Green Activist The newsletter for members December 2014

2014 hottest year on record Photo credit: Shutterstock Green Party Membership up Contents 100% since January 1 2014 UK Greens set to outnumber UKIP and LibDems 3 Notices, announcements, Christmas cards 4 Resources, fundraising, etc. Membership of the Party has risen by over 100% since January 1ST 2014, doubling our numbers in 5 The General Election 2015 Candidate selection update - keep us informed! under a year. 6 Crowd Funding fundraising - media review Another 500 joined last weekend - powered partly How to raise your election deposits, etc. by Leader ’s barnstorming Friday Green Party media highlights evening performance on BBC Radio 4 Any Questions 7-8 Women candidates for the General Election (1) and over 1000 more have joined since then. We Former candidates inspiring gender balance now have 29,000 members! 9 Local elections - 6 month strategy If you include the Scottish and NI parties the UK Start your local election campaign now Greens exceed 37,000 - that’s just 3,000 short of 10 Social media training - how to use Facebook UKIP’s membership of 40,000. At this rate we have Building your Facebook support network every chance having a larger membership than both UKIP and the LibDems before the elections next year. 11 Election fund for disabled candidates Let the BBC exclude us from the TV leader debates Encouraging diversity and How to win elections then! 12 By-election round-up and results By-election results featuring Green candidates We have polled neck-and-neck and, on four occasions, ahead of the Liberal Democrats in recent months. (2) 13-17 Brighton Greens - disaster or triumph? Dispelling myths about Brighton & Hove Council Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party of and everything you need to defend them England and Wales, said: 18 Green pioneers - Rachel Carson "This is a real landmark in the 'Green Surge'. To have Plus Post-Growth book review doubled the membership of the party in less than 19 Policy - Citizens Income a year is a real marker of the way in which people NE Region Green Party discuss Citizens Income in England and Wales are seeing that we need real 20 Energy democracy change in our society, not the business-as-usual Home solar PV threatens big energy companies politics offered by the three largest parties. 21-24 Who’s Who in the Green Party "Talking to new members around the country, 4 pages of contact details of party officers, their reasons, and the trajectories that brought committees, policy groups and key activists them to the Green Party, vary a great deal. There 25 Spring Conference 2015 are many former Labour and Lib Dem members We’re returning to St. Georges Hall, Liverpool on who are fed up with parties that are happy to 6-9th March. Put it in your diary! see society continue to be run for the benefit of the 1% and the continued trashing of our natural environment. Others are former non-voters, who see that to create the rapid change we need, we need a new kind of politics. Some are former Tories, horrified by the government's fracking fantasy or Members Website http://my.greenparty.org.uk worried by its failure to tackle our fraud-ridden, National Website http://www.greenparty.org.uk corrupt and reckless financial sector. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thegreenparty "These new members are putting their grassroots Twitterhttps://twitter.com/thegreenparty efforts and their financial support, as are many other supporters around the country, into making Big thanks to Jenny Rust and Sophie Armour - the proofreaders the 2015 General Election transformational. They understand there is a unique opportunity for a peaceful revolution delivered by enthused, Welcome to Green Activist energised voters." Send your comments, contributions, LINKS ideas and enquiries to: (1) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04pvp8h Editor: Peter Barnett (2) http://greenparty.org.uk/news/2014/11/20/green-party- Internal Communications Coordinator polls-third-on-26-in-yougov-potential-voting-poll-for-the- times’-red-box/ [email protected] (3) http://voteforpolicies.org.uk

