Video clips: Vote Jen 1, Ken 2, says Green Party

London Green Party press release 28/3/2012


Vote Jen 1, Ken 2, says Green Party - Vote decides Livingstone as second preference candidate


An extraordinary meeting of the London Green Party this week decided to recommend Ken Livingstone as second preference choice for Mayor after first choice Jenny Jones. Livingstone spoke to around 70 members at the Party’s Headquarters on Leonard Street and fielded questions on his record and policies.After over an hour of discussion, a vote in favour of recommending Livingstone as second choice carried with a clear majority.


 Green Party Mayoral candidate Jenny Jones said: "The voting system gives Londoners a chance to make a positive Mayoral first choice for a more equal, healthier and affordable London. However, should I not be counted among the top two candidates after the first round, then I want a Mayor who will work with Green Party Assembly Members to deliver on pay equality, less pollution and cheaper fares. Ken Livingstone is far from perfect, but we know from his last time as Mayor that we can work with him to make positive changes in a way that would be impossible with either Boris Johnson or many other senior Labour politicians.”


Livingstone said: ”What we are seeing is that as we get closer to the election a broadening alliance of people wants a fairer London. The Green endorsement for second preferences is a key building block to winning change on May 3rd. I am very pleased that the Green Party has decided to encourage their supporters to cast their second preference votes for me. I look forward to working again with Green Assembly Members, including tackling air pollution, creating a fairer London, and improving pedestrian and cyclists’ safety.”


 Discussions focused on the clear desire among members to help prevent a further four years of Boris Johnson’s Mayorship, and the clear differentiation between recommending the Labour Party and Livingstone as a candidate, the man himself frequently opposing Labour Party policy. Members emphasised that the priority of the campaign was to increase the number of Greens elected to the London Assembly in order to best hold the successful Mayor candidate to account. Members raised particular concerns over Livingstone’s record on road building, the poorly regulated financial sector and air pollution. However, the meeting meeting voted to support the recommendation after hearing pledges to curb top pay at City Hall, help the lowest paid workers, end cheats and evasions over air pollution used by the current Mayor and Government and financially support boroughs wanting to introduce 20mph zones.


 Ends


 For more information, contact Joe Williams on 0782 5511 927, @earsopen orjoe.williams@greenparty.org.uk.


Notes
Jenny’s diary can be accessed at bit.ly/jennyjonesdiary


A Press Pack for the London Green Party’s 2012 campaign can be found at bit.ly/greenpresspack Promoted by Martin Bleach on behalf of Jenny Jones and London Green Party Candidates, all at Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4LT


NB During the discussion Romayne Phoenix asked Ken Livingstone a question on behalf of Croydon Green Party who requested that their question and responses to it not be recorded or posted on the Web. This request has been respected. Ken Livingstone part 1 Ken Livingstone part 2 Questions and discussion part 1 Questions and discussion part 2

Regional Anti-Cuts Conference – 31 March – hosted by Sheffield Anti Cuts Alliance

Regional Anti-Cuts Conference – 31 March – hosted by Sheffield Anti Cuts Alliance
Posted on March 10, 2012 by SACA
NO to CUTS – ORGANISE for the ALTERNATIVE
Regional Conference hosted by Sheffield Anti Cuts Alliance
31st  March at Burngreave Vestry Hall
9.30 – 4.30


Programme to include:


Plenary session with Wendy Savage (tbc)  on Save our NHS;


Alan Gibbons (Campaign for the Book);


Chris Walker (Pitsmoor CAB) on the Welfare Reform Bill


workshop sessions on –
· Community Campaigns
· Culture – music, libraries, museums, theatre
· Welfare, disability, unemployment
· Trade Unions, political links, representation.
· How can Councils resist the cuts
· Housing crisis – Housing Emergency campaign
· Education – academies, abolition of EMA, tuition fees – student/ staff action
· NHS – Kill the Bill, local & national campaigns


