Conference Content and Design
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Green Activist The newsletter for Green Party members September 2014 Welcome to Green Activist. This issue features changes from past issues in both CONFERENCE content and design. Regarding design I have increased the font size on most pages, and most pages are split Aston University Conference Centre into two columns. This should make the magazine much 5-8 September 2014 easier to read on smaller screens and smart phones. www.greenparty.org.uk/conference On content, I have included a number of articles designed to stimulate your interest and encourage you to take part in discussion and debate on the issues covered, using Breaking news the chat forums on the member’ website. Hence, some of the articles are being simultaneously published on Online booking closed but you can still forums on the website. A link to the appropriate forum attend Conference and pay at the door. is included at the bottom of each article published here in Green Activist. Campus accommodation still available A controversial attempt to persuade the Party to Opportunity for candidates to have a abandon its total opposition to nuclear energy at the professional photo taken on Sunday Party’s conference is covered on page 3. It is the manner in which this has occurred that is causing concern. We do What happens at Conference? A detailed guide about how Conference works can be found here: wish to stifle debate on this, or any other issue. As such, http://greenparty.org.uk/Conference/Birmingham%202014/How%20 there are two articles arguing each side of the debate conference%20works.doc featured here, both of which are linked to the website for Timetable and Agenda you to join in. We want to hear your opinions and ideas! An outline timetable is available here: http://greenparty.org.uk/Conference/Birmingham%202014/Outline%20 Note: You will need your password to enter the members’ Timetable%20for%20Website.doc website. At the moment there is no email alert system Final Agenda is on the members’ website here: https://my.greenparty.org.uk/sites/my.greenparty.org.uk/files/Final%20 operating on the website, so you won’t receive email Agenda_0.pdf notifications when someone has posted to a forum you are Travel and Accommodation following or commented on. This means at the moment Check the conference website for details, including hotel prices, you will have to visit the forum regularly without being online booking and more info about accommodation and travel. prompted to see if any new correspondence has been www.greenparty.org.uk/conference added. The email alert facility is expected to return later this month. Meanwhile contact me of you have problems. Featured panel debates I hope you enjoy this issue. Comments and suggestions Friday - 1830 - 1945 in the GREAT HALL are always welcome. A&E: a casualty of recent healthcare policy? Peter Barnett, Internal Communications Coordinator Chair - Jenny Jones [email protected] Saturday - 1300 - 1415 in the GREAT HALL Climate Change Priorities in the year leading contents to the Paris Conference 2 Green Party campaigns & news Chair - Jean Lambert MEP 3 Nuclear meltdown at Conference - Peter Barnett Saturday - 1430 - 1545 in the GREAT HALL 4 GPRC defends party principles - Mike Shone, Freda Davis 5 Missing Conference reports The Laws of Nature: what’s the best way to 6 Peoples’ climate march - Derek Wall protect bees, badgers and buzzards? 7 Does a future for a Green plan need nuclear? - Jonathon Chair - Natalie Bennett Essex Sunday 14.00-15.15 9 The lost generation of nuclear power - Ian Norris 11 Molly Scott Cato MEP Appeal from the Kurds in Rojave for peace and 12 Talking points - Green Politics justice 13 The positive alternative to growth - Dr. Richard Lawson Dr Alan Semo, Kurdish politician from Syria, the UK 13 Post growth common sense - Rupert Read representative PYD (Democratic Union Party), will 15 Alarming UN climate report speak to conference about the crisis in Iraq and Syria, 16 Green Party resources & events 17-20 Who’s Who in the Green Party All enquiries to the Conferences Coordinator: [email protected] Green Party campaigns and news GENERAL ELECTION 2015 - BRIGHTON PAVILION Greens triumphant in HELP KEEP A GREEN VOICE IN PARLIamENT Leominster South by-election CAROLINE LUCAS CAMPAIGN - CALL FOR PHONE CANVASSERS The campaign to re-elect Caroline Lucas is gathering pace, with action days taking place every weekend from now until the General Election. Local parties are encouraged to organise weekend trips down to Brighton - contact Adam McGibbon, Campaign Manager, for more information: [email protected] If you cannot come down, consider phone canvassing for the campaign. On polling day, we need to turn out every last Green voter. Phone canvassing helps