned and ran. But it detracts from the importance of the much larger demonstration to focus on a few broken windows, or a few tussles with police on the part of a few who don't represent the vast majority. This part of the demo wasn't entirely peaceful but there was no riot to speak of. I hear a few people were taken to hospital. I don't know what for. The only person I saw being attended to was a girl a couple of hundred yards away who seemed to be suffering from cold or something when I passed her.

The state monopoly on violence will mean thousands more die this winter through not getting the care they need.

I'm also sure what violence there was was condemned by the NUS itself. But let's just remember that in our 21st century Britain it's the state itself that claims the monopoly on violence, and does violence to society again and again with its postcode lotteries for health, its attacks on benefits and pensions with a cold winter approaching, with this major attack on university education with 100s of percents hikes in fees to see students facing future bills the size of mortgages, and, especially, with November 20th's Time To Leave Afghanistan march approaching, a state which has no qualms exporting the most serious violence abroad with no remorse even to wars built on lies.

So well done to all concerned yesterday. And , dear students, it's nice to have you back!

Student debt debate

2010-11-04T13:28:00.000Z

Student debt debate

This new regime proposed by the Con Dems, puts UK education amongst the most expensive in the world whereas the Green Party wants to see education free including at university level, and to fund it by tax changes for those on 100k and over, among other changes.
At least £20K for fees over 3 years, plus a similar amount for accommodation and living expenses, will be hanging over most graduates for a good deal of their working lives, and may have to be paid back at the rate of £2,000 plus over 30 years - much like a mortgage. Many young people would feel intimidated by this prospect and the total number of students is likely to fall. If a graduate who was in employment later lost his/her job, the debt would remain on the books and actually increase as there is an interest charge, so that if the graduate returns to employment in a job earning more than £21,000 pa, s/ he will stand to pay back the added charge in the long run.
The position of the very poorest students was better covered, but the implication for those just above the bread line would be serious . Nick Clegg and Vince Cable have made the economic argument that these changes are necessary and "progressive", but the changes are going to hurt and there will be political repercussions, if not on the scale of the derided poll tax, but widely and permanently. The shift from state responsibility for the costs of higher education on to the shoulders of the individual is going to be profound. with thanks for commentary from Peter Reeve.

Hull Greens join Anti-Cuts Rally

2010-10-27T14:12:00.002+01:00

Last Wednesday’s announcement of major cuts costing half a million public sector jobs was pre-empted at noon by a rally in Hull of unionists, workers and activists.

Martin Deane, Chair of Hull and East Riding Green Party, says,

“People are completely fed up with this ConDem government, after only 5 months in power.

“We are disgusted by the cuts - the huge job losses, the attack on the public sector, on students and tuition fees - on top of the previous bailouts to the banks and the refusal to tax the wealthy in this country in an appropriate way.

On Thursday there were about 70 people gathered at the Guildhall to lobby the council to protect jobs in the city. A dozen Hull unions were represented.

“George Osborne has promised half a million people in the public sector will be put out of work. With the knock-on effect this will have in the private sector, this could be the budget that destroyed a million jobs.

“This budget is socially devastating and economically illiterate - this will probably increase the deficit as we throw people out of work, pay their benefits, pay their redundancies and so on.

“There is a better way! Why not look at tackling tax evasion and tax avoidance? There are billions of pounds lost through that every single year. Why not look at National Insurance? Changes here could raise many billions with very little pain.

“Find money like that and actually invest it in jobs. The way out of this deficit is through jobs.”

Workers, unionists and campaigners will be protesting in cities around the region tomorrow (23 Oct). A major demonstration will be held in Sheffield city centre at noon.

The next Hull demonstration will be by the National Union of Students (NUS) on Wednesday 3^rd November, at noon in Queen Victoria Square.

More pics, Hull Against the Cuts

2010-10-20T18:18:00.002+01:00

Hull Against the Cuts Protest

2010-10-20T18:05:00.002+01:00

Stop the Cuts!

2010-10-20T11:21:00.003+01:00

The Conservatives plan to callously cut to the bone the UK’s vital social infrastructure. Once again - we’re being told – by Tories – that There is No Alternative.

Cameron, Clegg and Osborne are wedded to the ideological choice of devastating cuts – but they helped bail out their banker friends and their fellow millionaires - and they fail to look at much better alternatives.

Cameron says he wished “there was another way... an easier way” but that “there is no other responsible way.”

But we say: “There is an easier way - and a better way – and a way that will avoid hurting millions of innocent bystanders through your savage cuts: - Increase taxes on the highest incomes - Scrap expensive and irrelevant projects like Trident - Transfer money from roadbuilding to public transport – And get tough on tax avoidance and tax evasion!

If you do this - you could then SPEND money on a major public investment programme that would CREATE 100s of 1000s of jobs –not destroy them - and transform the economy to help tackle energy consumption, tackle carbon emissions and tackle rising energy costs.

But instead – they will create a wasteland and call it peace... If we let them!

The Tories accused Labour of being in denial about the debt they caused - but let’s look at Tory denials:-

- Tories talk about how irresponsible it would be to leave our children to pay our debts – but that’s exactly what the next generation will pay for - paying for the continual using up of ever-decreasing resources – paying for wars for oil – paying for aircraft carriers to project UK power – even with no planes to fly from them!!!

- Helping pay bailouts to bankers while half a million workers lose their jobs.

Listening to Osborne and Cameron, you’d think the only drain on the country was workers! The firemen, the nurses, the teachers, the benefits staff – the workers who keep this country going, workers who give this society REAL VALUE in most people’s eyes - and not just measured in pound signs!

Tories say the NHS is ‘protected’ - but in fact it’s still under threat of privatisation! NHS staff have already got their “Frontline” campaign to save jobs up and running right now. They say,“We’re all frontline!” – so don’t cut ANY of our jobs!

Tories talk about more university and apprenticeship places - but we’re now expecting tuition costs to soar and we will see education become the haves versus the have-nots. This is totally unacceptable in 21^st century Britain!

Tories say they will give people, power, such as to choose what school their kids will go to. But the issue isn’t choice! It’s making sure every child has a place at a good local school.

