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FAIR IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR
26th June 2010
The ConDem coalition government presents its spending cuts as both justifiable and unavoidable. Prime Minister David Cameron is doing his best to convince us that we should quietly acquiesce to a cuts programme that will affect “our whole way of life.”
We are told that we have to ‘rebalance the economy away from a reliance on government jobs’ and we are ‘too dependent on the public sector for jobs.’
We keep getting told we are all in this together and should therefore share the burden. But the financial crisis was the fault of the bankers, and the politicians who deregulated the financial sector to allow them free rein. When in trouble, the banks received generous bailouts to the tune of a staggering £850bn.
We are not ‘too dependent on the public sector for jobs’. These jobs are vital to the functioning of our society. We cannot afford to see them slashed and our public services weakened beyond repair.
We reject the idea that working class people must pay for a crisis they didn't create. We reject the current blind acceptance that “we’re all in this together” and that we – and that always means ordinary working people, of course, not the rich - have to accept changes that will affect “our whole way of life.”
Workers in Greece, Spain and elsewhere are already showing that it is possible to fight back. We need similar resistance in Britain. We call for a coalition of trade unionists, campaigners, community groups and public service users to campaign for a different set of priorities to that imposed by this bankers' coalition.
We should collectively tell the bankers and the ConDem coalition that we can't pay for their crisis - and we won't pay for it.
Thank you to all the people who voted Green here in South Shields for the parliamentary election and in the local elections across South Tyneside.
We were of course disappointed not to come closer to winning seats this time, but the huge breakthrough of winning our first Westminster MP makes such a difference. We just need to redouble our efforts and reach more people here for the local elections next May.
We had a stall again today in King Street and will be having regular Saturday morning stalls, so look out for us there.
On our stall today we were asking people to sign an open letter opposing the ConDem government's cuts. This has been initiated by Tyne and Wear Left Unity, a red-green network which some of us Greens have been involved in. The aim of the letter which has been sent to local media, is to demonstrate the breadth of opposition to the cuts which Caroline Lucas has called a "callous con trick".
Do read the letter and if you'd like to add your name to the list of signatories, please email us at contact@stgreens.org.uk
The Green Party has produced a tax briefing, Finance for the Future here.
This has one simple message - that the coalition's cuts aren't needed and that fairer taxes and the Green New Deal are.
You can watch Caroline Lucas on this week's Question Time (until next Thursday 1st July): here.
You can read the full version of the Green Party's costed manifesto online at www.greenparty.org.uk.
4th May 2010
1. Stabilising the economy
Regulate the financial sector, permanently tax bankers' bonuses and introduce the Robin Hood Tax on international financial transactions, while reducing corporation tax for small firms
2. Creating jobs
Create one million jobs in areas such as local manufacturing and food production, public transport, renewable energy, home insulation and repairing and recycling goods.
3. Education
Abolish formalised SATs testing for 11 year olds and reduce the huge paperwork burden on teachers. Protect schools and universities from cuts and privatisation, and abolish university fees.
4. Protecting public services
Protect public services from cuts and privatisation: keep the NHS public, protect Sure Start nurseries, re-open Post Offices, abolish charges for prescriptions and dentistry.
5. Pensions and care for the elderly
Introduce free social care for the elderly, as in Scotland, and raise the basic state pension to £170 a week.
6. Affordable housing
Take action to ensure that the million empty homes nationwide are brought back into use; introduce free home insulation for all homes within 5 years; and enable local councils to build new council housing again.
7. Transport
Redirect transport funding towards public transport, regulate the buses and renationalise the railways to ensure we have affordable and reliable public transport in the future. Improve cycle routes and pedestrian safety measures.
8. Youth facilities
Double spending on out of school services for young people to give them something to do and somewhere to go and introduce a national youth volunteering programme for the under 18s.
9. Climate change and energy security
The UK should lead the world by example in tackling climate change: energy efficiency measures in buildings, reducing travel miles by providing services like Post Offices locally and localising the economy, investment in renewable energy rather than nuclear power.
10. Democracy and Parliamentary reform
Replace the House of Lords with a fully elected second chamber; decentralise power to local councils and communities; restrict the lobbying power of big business over MPs; prevent MPs from holding directorships and consultancies that stop them being full-time MPs and may result in conflicts of interest.