Activist 2 Notices Finance Coordinator Make it easy to contact your local party Some new members have unsuccessfully tried to Green Party Executive Committee (GPEx) contact their local Greens using obsolete contact Michael Coffey, GPEx Finance Coordinator for the last three years, details on the local party’s website. This is not good! has unfortunately had to step down due to personal and family commitments. Michael did an outstanding job and we all owe him It’s easy to forget keeping such details up to date, but a huge debt of gratitude for his role in taking the party forward. vitally important. Assign someone in your local party We thus have a vacancy on GPEx for a finance coordinator. Ideally the task of thoroughly inspecting your website weekly, you will have a background in accountancy, or a current working to ensure everything is accurate and topical. Provide at knowledge of setting budgets and financial processes or book- least two points of contact on the site in case someone keeping. is busy/away. The successful applicant will be co-opted onto GPEx as a non-voting member for one year, the post then being open to election at the Please make this an absolute priority. next Autumn conference. If you are interested please review the job description and fill in an application form and send to Tom Beckett: Website problems? Email glitches? [email protected] If you have a problem with any aspect of Green Party Applications to be received by the 13th December. Applicants will be asked to attend the next GPEx meeting on the 20th December. online facilities the best way to get help is to open a Find the Job Description and Application Form via links below support ticket from: JOB DESCRIPTION http://support.greenparty.org.uk/ APPLICATION FORM It is quick and easy to do - we have a really good team ready to do their best to resolve your difficulties. Green Party publications Using this system also alerts the team to any problems In my election address for Publications Coordinator I or areas for improvement that might also affect others, said I wanted to get feedback from local parties and so it improves things all round. regions to discover what sort of publications they would like to see for use in their campaigning. I have already begun to prepare a paper version of our Dreaming of a Green Christmas? “Philosophical Basis”, which will be an A5 20 page Pre-order your unique booklet. Is this the sort of thing you can use? How Green Party Christmas cards today! much could you sell it for on your stalls, at events, etc.? Do you have local publications that could be useful to This festive season send your friends and family share with other local parties and the regions? unique Christmas cards designed by the Green Party. Please send comments on anything related to party publications to: We have a range of cards to suit everyone on your card [email protected] list - from our classic cards with traditional winter or post your comments on the members’ website here: images, to our Comic range bound to make your PUBLICATIONS FORUM politically-minded loved ones smile. Martin Collins Only £2.95 per pack! GPEx Publications Coordinator All proceeds go towards our 2015 General Election Fund, providing much needed resources to help elect Green MPs. You can browse our packs and make your pre-order purchase on our website by following this link: http://london.greenparty.org.uk/shop.html Bulk discounts: Want to sell these cards to raise money for your own local election campaign funds? Contact Clare and Matt of the London Media & Publications Team and make us an offer we can’t refuse! Customisation of designs and packs may be available if you are ordering large quantities. For further information email Clare Phipps and Matt Hawkins on: [email protected]

This night, 3.3 GW of wind power covered 100-120% of Danish Happy Christmas card shopping! electricity demand! Wholesale price dropped below zero.

Activist 3 Fundraising, events and resources

Green Shop THE WHITE CRANE DRAW On-line shop for all your Green Party campaigning , fundraising and election WINNERS NOVEMBER 2014 materials. 1st 158 U. Stubbings £100 Posters, leaflets, flyers, rosettes, 2nd 236 R. Leventon £45 badges, hi-vis vests, T shirts etc. 3rd 067 H. Lewis £22 http://shop.greenparty.org.uk/ 4th 182 D. Wallace £21 Donation to Party from proceeds £188 Latest stock To join the draw print out the form on the members’ website or call party office for a copy.

Green Party Manifesto on Animal Protection Download a copy from here: DOWNLOAD

Green Group Newsletter A weekly collection of links to Green Party stories in the media Downloadable campaign materials Free by E-mail subscription Links to stories about Green Party luminaries, councillors, local All current Green Party leaflets, flyers, posters, parties, press releases and much more . Links to videos and photos. etc. can be downloaded for self-printing here: Click on link below or copy address to your browser: DOWNLOAD PAGE LINK http://paper.li/CllrMediaReview/1377242630 Many of these are also available ready-printed from the Green Shop . Fracking film 'An Autumn Diary' One of the very few campaign films that really engages the ordinary person. More about it here A captivating adventure in the English countryside. Watch it free online.

TTIP free book download DOWNLOAD LINK The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a free trade and investment treaty is being negotiated – in secret – between the EU and the USA. Its main goal to remove regulatory ‘barriers’ which restrict the potential Download Green Party logos here: profits of corporations. These include some of our http://greenparty.org.uk/logos.html most prized social standards and environmental regulations. A booklet about Green Party Identity and branding is This booklet, written by John Hilary, Executive Director of War on Want, explains in short what here: TTIP is and how it will affect the lives of all of us http://issuu.com/lifework/docs/gp_identity_10 if it comes into force.

