PRESS NOTICE: FRIENDS OF THE EARTH CYMRU
WALES AGAINST FRACKING RALLY, CARDIFF BAY, SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER 12.00 – 2.00 PM

Hundreds expected at Senedd to demand ban on fracking in Wales

Hundreds of people are expected to gather in Cardiff Bay this Saturday (11 October), calling for a ban on fracking in Wales. The event is being co-ordinated by Friends of the Earth Cymru, and will coincide with anti-fracking protests across the world for Global Frackdown Day [1].

Many campaigners will be dressed in hard hats and hi-viz jackets, with banners, placards and flags representing groups from around the country, and two campaigning choirs – Côr Gobaith and Côr Cochion – will lead the singing.

Speakers at the event, planned for the steps of the Senedd, will include AMs Bethan Jenkins, Mick Antoniw and Bill Powell, and representatives of Friends of the Earth Cymru, Frack Free Wales and affected communities.

Thousands of postcards and signatures on petitions gathered from across Wales will be delivered to the Senedd, demanding the Welsh Government bans the controversial process of pumping water and chemicals into the ground.

More than a million people in Wales live in areas at risk from fracking [2], and there have already been a number of applications for test drilling.

Gareth Clubb, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said:

“With buses coming to the rally from as far as Aberystwyth and Pembrokeshire, fracking is clearly a hugely important issue for people in Wales. Pumping water and chemicals under our houses, towns and countryside is deeply unpopular, as well as being terrible news for climate change and risky for the local environment.

“Even the fracking companies admit it won’t lower fuel bills [3]. Instead of chasing the last drops of fossil fuels we should be cutting energy waste and developing Wales’ huge potential for clean energy from the sun, wind and waves.

“We’re asking the First Minister to call a moratorium on fracking. The Welsh Government has full control over planning, so they could put a stop to it in an instant.”

NOTES

1. See www.globalfrackdown.org

2. Government announcement: https://econsultation.decc.gov.uk/decc-policy/consultation-env-report-further-oil-gas-licensing/
Map of affected areas: http://www.clickonwales.org/wp-content/uploads/Fracking-map.png

3. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/29/browne-fracking-not-reduce-uk-gas-prices-shale-energy-bills

CONTACT
Friends of the Earth Cymru: 02920 229 577
MEDIA INTERVIEWS CAN BE CONDUCTED IN WELSH OR ENGLISH
www.foecymru.co.uk
Twitter: www.twitter.com/foecymrucydd
Facebook: www.facebook.com/foecymrucydd
_____________________

Gareth Clubb CEnv MIWA

Cyfarwyddwr – Director

Cyfeillion y Ddaear Cymru – Friends of the Earth Cymru

Hapus i gyfathrebu yn Gymraeg neu yn Saesneg

Ffôn – Tel: 02920 229577

www.foecymru.co.uk

We would like as many as possible to follow the arrangements below, but if not, then please just show up outside the Senedd building. Events there are scheduled to start at noon.
Global Frackdown Day

Basic info

Meet: 11.15 am at the Penarth end of the barrage to walk together to the Senedd

Wear: Hi-Viz Jackets and hard-hats (we’re masquerading as fracking crews)

Bring: your banners, globes, placards, flags, whistles, drums, loud-hailers…

Get: Chalk to make fracking cracks to the Senedd and flyers at the 11.15 am meet

Rally: 12noon – 2pm outside the Senedd, Cardiff Bay – speakers, choirs…

Further details about Cardiff event: https://www.facebook.com/events/502908483178483/

Global Frackdown Day: http://www.globalfrackdown.org/

Sori neges yn Saesneg yn unig

7.00pm Thursday 9th September 2014 at theThe Pencoed Social Club, Hendre Rd. Pencoed (1 minute walk from the station – across the level crossing)

ALL WELCOME (Especially new members!)

