"It's time to restore trust in politics and government; the Green Party can do this by offering a fresh, transparent and more democratic alternative to the unsuccessful policies of the traditional parties."

James Harrison has a long history of fighting for a fairer society. Born in Leeds and brought up in rural Gloucestershire, James went on to practise law and campaign for legal reform in London. There he worked for one of the country's leading human rights law firms practising in the fields of community care, mental health, housing and criminal law.

Dr. Harrison moved to Kenilworth two and a half years ago to take up his current post at Warwick University. Married, with two young children, Dr Harrison is concerned for many of the area's youth. He told us, "The recession is causing very high levels of youth unemployment and others are mired in student debt. We need to defend young people against the savage cuts to education and encourage businesses to offer thousands more apprenticeships."

Dr. Harrison is keen to point out that the Greens are the only party not dependent on the economic status quo. He believes this allows the Green Party to be free to propose the bold policies needed to get Britain out of the economic crisis and on a path of sustainable prosperity. One such policy is the Green New Deal, a plan to create one million new jobs in industries based on tackling climate change and reducing energy dependency.

Over 1.2 million people voted for the Greens in the European elections in June 2009 At the same time, in local elections the Green Party gained 11% of the vote in the county. The Green Party has two MEPs and 125 councillors. It is the fourth largest party in the country and is on course to win three MPs in the next General Election.

For further information or to arrange an interview contact Tom Harris on 07966 488690.


From the West Midlands Green Party Press Officer, Tom Harris,on 07966 488690020. Published and promoted by Tom Harris for West Midlands Green Party, both at 15 Doxey Road, Stafford, ST16 2EW.

Homelessness in Warwick District has been exacerbated by a lack of social housing, drug and alcohol addiction and financial problems arising partly from the gap between the benefits and the cost of rents. With several hostels in Leamington (one of which is run by the Salvation Army) offering between 10 and 20 beds, there are several hundred homeless people in the town, with around 10 to 12 sleeping rough at any one time. 

Working with other agencies such as the Community Drugs Team and Probation, The Salvation Army runs a hostel and a drop-in centre for the homeless, and there are five or six other hostels inLeamington. The focus is placed on ensuring a long-term accommodation solution – either social housing or in private sector.  

Jonathan suggested some possible solutions, including developing strong partnerships between hostels and landlords in the private rented sector and the introduction of a citizens’ income (one of the Green Party’s key economic policies) to address the difficult transition from benefits to work.

Over 2,000 people were asked - regardless of the party they normally voted for - which party's politicians they thought were most likely to put their own financial interests before the interests of their country. Allowed to choose three parties, only 5% named the Greens as likely to put self-interest before the country's.

The survey also shows:

• Labour appeared to be the least trusted, with 45% of respondents naming Labour politicians as likely to put financial self-interest before their country.
• The Conservatives were almost as bad, with 40% naming them.
• Next were the BNP, the LibDems and UKIP on 20%, 16% and 15% respectively.

The new poll was released in the same week that campaign group Open Europe rated the Green Party's leader Caroline Lucas as the joint best British MEP on accountability, transparency and reform. The bottom nine places in the Open Europe survey were occupied by four Conservatives and five UKIP MEPs - with the tenth-worst British MEP slot being held jointly by UKIP leader Nigel Farage and an MEP each from Labour, the Conservatives and the LibDems.

Voter-intention polls show Greens are up, UKIP and BNP down

The Greens say that while there's much talk of an anti-sleaze protest vote going to the racist BNP, in fact the opinion polls are showing the Green Party to be a far more likely recipient of any protest vote.

• The ComRes poll of 17 May, commissioned by UKIP, put the Greens on 11% and the BNP on just 4%.
• The ComRes poll put the Greens on 13% across Northern England - easily enough for Green candidate Peter Cranie to defeat BNP leader Nick Griffin in the North West contest.
• The ComRes poll showed the Greens in third place in the South East, ready to return party leader Caroline Lucas MEP and scoop up a second seat for Brighton councillor Keith Taylor.
• A YouGov poll commissioned by the Green Party (2) suggested 34% would either definitely vote Green or would consider voting Green in the Euro-elections if they knew more about them.
• And the Guardian/ICM poll of 22 May put the Greens on 9% - just behind UKIP (10%) but way ahead of the BNP (1%).