Activist 4 General Election update General Election candidate General Election Planning Appeal Next year we will once again be asking the questions selections update ‘Will the Greens be represented in Parliament?’ and Up and down the country local parties are involved ‘Can we grow our representation?’. If you care about in selecting candidates for next year’s General the answer to these questions I urge you to support Election. Local Parties should be reminded that this appeal. there are required procedures to be used in selecting Our plans are ambitious for the 2015 General candidates, including all members of your local party Election - and rightly so. Social injustice and the having the opportunity to vote for all applicants threat of climate change are becoming ever more after receiving their details and statements. critical issues. The political landscape is changing. We urgently need to grow the social and environmental Our minimum target - to cover 75% of all constituencies political movement in response. in England and Wales - requires us to find 430 suitable candidates. The current official state of play is 209 This is why we have released our General Election Planning Appeal. Darren Hall in Bristol West and Lesley candidates selected, and a further 127 undergoing Graham in Norwich South show great promise, as do the selection process. our candidates in Sheffield Central, St Ives, Liverpool However, some local parties are much better at Riverside, Oxford East and Solihull. keeping us informed than others, and others are just Please give: With a donation of £50 we would only need beginning to get the selection processes underway, so 2500 donors to raise the £125,000 to get we remain confident that we will achieve and likely re-elected. Click here to donate. exceed the target. It would be wonderful if you could support us in building IMPORTANT: We urge all local parties to keep Chris our presence – your donation will help us achieve a better General Election result and come out stronger as a party Rose - National Election Agent, fully informed about your candidate selection situation. Click here to see what your donation can help towards. Megan Hann - Fundraising and Membership Officer You should not publicise/announce your election candidates until you have informed us and they have been added to the official list. Send all your details General Election 2015 - Brighton Pavilion now to: Help keep a Green voice in Parliament [email protected] CAROLINE LUCAS CAMPAIGN Gender balance CALL FOR HELPERS Gender balance is currently running at 63.16% male, 36.84% female. We remain keen that as many women The campaign to re-elect Caroline Lucas is as possible put themselves forward. They will not gathering pace, with action days taking place every be expected to run a serious, high-profile campaign weekend from now until the General Election unless they want to, but their personal contribution Local parties are encouraged to organise to the Green Party campaign will be immense. weekend trips down to Brighton - contact Even paper candidates in a general election will Adam McGibbon, Campaign Manager, for receive large numbers of emails from organisations more information: and constituents asking for pledges and policy [email protected] matters. Guidance on responding to pledges will be available from the Policy team and an automated If you cannot come down, consider phone canvassing email response programme directing enquirers to our On polling day, we need to turn out every last Green voter. policy website, or to a member who’s volunteered to Phone canvassing helps us find who and where the voters are. deal with it, can be organised if necessary. Training is provided but we are particularly looking Candidates may also be contacted by the media for people with experience of phone canvassing or for photos, biographies, policy statements etc. Any with a good telephone manner. inexperienced, first-time candidates must have 2 or 3 Please contact Robin Hinks, Phone Bank Coordinator on capable local party members to fully support them in [email protected] these areas to ensure that even our paper candidates have a degree of credibility. Activist 5 Crowdfunding In the media Fundraising election deposits If people voted for policies We have set up a partnership with Crowdfunder the Green Party would win whose Directors are ethically-minded Green Party http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/pennie-varvarides/ members. They will help you choose your target green-party-policy_b_6241234.html?utm_hp_ref=uk amount, give you advice on how to promote the Try it for yourself here: campaign, set you up a page and report back to the http://voteforpolicies.org.uk/ national party office the success of the appeals. We will then put the data from the Crowdfunding effort (on receiving consent from donors) into our supporters’ database so that we can continue to be in contact with those who have given. Crowdfunder and the Green Party are already working together to raise funds for a variety of Green Party projects, including Green Party General Election deposits and FREEPOST leaflets. Details on the members website here https://my.greenparty.org.uk/elections/fundraising-elections Funds raised so far: £14,642 from 10 different projects. http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/campaign/green-party/page/