us find who and where the voters are. Training is provided but we are particularly looking for people with experience of phone canvassing or with a good telephone manner. Please contact Robin Hinks, Team Caroline Phone Bank Coordinator on [email protected] Cllr Jenny Bartlett Congratulations to Jenny Bartlett Wiki site for child sex abuse & Jane Lacey, our newest County & For years, powerful people have been covering up and Town Councillors! blocking investigations of child sex abuse. Although Tories lose control of county there are only about 20 names pointed to by witnesses, 18 July 2014 they are very big names, and the Security Services (MI5 and MI6) and Special Branch seem to be deeply involved. THE GREEN PARTY claimed a seat from the Conservatives Therefore it is not going to be an easy task to get to at Leominster South by-election in July. truth and justice. Town councillor Jenny Bartlett won a seat on Hereford- shire Council after receiving 384 votes. Tory Wayne Rosser Real democracy and fair and honest politics in our country came second with 222 votes and Independent candidate cannot happen if there is a group of people in the highest Angela Pendleton took 198 votes. ranks of authority who see themselves as above and beyond the law; who believe they can manipulate authority and avoid UKIP’s candidate Elizabeth Portman-Lewis claimed 111 capture. This a form of corruption, corruption that misuses votes while Labour candidate Emma Pardoe received 99. political power not for money but for sexual gratification. Corruption of this kind is intolerable, especially as it is cause of so much human misery. And Jane Lacey, also a Green Party candidate, claimed a seat on Leominster Town Council after taking 726 votes. A Green Party member has created a wiki website - that collates and organises the vast amount of information about The Leominster South by-election was triggered by the child sex abuse by so-called VIPs. The URL is: death of Tory councillor Roger Hunt after a long illness. https://vipcsa.wikidot.com In Ledbury, It’s Our County secured a seat on Herefordshire Council with town councillor and former mayor Terry Here you can find links to no less than 38 instances of cover Widdows receiving 835 votes. ups. We can be proud that Caroline Lucas was among the seven MPs who called for an inquiry into this scandal, but the It means that the Conservatives have lost their majority party needs to be fully informed to get behind the growing on Herefordshire Council. campaign for truth and justice for victims of abuse by powerful political figures. Activist 2 Nuclear meltdown averted at Conference? otal opposition to nuclear energy has always Grounds for Ruling Motions Out of Order been a cornerstone of Green Politics and remains Submitted by Jo Steranka on 26/05/2011 so to this day. Greens across the world campaign Dear Richard T The policy states that the Green Party is fundamentally opposed to against it as vigorously as ever. Some people believe nuclear power. It makes no distinctions. You are welcome to revise your that this fundamental opposition to all things nuclear motion in advance of the deadline to make the amendments you wish is so deeply embedded into Green belief systems and to see. However, that does not get around the point that the Green Party has always been "fundamentally opposed to nuclear power" and culture that they are no longer capable of looking at that what you are proposing is a significant change to Party policy the issue objectively. which should have passed through the "agreed policy-making process". Whatever the truth, the majority of Greens remain steadfastly I await the view of the Policy Co-ordinators. SOC will take its own view against nuclear energy and a change in this position would signal at its 1st Agenda meeting. Basically, there are some things we can't a monumental policy reversal, with wide-ranging consequences, change without a major debate first, and I think you have hit upon one of these. From reading the correspondence, I have no doubt that impacting on our relationships with the Green movement, our everyone has sincerely held beliefs on this subject. That is why it's sister parties and numerous voters/supporters and members important to have the discussion before everyone gets to Conference for whom this is a fundamental issue. that's about doing the right thing. If it means taking longer to In order to effect a policy change of this magnitude the party's get things right, then that's the wise thing to do. Best wishes, Jo" policy making process requires the new policy to undergo a If the current SOC had discussed the legitimacy of these three stage process, starting with an enabling paper, then a draft amendments with Policy Committee things may have turned voting paper, and finally a voting paper.