AGENDA:

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Apologies for Absence
3. Minutes and matters arising
4. Officers Reports – including membership update
5. Councillor feedback
6. Campaigns Update- fracking/anti-austerity in particular
7. Elections – General Election candidates/ Council target seat/ WGPC & leadership elections
8. WGPC meeting feedback
9. AOB
10. DoNM

REMINDER – If anyone needs a lift to any of our meetings, let Andy know (andy.chyba) and we will organise it for you.

Click on images to enlarge:

Venue map Venue photo

Welsh Government (WG) published its draft budget for the next financial yearn 30 September 2014. The following analysis is based on a a background prepared by Len Arthur for yesterday’s Wales Against Austerity & Cuts Conference in Cardiff (minutes and reports to follow).

Fot those (relatively few) who may not know Len, he is the driving force and Secretary of RCT/Bridgend People’s Assembly, and therefore someone I have grown to hugely respect over recent years. He combines a 30 year academic career, including two PhDs, in management, organisational analysis, sociology and social history, with direct experience of trade union and social movement organising. His credentials for this sort of analysis are beyond reproach.

The budget documents can be found here: http://wales.gov.uk/funding/budget/draft-budget-2015-16/?lang=en

SPENDING POWER

The whole budget is consists of a grant from the UK Government, based on the infamous Barnett formula.
The WG has no borrowing or tax raising powers.
Allocated for 2015-16 = £15.333 billion
Final budget 2014-15 = £15.374 billion

Difference = £41 million less for next year. (These figures include capital and revenue)
Once inflation is factored in, this represents a real terms cut of 3.7%

Every budget since 2008, the year of the baking crisis, has had a real terms cut. The WG minister for finance concede that since 2010-11 the WG budget will have been cut by around 10% in real terms by next year.

If this continues in similar fashion to 2017-18, as all main parties are indicating it will, it will lead to a massive 18% real terms cut in the WG budget for the decade following the banking crash.

Combining this reduction with the direct cuts from UK Government, such as Bedroom Tax and benefits cuts, it amounts to a yearly loss of around £1300 p.a. for every man, woman and child in Wales, or put another way, a £5,200 cut for the average family. This is the true financial cost of austerity in Wales, and, of course, the impacts will much harder on low income families that the wealthy.

IMPLICATIONS

These will be many and varied, but the NHS is a key devolved matter, so the implications here are particularly pertinent. The NHS is usually funded on a three year cycle, and what has happened is that this has a led the NHS to incur annual deficits that it has been forced into in order to try and maintain services. This has come home to roost this year as the WG has been forced to bail out our NHS with an additional £200 million this year and and a promise of an additional £225 million next year. Without this additional funding the NHS in Wales would have faced collapse.

These additional costs barely cover the the inflation in NHS costs, and do absolutely nothing towards meeting the cost of increasing demand or the costs of medical innovations. It leaves NHS trusts having to contemplate hospital closures, service cuts and denying people expensive life saving/extending medications. People that could be saved are going to die.

Where has this extra but inadequate money for the NHS come from? Peter is paid by robbing Paul.

It is not commonly appreciated that Council Tax revenues only make up about 13% of local authority budgets. 87% comes from grants from the WG budget.
WG cut this funding by 3.4% in 2014-15 and another 3.5% is expected next year (2015-16)

The Welsh Local Government Association has warned of a projected £900 million funding shortfall to LAs by 2018. Service failure will be inevitable. We are already seeing Councils making choices between libraries and feeding the elderly, for example.

Wales Against Austerity & Cuts Conference was clear that none of this is necessary at all and that there are alternatives. More to follow.

From Billy Miller

(CAN ANYONE SHED LIGHT ON THE ORIGINS OF THIS FLAG?)