Tories attack treating heroin addiction on the NHS – but we could cut crime significantly if we STOP treating heroin addiction as a CRIMINAL problem and treat it properly as a MEDICAL problem.

Tories say those on higher incomes must contribute more - but their changes to child benefit do so in a way that is clearly unfair.

Tories want us to have ‘elected police commissioners you can elect and kick out’ – basically, this means making the UK more like the USA. But who on earth would want to follow America’s appalling record of imprisoning a full one per cent of its population?

These cuts are ideological. They are an attack on ordinary people everywhere. They follow an agenda of enriching the rich at everyone else's expense. And so we will fight them.

This is Thatcher Part Two. And we are the resistance!

Stop the cuts!

- There will be a demonstration in Sheffield for noon on Saturday, 23rd October. If interested in travelling from Hull contact 471467.

Connaught workers - Bring them back in!

2010-10-07T11:53:00.006+01:00

Martin Deane of Hull area Green Party joined the protest last week of Connaught workers and their unions.

Their jobs have gone.

As they were all employed working for Hull, will the council now directly employ them - as they did before - and as other councils around the country are now doing?

Happily, a recent meeting did report that the 200 Connaught workers had been paid every penny of the month's wages owed to them. I'm led to believe that the Council will do the right thing and take them back in... Understandably the workers and their representatives will believe it when the contracts are in their hands.

This happened recently in Leeds.

All across the country ordinary working people like ours are having to take action like this to save their jobs in the face of the cuts being pursued by the Con-Dem coalition. Just like bailing out the banks was much more ideological than it made economic sense. Now those same bankers are back to their million pound bonuses. It's obscene. The Green Party has always fought the ideas behind these cuts - they are unnecessary. They are ideological.

This is Thatcher 2.0.

And this is the fight back.

Ground the Drones!

2010-09-30T17:19:00.006+01:00

The recent Hull meeting on the use of drones in warfare was in-depth. Drones are horrendous killing machines being used by the coalition to deal death from the air, often from so far away that they can't be seen.

Chris Cole of national CAAT led the input. The USAF has 116 Predators and 28 Reapers. Each Reaper costs $11 million, has a $1m camera and is as dangerous as a fighter jet - it can drop 500lb laser guided bombs. The Predator can fly 2 miles high - and for 24 hours at a time.

Drones have a huge capability and are changing the face of war. But what if you target the wrong people? "We have the resources to make sure we're right!" comes the reply from the military spokesman.

In the peace movement, we get information of their usage in Pakistan but we get nothing from the media on their use in Afghanistan. It's the wrong story.

Meanwhile the CIA is hard at work in Pakistan making plans "to do bad things to bad people". But drones aren't THAT effective. The reaction from those targeted has come in terms of suicide bombing and revenge attacks, a tradition among the tribes of the region. Drone attacks have led to decreased security and to threats such as the Time Square bomb, an act of revenge for a drone strike.

The use of drones, their remote control and targeting, usually from thousands of miles away, has led Philip Alston of the UN to call it a "PlayStation Mentality", where you pay little or no attention to the "enemy" you've just "neutralised". In one recent attack there were a number of children and civilians in a convoy. The drone operators played this down; the controllers were merely reprimanded.

Some drones can be flown 24 hours a day, so their operators are constantly looking for targets. Furthermore, there is evidence of their use in assassinations, something America has vowed not to do.

The use of drones has become SOP, Standard Operating Procedure. The CIA has its own fleet of Reapers and Predators which are based in Afghanistan. The Blackwater company (now "Xe") operate these drones, a privatised death from the sky. Under American law it is unlawful to assassinate, even moreso in Pakistan where there is not even a declared war. The operation, they say, falls into an "accountability void". This broadening out of their usage may have already become indiscriminate.

Martin Deane for Hull CAAT

Campaign Against the Arms Trade

The Afghans are fighting for their own country.

2010-09-22T10:31:00.004+01:00

How long before we learn the lesson of Afghanistan?

The recent troop rotation between British and American forces was agreed some months ago. e UK troops were dying at a significantly higher rate than US troops, so now it's the US troops' turn to pay the "blood price", as Blair called it.

Vital statistics

The vital statistics of Afghanistan after 9 years of British involvement, go like this -

Worst infant mortality in the world: Afghanistan

Worst life expectancy in the world: Afghanistan

For those of you conned that we're trying to do some good - It's not working!

We're the enemy!

The greatest single unifying force in Afghanistan, isn't the government, isn't the media, isn't X-Factor, Kabul! - it's the presence of foreign troops on their soil! We are THE enemy. The people know that they have fought off the Russians, 300,000 of them. They know foreign invaders have never held their country. Now for years ordinary people across Afghanistan have been taking up arms against us - or planting bombs - or even joined the ANA and passing weapons to the Resistance, which we almost always call the Taliban, just to keep things simple.

Doubling the UK deaths

It's no surprise then that after record violence this year there has been a massive drop in the repatriation of refugees back into Afghanistan.

The Dead UK forces in Afghanistan now stand at 337. Another 21 deaths and we will have lost TWICE the number that Britain lost in Iraq.

We MUST leave!

Yes - if we leave there's likely to be further violence. But eventually even America will leave - like Russia's 300,000 troops did before it - and like the British Empire did before that! AND at least it won't be our families killing - or dying - or, mark my words, taking their own lives later at home.

And finally, whether we're there or not, the Afghans are fighting for their own country.

We must demand proportional representation

2010-05-28T11:05:00.000+01:00

We have had many queries since the election, asking why the Greens didn’t do better at a time when most people are now aware of the very real issues which only the Green Party has been seriously addressing - for more than 35 years!

It became quite clear as we approached polling day that people were going to vote tactically. Many people said to us, apologetically, that although they wanted to vote Green, they would in fact be voting Lib Dem or Labour because they wanted rid of the Tories and they wanted proportional representation. Even the far right wing parties did better than the Greens because those voters are typically less reflective and so tend not to vote tactically.

Knowing that we could not win this time in this very conservative area, a lot of the energies of the local party were focussed on supporting the Greens' campaign in Brighton Pavilion – where, at 6am on May 7th, Caroline Lucas was elected Britain's first Green MP . She is the first Green MP worldwide to have been elected under a first-past-the-post system: a spectacular achievement. There are of course, many Greens in government in other countries, as well as in the European Parliament. In the UK, Greens are in the Scottish Parliament, London Assembly, on many councils – and, at last, in Westminster!