Plenary session on the
alternatives –


Climate Change Jobs; unpaid tax & tax avoidance; Occupy movement;
TUC the People’s Charter


All Welcome
£5.00 waged; no charge unwaged/low income
Tea/ coffee provided; cheap & cheerful food midday




CONTACT US


If you would like to be added to the SACA mailing list (low traffic, announcements only), please send a blank email with header 'please add me to the mailing list' to:Email Sheffield Anti Cuts Alliance
sheffieldanticutscampaign@gmail.com
In addition, this email address can be used for any questions or queries, or press enquiries.

Update from the Greek hospital under workers' control

Not sure when this statement was released but I think it gives an insight into the horrendous situation in Greece, and the resistance. I look forward to hearing more about Romayne's trip (Peter Allen) 

The health workers who have occupied a hospital in Greece and placed it under workers control have issued a new statement regarding the occupation.

The following statement has been made by the health workers occupying the hospital.

Hello all,
Thank you so much for your interest and support.
The occupation of our hospital in Kilkis by its workers started on Monday, February 20th, 8:30 local time.

This occupation is not only about us, the physicians and the workers at the Kilkis Hospital. Neither is it only about the Greek National Health System, which is collapsing, indeed. We are in this fight because what is in real danger now is the human rights and our lives. And this threat is not against just a nation, or against a few countries, or a few social groups, but against the low and middle classes in Europe, America, Asia, Africa, in the whole world.

Today’s Greece, is tomorrow’s picture of Portugal, Spain, Italy and the rest of the countries worldwide.

The workers at the Kilkis Hospital and at most of the hospitals and health centers in Greece are not paid on time and some of them see their salaries being cut down to practically zero. A fellow-worker of mine was transferred to our cardiological clinic almost in shock, when he realized that instead of receiving the usual check of 800 euros (yes, that is his monthly salary) from the state, he received a note saying that not only he will be paid nothing for this month, but he is also has the obligation to return 170 euros! Other workers were paid only 9 (nine) or 4 euros and even less for this month! Those of us who still receive some kind of a salary will support them in any way we can.

This is a war against the people, against the whole community. Those who say that the public debt of Greece is the debt of the Greek people are lying. It is not the people’s debt. It was created by the governments in collaboration with the bankers in order to enslave people.

The loans to Greece are not used for salaries, pensions and public care. It is exactly the opposite: salaries, pensions and care are used to pay the bankers. They are lying. Contrary to what they declare, they do not want a debt-free society.

They create the debts themselves (with the help of corrupt governments and politicians) for their own benefit. They gave Greece a banker as prime minister to ensure that the “job” will be done properly. Our Prime Minister Loukas Papadimos was not elected at all. He was appointed by the ECB and the bankers with the help of European and Greek corrupt politicians. This is their interpretation of the term “democracy”!

The debts are created by bankers who create money out of thin air and collect interest, just because our governments gave them the right to do so. And they keep saying that for those debts it is you and me and our children and grandchildren that will have to pay with our personal and national assets, with our lives. We do not owe them anything. On the contrary, they owe the people a great part of the fortunes they made thanks to the political corruption.

If we do not open our eyes to this truth, we will soon all become slaves, working for 200 or less a month. That is those of us who will be able to find a job!
No medical care, no pensions, homeless and starving, as now is the case with my fellow citizens in Greece. Thousands of them live outdoors and starve.

We have no intention to paint the reality with dark colors, but this is the truth. This situation is not due to a financial or monetary accident or mistake. It is the start of the ugly phase of a long process following a carefully designed plan, a process that has started decades ago! We have to fight together against this neoliberal plan. And this is what we, in Kilkis and in so many cities around the world, do now.

