Jean Lambert MEP

London’s Member of the Newsletter Working for the environment, peace and social justice Winter—Spring 2012/13

Help at hand for Londoners in debt

Household debt is spiralling out of control counselling and money advice service for many Londoners, with living costs for residents of the borough, the Barnet on the rise, job security for many on the South CAP Centre at Brent Cross. wane—and the increasing popularity of both legal ‘Payday Loans’ and unlawful “With housing costs rising fast and benefits doorstep lending. and wages stagnant—or falling—for many Londoners, personal finance has become Greens in the European Parliament have more important than ever. called for tougher banking regulation as a result, and strict rules governing the “This centre is also running courses to interest rates charged by lenders. help families manage their money: the sort of basic financial literacy that should be p Jean Lambert MEP Jean visited Barnet to discuss some of taught to everyone as a matter of course.” these issues at the launch of a new debt Stay up-to-date with your Green MEP for London by following Jean on Twitter.

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Visiting rural East London!

Jean has visited a pioneering community garden in East London—‘Wild Place Your Space’—to discover how the project is encouraging local residents living without access to green, open spaces to discover the diverse wildlife that lives on their doorstep.

Jean said: “All too often, East London is pictured as a heavily built-up area of docks, industry and concrete, yet we are p Launching the Barnet South CAP debt management and money advice centre surrounded by some of London’s largest joined up green spaces and waterways, which host a wealth of wildlife and EU must act to curb aviation’s natural habitats.” climate changing emissions

The aviation industry must be included any climate change regime is going to in international attempts to reduce work. Jean said: “If other nations aren’t greenhouse gas emissions, Jean has prepared to act on this, the EU should argued. Though the EU has agreed show some leadership on this and a timetable for aircraft emissions to act unconditionally.” be included, international agreement has not proved possible. She added that no new capacity should be built at Gatwick, Heathrow, or in the But air travel is one of the fastest Thames Estuary if UK policy-makers p Jean with volunteers at the ‘Wild Place growing contributors to climate change are serious about reducing greenhouse Your Space’ garden emissions—and must be regulated if gas emissions.

Jean Lambert MEP, London’s Green voice in Europe. For more info go to www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk Designed by UHC. Printed on 100% recycled paper by Calverts, a workers co-operative based in Bethnal Green. An innovative healthcare A Living Wage project in Tower Hamlets for all Londoners

‘Doctors of the World’ seeks to overcome avoided if there were a better application Jean has welcomed the rise in the barriers preventing some of the city’s of existing rules in parts of the NHS: ‘London Living Wage’ to £8.55 per hour— most vulnerable residents from registering people who have a right to treatment and called on all employers in the capital with a local GP and accessing find themselves turned away when they to pay it as a minimum to all staff. health services. shouldn’t be or deterred by language difficulties when interpretation could About half a million London residents Speaking after a visit to the project, Jean be available.” work in low paid jobs, earning too little said: “Many of the problems could be to meet the costs of living in the capital.

Jean said: “This is not only a failure of employers’ moral and social responsibilities—it’s bad for business too.

“All the evidence shows that paying staff a ‘Living Wage’ rather than the national minimum wage improves retention rates and staff morale while decreasing absenteeism.”

p Jean with volunteers at the ‘Doctors of the World’ project in Tower Hamlets Jean lends support Jean and ‘Nollywood’ star Ejike Asiegbu to Dogs Trust join forces on future of Nigeria Freedom Project

Jean hosted a London event to discuss devastating effects of climate change— Jean visited the Islington-based Dogs how to boost employment and reduce with desertification, drought, extreme Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare corruption in a post-oil Nigeria. storms and sea-level rises contributing charity to learn about the charity’s to land degradation and conflict. long-running Freedom Project. The discussion, which was attended by top ‘Nollywood’ actor Ejike Asiegbu, heard Speaking after the event, which took Dogs Trust Freedom Project is a free that more than a million jobs would be place on the 17th anniversary of the foster care service for dogs belonging created if the country switched to growing execution of Ogoni activist Ken Saro- to families fleeing from domestic violence its own rice—currently much of the grain, Wiwa, Jean said: “Nigeria is Africa’s and seeking refuge in temporary a staple food for millions of Nigerians, largest oil exporter—but it will need to accommodation centres that can’t is imported from India and Thailand. move beyond oil and realise its huge accept pets. potential for solar energy generation They also heard how Nigeria was already if it is to build long-term resilience Jean said: “The Freedom Project provides bearing the brunt of some of the most into its economy.” invaluable assistance to people who wish to escape domestic violence but may be hesitant to do so for fear of leaving a beloved pet behind.”

p Jean with Paula Boyden, Dogs Trust Veterinary Director, Clare Kivlehan, Dogs Trust Outreach Projects p Jean with Ejike Asiegbu at Green Deal Nigeria event Manager and Daniel the Spaniel.

Newsletter of Jean Lambert, London’s Green Party MEP For more information go to: www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk or email: [email protected] Jean Lambert MEP, CAN Mezzanine, 49–51 East Road, London, N1 6AH