(Appears to be of Kurdish origin – the flag of the Kurdish Workers Party – AC)

About eighteen months ago, the ‘Socialist Unity’ blog asked the question ‘Can the Green Party become the main party of the left?‘. To be honest, I kind of expected some kind of ‘yes, it can… but really what is needed is our kind of socialism’ etc – not at all, and apologies for my own prejudice. Mind, the comments below the article are pretty vituperative! In a thoughtful and generous piece, the editorial team outline a significant change in focus for the Green Party from total – ‘depressing and misanthropic’ – focus on the environment to the incorporation of social justice:

‘Green politics and social justice are fundamentally dependent – without environmentalism, the planet will become uninhabitable; without social justice, the planet isn’t worth living on.’

The article ends with ‘Watch this space.’

Well, there’s no doubt that the Green Party is clear that this indeed is the direction of travel for the party – the recent conference in Birmingham called for a Wealth Tax (on the top 1%) and for the minimum wage to rise to £10 an hour by 2020. On top of this, there are moves to reverse the calamitous privatisation of the railways and bring the network back into public ownership, as well as keeping the NHS free – no prescription charges, free eye tests and dental care. And opposition to TTIP. And an extremely progressive set of policies on Peace and Defence.

Above all, for me, every time I see Natalie Bennett or Caroline Lucas in action, I am just totally convinced by their passion and authenticity – they genuinely believe in what they say and have the courage of their convictions to stand in solidarity with vulnerable and disadvantaged people country-wide. And this is in such disappointing and marked contrast with the leadership of the Labour Party, who obsess so much on focus groups and sound bites that they forget how to be themselves, trying to mould themselves into something the media might find acceptable. That is not healthy for them as persons, and it is not healthy for our politics. And it’s not for me. After many years holding on to some hope of socialism from the Labour Party, I just let go. It’s not happening. The Effing Tories and Noo Labour are really just two cheeks of the same arse (© George Galloway) and – look away! – their pants are down showing their true face to the world.

Having met and been impressed by a similarly authentic Green Party member here in Great Grimsby, and then hearing about the startling new policies for social justice, I simply went online and joined the party. And it seems I wasn’t alone – during the course of the conference, a number of announcements gave national membership as 17,000 and then 17,500, then 18,000 and then 18,500 … a near-record. And now there is a new record national membership – 20,000.

I have attended my first local meeting and am very happy to be a part of this growing and very human movement.

Billy Miller – London Greens

… join us for a protest at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. View this email in your browser Saturday, Oct 11th, 12-2pm, The Senedd, Cardiff Bay. Friends of the Earth Cymru and Frack Free Wales are organising a demonstration at the Senedd next Saturday as part of a Global Frackdown event, which will see co-ordinated anti-fracking protests across the world. We need a huge turnout to send a clear message that Wales does not welcome the unconventional gas industry, and that we’re ready to stand and protect our beautiful, peaceful country. Please help us make it a huge event: – Save the date and bring all your friends. – Tell everybody you know. – Join the Facebook event. – Invite all your Wales-based Facebook friends. – Talk about it at work, at school, at home, in the pub, in church, wherever you go. – Sign Friends of the Earth Cymru’s petition to our First Minister, Carwyn Jones, which we’ll deliver on the day. Either come to the Senedd at 12 midday or meet us at Penarth Pier at 11.15am to walk in over the barrage. We’ll be wearing hard hats and hi-viz jackets, and fracking the pavement with chalk as we go. Super-keen walkers can join Cowbridge’s Debbie Leigh at 8am on her Walk To Connect: a walk to the Senedd from the nearest drill site in the Vale – Dyffryn – mainly in silence to respect the loss the earth has already suffered from plundering of resources, climate change and extinction of species/habitats. Debbie says this is not an official walk so anybody joining her is to take responsibility for their own well-being, walking route and timing. Hope to see you there. Together we can stop this madness! Many thanks, The Vale Says No team

This email was sent to andy why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences The Vale Says No! · The Vale Says No! · Llandow, Vale of Glamorgan CF71 7PB · United Kingdom

ANOTHER DATE FOR YOUR DIARIES

Saturday 18 October, Central London

More info here: http://www.tuc.org.uk/economic-issues/britain-needs-pay-rise

If a trade union member contact your union to secure a space on transport organised by unions.