For the time being, we are not considering the opening of a donations account. We might, however need to do this in a few months or even weeks, if the situation might be worse. What we currently need most of all is moral support and publicity. Local struggles all around the world have to spread and gain massive support if we are to win the war against the corrupt system. If you can think of any additional ways to spread our news and ideas, it would be great!
Again, we can’t thank you enough for your kind thoughts and words. This solidarity of yours has a great meaning to us.

You can contact us at the following mail address:
enosi.kilkis@yahoo.gr

Yours
Leta Zotaki,
Director of the radiological department, of Kilkis Hospital
Member of the workers general assembly,
President of E.N.I.K. (Union of the Doctors of Greek National Health Care System in Kilkis)

Budget leaves pensioners bruised on pensions, tax allowances, retirement age and care

Press Release For immediate use: 21 March 2012
 Budget leaves pensioners bruised on pensions, tax allowances, retirement age and care


 Britain’s biggest pensioner organisation, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC) has criticised today’s Budget announcement for failing to address the serious concerns of Britain’s 11m older people. On the state pension Dot Gibson, NPC general secretary said: “The proposal to merge the basic and second state pensions into a single £140 a week payment is a classic case of smoke and mirrors – given that someone could retire today and get a combined basic and second state pension of £150 a week. In reality there will be no extra money to raise Britain’s scandalously low state pension – just a different way of packaging the payment. Not only that but it will also create a two-tier pension system with existing pensioners still having to struggle with a complicated means-tested system that leaves one in four older people in poverty.”


 On the retirement age Dot Gibson, NPC general secretary said: “The announcement of an automatic review of the state pension age is clearly a forerunner to making people work up to 70 and beyond. The chancellor is effectively stealing retirement years from millions of ordinary workers whose life expectancy is far lower than the very richest in society. This will hurt the low paid, part time workers in the north much more than the bankers in the city.”


 On personal tax allowances Dot Gibson, NPC general secretary said: “The decision to freeze the age related personal tax allowances effectively means around five million pensioner tax payers will no longer get additional reductions in their tax over the coming years – whilst those on the top rate of tax will see their bills reduced. Many older people will feel they are being asked to forego their reduction in tax to help out the super rich. There’s no fairness in that.”


 Welfare and social care Dot Gibson, NPC general secretary said: “The Chancellor’s pledge to cut welfare payments by £10bn over the next few years will also worry millions of pensioners who may think their bus passes and winter fuel allowances might be under threat and the long-awaited social care white paper is being delayed, without any explanation, while around a million older people are struggling with a broken care system that leaves many with expensive care that is often of a poor quality. The money the chancellor is giving away in tax breaks for the richest in society would fund a National Care Service for all those in need. Pensioners will feel bruised by this Budget.”


 ENDS
 For more information contact Neil Duncan-Jordan 07432-575251

Northern Women's day & Palestine Solidarity events

1. International Womens Week Women of Palestine : Manchester March 10th,
 a Celebration for International Women’s Day
 Join Palestinian women speakers, participating in a tour of the North of England to celebrate International Women’s Day.


The tour is organised by Palestine Solidarity groups from Bradford, Halifax , Huddersfield, Manchester , Rochdale, Sheffield and York . For further details of the Manchester event and other Northern meetings, ring 01706 648104.


 Date: Saturday March 10th. Venue: Saffron Restaurant, 107 Cheetham Hill Road , Manchester M8 8PY Afternoon Workshops with Palestinian visitors for women only: Arrive at 1.00pm to register (free entry). Choice of workshops, light refreshments, stalls of Palestinian produce, photographic exhibition and grand finale group singing with guest Reem Kelani. Evening celebratory meal (same venue) open to everyone, 7.00pm (£10 or £5 concessions, payable on the door) Come along for fabulous food, songs about Palestine by the Sheffield choir, Body of Sound and poetry in English and Arabic. Help us send a message of friendship and solidarity back with our visitors as they return home to Palestine


