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Help us gain the signatures needed to stop DLA from being abolished Please help support our campaign to stop the UK government from abolishing disability living allowance. Take our pledge and show the world how much you can about the rights of this that need this money to gain vital support. …See More SIGN THE PLEDGE 43,447 others so far took this pledge

The Green Party put itself firmly on the side of the trade union and working class movement when they passed a motion at the National Conference, moved by Pete Murry of Brent Green Party and the Green Party Trade Union Group, on the party’s relationship with the unions.

The motion said in part:

The Green Part believes that the Trade Union movement plays a vital role in defending the interests of working people and continues to play a leading role in the long march towards equality and social justice in Britain and around the world. Therefore the Green Party encourages all its members to be active Trade Unionists wherever this is possible.

I am looking to start some constructive dialogue with local Trade Union officials in the near future.

Andy

Lets consider that for a moment. It may come as a surprise to some, but nowhere in the Green Party Constitution is there a Right Not to be Offended. The right that is protected is the Right to Free Speech, the right to be heard. A freely expressed opinion is always likely be offensive to someone, but we tend to assume that it will generally be our political opponents – generally not our supposed comrades in the same Party.

Some issues, however, legitimately divide opinion in even the most cohesive of Parties. Those that follow this blog will probably be thinking of a couple of issues that I have flagged up recently that would fall into that category for the Green Party – namely the Hospital Chaplaincy issue and, much more significantly, Population Policy. The former was aired at Conference in a very considered and dignified manner; the latter was aired in an atmosphere of thinly veiled contempt. At least three times the phrase “I find that offensive” was uttered by antagonists on one side of the argument. It undermined not only their arguments (which I actually share in part), but also their pretensions to be serious politicians.

We need to get over being offended as a means to win a debate, and instead construct sound arguments to defend our point of view in a considered, rational and (when among colleagues at least) unemotive way. Stifling free speech, even if it offends, will inevitably lead to a loss of essential freedoms, and we cannot allow that to happen – in society as a whole, but within the Party for certain.

This was clearly a poorly thought through ‘fob off’ response to which I duly responded on 22 January.

I am pleased to report a rather more considered response from the DECC Correspondence Unit this time around, which still contains too many subjective opinions, alongside acknowledgement of lots of uncertainties. It also, particularly in the Ministerial Extract (pts 3&4) details the seismicity precautions they are supposedly putting in place that should, if applied stringently, put a considerable spanner in the works of Cuadrilla and co.

See the attachments:

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It was particularly inspiring to see our latest Bridgend Green recruit, 16 year old Adam Taylor, taking to Conference like the proverbial duck to water. He immersed himself in the full Conference experience and found himself comfortably at home among the other Young Greens. We may well have a rising star in our midst.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience of co-chairing a whole Conference Plenary Session in the Main Hall alongside the experience of Moira Dunworth from the Scottish Green Party. I am not alone in thinking it was the best chaired plenary of the weekend. Moira is a class act and I learned an enormous amount from her.

Unfortunately our Charitable Hospital Chaplaincy did not make it to the Conference floor, and as such we will need to re-present it to next Conference and put a bit more effort to getting it prioritised higher. The workshop on the motion did go ahead and went predictably enough with the those with religious affiliations largely against and the rationalists present in favour.

Other highlights included a revision to the Party’s Philosophical Basis to emphasise our Social Justice objectives; a successful motion to strengthen Trade Union links; helping the Welsh team in the Young Greens Quiz Night to a creditable 4th place; and the start of a process to air the divisive Population issue, which I hope (perhaps over-optimistically) will produce a better understanding of the issue on both sides of the divide. The Open Mic Night was also a highly entretaining mix of music, comedy and poetry presented by Party members. We are fortunate to have such a fabulous array of talent in this Party.

I was disappointed with the outcome of the Green World meeting that produced no evidence that the board have learned anything from the debacle over the Population Matters advert. The two members that created the problem by imposing their own ideological viewpoint have recruited a like-minded friend to step into the vacancy my resignation created. I therefore feel that there can only be turbulent times ahead for GWEB, if for no other reason that I am not finished with this issue yet.

In terms of the set piece speeches, you can judge these for yourself below.

Leader Natalie Bennett’s speech to Conference:
Pt1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=H0bZlaTfmVY#!

Pt2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcRnn4H6TdM

Deputy Leader Will Duckworth’s speech at Conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTv4blcNrMg

Brighton Council Leader Jason Kitcat’s speech at Conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk7gejv4778

Peter Tatchell speaks at the Green Party 40th anniversary party:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BR2vo93FO8

As a member of a Welsh local party, I have always found the WGP Leader’s speech at National Conference cringe worthy. It was bad enough having Jake Griffiths boring everyone in a language that not even the other Welsh delegates could understand, but at least we couldn’t understand what he was saying!! It is fortunate that Pippa Bartolotti’s speech to this Conference has not made it to youtube (yet) as it was ill-judged and poorly received. I will say no more!

Overall then, a thoroughly enjoyable experience yet again. The next Conference takes us down Brighton – where we can immerse ourselves in the delights of the Greenest town in the land!