You can read the full version of the Green Party's costed manifesto online at www.greenparty.org.uk.
1st May 2010
South Tyneside Green Party members have been carrying out "60 second surveys" during recent canvassing and the regular Saturday stall on King Street. The results are featured here on our Resources page.
1st May 2010
South Tyneside Green Party's new candidates are featured here on our Green People page.
1st May 2010
South Tyneside Green Party members have been carrying out "60 second surveys" during recent canvassing and the regular Saturday stall on King Street. The results are featured here on our Resources page.
16th April 2010
South Tyneside Green Party's PPC for South Shields Shirley Ford has been invited to take part in a hustings event, organised by Churches and Faiths Together at St Hilda's Church, South Shields, on Saturday 24th April, at 7pm.
Shirley said:
"I'm grateful for this opportunity to meet the other Parliamentary candidates for South Shields at the hustings, and look forward to challenging them and their policies, and of course offering an alternative to the tired 'business as usual' approach of the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties.
"The Green Party is the only party with a genuinely radical manifesto designed for a fairer society:
"These proposals, and the many others in our manifesto, demonstrate that the Green Party is the party of hope and radical change."
You can follow Shirley Ford on her online blog here.
14th April 2010
Shirley Ford, the Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for South Shields in the forthcoming election, has been interviewed on video by the Shields Gazette, discussing the Green Party's aspirations.
You can see Shirley's video here.
You can follow Shirley on her blog here.
9th April 2010
South Tyneside Green Party's Shirley Ford was featured here in the Shields Gazette.
You can follow Shirley Ford on her online blog here.
6th April 2010
South Tyneside Green Party is pleased to announce that it intends to field the following six candidates in the forthcoming local council elections:
South Tyneside Green Party was also the first to announce their Parliamentary candidate for South Shields, Shirley Ford, back in 2008.
Shirley Ford said:
"The Green Party in South Tyneside is punching well above it's weight in announcing so many candidates for the forthcoming elections. Nationally, the Green Party is fielding over 300 parliamentary candidates.
"For a small party, local Greens have been very busy, involved with the local independents in campaigning to try and keep Gypsies Green public and protect our Metro from privatisation. Recently we supported with the Public and Commercial Services Union in defence of our public services against the savage cuts threatened by the three main 'grey' parties.
"We did not field candidates in the recent Primrose or Westoe by-elections and were very concerned about the BNP's campaigns there. So Greens pounded the streets distributing leaflets and talked to voters at campaign stalls, warning about the racism and bigotry of the BNP.
"Greens are also very visible, holding a stall every Saturday morning in King Street, and can be easily contacted through it's website at www.stgreens.org.uk.
"Greens work very hard, not for expenses or glory. We do this because Fair is Worth Fighting For."
The Green Party holds stalls every Saturday on King St, South Shields 10.30 till 12.00 and every Wednesday at The Nook, South Shields 12.00 till 1.30. Jarrow events will be announced soon.
If you want to get involved, the Green Party would welcome help with delivering leaflets, and donations would also be very welcome to South Tyneside Green Party, c/o 214 Mowbray Road, South Shields, NE33 3BE, or contact us at contact@stgreens.org.uk
You can follow Shirley Ford on her online blog here.
29th March 2010
Shirley Ford and other members of South Tyneside Green Party joined the PCS (Public and Commercial Services Union) members in their Budget Day protest outside David Miliband's office in South Shields. The PCS were on strike across the country and their members in the North East came from their workplace pickets in the morning, to leaflet this senior government minister's constituency with "We are not to blame" leaflets.
The South Tyneside Green Party supports the PCS action (1) in defence of their conditions, against cuts in their redundancy pay, and their call for the defence of properly funded public services which we all rely on.
Shirley said:
"The attack on public services and the people who work in them is being justified by the recession. But it wasn't public spending that caused the recession, it was the banks who caused this mess. And it is time they are made to pay to clean it up. more...
You can follow Shirley on her blog here.
25th March 2010
Shirley Ford, the Green Party Candidate for South Shields in the forthcoming election, joined in the Sport Relief Mile last Sunday.