The Guardian/ICM poll showed a Green increase of 50% compared with the actual 2004 vote (up from 6% to 9%) while UKIP was down more than a third (from 16% to 10%) and the BNP vote was cut by about four-fifths (down from 5% to 1%).

The Greens point out that polls ahead of Euro-elections usually under-estimate the Green Party. In 1989 the Greens were showing in the polls at about 7-8% but their actual vote turned out to be 15%.

The Greens believe their million-jobs manifesto for tackling the recession and the climate crisis at the same time has probably struck a chord with a lot of people.

Note

1. Poll commissioned by the Green Party and conducted by YouGov. Fieldwork 13-15 May 2009. Sample size 2,111. The exact question was: "Regardless of the party you usually vote for, which party's politicians do you think are most likely to put their own financial interests ahead of the interests of the country? [Please tick up to three.]"

2.  Poll commissioned by the Green Party and conducted by YouGov. Fieldwork 29 April-1 May 2009. Sample size 2,046. 

They offered people the opportunity to sign their petition against the privatisation of the Post Office :

"We, the undersigned, are outraged at the proposal to sell off a large proportion of the Post Office to a foreign private company. We believe that privatisation is a false economy and would lead to more Post Office closures in Warwickshire. All communities need a local post office offering a wide range of services."

Ian Davision, candidate in Milverton for the County Council elections, commented:

"I'm thoroughly delighted, but not at all surprised, that over 50 people were prepared to sign this petition in so short a time, during their Saturday morning visit to their local shops. This shows the strength of feeling against the privatisation policy which is backed by all the other political parties. The Green Party is the only party of community. The threats we face in the coming years from a very weak economy and from climate change require that we keep local shops and businesses to keep our communities together.

"This level of support is in line with the polls which show a remarkable rise in the voters' intention to vote Green Party in the coming elections"

Prospective Green Party Euro MP Felicity Norman has visited Wolseley's sustainable building centre for a fact-finding tour.  The candidate for Warwick and Leamington wanted to learn more about environmentally friendly and renewable building materials and how supporting companies which produce and sell them can help the economy.

She went to the Harrison Way site in Leamington with Milverton area campaigner Ian Davison before appearing as a guest speaker at the party's annual meeting.

Mrs Norman said: "I applaud Wolseley for promoting sustainable construction.

"Even at this time of recession, green technologies are continuing to grow but there is more that can be done with a little help from the government.

"If elected to the European Parliament in June this year I will do my utmost to give green technologies a boost and help create thousands of new jobs in the new industries that are so essential to tackle the economic downturn and the climate and energy crises."

The Green Party hopes to double its number of MEPs in the elections this summer.

The full article contains 177 words and appears in Leamington Courier newspaper.

* Last Updated: 05 February 2009 1:27 PM
* Source: Leamington Courier
* Location: Leamington Spa

A record number of Green Party candidates are to contest the County Council elections in Warwickshire this year. Candidate numbers have shot up since the last County elections in 2005 [1]. The dramatic rise in Greens contesting seats is down to increased membership and members wanting to stand for election to give people an opportunity to say no to the BNP and yes to positive politics with solutions to today's problems.

In Warwickshire, every single voter will be able to vote Green in the County Council elections. Not even the Liberal Democrats nor the Labour Party can offer this in the county [2]. In many cases, it will be the first time a Green candidate is running for election in the area [3].

The Party is also running its strongest ever campaign to elect a Euro-MP in the region at the European Election held on the same day, to join the two other UK Green Party MEPs already elected. Felicity Norman, the Green Party Euro-MP candidate said "Our membership and general support is on the rise so a three-fold increase in the seats we're fighting for is no surprise to me. A Green vote at these elections says yes to positive politics and no to racism and it says yes to investing in jobs-rich industries to tackle recession and climate change.