Or else contact GHathway@wtuc.org.uk or 02920 347010

APOLOGIES FOR LATE NOTICE

Cardiff Saturday 4 October 2014 11.00 – 16.00 at the Owain Glyndwr High Street
Arcade CF10 1GL
Proposed structure of the day
i. Introduction to the Day to include briefing paper on the public sector
cuts situation in Wales – Len Arthur. 11.0-11.20 a.m.
ii. Feedback from the floor, to include reports of action already taken or
proposed by local groups. 11.20 – 12 noon
iii. People’s Assembly UK speaker 12 noon – 12.20p.m.
iv. Lunch – 12.20 – 1.20 p.m.
v. Two speakers from public sector unions – in support of the 14 October
strike and the 18 October TUC demonstration (names to be confirmed)
1.20 – 1.40 p.m.
vi. Questions and discussion from the floor 1.40 – 2.15 p.m.
vii. The Way Forward – Next Steps – Plans for Action (to include October 14th
and October 18th London Demonstration, and Action for Wales)
Open discussion around the draft outcome to be tabled leading to agreed
statement from the day. 2.15 – 3.15 p.m.
viii. Future organisation of Wales campaign. – 3.15 – 4.0 p.m.
Chairing
Woman in the morning – man in afternoon: TBC
Draft action statement
See attached
Name of campaign
People’s Assembly Wales will be put to the meeting as well as the working
title Wales Against Austerity and Cuts.
After the 4th
The action focus should initially be on the UK budget announcement and
the Assembly consideration of the 2015-16 budget. Following that process
supporting bodies should address ongoing organisational requirements.

Calling letter distributed in August

The People’s Assembly RCT/Bridgend made a call to anti cuts, anti austerity and
trade union organisation across Wales recently, to support a meeting to coordinate
and prepare for the fightback against the new Tory austerity measures that will be
announced this coming autumn. The outcome is this letter which is currently
supported by 14 organisations. It is also hoped to add individual’s names in the
near future.
We are asking you to add you own or your organisation’s name to this call and to
attend or send a delegate to the Cardiff 4 October meeting that will be from 11.00 –
16.00 at the Owain Glyndwr, St John Chambers, High Street Arcade, Cardiff CF10
1GL.
The prime purpose will be to establish a coordinated campaign across Wales to
oppose austerity cuts that will be announced this autumn, to help mobilise support
for the 14 October public sector strikes and the TUC 18 October demonstration.
A draft agenda will be circulated to all supporting organisations and individuals at
least three weeks before the start of the meeting. If you wish to help with this
please let us know.
The austerity policies of this Tory government are increasing inequality and
degrading public services across the UK.
In Wales we have been directly affected through cuts made to both devolved and
non devolved services.
About £700m will be cut from local council revenue budgets across Wales by 2017
– 18. If reductions in capital spending are added in this figures rises to about
£1000m or £1bn. These figures are dependent on a number of assumptions that
may not happen but are nevertheless based upon ‘prudent’ assumptions of
councillors’ financial advisers.
To put these figures into context the current Welsh Government budget is £15bn:
£1bn is therefore a significant additional reduction in real public sector spending
and a huge hit on a public sector that provides a quarter of all jobs in Wales.
Over 2010 to 2017 there is by the end date likely to be a loss of £750m in real
spending in the Welsh NHS.
Across Wales there will be loss of £930m through social security cuts in 2015/16.
This means that by 2017 austerity will have cost Wales almost £3bn a year in lost
public service spending – around £1000 per person per year in Wales or £4000 per
year for the average family.
Everyone in Wales knows a person or family that has been directly hit: everyone in
Wales knows of a local service that has been cut.
We cannot allow this to continue. We did not create this financial crisis and we
should not be forced to pay for it.
Wales already has some of the poorest and most deprived communities in the
United Kingdom, with both rural and urban poverty a feature of many Welsh
people’s lives. These cuts hit the most vulnerable members of our communities the
hardest.
This autumn we will be faced with decisions involving another round of cuts and
we should insist that our political representatives join with us in resisting and
fighting back.