Shirley did the 3 miles with her husband and 10 year old son.
Shirley said:
"It was wonderful to be part of Sport Relief with so many generous people from South Shields and beyond. The money raised for Comic Relief goes to transform people's lives in the UK and across the world's poorest countries.
"I worked as a volunteer in Kenya over 20 years ago and saw how important community projects can be - providing clean water, sanitation and planting trees. I realised then that we need a fairer world and that is what I am standing for in the general election."
You can follow Shirley on her blog here.
22nd March 2010
Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for South Shields Shirley Ford was starting her public campaign in the centre of South Shields on Saturday with her supporters, to tell the people of South Shields what she stands for.
Shirley said:
"The Green Party is calling for a Robin Hood Tax on the banks to raise hundreds of billions every year. That's easily enough to stop cuts in public services. And help fight global poverty and climate change. So it's time for the banks who caused this mess to pay to clean it up.
"Robin Hood took from the rich and gave to the poor. And that is just what this new tax will do - taking a tiny percentage 0.05% on international banking transactions - to stop the cuts in jobs and public services that we all depend on.
"All the main parties claim they must cut spending on public services to pay for the world banking collapse. South Tyneside Labour Council has announced £11.5 million. These cuts will affect jobs, the environment, elderly care and children’s safety. Yet spending on public services did not cause the problems.
"The banking collapse happened because the industry which Labour de-regulated is run like a casino, where speculators gamble with our money and make billions, most of which is untaxed. Having crashed, the Labour Government has spent billions of public money on bailing them out, while at the same time, allowing them £millions in bonuses. So who do these political parties represent?" more...
You can follow Shirley on her blog here.
23rd May 2009
The summer South Tyneside Green Party newsletter is now out and is available for download here (pdf).
20th May 2009
"We are faced with the deepest recession in generations, with rising unemployment and cuts in public services. The Green Party offers a real alternative."
Shirley Ford, the Greens' lead Eurocandidate, was spelling out how the Green New Deal would tackle both the recession and climate change by creating jobs that would bring about a low carbon economy. more...
18th May 2009
Shirley Ford, lead Green Eurocandidate for North East England, will be among candidates from several parties at hustings organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Durham on Tuesday 19th May more...
15th April 2009
We don't think we should make too much of this but out of the twelve parties standing for the EU elections in the North East, only two have women as their lead candidates.
Ten out of the total of 35 candidates are women, with just two parties having two women candidates. Only the Green Party has women - Shirley Ford and Iris Ryder - as both first and second candidates. more...
27th April 2009
The South Tyneside branch of the Keep Metro Public group campaigned in South Shields town centre on Saturday 25th April, asking people to sign postcards to send to their local MP, local councillors and Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon, to demand that the Metro remains in the public's hands.
There are plans to privatise some functions of the successful Metro by allowing private consortiums to bid for work on the system, including track and train maintenance. A privatisation deal with London's Underground, known as Metronet, ended in failure and costing the taxpayer millions.
Keep Metro Public has wide public support, and is backed by several local figures including Sunderland South MP Chris Mullin, along with several European election candidates and trade unions.
South Tyneside group co-ordinator Shirley Ford said: "We have all invested in the Metro rail system, and that we don't want it sold off behind closed doors without public consultation."
Shirley, who is also standing as Green Party candidate for North East MEP in the forthcoming European elections, continued: "The Metro is the best performing small rail system in Britain. We've seen with the failure of London Underground's 'Metronet' privatisation how privatising essential services can be costly and disastrous."
"There was a fantastic response on Saturday. We're going to continue this effort right across the Metro system, to give passengers their chance to have their say on these changes."
[edit]: coverage in the Shields Gazette here.
24th April 2009
The Chronicle came back after Alastair Darling's speech - and asked Shirley Ford what she thought of the budget - and this is what she said: more...
23rd April 2009
Shirley Ford - our lead Euro candidate - was interviewed by the Newcastle Evening Chronicle on her hopes for the budget. This is what she said: more...
21st April 2009
South Tyneside Green Party has criticised Labour's plans for 'scrappage' scheme, where car purchasers may be paid by the government up to £2000 [edit] to trade in an older car for a new one.