So thank you to all those who voted for a fairer world (whichever box you put your cross in). The next job for us all is to push for a fairer electoral system which will make every vote count, so that people can vote from the heart, and the real issues can come to the fore and be addressed in the interests of people and planet instead of in the interests of corporations and the very rich.

comments welcome to shan@voice.karoo.co.uk

Citizens Income

2010-05-12T22:22:00.003+01:00

poster parade 4

2010-05-05T21:52:00.000+01:00

poster parade 3

2010-05-05T21:51:00.000+01:00

poster parade 2

2010-05-05T21:48:00.000+01:00

poster parade 1

2010-05-05T21:46:00.000+01:00

A Reminder

2010-05-05T09:48:00.000+01:00

A pleasant day in Swanland - this poster is close to the polling station.

Bank Holiday - campaigning in Beverley

2010-05-05T09:43:00.000+01:00

The other placard messages were: 'Cut pay to fat cats not jobs in public services - all Tories out.'
and 'ERYC leads where Cameron will follow' (referring to the grotesque discretionary early retirement pension fund payment for a senior officer of East Riding of Yorks Council)

David Davis refuses to join debate - again!

2010-05-01T16:45:00.000+01:00

The article below by Jonathan Reed appeared in The Yorkshire Post on 27 April 2010:

'Call for apology follows market confrontation

A ROW has broken out between a clergyman and former Shadow Home Secretary David Davis after a confrontation at a market place.

Father Oliver Coss has called for an apology after a confrontation with Mr Davis in Cottingham market as he tried to persuade him to take part in a hustings event he was organising.

But Mr Davis, who is campaigning to regain his Haltemprice and Howden seat, insists that during the exchange he was "firm but polite" and dismissed the incident as a "storm in a teacup".

Mr Coss, assistant curate of St Mary's Church, Cottingham, approached Mr Davis at the market along with Father Paul Smith, the Rector, after being told the politician was unable to attend Sunday's event, and said they were "astonished" by his response.

Mr Coss, who said he was a Tory voter but would be rethinking, said the meeting turned into "a deeply confrontational episode in front of our parishioners".

Now Mr Coss has written about it on social networking site Facebook where he said: "I want nothing more than an apology and this hustings to take place without any further unpleasantness".

But Mr Davis denied allegations he was rude. He said he already had campaign commitments when he received a written invitation the day before the encounter, and said a call received by a secretary several days earlier had not been passed on to him.

"I had no intention to be rude to anyone," he said.'

This has become a pattern. In the 2008 byelection the Tory campaign team used the same excuse (communications mix-up) to explain Mr Davis's refusal to engage with me on the civil liberties issue. What is he worried about?

domestic solar energy

2010-04-25T16:06:00.000+01:00

Today's report in the Independent concurs with our experience of getting a solar hot water system installed about 6 years ago now by Smart Energy UK. Although their own assessor said our house needed 2 panels facing in 2 directions to make the most of the sun, the SE installers turned up and installed only one panel. This has meant we lose the sun too early in the day to heat the water for the morning. We have complained several times but have never managed to get the firm to do anything about it. As with so many other issues, there needs to be regulatory bodies (as there are with tourism for example) to safeguard the public from cowboy operators who are not interested in follow-up.

Saturday in Beverley - vote for your kids

2010-04-24T21:56:00.000+01:00

Took leaflets and placards into Beverley. Sunny, busy. People walking past trying not to make eye contact. Feeling rather disconsolate - when a wonderful thing happened: 2 girls aged about 13 came up and asked what I was doing. I explained. One said 'Why are you dressed like that? It's weird' (boots, skirt, Green Party tabard, rosette and straw hat). The other said, 'That's rude', and I said, 'It's to attract attention.' Then they offered to take some leaflets to give out!! They did this for several hours, parading the placard up and down the crowded street....and they want to do it next saturday as well!

robin looks suspicious

2010-04-17T18:34:00.000+01:00

thought you might like another shot

It don't mean a thing if it aint got that Green swing

2010-04-17T18:22:00.000+01:00

We moved down Toll Gavel and found some live jazz - The Black Cat Swing Club - perfect. What we need is a big Green swing! Spoke with people from all around the East Riding and Hull - and further afield.

On the stump - Saturday Market

2010-04-17T18:04:00.000+01:00

Great day today - Beverley, Saturday Market, Butter Cross. We thought how little this spot is used when it could be a wonderful stage for street theatre etc. Just shows how much our community needs enlivening. More trading of locally grown food needed too.

'leader' debate

2010-04-17T10:15:00.000+01:00

The debate last thursday was a good thing if it helped increase interest in politics. Nick Clegg came out marginally better than the others, BUT, if the Green leader, Caroline Lucas, had been on stage she would have outshone them all. Clegg said he would do things differently – BUT, how differently? All three still cling to the idea of economic ‘growth’. The Greens know that we have to change our ideas fundamentally if we are to climb out of recession without massive job losses and/or more damage to the environment. It was Caroline who came up with the term Green New Deal which the old parties have now adopted, but - the Greens’ policies actually hang together. ALL the old parties forget that the economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment. We forget this at our peril. We can’t continue with infinite growth on a finite planet.

Shan Oakes: What is Politics?

2010-04-14T19:50:00.001+01:00

Hull and East Riding Launch

What is politics? Is it about letting vested interests have it all their own way or is it about striving for fairness?

And what's fairness? Is it about everyone getting the same or is it about promoting the common good so that everyone benefits?

The Greens would say that politics should be about promoting fairness and the good of all.... and that can't be done by just a bit of fiddling. At this point in history it needs a real shift in thinking. We can't any longer let the banks and corporations get away with murder. We can't any longer sit and watch the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. We cant keep making and selling weapons and waging war, and we cant any longer keep exporting and importing jobs and food. We can't keep building more roads and runways. We have to move away from oil-dependent farming and factory fishing - catching every last fish... Look at the state of the bees and the seas.