Must see! Natalie Bennett debuts in ITV’s series of Leaders Live debates Natalie faces an audience answering tough questions on education, the environment, jobs and health for an hour. A brilliant training video for Green candidates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSzCEj-pT6E Green Party Caroline Lucas interview: “We could be on the edge of something very big” Caroline tells how the party will field a record 500 candidates at May’s general election – and could have a say in the next government. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/green- party-caroline-lucas-interview-we-could-be-on-the-edge-of- something-very-big-9878644.html Tories plan to brand Greens ‘new Socialists’ According to The Sun, Senior Tories plan to brand the Greens the “new Socialists” to pull left wing votes away from hated Ed Miliband. A blitz is being drawn up for the New Year in a bid to cash in on the Greens’ surge in opinion polls: http://bit.ly/1ybAEwW E.On’s switch to renewables a sign of things to come See the article on page 64 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/02/ eons-switch-renewables-sign-of-things-to-come-say-experts

Activist 6 Could you be a General Election candidate?

The General Election such woman who nearly didn’t stand last time around, is just around the as I didn’t think that I was the ‘right sort of person’ to corner and people are be a candidate. Luckily some other Green Party women looking for a new kind thought differently and persuaded me. It was a great experience and I learnt a lot that has helped me not just in of politics. Sick of out the Green Party but also in other environments, including of touch politicians who work, where confidence and a strong voice are useful. make up a distant and ‘political class’, voters Caroline Allen, are looking for people Ilford North, who will genuinely represent them. This London is difficult when for so I stood as a candidate in Ilford Caroline Allen North in London. It certainly long political parties and isn’t a strong Green area the political process itself but it was a great place to have favoured a certain type of person. The gain confidence. One of the diversity that is present in this country - whether main things I learned was that be different genders, ethnicities, incomes or not to be intimidated by the classes - is simply nowhere to be found amongst other candidates. I thought our elected politicians. they would all be terribly impressive- they were not! As Greens we want things to be different. This takes work, I was of course incredibly internally as well as outside of the party. There are often nervous at the few hustings events I attended, but thanks structural societal problems that mean it is harder for to a manifesto that I genuinely believed in and knowing some groups of people to get involved than others, but this that I had something different and important to say I must not be an excuse for Greens to fail to make progress really found my voice. on this vital issue of representation and although much is being done, there still remains much to do. Here are the experiences of some other Green Party women: Green Party Women Shan Oakes - Haltemprice and Howden One internal Green Party body working on this area is I have learned hugely from this experience (European, local Green Party Women and we are putting out a call for more and Westminster). I would NEVER EVER have thought I female general election candidates. would be offering myself as a political candidate but I do In the 2010 General Election we had 33% female it because I am SO desperate to see changes and it's no candidates, compared to Labour’s 30%, the Conservatives’ good waiting for others to do it. My experience in local 24% and the Liberal Democrats’ 21%, so while we did government taught me that I know a lot of stuff and can better than the other parties there is still a way to go. speak about it - in fact NEED to speak about it to keep reasonably sane. In the House of Commons men outnumber women more than four to one - there are more millionaires around the cabinet table than women. We think this is wrong and has a deeply damaging effect on this country, but we need to lead by example. Many studies now show that it is women who have been disproportionately been affected by this government’s austerity agenda and the resultant public sector job cuts and loss of income. Combined with cuts to legal aid, caring and childcare support and domestic abuse services and many others, women are suffering due to these political decisions. Lesley Hedges - Colne Valley, Huddersfield I enjoyed it, though I was in a seat that was unwinnable at We need more women to be heard when the important the time. I learned a lot about the party and had a lot of decisions are made. The lack of women at the top also personal support from people who don’t usually vote Green reproduces a norm of what leadership looks like and in but know me as a neighbour or friend. I was worried about turn can stifle the aspirations of future generations of hustings and not knowing enough about policy but in fact women. there were plenty of brief summaries available from policy So we want to support more women to stand as committee and I enjoyed making my views known. candidates. We know that it can be very daunting and that (continued on next page) women often need to be persuaded to stand. I was one Activist 7 Green action - Divest