But perhaps the most important vote on June 4th is for the European Elections where the Green Party is running a serious campaign to fight the BNP. In this proportional voting system, it's normally a small party that takes the final seat, which could mean the BNP or the Greens. We know that if a Green is elected, there is no room for the BNP. The battle for fourth place at the European election is more important than ever".

NOTES:
[1] 12 Green Party candidates contested the County Council elections in 2005, whereas 62 will stand this time.
[2] Early release of candidate lists in Warwickshire has shown that few Nuneaton and Bedworth divisions will be contested by the Liberal Democrats meaning that they are far short of a full set of candidates in the county.
[3] A full list of candidates will be available on our website within a few days as will profiles of local candidates. http://westmidlands.greenparty.org.uk/region/westmidlands/local-elections-2009.html

Further information, clarification + interviews:  Media Officer, Chris Williams on 07811 428 682
http://westmidlands.greenparty.org.uk

Published and promoted by Chris Williams for the Green Party, both at 37A Vyse Street, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham,B18 6JY

Originally published at http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2009/04/28/majority-against-housing-on-fields-around-coventry-92746-23486274/

A NEW survey shows strong opposition to building new homes on Warwickshire's green fields.

The survey by the Green Party shows 85 per cent of respondents are against developing green fields, despite Warwick District Council earmarking green field sites for nearly 3,000 new homes.

The district council borders Coventry and one of the options earmarked for the future is the swathe of green fields between Finham and Kenilworth.

Green Euro MP candidate for the West Midlands Ian Davison conducted the survey in his home ward of Milverton.

More than 700 residents took part with nearly 600 of them opposing green field development.

Mr Davison said: "I'm surprised how strong opposition is and it's right across the board.

"If the council wasn't listening already this strength of opinion should make them listen."

The government wants Warwick district to take 10,800 new homes between now and 2026.

While the district council plans to build most of the homes on brownfield land in towns, it claims estates could be built on green land bordering Kenilworth, Leamington, Warwick or south of Coventry between Kenilworth Road and Green Lane.

Mr Davison said: "There's this policy of wanting more and more land for housing. When is it going to stop?

"There are plenty of plots of land within Leamington that could be used.

"Developers love building on greenfield land because it's cheap and easy but affordable housing situated in the centre of town is what we need."

Gary Stephens, in the district council's planning department, said last year's public consultation was less clear cut than the Green Party survey.

He said: "The responses varied but people accepted there would be a need to release green field land because it wouldn't be possible to cram all the houses into the towns.

"We always support brownfield first and higher density housing would help to increase numbers but that's always got to be balanced with the character of an area." The council is now drawing up a list of proposed sites to take forward for council approval after the June elections and a further public consultation.

The Green Party welcomes the introduction of permit parking as it enables residents to park closer to their houses and provides a gentle incentive to reduce car ownership and use. Reduced car use can help tackle climate change, oil dependence, obesity, lack of exercise and loss of community spirit. We are particularly keen to encourage everyone who lives in Leamington Spa to walk, cycle, car share or use public transport when going to the town centre. Therefore more streets should have permit parking; however, on some streets, on-street parking should be removed to create 'away from traffic' cycle lanes.

The council plans to introduce permit parking on one side of Albany Terrace and allow each household in the terrace to buy annual permits for up to 3 residents and one visitor.

The full response to the proposed scheme can be read on our Reports page.

The Green Party strongly supports local Post Offices as they enable people to access a valuable range of services without needing to travel out of their local community. This is very important for individuals, especially if they have restricted mobility; it is important to foster community spirit and reduce traffic congestion, and it is vital if we are to tackle the biggest problems facing the world: climate change and diminishing supplies of fossil fuels.

The plan to close Milverton Post Office is part of a plan to close 2,500 Post Offices because the network is losing £3 million a week.

The full response to the proposed closure can be read on our Reports page.

