You can tell that there are elections coming up – the undignified scramble for votes has begun. First we had Carwyn Jones suggesting disgruntled Lib Dems should ‘come home to Labour’. Then we have Tim Thomas pecking at the perceived corpse of the Lib Dems on behalf of Plaid Cymru. For Plaid to slam the Lib Dems for having the courage to enter into a coalition government is utterly disingenuous as Plaid Cymru support proportional representation (as indeed I do), which would make coalition government the norm rather than the exception.

The whole point of proportional representation is to get people voting for what they do actually want, rather than voting tactically to try and manipulate results to avoid what they really do not want (as is too common with FPTP and will remain the case with AV). As the forthcoming Welsh Assembly elections are on a reasonably proportional ‘additional member’ system, then true democrats should be encouraging people to vote for what they really want in terms of policy – pure and simple.

I challenge Carwyn Jones and Tim Thomas, and every reader who wants to really understand who they should be voting for on the basis of policy, to take the quiz on this site:
http://www.whoshouldyouvotefor.com/wales.php . Then the 20 to 25% who find that they should actually be voting for the Green Party (as revealed by the similar ‘Vote for Policies’ website, that unfortunately excludes regional parties like PC and the SNP) can get themselves down to the Bridgend Green Party’s meeting tonight (Thursday 20th January) at the Haywain Function Room, 7.30pm. If this is too short notice, they meet there on the third Thursday of each month (so Feb. 17 next). Let us change the way we do politics in Bridgend. Positivity rather than negativity. Cooperation for the common good instead of obstructive adversarial politics. I know what I want – and I will be voting for just that.

ANDY CHYBA
Bridgend Green Party

P.S. The old adage about lies, damned lies and statistics is reflected in correspondence about the size of the VAT increase. It went up from 17.5% to 20% which means we are actually paying 14.3% more VAT than we were before the increase, if I am not mistaken (not 20% more or 2.5% more as suggested by your correspondents). This is nonetheless a regressive, inflationary, ideological choice promoted only by true blue Tories – the choice of a mere 36% of the voters last year (the same percentage that Madeleine Moon won the Bridgend seat with would you believe).

More than half of all adults aged 16 to 65 in Wales have poor numeracy skills and one in four has a reading age of 11 or below, according to figures from the Welsh Assembly Government.

The figures reported in the Western Mail earlier this year, show that 25% of 15 to 65-year-olds have a reading age of 11 or below and 53% have numeracy levels of 11 or below. These are shocking figures and an indictment of decades of ineffective meddling and a lack of the vision needed to reshape our education system in line with the needs of the 21st century.

Companies have warned that some employees struggle to write a letter and there are fears Wales will get left behind in the global economy unless basic skills are improved.

More than 220 employers in Wales have so far signed the EMPLOYER PLEDGEwith the Basic Skills Agency and its providers to provide reading, writing and maths help in the workplace.

The WAG funded EMPLOYER PLEDGE initiative is certainly something we should be getting behind. If anyone would like to know more, or know of a local business that would like to know more, they can check out the WAG website:

http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/skillsandtraining/employerpledge/?lang=en

Or contact Andy Chyba direct.
Andy
078 1066 4231
01656 647314

Wales Green Party has today responded to growing concerns about fuel cost rises by calling for investment in public transport to provide an affordable and convenient alternative to the car.

Jake Griffiths, who is set to become the first Green Assembly Member according to recent polls (1), said:

“Continued car dependency just to get around is simply unfair at a time when people are feeling the pinch from spending cuts, job losses and the VAT rise. Increasing demand for oil from developing countries such as India and China means that fuel prices are only going to go one way in the future.

“It’s therefore vital that people are given the choice of affordable and convenient public transport. The Welsh Government needs to shift spending from building new roads to stopping train and bus fare rises, to grow the rail network and regulate bus services to ensure they go where people need them to.”

Griffiths is bidding to become Wales’ first Green Assembly Member in May, he concluded:

“This May just 7% of the regional vote would send me to the Assembly, where I would fight for decent public transport as an alternative to increasingly expensive car-dependency. Labour has never elected any regional AMs in South Wales Central so I would urge people considering them to lend the Greens your second vote.”

20th January 2011, Haywain Function Room, 7.30pm.

PROVISIONAL AGENDA

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Apologies for Absence
3. Minutes of last meeting and matters arising
4. Officers’ reports
5. Blog articles – review posts and broadening submissions
6. Campaigning: ‘Green Wales’ distribution/WAG election/Bettws Group/petitions
7. National Conference – Cardiff, February.
8. Any Other Business
9. Date of Next Meeting
10. Discussion topics – choose for next meeting

In preparation for item 5, could you all endeavour to have a good look through the blogsite articles.
https://bridgendgreens.wordpress.com/

To date, I am the only one who has submitted any thing to the blog. I would welcome feedback on what has been posted and would like to discuss broadening things out to encourage more people to share material of interest.