“There were few hustings in reality - some candidates had one invite, others three or four. When our manifesto is ready you will have clear, powerful points to make - you £66 billion will feel confident and positive because our policies will be detailed yet succinct. People want to hear what we are saying.” invested in fossil fuel extraction by the big 5 banks - Lancaster & Fleetwood What I learned was that the Greens have the right policies that chime with the public, but that still may Climate change represents one of the biggest not translate to votes. challenges to humanity, and urgent action Hopefully 2015 will be is required to end our reliance on fossil fuels different, but candidates before it’s too late. should be prepared. That's why Move Your Money has launched a new Hustings were easier than campaign: DIVEST expected, even though it was daunting to think one We've made it easy to take action on climate change, by has to be ready to answer creating a simple tool for you to put your bank on notice a question on any topic. – a pledge that if they do not divest from fossil fuels, you’ll The joy was hearing other move your money somewhere that takes its social and candidates say 'I agree environmental responsibilities seriously. with Gina on that' despite Tell your bank that funding climate change is a thing of their party's policies not the past, and put them on notice now. agreeing at all. Strongest advice is to have a solid campaign The UK’s five biggest team with a firm strategy. banks (HSBC, Lloyds/ Halifax, RBS/NatWest, Julia Erskine, Barclays and Santander) Tynemouth are some of the biggest It was all a huge learning drivers of fossil fuel use – curve. The first thing I learned investing over £66 billion from it was positive - I was in fossil fuel extraction in capable of holding my ground 2012 alone. That means against the other more if you bank with one of experienced candidates in those providers, it’s your things like hustings. The money that’s helping to second was that I attempted support these socially to do too much. and environmentally catastrophic industries. Next year Move Your Money will be taking the fight to You can do it the banks, by taking direct action in a number of key bank branches across the UK on the Global Divestment Day Of course it isn’t all plain sailing; having the right support in February 2015. This is your chance to take a stand on in place is vital, as is knowing your limits and when to climate change, and to show that you will not let your say no to things. You certainly don’t have to attend every money be used to fund fossil fuels event and reply to every single email. If you are a woman even vaguely considering standing as a general election If you want to get involved in our Global Divestment Day candidate then I really recommend finding out more. actions in your city, then put your bank on notice now, Contact your local or regional party and if you still have and email [email protected] questions or problems then drop a line to: Let’s make fossil fuel funding a thing of the past – by [email protected] forcing banks to back a sustainable and renewable future. Many areas will be providing training and there will be support from the national party. In London we are planning further candidate training days and plan to FIONN TRAVERS-SMITH incorporate some training specifically for women. Operations & Development Manager Caroline Allen is Co-coordinator of and Move Your Money the National Spokesperson on Animal Issues. [email protected] Activist 8 Don’t forget local elections!

Increasing your also should be able to get 10 signatures from their neighbours, but activists can do this if it is a problem. Offer to get the signatures for those you have to ask to Council Candidates stand away from their home ward. Ring around the people who don’t reply within 14 days. A six month plan The letter helps set the scene to make the phone call by Eamonn Ward, adapted by Robert Lindsay easier and some will say yes as a result of you removing one or two of their fears. A key selling point is that if The vast majority of the country faces local elections you stand you can vote Green in your ward. Women next May. 97% of district councils (194 out of asking women if they will consider standing can be more 201) and 87% of unitary authorities (49 out of effective. 56) in England alone. Thousands of seats are to be Make sure you get your full electoral register entitlement contested - and we have thousands of new members for all wards from the December Ist new register update who might have a go, if only as a paper candidate. released by your council (paper or electronically). Try to get your candidates in place by the end of December to Why bother with non-target candidates? move onto the next phase of work. BECAUSE January to February: Start collecting signatures by using forms on the Electoral Commission website. Put a 1. With membership growing as it is, today’s non- call out to members and friends for contacts in difficult target candidate could become tomorrow’s wards who might be prepared to sign forms, e.g. work target one, particularly if they stand in their colleagues. home ward. You then won’t need the nomination packs and registers 2. By aiming for a full slate or near, you maximise in late March. the number of people in your district who There will need to be some door to door signature have a chance to vote Green in both the collection by volunteers. Or stand at a Post Office - older general and local elections. people are more familiar with the electoral process and are more likely to sign. The first time in a ward might 3. You involve new members and supporters take a couple of hours but you can go back to those and you hugely increase the credibility of people again and again in years to come. To ensure you your local party and your chances of regional can do this, keep and mark registers and take copies of media coverage. all nomination forms before submission. 4. You produce real voting data to inform On the doorstep tell people who nominate the candidate targeting, including at regional elections. that they do not have to vote for them but their name will appear without their address as a nominator on Timetable polling station notices and on council websites. Check that they are not members of another political party and Now/early Winter - Recruit a volunteer or small team tell them that they should not nominate more candidates each assigned a different area within the district with than there are seats up for election. You should never the time to offer to this task – ideally people who have show the electoral register to anyone but you can talk been candidates before and understand the process. about the information shown. They will need to work on recruiting candidates, help get signatures, “hold candidates’ hands” and see the process March, April and post election: Aim to have your through to after the next election. signatures collected and back with the Election Agent ready to submit well before the first date for submission The following is their brief: in late March. Submit all on the first day possible after Don’t be afraid of contacting suitable supporters who taking copies of all forms. The aim is for nominations not are not members. Write a persuasive letter to them all, to dominate the March to early April period when you addressing the two most common concerns: will need to be designing and delivering election leaflets and newsletters. • the risk of getting elected • having to do a lot of work For further information contact: Also allay their fears on the third worry - any media [email protected] queries/coverage will be directed to the target candidates. or Try to find people to stand in their home ward first – [email protected] they are then more likely to become active later. They Activist 9 Social media training - FACEBOOK