Instead we must bring the people back into politics. Banks and business must not be allowed to exploit people and the environment. Community must be able to flourish and support individuals. Technology must be the servant of wholesome needs such as renewable energy. People need satisfying jobs - and this country desperately needs skilled people to improve our decrepit housing stock - and to work in farming- working with nature instead of against it – growing healthy seasonal food for the local market.. We need better public transport and public services (health, care and education) . People need a living wage and decent pensions.

It's this joined-up fairness that the Greens fight for.

Martin Deane - Green Party for North Hull

2010-04-13T16:00:00.003+01:00

Coming Up - April 2010

2010-04-13T15:20:00.011+01:00

ELECTION DAY - May 6th

THU 29 APR - Hull University hustings, 6pm, with Hull North candidates.

THU 29 APR - 2pm Age Concern hustings, Hodgsons, Beverley, with Beverley candidates.

MON 26 APR - Beverley Minster hustings 7.30pm, with Beverley candidates.

SUN 25 APR - 7.30pm, Hull North hustings - Cottingham Road, Baptist Church (corner of Chants. Ave). With the Hull North candidates.

THU 22 APR - York, Green regional launch with Martin Deane, Shan Oakes, Bill Rigby....
- Green Party Naff Do, Kings Head, Nafferton 7.30pm, with food. An enjoyable night out.

TUE 20 APR - 9-10am BBC Radio Humberside, Hull North candidates' debate
- last day for voter registration forms.

SAT 17 APR - MAMMOTH Jumble Sale, 12.30-2.30 Spring Bank Community Centre. Come and support! Grab a bargain!

Bill Rigby explains what we should do over windfarms

2010-04-13T15:20:00.010+01:00

Robin moves into wren's nest

2010-04-08T23:43:00.000+01:00

Getting really busy for some reason!!

2010-04-02T13:41:00.005+01:00

Hunting

2010-04-01T16:58:00.000+01:00

A few words on hunting: We walked up to see the Holderness Hunt meeting on Beverley Westwood last Boxing Day. You might assume the Greens are opposed to hunting and you would be right that we are against hunting with dogs for sport. On the other hand, we are happy to see the vestiges of an ancient tradition in the form of horses, people and hounds getting some exercise - but without killing foxes - as was the case on Westwood on Boxing Day. If foxes need controlling there are more humane ways to do that than using packs of dogs to tear them apart.

The Tory MP, Graham Stuart, on the other hand, said that if the Tories get into government at the coming election, he hopes the anti-hunting law will be repealed - so that this bloodthirsty 'sport' can resume. Mr Stuart spoke of retaining the 'freedom' to indulge in hunting foxes. The Greens' view is that we certainly want to retain our freedoms, but that archaic customs such as hunting and killing animals with dogs should no longer be seen as acceptable behaviour. Barbarity towards animals supports and encourages barbarity towards human beings.

Hustings under way

2010-03-26T10:05:00.000Z

Early spring in Howden (and Hornsea)

2010-03-19T09:39:00.000Z

On the train on the way back to Beverley from a meeting in Leeds last tuesday, I felt impulsive - must have been the weak spring sunshine - and jumped off at Howden. Howden station is perhaps a mile from town so I had a good walk to start with - and noticed the ditch between the path and the fields. It looked lifeless - at a time when other still water is surging with frogs. Is it full of chemicals due to our current intensive agricultural methods? Can anyone tell me?

Nearing town, the first thing I noticed was the huge carpark in a field. I later discovered it's for the Press Association. As its quite a step back to the station, I decided I'd better first find out train times and was told Shire Hall was my best bet for tourist information - but - Shire Hall is closed on mondays and tuesdays. So where could I get information? This search gave me insight into the kindliness of people in Howden: the owners of the Minster View Hotel found me a train timetable, the landlord of the Wellington Hotel let me use his computer to try to check current train times (not easy!), and one of the post office staff found me an up to date timetable. I bought a meaty little magazine - Howden Matters - and chatted with the owners of various hostelries and shops. Some were angry about East Riding Council drawing yellow lines on the road and fining people for parking...but, to be fair (and I'm no admirer of ERYC), others felt it wasn't such an issue. Cars! It was nice to be free of one.

Having spent monday evening at a meeting in Hornsea of small traders trying to develop survival strategies for the arrival of Tesco, I do feel Howden is very lucky to have the ethical Co-operative and not to be dominated by the big-bully supermarkets. There are some great little shops in Howden - including butchers, deli, homecare - long may they thrive.

I spent a really pleasant afternoon in historic Howden and hope to return soon - thanks for the friendly welcome!

Behind the Wall, talk and book launch, Weds 10 March

2010-03-10T15:53:00.004Z

Rich Wiles from Hull has spent many years, in total, working with Palestinian refugees in Aida Camp near Bethlehem. Come and hear his stories, watch his presentation and buy his book Behind the Wall.

Weds. 10 March, 7pm, Friends Meeting House, Bean Street, Hull. HU3 2PR (Rich will also speak on Friday at 7pm at Friends Meeting House, Quaker Lane, Beverley)

'All war is organised murder'

2010-03-03T21:04:00.000Z

Brian Haw's Awesome Peace Protest

2010-03-03T18:59:00.000Z

We had a chat with Brian Haw on February 21st. He’s been camping opposite the Houses of Parliament for 8 years to protest against the aggression, death and destruction perpetrated by this country on Iraq. Brian deserves all our respect and admiration for standing up for human rights and civilised behaviour.

Politics Show Sunday 21st Feb

2010-02-26T19:52:00.000Z

The Green Party was featured on the BBC Politics Show last Sunday with film of Hull North candidate Martin Deane, Huddersfield's Andrew Cooper, and myself doing a live bit from the London studio. Trouble is they asked me about climate change, and that's just not our main issue. I had about five points I wanted to make - but no time!

Young people and political debate

2010-02-26T19:46:00.000Z

I spent a very interesting afternoon last week observing an East Riding Youth Assembly meeting in Beverley where young people were putting themselves forward as potential members of the Youth Parliament for the UK. 30 secondary school students spoke about what mattered to them - and it was all about justice. Issues included lowering the voting age, divorce and its effect on kids, bullying, the need to listen to young people’s views and to talk about disability in schools, unfair attitudes towards young people, and lack of things for young people to do. It was very impressive – and all these issues are championed by the Green Party whose slogan is ‘Fair is worth fighting for’.

