NEWS FROM CAMDEN WWW.CAMDEN.GREENPARTY.ORG.UK Greens win 33 changes Green Top 10 set to to London’s budget topple Labour Camden Green Party’s ‘Top 10’ candidates for this year’s council elections have set their sights on ending Labour’s control of Camden on 4th May. Green success could end decades of Labour dominance of the Town Hall. Recent local and national press reports have highlighted the possibility of Labour losing control in Camden. If this happens, the Greens could hold the balance of power in the Town Hall, as they already do in the and on several other councils across the country. Adrian Oliver, Chair of Camden Green Party and a candidate in Highgate ward, says, “I believe that the level of support for Green Party candidates in May will surprise many people, and will usher in a new era for local politics in Camden. The archaic voting system has forced the electorate to become more savvy about tactical voting in order to bring about change. “As the Greens are now second in Highgate ward, we present an attractive option for people wanting to bring an end to Labour control - without swapping this for domination by the Conservatives, abetted by the LibDems.” Adrian Oliver and Sian Berry of Camden Green Party (centre) with Jenny Jones AM and Darren Johnson AM during the General Election campaign Siân Berry, national Campaigns Co-ordinator for the Green Party and a candidate in Kentish Town ward, says, “There is real frustration on Mayor Ken Livingstone has promised action on all 33 demands the streets with the failure of Camden’s Labour executive to listen to made by the Green Party members of the London Assembly in local concerns over issues such as public services, council housing, order to gain their crucial votes in support of his annual budget. transport and renewable energy. The increasingly influential role played by the Greens is reflected in “Voters are turning to the Greens because of our proven track record the fact that this year’s budget agreement has twice as many new on these issues in the London Assembly and European Parliament, policy initiatives as last year’s deal. and our reputation for working hard to provide real solutions to social The new actions include: and environmental problems.” • a 3-year package of traffic reduction measures worth £85 million Adrian concludes, “Neither the Tories nor LibDems are strong enough • a Green Home Advice Centre, to help people install solar panels, to loosen Labour’s grip on the Town Hall. So our message to voters wind turbines and energy conservation measures in Highgate is this: if you want change in Camden, cast three Green votes. Voting Green is the way to bring about an historic shift in local • £5 million of extra funding for cycling politics in Camden.” • £3.5 million for local food projects such as farmers markets • support for people campaigning against a third runway at Increased support for Green Heathrow. candidates: change in Highgate Darren Johnson, Green London Assembly member says, “I am very pleased that the Mayor has listened to the Greens and agreed to vote 1998 to 2002 action on all our demands. These measures will result in Londoners having safer roads, cleaner air and better food. There will be more renewable energy, better facilities for cyclists and more protection for wildlife.” In a public statement, Ken Livingstone acknowledged, “The contribution made by the Green Assembly Members’ proposals has been very significant in improving GLA group delivery in the current year and in shaping my plans for next year and beyond.” See the Mayor’s letter in full on our website. Promoted by Nicola Chatham on behalf of Camden Green Party, all at 31A Arlington Road LONDON NW1 7ER Printed on 100% recycled paper by Greenhouse Print, Unit 3, 11 Stock Road SOUTHEND-ON-SEA SS2 5QF Your Highgate candidates: Adrian Oliver lives in Maya de Souza lives Quentin Tyler was Highgate ward, where he in Dartmouth Park and born in London in 1969 also runs his own went to school in and lived close to nutrition consultancy. Highgate village. Parliament Hill until his He is an experienced She works as a lawyer at family moved to the accountant and, before the Department for the Midlands in the 1970s. setting up his practice, Environment, Food and He played a part in the was Office and Finance Rural Affairs, advising on Walsall by-election Manager at the national CAP Reform and organic campaign of 1976, where Green Party office in Archway. farming. Maya has been a Green for many his father stood as the first ever by-election Adrian led Camden Green Party’s local years and is particularly interested in candidate for the newly founded Green Party. election campaign in 2002 and came close development issues after living in East Africa Quentin went on to become an to winning a seat in Highgate. In the 2005 for the first thirteen years of her life. environmentalist himself, returning to general election, he achieved the fourth Maya’s previous work as a lawyer in the Camden to study Architecture at University highest Green vote in the UK, gaining 8.1% in voluntary and legal aid sector, focusing on College London and then photography at the Holborn and St Pancras constituency. housing and employment, has given her the London College of Printing. He now Adrian’s campaigning work for the Greens a range of experience of social issues, and works from his Dartmouth Park home as a in Camden has covered many issues and she is now on the management committee freelance photographer. featured regularly in the local press. He has of the Mary Ward Legal Centre in Camden, just been asked , and agreed, to join the which provides free legal services for the management committee of The Friends of local community. Read more about your candidates at Highgate Library. www.camden.greenparty.org.uk help by bringing their own bags with them when they go shopping. Plastic not British shoppers currently use around twenty billion plastic bags a year. That’s around 330 fantastic! per person. Discarded plastic bags are a Camden Green Party candidates and local major environmental problem, overload- eco-entrepreneur Annie Lorenzini were out in ing landfill dumps and disrupting animal Camden Marked on ‘No Plastics Day’ in Feb- welfare. ruary promoting green alternatives to plastic In the sea, turtles mistake the floating debris bags for shoppers. for jellyfish, a staple in their diet. There are a Chair of Camden Green Party, Adrian Oliver, massive 46,000 pieces of plastic waste invad- says, “We are raising awareness in Camden of ing every square mile of the world’s oceans. the pollution caused by plastic bag consump- , Green Party candidate in tion. Whether we shop or whether we serve, Regent’s Park, comments, “The Irish had the we need to think twice about feeding this right idea in putting a tax on plastic bags, plastic bag frenzy.” and it cut usage there by 95 per cent; Britain Managers of Camden Lock Market are already should have followed suit immediately.” providing biodegradable plastic bags to stall See Annie’s work at: www.bagsby.co.uk holders, but shoppers can do a lot more to Human rights Green Energy Works A new campaign, ‘Green Energy Works’, is being run by local under threat Green Parties across the country. Basic rights are threatened by the idea that universal Members of Camden Green Party will be informing residents how human rights are an alien, western construct, and they can ‘Ask for More’ investment in energy saving and green many organisations in Britain were afraid to highlight injustices for energy. Nationally, the Party aims to switch two million households fear of being branded racist or imperialist, campaigner and Green and businesses to green energy tariffs by the end of 2006. Party member Peter Tatchell told a public meeting in Camden. “Everybody, whatever their cultural and religious tradition, deserves Siân Berry of Camden Green Party, says, “The Greens want to use respect, dignity and rights - no ifs, no buts, no excuses. All members consumer pressure to send a message to the government that can of the United Nations have signed up to these standards. They are not not be ignored – that the public want more investment in energy- ‘Western’ standards, and all people should abide by them,” he said saving and renewable energy, not nuclear power.” Mr Tatchell described his campaign last year to stop popular Jamaican Camden Greens will also be collecting responses to their survey on singers inciting violence against gays and lesbians. Support from the future of energy use in the UK. leading UK human rights organisations had not been forthcoming, he To get a copy of the questionnaire, email us at said, and he had weathered accusations of racism, despite respond- [email protected]. ing to a plea for help from Jamaican rights group J-FLAG. Green Energy Works website: Asked what could be done by individuals, Mr Tatchell replied, “What is really inspiring is that in places like Iran and Iraq there are vibrant, www.greenenergyworks.org.uk democratic left movements. We should be supporting them.”

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