button and follow the prompts. Why have a Facebook page? By Chris Henderson (with additions by Robert Lindsay) What do I put on the FB site? If you have a smartphone you can take photos and share Facebook particularly reaches the younger them almost instantly on Facebook and Twitter. generation who are least likely to be Don’t forget the ease and utility of ‘sharing’ posts – from engaged with conventional media. Many do local community organisations or from other local Green not read newspapers, newsletters through Parties,Transition, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and the letterbox or even watch the TV news. so on. The 'news feed' in the centre of your Facebook Ask allies to 'mention' your FB page or PM (personal page is based on your likes and interactions. For message) you with content to share. many frequent Facebook users it is their daily Look for social media volunteers in your branch (including newspaper. graphic designers) to really smarten up your content. Social media will not replace door knocking Types of post on Facebook and leafleting in your target ward. If you do it, it must not take time from canvassing. Basic text posts, photos, memes, YouTube video clips Nothing beats talking to people face to face. (see those on GPEW national website), news item links, other weblinks. Events (try to get help with invitations), However, when you need to cover a large area like a questions (inviting comments), rapid vox pops and spin- parliamentary constituency which is not a target or off campaign pages. advanced constituency, a well maintained FB site means it’s relatively easy to get your messages out. What works well on Facebook? You can also help engage and energise existing Facebook algorithms mean that posts that draw a good supporters, particularly many younger ones who may active response will be shown to more users. You are be recent joiners. shown how many users have seen your post so you can learn from your own trial and error. Doubts and downsides Be topical. Try to post about that morning’s news story Posting does take time, but doesn't have to take the same morning. significant time. Interesting content achieves more Always try to make your post visual. Writing something engagement than frequency. on a post-it note and posting a photo of it will get more Make sure you reach 'real people' and not just other hits than posting the same message as plain text. Green activists. Also you need to reach people in your Be pithy, deft and satirical (but take care!). People like locale, otherwise ‘likes’ will not translate to votes. You can Facebook for its humour and slightly subversive feel. check this using the ‘People’ section un der the ‘Insights’ tab on your page. Use hashtags where possible at the end of the text of your post e.g. #VoteGreen2015, #Tottenham. Search for Facebook posts don't appear in Google search results. it first to see if others are using it on Facebook. They're as good as gone in 2-3 days. This is why it is important to have an ordinary website or blogsite as Building a following well as a FB page. Journalists, though they may pick up stories from politicians they follow on Twitter, tend to You have to work at this. If you’re stuck with a minimal research stories by Googling. following, sadly you are mostly wasting your time. Post sparingly on pages of other community organisations. Getting started You may need to do it using your personal account but Don't attempt to use a 'personal' Facebook page as you can copy-and-paste a link from your candidate/ a candidate/councillor page. You need to set up your councillor FB page... this is not a problem provided you personal Facebook account first (do sort out personal have your personal privacy settings sorted. privacy settings via the padlock icon in top right-hand Remember to keep on top of the responses you get to corner). You must to remember to switch from your your Facebook posts. Social media is social, so to keep personal account to your candidate/councillor