Len Arthur – secretary People’s Assembly RCT/Bridgend

Supporting organisation so far:

Bridgend Green Party
Cardiff Against the Cuts
Cardiff People’s Assembly
Cardiff Trades Union Council
Green Left (Wales)
Left Unity Wales – Chwith Unedig Cymru
Mid-Wales Uncut
North Wales Against the Cuts
Pembrokeshire People’s Assembly
Penybont Plaid Cymru
People’s Assembly RCT/Bridgend
People’s Assembly Wales – Cynulliad y Werin Cymru
People’s Assembly Wrexham
Powys Uncut
South Wales Federation Against the Bedroom Tax
Unison RCT branch

I cannot attend this march on Saturday, but I would be happy to pay for two unwaged members of Bridgend Green Party to attend in my place.

First come, first served!!

Andy
Call me 078 1066 3241

DETAILS BELOW:

Begin forwarded message:

From: Cardiff Stop the War <troopsoutcardiff>

Subject: Upcoming Protests

Date: 1 October 2014 13:48:52 GMT+01:00

To: undisclosed-recipients:;

Bcc: andy

Yesterday –

1) British planes dropped their first bombs in this new war on Iraq.
2) two hours before, Tory Home Secretary Theresa May announced an explicit attack on the Muslim communities, accusing them of not being British and sharing the “values” of the rest of us.
3) she and other ministers sent the reactionary right into a drunken orgy promising to scrap the Human Rights Act (this is the body of law that means that the phone-hacking newspapers and Rupert Murdoch got caught out, for example).

War, Islamophobia and attacks on civil liberties. All like 2001 to 2003. The assault at home is even more intense and comes after six years of the great economic crisis.
To cap it all – Netanyahu makes clear he will attack Palestine – Gaza, West Bank or Al Quds – as soon as he thinks he can.
The anti-war movement was founded on opposing these three evils and rapidly adopted also the slogan Freedom for Palestine.

We have, thankfully, a decade of experience and we have a living movement.Let us renew and build it.

Demonstrate this Saturday in London. The rally at the demonstration will aim to educate and to organise for the next great wave of agitation.
Seize the time.

In the last three days we have more than half-filled our coach to the national demo in London on Saturday. But we need to fill the coach to pay for it. If you can come or send a donation to help others please reply urgently. To book a seat send name, mobile number & which pickup point.

Coach details for Saturday 4th October National March –
8.00 am. National Museum Cardiff
8.30 am. Rail Station Newport
Costs £16 (£12 concession)

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS –

PROTEST: NO ARMS FAIR OF DEATH!
Wednesday 8 October, 8.30 am onwards.
Motorpoint Arena (Formerly CIA), Mary Ann Street, CF10 2EQ

The Defence Procurement Research, Technology & Exportability (DPRTE) 2014 conference will see politicians, academics, Ministry of Defence and arms manufacturers meet. Companies exhibiting include BAE Systems who have a close relationship with the Saudi dictatorship, and supply Israel.

MARCH & RALLY: STOP BOMBING IRAQ
Saturday 11 October
Assemble 2 pm, Cardiff City Hall

Full details to be announced shortly…

Adam Johannes
Secretary
Cardiff Stop the War Coalition
www.stopwar.org.uk
07940108146

Hi
Have ordered 4000 of attached from the place Darren recommend, for £85. Will collect today. Will be available at Cathays Community Centre, Cathays Terrace around 7.30 pm tonight – after that contact Joe Redmonds 07984 161547 – they will also be available on the coach.

Can anyone help with distribution at the Mosques this Friday around 2.00pm? Contact me 07704 356894.

We need at least another 15 people to make the coach pay for itself – do you have friends!

Jeff

Iraq March Poster.pdf