Andy

To: Members of Parliament and of the House of Lords

http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/petition-to-stop-new-nhs-competition-regulations-si257-being-passed

Why is this important?

These regulations - which will only go to a vote if parliament insists - would require virtually all health provision to be carried out in competitive markets, regardless of the wishes of either local people, GPs or local Clinical Commissioning Groups. They contradict assurances that were given by health ministers during the passage of the Act that it did not mean the privatisation of the NHS, and that local people would have the final say in who provided their NHS. For example, Lord Howe said then Clinicians will be free to commission services in the way they consider best. We intend to make it clear that commissioners will have a full range of options and that they will be under no legal obligation to create new markets... This will be made absolutely clear through secondary legislation and supporting guidance as a result of the Bill. Andrew Lansley said (in a letter to the Clinical Commissioning Groups set up to manage most health budgets) that It is a fundamental principle of the Bill that you as commissioners, not the Secretary of State and not regulators should decide when and how competition should be used to serve your patients interests.. We call on parliament to take all necessary steps to ensure these regulations, which would be incredibly damaging to the NHS, do not become law. For more information see this report: http://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/nicola-cutcher-lucy-reynolds/nhs-as-we-know-it-needs-prayer

Highlights include:

Friday 22nd February

MAIN HALL Leaders Opening Speech Natalie Bennett Training session on Fundraising for Local Parties

PANEL Meeting the Zero Hunger Challenge, Keith Taylor MEP

WORKSHOP – On our Hospital Chaplaincy Motion

Saturday 23rd February

Speech, Deputy Leader, Cllr Will Duckworth

Update from Cllr Jason Kitcat, Leader, Brighton and Hove Council

Campaigning on Air Pollution Jean Lambert, MEP, Keith Taylor MEP

Building the movement against austerity Romayne Phoenix

The Eton mess: the attack on the most vulnerable Shan Oakes

40TH BIRTHDAY GALA DINNER

Sunday 24th February

LGBTIQ Greens Stuart Neyton

The Green story in Brighton and Hove Simon Williams

The Yasuni Project: protecting the rainforest and fighting climate change Derek Wall and the Embassy of Ecuador

PANEL Austerity in Europe, the Eurozone and beyond Jean Lambert MEP

Andy Co-Chairing afternoon plenary

Pippa Bartolotti’s Speech as Leader of Wales Green Party

Monday 25th February

Q and A with Green Party Leader, Natalie Bennett, and Deputy Leader, Will Duckworth

PANEL Votes at 16 To be or not to be

Training session on dealing with the media

Full programme available here: http://greenparty.org.UK/Conference/Spring%202013/Spring2013_full_timetable_draft_for%20the%20website.PDF

Right now is the best opportunity we’ve had in generations to ensure the electricity we use no longer pollutes our planet. Write to your MP to support the zero-carbon target on the UK’s new Energy Bill.

Hi Andy

This doesn’t happen every day. We have a chance to move away from dirty fossil fuels and set our country firmly on the path to a renewable, booming, low-carbon economy. In writing, by law.

Want in? Good. Tell your MP to support clean electricity in the Energy Bill.

A crucial ingredient of the government’s new Energy Bill was supposed to be a legally-binding target for the UK to produce almost zero carbon electricity by 2030.

This would be a huge win for household bills, our planet and common sense. But George Osborne is blocking it in favour of gas; the kind you get from fracking – a process which involves pumping chemicals into the ground to fracture gas-containing rocks.

At this critical point in our history, there’s no way we want the British countryside ‘fracked’ for dirty and expensive gas instead of a clean, renewable energy boom. Write to your MP today and ask them to show support for clean electricity.

This is our country’s chance to finally end our dependence on fossil fuels for electricity. The UK already has a leading edge on renewables: wind power has been growing by 50% year-on-year. [1]

Britain is now in prime position to become a world leader in the offshore wind industry. But instead Osborne and his allies are plotting to blast two-thirds of the English countryside to see their gas-fuelled nightmare come true.[2]

This is not something that might yet happen in the future. This is real, it’s happening now and you can do something about it. Tell your MP to support clean jobs and clean electricity now, and cut our dependence on gas and other polluting fossil fuels.

This is winnable. Industry is with us: major clean energy companies like Siemens and Alstrom are lined up to invest in the UK if we get this commitment which would create thousands of jobs and get the economy going again.

This is bigger than party politics. Influential members of Osborne’s own party agree with us. Tim Yeo, the Conservative MP leading the rebellion against Osborne said ‘[I] will not stand by and watch the wrong decisions being made on energy policy’. Now it’s our turn to show our support.

Let’s make this law do what it’s supposed to do, and change the future for our country.

Thanks,

Pete & the energy team
Greenpeace

PS The Energy Bill will define where our electricity comes from for the next 30 years or more. Let’s make sure it prioritises clean electricity over dirty, expensive gas. Tell your MP to support green jobs and clean energy now.

Notes

[1]“Britain’s supply of green energy soars,” The Independent, 1 July 2012, http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/britains-supply-of-green-energy-soars-7901917.html

[2]”Fracking in the UK” Greenpeace Energydesk 30th November 2012 http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/newsdesk/energy/data/infographic-fracking-backyard

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