The Station Area Development Brief attempts to provide a coherent vision for parcels of land that together form a significant area in the heart of Leamington. In transport terms the area is of strategic importance as the focus of rail, bus, car and cycle routes. The consultation is, or should be, aligned closely with other plans for a large increase in housing and the recognition that the use of fossil fuels must be reduced. The Green Party supports:

• An overall vision for adjacent sites

• Sustainability and low energy use central to the brief

• A flexible plan that encourages mixed use development

• High quality design

• Protection of green space

• Support, by design, for better cycle and pedestrian access

The plan falls short of sustainability goals, particularly by increasing car use, so the Green Party proposes changes to the plan that will increase the contribution to sustainability for both land use and transport.

The full response can be found on our Reports page.

Last week, the Green Party responded to Warwick District Council's consultation on where to build 10,800 more houses. With fuel and food prices rising dramatically, the Green Party is urging the council to think about long term sustainability when they allocate places for these houses. This means only allowing new housing on existing 'brown field' sites, preferably close to town centres.

Ian Davison, Green Party election candidate explained, "With rising food prices, it is vital we keep all our allotments and fields. The plan to build two more 'Warwick Gates' is short-sighted folly. In addition, as it is so expensive in our towns, cheaper housing is needed to cater for those on low incomes, including pensioners and students. This is also good for encouraging residents to use local shops, supporting local traders. Finally, such an approach helps to tackling climate change by encouraging walking and cycling."

James Harrison, a human rights lawyer, was deeply unhappy about the way the council had decided to reject the option not to build on green fields: "the council's 'impact assessment' methodology used to reject the option involved giving positive and negative marks without explanation. This flimsy approach lacks transparency and seems irrational, when there are so many reasons to protect our green fields."

The Green Party's full response is at leamington.greenparty.org.uk and concludes by indicating that restricting building to brown field sites is important for bio-diversity, food security, tackling climate change, improving air quality, reducing congestion, providing affordable housing and maintaining the viability of our town centres.

The council (Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem) plans to handover Chandos Street car park to a private company to build a huge covered shopping arcade. Clearly this is ignoring the plight of small independent traders in Leamington, ignoring problems with congestion, and ignoring the dangers of climate change. The council's desire to be like Coventry may destroy the unique character of Leamington Spa.

Please go to Downloads and Newsletter to see the leaflet "What is wrong with Clarendon Arcade?" This is being delivered to 10,000 local people. Under Downloads and Reports is "Arcade Information" that gives further information explaining why the plan is such a bad idea.

The Portobello Bridge is over the Avon on the A455 between Warwick and Leamington. It is a listed 'building' which needs substantial repair and or redesign; hence the consultation on the best way fowards.

The Green Party is disappointed with this consultation as: 1. Key information is not provided, so this is not a meaningful consultation. 2. Understanding of the effects on traffic flow and hence climate change is vital; otherwise, it is likely that the Council will make inappropriate choices.

Please click on Downloads and Reports to find the Green Party "Submission to Portobello bridge consultation".

Today, the Green Party published a leaflet to be distributed to 10,000 Leamington addresses. It links consumerism with Clarendon Arcade and Warwickshire waste strategy. The leaflet "Consumerism and Clarendon Arcade" can be viewed under Downloads and Newsletter.

Also published today is an introduction to Green Econmics by Ian Davison. Please click on Downloads and Reports to find "Green Economics Introduction".

The District council has provisionally agreed to a giant new retail space in Leamington, to be called Clarendon Arcade. Warwick and Leamington Green Party has sent a letter to the developers questioning several aspects which was printed in the Courier 26th October (to see the letter click on downloads and reports).

Ian Davison commented that this proposal seeks to increase the 'shop 'til we drop' culture which is destroying the environment and our lifestyles. The big problem is that as a society, we keep moving onto the next sexy model, which the New Statesman has called consumer adultery:

"British women discard their hairdryers after three years, usually in favour of another one that simply looks different. The average ownership of a mobile phone lasts 18 months. And manufacturers of DIY tools have calculated that most power drills are lost or abandoned after a single weekend. We don't throw things away because they are broken - it's usually because we have fallen out of love with them".

So if you want to live more sustainably, recycling phones and re-using bags does some good, but it is very much more important to avoid consumer adultery! If you want to go further, you can tell the council to stop the Clarendon Arcade development and support the Green Party as the only party committed to protecting our future.