page each people interested, you must to react to other people’s time you log in. comments. Make sure to link your blog posts automatically into Any further questions, do email: Facebook. In WordPress go to settings then Sharing in your blog’s Dashboard. You’ll see six types of social [email protected] networking sites under the Publicize heading at the top of the screen. To connect to any service, click the Connect Activist 10 Elections - E & D Access to Elected Office for How to Win Local Elections Disabled People Fund: The Green Party's Secret Weapon The Access to Elected Office for Disabled People This May the Green Party saw one of its most successful years ever for winning new council seats. Fund offers individual grants to disabled people Greens won 23 new seats, many in councils on which who are planning to stand for election. we have never had representation before. The grants help meet the additional support needs that There was a secret weapon behind many of these wins. The a disabled person has that are associated with their "How to Win Local Elections" manual has proved to be a disability. The grants facilitate participation in a range of key to many of the wins. activity which is essential to participating in the selection Pat Cleary, (pictured) overturned a 500-strong Labour and election processes. Without this support, a disabled majority in that party's Wirral heartland of Birkenhead, person may face an additional barrier in the selection and campaign processes compared with a non-disabled He said: person. "I couldn't have done it without the manual. I followed Am I eligible? its instructions about the 6-week literature election timetable to the letter. If we hadn't done that, we You can apply for money from the fund if you can confirm probably wouldn't have won." you are eligible to stand for office under the requirements of electoral law, which are set out in the Electoral Commission’s guidance, provide evidence relating to your disability, and evidence that you have been involved or interested in civic, community or other relevant activities. This fund is for additional disability-related costs that you have to pay as part of participating in activity which is essential to standing for an election. It is not for general costs that any election candidate needs to meet and it also does not cover general living costs. The fund administers grants of between £250 and £40,000. However the fund is a limited pot and larger grants (for example, £40,000) are administered on exceptional cases only, where applicants face and can demonstrate significant additional disability related costs. Robert Lindsay, Babergh District's first ever Green councillor in South Suffolk, said: Further details: http://www.access-to-elected-office-fund.org.uk/ "I followed it religiously during the election campaign. Telephone: 01457 869 714 Textphone: 020 8964 6324 And it paid off. Most local parties do not have people [email protected] on tap with the expertise available within this book." The manual contains 235 pages of crisp, easy to read Valuing diversity instructions from canvassing scripts to leaflet design, written by four of the party's most capable strategists: Making the most of our Chris Rose, Chris Williams, James Burn and . members and supporters Buy a copy for £12.50 (includes postage and packing) and We really need to value diversity or face wasting valuable you will also receive 12 months free membership of the human resources and failing part of the membership. Association of Green Councillors. That means access to the help and advice of our existing 160 Green councillors We had an email from a member who is disabled and as well as town and parish councillors and hundreds of mainly bed-bound who said his local party can’t seem to aspiring councillors. see him as useful because he can’t deliver leaflets. To buy, send a cheque to: He is clearly willing and able but they haven’t discussed with him what he CAN do – such as letter writing, Susan