The afternoon proved how caring young people can be, so it’s worrying that, in my experience, many young people don’t vote at all, often saying they know nothing about it. This allows the ‘grey’ parties (and the far right parties) to win seats because many older people seem to vote out of habit - or protest. It’s often younger people who want sensible fair Green politics, but who don’t vote…so its easy to see why we don’t get the positive change we so desperately need.

So, I’m inviting colleges and schools to please hold hustings (a meeting with questions to a panel of politicians) in the run-up to the general election. There was a Green landslide vote at Wolfreton School hustings (see below) : when people hear Green policies they like them. If you know a school or college (or, for that matter, any group at all) which is looking for a Green speaker, or a Green panellist for a hustings, do please get in touch with us.

Greens Landslide Win at Wolfreton School

2010-02-26T18:08:00.000Z

I was delighted to be invited to Wolfreton School recently to participate in a political hustings in the run-up to the General Election. The audience was the whole of Year 10 and some sixth form politics students. The venue was the lecture theatre with adult politicians stage left and student politicians stage right. The adults represented Labour, Lib Dems, Conservatives, and myself for the Greens. The students represented Labour, UKIP, Green, BNP, Tory and Lib Dem. Tom (aged 13) also spoke as a member of the UK Youth Parliament. The politicians, young and old, described their policies, and questions followed.

Natalie and I gave the message that Green is the only way out of the recession. We can afford our policies because we would cut out the massive UK spending on ‘defence’. We would create hundreds of thousands of green jobs in agriculture, house refurbishment, insulation, public transport, and new energy technologies.

The audience voted and the result was a LANDSLIDE vote for the Greens!

Young people invariably believe in Green policies, but if they don’t vote (when they can), the older voters put in the OLD outdated parties and we get old outdated policies to keep us in the same old mess.

Many thanks for the event, Mr Richardson – if only more schools would do this….well done Wolfreton!

2010-02-26T17:20:00.000Z

Green groups formally complain over Godfrey Bloom

2010-02-15T21:01:00.005Z

Martin Deane speaks out against UKIP ideas

We handed in the complaint on Bloom letter to the police on Sunday. Myself and Shan Oakes, of the Green Party and Friends of the Earth in Beverley, spoke to BBC news. I made the point on why we were there – to counter the UKIP MEP’s vicious attack on Greenpeace and all greens – as he made clear in other interviews last week.

Under existing UK law, it is illegal to make remarks “glorifying terrorism” yet last month there was Bloom clearly relishing – to my mind – the blowing up of Rainbow Warrior. (If you combine this with subsequent Look North pieces you get the distinct impression that he is saying it’s ok to treat all green-minded people in this fashion). So under the law, there seems to be a case to answer. It would be ironic if a case were to result in a conviction, go through the courts, and end up with Bloom appealing to the EU!

EU law, is more progressive in this matter, and we favour it. Bloom, of course, is dead against it being an anti-EU party. As Greens we fight against a lot of EU initiatives, but we’re basically pro-EU. We want an EU on our terms – to be in it and fighting, rather than outside throwing rocks.

Young Hull vote Green! Here's why!

2010-02-12T17:23:00.004Z

© MMX Hull and East Riding Green Party

Like to know more?

Email Martin at hullgreens@gmail.com
or say hi on 01482 471467.

Hull Green Party
Facebook: Hull and East Riding GP

Campaigning in Cottingham in the rain

2010-01-27T18:34:00.000Z

A bit of multi-tasking here: we wanted to do some campaigning, and needed to take some pics for our General Election Freepost leaflet, so invited passers by to join us and choose a poster to be seen with - we really enjoyed it despite the rain. The dogs were camera-shy.

Imagine the old parties doing this - would they get people to stand by them with posters saying, 'Let's buy a new Trident missile' or 'Privatise the NHS' or 'Support Big Corporations' or 'Send more soldiers to war'?!!!

It's good being Green because our policies make sense.

fungus on apple tree

2010-01-27T17:51:00.000Z

Beautiful fungus on an old apple tree - an example of awesome biodiversity!

2010-01-23T15:29:00.000Z

Revisiting an old stamping ground in this piece the Beverley Guardian published on Friday. Tread carefully, though!

Norwood House Campaign takes a new twist

2010-01-23T14:26:00.000Z

Our long running campaign to keep Norwood House as a community resource was helped by the Planning Committee refusing a change of use to offices last Monday, 18 January. The Yorkshire Post followed up the story and latched on to the fact that we have referred the whole matter of the sale to the Ombudsman. The story above was published on Friday 22.

2010-01-19T20:23:00.000Z

I sent this to the BBC 'send us a story' site today:

The Greens take issue with the Tories’ elitist approach to teaching and learning. Tories, typically, would assume that a good teacher is a commodity: they can be ‘made’ and ‘bought’.

The Greens have a different view. We would say that a good teacher is someone who likes and can communicate with children, and this quality cannot be measured by academic means. A good teacher is not necessarily someone who is ‘academic’.

The assumption that more pay will attract ‘the best’ teachers is also at fault - but this is the attitude we would expect from the Tories. A committed teacher will not be ‘bought’.

What the Tories, and the other ‘grey’ parties fail to understand, is that the aims of ‘education’ need a fundamental rethink. It’s not ‘bad’ or ‘good’ teachers that are the issue, but outdated assumptions underpinning our education system. The Greens advocate education which develops the whole child: learning to be, to do, to know and to live together (as recommended by UNESCO), rather than the ‘jumping through hoops’ style of education which we have all become used to and which causes such havoc.

Why the U.S. Owes Haiti Billions

2010-01-18T19:48:00.002Z

Why the U.S. Owes Haiti Billions. "Here is the briefest history of some of the major US efforts to break Haiti..." (counterpunch.org)

The US has a very chequered history with Haiti. That's why recent events deserve a very watchful eye. Remember what they did to their very own New Orleans! Disaster capitalism indeed.