Bryan Atkinson, the Green Party's Parliamentary candidate for Jarrow in the next General Election, has hit out at the policy as a flawed and cynical token gesture that will end up costing the taxpayer with no benefit.
"This scheme will only benefit those who can afford to buy a new car and the motor industry.
"The industry has had thirty years to clean up it's act and now the taxpayer is footing the bill to bail them out. The scrappage scheme would not create jobs, and will not help reduce the UK's CO2 emissions.
"This is giving the motor industry cash and green credibility when it deserves neither." more...
20th April 2009
NE England Green Party are calling on Alastair Darling to give the North East a ‘budget for jobs’, but specifically jobs in ‘green’ industries which will set the region and the country on course for a low carbon economy.
Shirley Ford, the Green Party lead Eurocandidate for the North East said:
"As terrible as the recession is - climate change is a bigger threat. So, we are looking for a ‘Green New Deal' which not only kick-starts the economic recovery - but sets us on the way towards a low carbon economy.
"We estimate that our proposals for a Green New Deal could create nearly 43,000 jobs in the North East."
"For a start, 3,500 jobs could be created in waste management if we started treating our waste as a resource to be used rather than something to be buried or burnt." more...
16th April 2009
As expected, list of sites announced yesterday for possible deployment by 2025 includes Hartlepool. Public consultation lasts just 1 month, and there is bound to be widespread doubt that any level of public response will change any decisions. And, the new national planning regime which will take decision making away from local communities and hand it over to the Infrastructure Planning Commission(IPC).
Shirley Ford, the Green Party lead Eurocandidate for the North East said:
"We are dismayed that concentration on nuclear power by the Labour Government will take available investment and infrastructure away from renewables. A new generation of nuclear power stations would use valuable coastal high-capacity connectors to the grid, connectors which would otherwise be used for offshore wind, wave and tidal, making it more likely that the UK will miss legal commitments on renewables for 2020.
"And, we are dismayed that the huge opportunity for jobs in renewables in the North East will be squandered, if the money goes to nuclear instead and the party will be writing to object to the proposed sites and encouraging many others to do the same. Offshore wind energy in particular has been identified by One NorthEast has having huge potential for creating jobs in the region."... more...
28th January 2009
South Tyneside Green Party member Brian Paget last week sent a response to this innacurate and misleading article in the Gazette, which claimed that:
"A CALL to expand Newcastle Airport has been given cross-party support by all South Tyneside's political groups"
The letter was published today, but is reproduced in full here as the Gazette editorial team edited the letter so severely that much of the context has been mangled:
I challenge the Gazette's inaccurate and misleading claim that "all South Tyneside's political groups" (Gazette, 19th January) support expansion at Newcastle Airport. South Tyneside Green Party would not support an irresponsible policy of encouraging growth in aviation at a time when CO2 emissions should be reduced, not actively encouraged.
Passenger growth means more flights which inevitably means more CO2 emissions, which is contrary to the claimed intentions of our government and council. An increase in flights would mean more lives blighted by aircraft noise and particulate emissions. Aviation growth is environmentally unsustainable.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Labour and the Tories kneel together before corporate self-interest and lobbyists at the expense of people and the environment. Their support for airport expansion is a startling example of economic and environmental incompetence. The casual disregard which South Tyneside councillors show towards those living under the flight path is contemptible.
Any claims that they give a stuff about climate change are the same as their aviation policy - pie in the sky.
Brian Paget
On behalf of South Tyneside Green Party
The Greens believe that solutions to regional, national and global problems start at the local level, and that can only happen when people take politics out of the politicians' hands. A healthy society is based on voluntary co-operation between empowered individuals in a democratic society, free from discrimination or prejudice.
Greens practise 'people first' policies, whilst recognising that we also depend on the diversity of the natural world for our existence. The Earth's physical resources are finite. We threaten our future if we try to live beyond those means, so we must build a sustainable society that guarantees our long-term future, for us and our children. Every person, in this and future generations, should be entitled to basic material security as of right.
Copyright © 2007-2010 South Tyneside Green Party
Promoted by Shirley Ford of 214 Mowbray Road South Shields NE33 3BE, on behalf of South Tyneside Green Party of 214 Mowbray Road South Shields NE33 3BE.