. 2. Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign
 Presenting monthly discussion meetings and film:
 Thursday 15th March 7pm Friends Meeting House Mount Street
 Speaker: Sara Gowen from Sheffield Palestine Women’s Scholarship Fund Supporting Women in the Gaza Strip to the right to Education


 Everyone has a right to education The right to Education is a fundamental human right. Israel's obstruction of education in the West Bank and Gaza Strip not only violates the human rights of individuals. It is an attack on the development of Palestinian society as a whole. Supporting women into education Women's education is under serious threat in Palestine. The current political situation, particularly in the isolated Gaza Strip, has created a new kind of poverty in Palestine. Unemployment has been growing to a point where families can no longer sustain themselves to provide the basic needs for survival. In these hard times, expenses for education have become a luxury most cannot afford and families have been concentrating on their sons, which puts girls at a major disadvantage when times are hard. By helping Palestinian women into higher education, we can help their communities, in the poorest of the poor families. 11 per cent of families are headed by women because their husbands have died or are in prison. Without an education it is difficult for these women to support their families and their communities. Most Palestinians feel that they have lost their land, but one guarantee for the future is an education. This is why the Sheffield Palestinian Women's Scholarship Fund is so important. Come to the meeting to find out more about the Education of Women in Palestine and how we can support Women to have a chance of University Education.

Sunday 11 March the Right to Work campaign:an open forum on unemployment and the ‘lost generation’

Dear Friend, Forum on Austerity and Resistance


On Sunday 11 March the Right to Work campaign will be hosting an open forum on unemployment and the ‘lost generation’ as part of our AGM.


 Confirmed speakers so far include
 Owen Jones author of Chavs
Tony Kearns CWU Deputy General Secretary
Zita Holbourne BARAC and PCS
Sean Vernell UCU National Executive
 John McDonnell MP
 Dannie Grufferty NUS Vice- President Society and Citizenship
Plus speakers from DPAC and others.


 As a member of the Right to Work steering committee we hope you will be attending the “Austerity and Resistance” event organised on 11 March. The event aims to carry forward the work the campaign has undertaken over the last year, challenging attacks on the unemployed and disabled people, uniting the anti-cuts fight with strike action by trade unionists and hounding the Tory wreckers.


 It would be great to see you on the day and we’d encourage you to play an active role in proceedings. Right to Work Forum on Austerity and Resistance 12-4pm Canterbury and Hughes Parry Halls 12-26 Cartwright Gardens London WC1H You can register online now at:


http://righttowork.org.uk/2012/02/forumonausterityandresistance/


 Please publicise the event within your organisation and let us know if you are able to bring a delegation. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. In solidarity,


 Sam James National Chair - Right to Work 07961 337640

THE GIANTS' GOLF COURSE!!!???

Stop the Giant's Causeway Golf Complex!


| Tell Your Friends | Take Action


 In our increasingly modernised world,  it's more important than ever to value our natural treasures.


Take, for example, the Giant's Causeway in Ireland. This eerily gorgeous World Heritage site has enchanted people for centuries--but now developers want to ruin it with a golf complex. So much of Ireland's natural beauty has been sullied by greed. Can't we protect the Giant's Causeway from developers?


 Situated at the very top of Northern Ireland, thousands of tourists a year visit the Giant's Causeway for the wild scenery and the mysterious hexagonal rocks. But a proposal to build a huge golf course there, along with accompanying hotel, rental cottages and lighting, has just received the go ahead. Ironically, the argument is the golf complex will attract tourists.


 Friends of the Earth and the National Trust have condemned the proposals, with FoE's Northern Ireland director likening it to "building a drive-through burger bar at the Taj Mahal". People can golf anywhere. They don't need to permanently ruin the Giant's Causeway to do so.


 Ask the environment minister not to proceed with these destructive plans. »
 Thanks for taking action!
 Kathleen ThePetitionSite Stop the Giant's Causeway Golf Complex! Take action link: http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AGeYH/zmG5/xK9U Acknowledgements to Jane Ennis