Martin Deane

Why they hate us? It's not a secret - The American people should be given enough credit by its leaders to be told the truth about why we are in this "long war" with Islamic extremists, a war that is hastening our bankruptcy, just as Osama bin Laden dreamed it would. (baltimoresun.com)

Don't be misled by a few weeks of cold weather

2010-01-14T10:21:00.003Z

Bill Rigby, Beverley & Holderness candidate, writes on climate change:

In reply to Simon Fearnley's letter last week in which he said 'this CO2 rubbish is just a way of governments controlling its population and keeping people in poverty':

Certainly, governments are not usually the benevolent outfits they are supposed to be and things are often not what they seem, but, a few weeks of cold weather doesn't mean global warming isn't happening. On the contrary, a long predicted symptom of climate change is more and more extreme weather, both hot and cold, droughts and floods, as the planet's systems come under increasing strain.

For thousands of years, Britain has enjoyed a temperate climate owing to the warming effects of the Gulf Stream coming across the Atlantic. Now, the fresh water from melting polar icecaps is flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.

This meltwater will cool the Gulf Stream waters and reduce its warming effect on the UK. In which case, our winters will become much colder, and our summers much warmer. Therefore the expressions 'climate change' and 'global warming' are both appropriate.

I would defend Simon's right to debate the issue without being treated as a subversive. A serious effect of governments' behaviour has been to polarise a whole range of issues with the effect of concealing truth and understanding rather than promoting it. Greens welcome debate, have
organised local discussions in the past and will keep doing so - watch this space!

Sincerely,

Bill Rigby
Green Party
Parliamentary Candidate for Beverley and Holderness

Ice and no action from council

2010-01-06T21:45:00.000Z

I sent this letter to the Beverley Guardian today....

East Riding residents say the icy roads and pavements are a disgrace. Driffield, for example, has been even worse than Beverley. I've spoken to officers of East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) and they say they treat 38% of the road network on a precautionary basis and an additional 12% on a ‘responsive’ basis, but little or no funding is allocated for cul-de-sacs or pavements. Meanwhile the injuries are mounting - along with all their pain, cost and inconvenience. A&E in Hull has had ‘unprecedented’ numbers of injuries and has been forced to send people on elsewhere for surgery.

The ice issue is yet another example of ERYC’s poor record in deciding on sensible and humane priorities. ERYC seems to have priorities other than residents' welfare and safety - or surely there would be plans in place for emergency situations such as this? It should be a priority to enable people to get out of their houses. There's job potential too. Plenty of people would have been pleased with some seasonal paid work clearing smaller footpaths. Maybe there is a lack of ‘special vehicles’, or maybe health and safety regulation is being allowed to get in the way of common sense? Whatever the reason, there’s no excuse for leaving residents trapped at home or risking serious injury by going out. It’s the Council’s job to sort this.

But it’s a political decision - and ERYC is Tory-dominated. Do we want to see more neglect of public service and cost-cutting in the future? It’s ironic in this context that Graham Stuart (Tory MP for Beverley and Holderness) talks of care of those who are ‘elderly, frail or lonely’ – the very people who have been frozen into their homes. Green politicians, whether on local councils, in Westminster, or in Europe, prioritise safety and welfare. For example, there are 7 Green City Councillors in Oxford, where ‘all the main roads and pavements are gritted’ (quoted from your article last week).

Let’s have more sense and fairness instead of hidebound political thinking in pursuit of ‘targets’…and empty rhetoric.

Sincerely, Shan Oakes Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Haltemprice and Howden

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T23:12:00.005Z

Happy New Year from Hull and East Riding Greens!
Next up : "Imagine" - Sat 23 Jan, Pearson Park Hotel, 7.30pm.

Come celebrate the music of John Lennon, the new year, various green prospects and other things! Sat 23 Jan, at the Pearson Park Hotel, 7.30pm. A Green Party fundraiser

With great food and music from KNU, and their friends.
Tickets £8.50 in advance (£10 otd).
From Martin on 471467 and m@sokuto12.karoo.co.uk
.

Nafferton Green Party councillor explores energy scheme

2009-12-29T16:22:00.006Z

from Driffield Times, Dec 09.

Mike Jackson, Nafferton, (and also East Yorkshire Parliamentary candidate) proposes a new energy efficiency scheme, where residents may get external funding.

Justice for Jane, sacked after 31 years.

2009-12-24T17:24:00.001Z

http://www.tuc.org.uk/the_tuc/tuc-17364-f0.cfm

PCS has launched a campaign to defend a rep sacked from her job at Land Registry in Weymouth. Jane Brooke's only offence appears to have been to make an industrial injury complaint against her employers.

Surveillance was conducted on six members of staff at the Weymouth Office in breach of both the Data Protection and Human Rights Acts. The Land Registry pursued this seemingly dubious investigation, conducted a hearing in breach of its own procedures and then acted as both prosecutor and judge.

As a result of this process Jane was summarily dismissed. She was given five minutes to collect her personal effects, while a senior member of staff stood guard. Having worked in the same office for 31 years with an unblemished record, this is absolutely devastating for both Jane and her colleagues.

Her union, PCS, are building the campaign to defend Jane and demand her re-instatement.

Messages of support should be sent to Jane via justiceforjane@pcs.org.uk

The top 10 stories not brought to you by mainstream news (US)

2009-12-24T13:04:00.001Z

Project Censored: The top 10 stories not brought to you by mainstream news media in 2009 (indyweek.com)

Torrents are bringing down the movie industry? Hollywood eyes record $10 billion box office for 2009... (reuters.com)

Seasons Greetings from Polar Bear and Friends in Beverley

2009-12-22T09:22:00.004Z

Why be worried about Prince Charles?

2009-12-17T10:14:00.000Z

Today's Guardian's story about Prince Charles writing letters to Government Departments is a storm in a (bone china) teacup. Why make a fuss about it? PC poses no threat to what's left of British democracy. I see him as being a 'particularly famous person' and I'm therefore more interested in what he says in the light of its impact on public opinion. PC is often voicing the views of his charities. There's no doubt he makes some very good points - about the appalling implications of genetic modification ; about the need for healthy communities; about climate change, sustainability, buildings, human abuse of nature and so on. Yes, PC does have more opportunity than many of us to see the bigger world picture (and that's not to say everything he says is right) so his personal view is worth hearing... and given the same weight as anyone else's.