Feedback via email would be welcomed if you are not in a position to attend the meeting.

Item 9 is picking up an excellent suggestion from Tunny (or was it Neil?) to have a discussion topic that we could chew over at the end of other business (over some liquid refreshment dare I suggest). This would be an excellent way of looking at current party policy, things in the news, and sharing opinions and expertise. By agreeing topics a month in advance, it allows me to ensure I am abreast of Party policy, and gives everyone a chance to think about it and form opinions and/or questions.

Hope to see you all at the meeting,
 
Andy Chyba
Bridgend Green Party
Blog: https://bridgendgreens.wordpress.com/
Mobile: 078 1066 3241
Email: greens

http://www.twodoctors.org/myimages/patrickgreenhornet.html

This backs up continued good news in the latest opinion polls in Wales that continue to indicate that we are on course to secure our first WAG AM.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/01/04/poll-shows-greens-on-course-for-first-welsh-assembly-member-91466-27926497/

And for those that may think that electoral success could lead to compromising our ideals and radical policies, Caroline Lucas says, in her New Year message to the Party:

Politics does not have to be a straight choice between power and principles. In our election campaign in May, the Greens did not drop any of our radical policies. We stuck to what we believed in and against all the odds we won our first seat in Westminster. It shows that if you tell the truth and offer people something better, the public will respond. And this is what we must keep on doing. We must carry our message to the growing numbers of people abandoned by the Conservatives, disillusioned by Labour and betrayed by the Lib Dems. We must grow the Green Party as the radical progressive alternative, and give ourselves a louder voice than ever before.
Read her message in full here:

http://www.greenparty.org.uk/mediacentre/releases/2011-01-01-new-year-message.html

He rightly pleads with us to all to pour our hearts and souls into our politics in order to create a better world where there is no place for such atrocities.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/40983401#40983401

Four European countries have begun banning the poisons and bee populations are recovering. But chemical companies are lobbying hard to keep all killer pesticides on the market. A global outcry now for a ban in the US and EU, where debate is raging, could provoke a total ban and a ripple effect around the world.

Lets build a giant global buzz calling for these dangerous chemicals to be outlawed in the US and EU until and unless they are proved to be safe. Sign the petition to save bees and our crops and send this to everyone:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=897929340&v=8125

What can we do to encourage and/or support local bee keepers?

As candidates for the WAG elections in May, the Party is not taking any risks with us being caught out by possible media interviews and the like. They have obviously caught wind of our propensity to speak our minds so readily. Should be fun!

So long as we are not being trained to ‘bull’ the public like Cameron has done with his husky hugging claims to be the greenest PM ever! Check out this report:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-for-sale–camerons-green-credentials-2177929.html

PS Don’t forget – next meeting is on Thursday 20th January, usual time and place. Any agenda items, by the end of next week if possible please.
Andy

2011 is set to be an exciting year for the Green Party, especially here in Bridgend, with Conference in Cardiff, WAG elections and the build up to BCBC elections to look forward to.

We have a big task on our hands to persuade people that, contrary to Tory spin, there are real and sensible alternatives. The stakes are high – we are fighting for a sustainable society as well a sustainable environment. After the mess created by my generation, I feel I owe to my kids. Motivation does not come much greater than that.

If the future is to be bright, the future has to be Green!! Let’s make it happen!

Warmest regards, and thanks for your support,

Andy

Similarly, the ethos of the NHS as a public service, where patient needs come before profits, is taking another blow. Yet Labour is unable to mount a principled defence since, when they were in power, they welcomed in private healthcare providers, and saddled the NHS with huge debts through PFI.

Across the board, Labour simply cannot oppose coalition plans without laying themselves open to the charge of hypocrisy. Academies? A Labour idea. Selling off Royal Mail? A Labour idea. Even the programme of cuts in public services is something Labour admit they would have done, had they won in May.

But Labour’s leadership, with a typical lack of humility, assume that students and others will meekly return to the party that betrayed them. Ed Miliband wouldn’t be seen meeting students, let alone marching with them he said he thought about it, but was “doing something else” at the time. There lies the heart of Labour dilemma they want to win back the trust of voters, but also pander to the Daily Mail. Joining the protests or challenging heavy handed policing in parliament, as I have done, does not seem to fit with Labour’s obsession with the fabled middle ground of British politics.

Politics does not have to be a straight choice between power and principles. In our election campaign in May, the Greens did not drop any of our controversial policies. We stuck to what we believed in and, against all the odds, we won our first seat. It shows that if you tell the truth and offer people something better, the public will respond.

Caroline Lucas MP

Leader, Green party