Greens say that the constitutional functions of the monarchy should be abolished and the House of Lords be replaced with an elected chamber. This would leave PC as a public figure much as he is now. As several people have already said above, why are govt depts so worried about it? I suggest its because his views on the big issues like GM are opposed to the grey political parties' 'Save the Corporations and Save Us' stance.
.

Susan, Beverley, and the Polar Bear Rap

2009-12-12T17:15:00.000Z

Susan the Polar Bear joined our mini 'Copenhagen' demo with some young activists in Beverley, Saturday.

Susan performed her own Polar Bear Rap which was very popular with some of our younger citizens who joined in enthusiastically. She also invited people to the Greens' fundraising bash at Hodgson's, (Flemingate, Beverley) on Tuesday 15th December 7.30: The Harri Watts Band, Knu, veggie pie and pea supper and a quiz - all for a fiver (£6 on the door). All welcome.

Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel.

2009-12-10T17:59:00.005Z

Hull Daily Mail: River Humber Coal

Shan Oakes said: “Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel. Clean coal technology and Carbon capture has not been tested on a wide-scale commercial basis.

“It is expensive and requires a long-term commitment. We should be investing in renewable energy – we have the technology and we have this gigantic estuary that we should be harnessing the power of.

“Reverting to old fossil fuels just is going backwards. We need to be vigilant that companies do not see the Humber as a backwater where they can get away with doing things they couldn’t elsewhere.”

-----------------------------------------
Shan Oakes is Press Officer for the Hull and East Riding Green Party.

East Riding Mail

Cllr. Mike Jackson, Nafferton, letter in Driffield Times

2009-12-10T17:51:00.000Z

"We're one less campaigner now."

2009-12-10T17:22:00.004Z

Many people have heard by now of the tragic death of Ray Jessop on Monday in a fall while at work.

Ray ran the Animal Rights stall at Hull Green Fair and at Beverley Green Fair. Ray delighted in hippiedom and loved his music, his reggae, and ska, and dancing at Payback at the Adelphi. We remember his long black hair, his piercings, his oversize inserted earring, his strange choice of drinks, his easy humour, his enjoyment of green festivals, his love of going out with his mates, sometimes turning up for nights out in a dress!

Ray was also my only company, sometimes, on trips up to Menwith Hill - to support CAAB's efforts to get rid of the leading American spybase there. He was always delightfully suspicious of coppers and many of the powers that be.

Ray was a pagan, and had he lived in the country rather than off Anlaby Road, would have been as at one with nature as he was at one having a drink down at Pave. Ray was a regular supporter of our Hull Palestine Solidarity group and at the protests in Hull at the start of last year.

Ray lived out his values, was not only a vegetarian but a vegan, and committed to a number of causes. He had a zest for life, both for getting much enjoyment from it and doing his bit to help protect other beings whether human victims of war or whether animal vicitms of abuse. He will be sadly missed.

We're one less campaigner now.

Martin Deane, Hull Greens

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Animal Rights champ was one in a million (HDM)
A simple memorial will be held by his friends in Pave, Princes Ave, on Sunday 20th Dec, where a rose will be planted in the garden, in his honour.

Morning Star coverage from H&S point of view.
An inquest will be held into his death in a fall at work which happened on Monday 6th Dec.
CAAB - Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases

2009-12-10T17:18:00.002Z

Hi from Love Music Hate Racism, Sunday 29th, Hull City Hall

2009-11-29T10:26:00.001Z

Hiya! Come see the Transition Hull stall at City Hall for "Love Music Hate Racism"!!

Why not say Hi to Transition's Vicky or Lausanne and find out what we're up to next!?!

Cheers, Martin Deane

Britain's new Internet law -- as bad as everyone's been saying

2009-11-22T08:31:00.001Z

Britain's new Internet law -- as bad as everyone's been saying (boingboing.net)

France finds Monsanto Guilty of Lying

2009-11-22T08:27:00.001Z

France finds Monsanto Guilty of Lying (articles.mercola.com)

GP Meeting, Beverley Fundraiser, Regional meet

2009-11-20T13:07:00.005Z

Green Party meeting
===============
Last Thursday of the month -
Thu 26th Nov, 7.30pm,

King's Head, High Street, Nafferton.
Details of lift on Hull 471467, Beverley 862085.

Regional Meeting York.
==================
Phone 471467 if interested.

Green Fundraiser - Pie and Peace night - Raise the Roof!
=========================
Hodgsons, Beverley, Dec 15th, 7.30pm

No tuition fees at Danish educational institutions

2009-11-20T08:53:00.004Z

"There are no tuition fees at Danish educational institutions." Actually you get payed ~$1,000 each month for studying. (su.dk) - Green policy seeks to reintroduce grants at university. We're essentially a rich country and we prize education. However, given the billions spent rescuing banks from their own greed, the billions spent on war, the billions promised to Trident, and the billions the nuclear power industry is likely to cost us, it would be nice is there were something left by the time we get some Green MPs. - md

Russia confirms death penalty ban (news.bbc.co.uk)

2010 Sweatshop Hall of Shame

2009-11-20T08:20:00.006Z

The official inductees of the 2010 Sweatshop Hall of Shame are: Abercrombie and Fitch, Gymboree, Hanes, Ikea, Kohl’s, LL Bean, Pier 1 Imports, Propper International, and Walmart (laborrights.org)

That's firstly a US list (although Walmart owns ASDA) but UK suppliers aren't immune and we need to be aware that Fair Trade, let alone organic, suppliers need to be sought out. But don't despair, there are many Fair Trade suppliers now so it's worth browsing around -

Odds are you didn't have flu or swine flu!

2009-11-12T10:46:00.002Z

Interesting Brasscheck replay of a few (US) news reports - saying actual analyses of cases shows extremely few of those cases thought to be swine flu by doctors, actually were.

In other words Obama's declaration of a national emergency was not warranted. Meanwhile, Brown has spent over £500 million (the exact figure not released!) on Baxter's and GSK's vaccine for this "pandemic". The debate about the nature of H1N1 DNA still remains -see Swine Flu Virus Created from Pig Vaccine? - All this, along with Baxter's delivery in March of an incredible 72 kilos of vaccine contaminated with (deadly) live bird flu virus (difficult to catch but 70% fatal!) to labs in Europe for use on people. The entire episode stinks. We've been played by the pharmaceutical industry. - md

70,000 blast government for targeting ordinary people for the rich

2009-11-12T09:23:00.001Z

Dublin, Ireland brought to standstill. 70,000 blast government for targeting ordinary people for the rich (irishcentral.com) - Damn right. Shame it's just Dublin. - md

In a dramatic intervention, the US ambassador in Kabul warns against sending thousands more troops to Afghanistan. (news.bbc.co.uk) - Obama is planning to send 40,000 more. Idiot. - md

Protection for children under five overturned by MPs

2009-11-11T08:41:00.002Z

Hull and East Riding Green Party: Next Meeting
7.30pm, Thu 26th November
King's Head, Nafferton

URGENT -- please take action by the end of Wednesday

Welfare Reform Bill -- protection for children under five overturned by MPs

MPs supporting the government tonight brutally overturned the amendment won in the Lords, which protected single parents of children under five from losing benefit for not doing "work-related activity". Single parent families could have their benefit cut by 40%. This is an outrageous attack on single mothers who are looking after children full-time. 236 MPs voted against the government, and some made clear that mothers’ caring work is a vital contribution to society. It should be recognised not penalised.

Please write to the Lords who backed the amendment to urge them to keep this important protection for children, and let them know the strength of feeling in the community on this issue. Personal statements from mothers, fathers and carers are most convincing.

Lord Freud, the Conservative Lord who led on this amendment, will raise it again when the Bill goes back to the Lords on Thursday at 11.30am. We have another chance of defeating the government on their uncaring policy.

Fax number for the Lords: 020 7219 5979 (mark for the attention of the Peer you are writing to.)

(As time is short, please send your letters direct, don’t rely on us to forward them, but do send us a copy at womenstrike8m@server101.com
Fax 020 7209 4761)

Please write to:

Conservatives

· Chris Scott scottcg@parliament.uk
Conservative Office, House of Lords – has undertaken to pass on emails received by end of Wednesday.

· Lord Freud
freudd@parliament.uk
Fax: 020 7219 5979 – mark attention Lord Freud
Tel: 020 7219 4907

· Lord Taylor of Holbeach CBE
Tel: 020 7219 4051
taylorjl@parliament.uk

· Baroness Morris of Bolton OBE
Tel: 020 7219 5353
whitbycollins@parliament.uk

Liberal Democrats

· Baroness Celia Thomas
Tel: 020 7219 3586
thomascm@parliament.uk

· Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope
Fax: 020 7219 5979 – mark Attention Lord Kirkwood
(no email)

Crossbench

· Lord Northbourne
Tel: 020 7219 3884
Fax: 020 7219 5933
northbournec@parliament.uk

The problems with Ed’s Energy plans

2009-11-10T14:26:00.002Z

Labour plans to build a number of nuclear reactors around Britain. Martin Deane, of Hull and East Riding Green Party, responds:

“With serious, nationwide, energy conservation we could really cut our fuel consumption and our fuel bills. With real investment in green energy – that’s all sorts of renewables - we could create jobs and renew manufacturing. That's the Green Party's New Deal.

“It’s actually energy conservation – not nuclear power - that’s the top priority for Britain now. If we all use less – by good insulation, high standards in low power goods, the less it will cost us and the less we’ll have to make.

“Now, when it comes to making it, all the major sources have major drawbacks. Nuclear power is not immune. But renewables, especially wind, has a number of plusses which this government is about to ignore, bigtime."

Martin Deane highlights the following problems with the government's nuclear policy:

What about pollution costs? The pollution from nuclear reactors can’t all be dumped on countries we don’t like, as depleted uranium. There are also CO2 costs all along the building of hi-tech nuclear plants
Where is our energy security? Britain is almost wholly dependent on foreign resources for power – oil, gas, coal, uranium.
Nuclear power gets many subsidies and incentives. Where are the incentives for wind power? – Vestas moved to America!
Labour is friends with big business – nuclear is definitely that. - It even has its own armed police force, costing £57 million a year.
The huge hidden costs could mean the destruction of the Kalahari environment and millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions a year (Observer)
The plans are huge, expensive and hi-tech, needing huge areas of uranium mining – when half the usable world’s uranium could already be gone.
And the Tories will do much the same.

“It’s no secret that Labour is friends with big business – and nuclear power is big business. Increasing control and ownership of all this energy production will go to largely foreign businesses. Haven't we seen enough energy price rises? And where’s our input? With present Labour policy it will be lucky if Parliament gets a say, let alone you or me.”

“There are alternatives to nuclear power - and which are non polluting - and which have a very low emissions footprint - and whose technology is relatively simple - and the energy is naturally renewable! Look at what Green councilllors have achieved in Huddersfield: created hundreds of jobs through energy conservation and renewables, saved ordinary people over £5 million on fuel bills, and lowered emissions. Who in Hull wouldn't want that?"

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Martin Deane

Hull & East Riding Green Party
http://www.y-hgreenparty.org.uk/hull

Radioactive waste to be put in £18bn hole - Times Online

Coming Events

2009-11-09T09:03:00.005Z

Hitchcock's Green Meal
Weds. 11 Nov. 8pm
A GP fundraiser, about 25 signed up so far. Come join us!
Vegetarian fare, Afghan and Palestinian food theme.

Hull Green Fair
Sat .21 Nov, 10-4pm
Lots of stalls, homemade food, teas, organised by Friends of the Earth.

Green Party Meeting, Hull and East Riding
Thu 26 Nov, 7.30pm
Nafferton/ Driffield, TBC.

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Government's chief scientist backs David Nutt on cannabis - Telegraph (telegraph.co.uk)

UK and USA sent prisoners to Uzbek to be tortured, brutally

2009-11-07T10:06:00.000Z

Former British Ambassador Craig Murray says UK and USA sent prisoners to Uzbek to be tortured, brutally - (Video) (therealnews.com)

Clean coal - not quite what we had in mind.

2009-11-07T09:30:00.002Z

Woot! Clean coal is here and it's capturing... wait for it... 1.5% of emitted CO2. That's one point five percent of emissions. Oh, and it uses 15% - 30% of the station's power to run this process. (scientificamerican.com)