Murray, 16 Clare Road, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1PN organising, social media etc. You can imagine how he Or instruct your bank to pay by BACS transfer to: feels – about himself – and the local party. The Association of Green Councillors, Triodos Bank, Each local party should appoint an Equality & Diversity Deanery Road, Bristol BS1 5AS, sort code 16-58-10 Officer to ensure this area is not overlooked or neglected. account number 20075871. Don’t get hung up on one method of campaigning. Use Once you have made payment, please then inform Robert the various skills, interests and experience of ALL your Lindsay, AGC Coordinator at [email protected]. local people. Activist 11 By-election results round up Local by-elections Results of principal authority by-elections where Greens took part - country, district borough and metropolitan councils and unitary authorities - 10 Sep to 27 Nov 2014. 23/10/14 Durham UA, Burnopfield and Dipton: Labour 656 (44.9%, +16.0%), Derwentside Ind. 655 (44.8%, +13.5%), Conservative 83 (5.7%), Green 68 (4.7%) Durham UA, Evenwood: Lab 546 (38.2%, -7.8%), Con 396 (27.7%, -0.3%), UKIP 309 (21.6%, -4.4%), Ind. C 108 (7.5%), Green 72 (5.0%). Forest of Dean DC, Newnham & Westbury: Ind. (Simon Phelps) 321 (38.5%), Con 216 (25.9%, -4.9%), UKIP 102 (12.2%), Lab 100 (12.0%, -1.0%), Green 70 (8.4%, -7.7%), Lib Dem 25 (3.0%) Gloucestershire CC, Mitcheldean: Con 959 (38.4%, +14.0%), UKIP 550 (22.0%, +2.7%), Ind. W 455 (18.2%), Lab 278 (11.1%, +0.7%), Lib Dem 150 (6.0%, +0.3%), Green 106 (4.2%, +0.4%) Shepway DC, Folkestone Harvey West: Con 385 (36.4%, -18.8%), UKIP 293 (27.7%), Lib Dem 262 (24.8%, +3.4%), Green 61 (5.8%), Lab 57 (5.4%, -18.0%) 6/11/14 Cornwall UA, Mevagissey: Con 348 (32.2%, +8.2%), UKIP 281 (26.0%, -1.6%), Lab 204 (18.9%, -10.8%), Lib Dem 197 (18.2%, +4.3%), Green 50 (4.6%, -0.1%) Rugby BC, Bilton: Con 668 (42.0%, -12.3%), UKIP 325 (20.4%), Lib Dem 280 (17.2%, +8.1%), Lab 212 (13.3%, -8.1%), Ind. 60 (3.8%), Green 37 (2.3%, -7.7%), TUSC 10 (0.6%, -4.3%) Clive Gregory 13/11/14 Cambridge CC, Queen Edith's: Lib Dem 933 (36.5%, -6.1%), Lab Parliamentary By-election 790 (30.9%, +1.1%), Con 614 (24.0%, +7.7%), Green 222 (8.7%, Rochester and Strood -2.7%). Lib Dem gain from Labour - all % changes are since 2014. Wigan MBC, Douglas: Lab 874 (59.4%, -0.7%), UKIP 452 (30.7%, Green candidate - CLIVE GREGORY -0.9%), Con 80 (5.4%, -3.0%), Green 37 (2.5%), Community Action Mark Reckless (UKIP), 16,867 (42.1%), Kelly Tolhurst (Con), 13,947 29 (2.0%) (34.8%, -14.4%), Naushabah Khan (Lab), 6,713 (16.8%, -11.7%), Clive Gregory (Green), 1,692 (4.2%, +2.7%), Geoff Juby (LD), 349 Wokingham UA, Bulmershe & Whitegates: Con 726 (35.4%, (0.9%, -15.5%), Hairy Knorm Davidson (OMRLP), 151 (0.4%), Nick +8.4%), Lab 498 (24.3%, -10.0%), Lib Dem 448 (21.4%, +4.3%), Long (PBP), 69 (0.17%), Stephen Goldsborough (Ind), 69 (0.17%), UKIP 275 (13.4%, -1.6%), Green 105 (5.1%, -1.0%). Conservative Jayda Fransen (), 56 (0.14%), Mike Barker (Ind), 54 gain from Liberal Democrat-all % changes are since 2014. (0.13%), Charlotte Rose (Ind), 43 (0.11%), Dave Osborn (PSP), 33 20/11/14 (0.08%), Chris Challis (Ind), 22 (0.05%). Medway UA, Peninsula: UKIP 2,850 (48.3%), Conservative 1,965 (33.3%, -20.9%), Labour 716 (12.1%,-8.5%), Green 314 (5.3%,- In the shadow of UKIP electing its second MP, even if this was 2.1%), Liberal Democrats 60 (1.0%, -5.3%) by a margin not nearly as large as was achieved in Clacton, we Stockport MBC, Bramhall South & Woodford: Con 2080 achieved our best parliamentary by-election result so far this (53.2%, +8.2%), Lib Dem 1502 (38.3%, +5.4%), Green 197 (5.0%), Parliament and we beat the Liberal Democrats once again,which Lab 132 (3.4%, -5.5%) was our principal goal. Swansea UA, Uplands: Independent (Peter May) 671 (32.8%), Thanks to all Green Party members who helped Clive Gregory Lab 533 (26.1%, -13.1%), Lib Dem 215 (10.5%, -22.2%), Green with his campaign and supported him at the various hustings. 179 (8.8%, -9.7%), Independent (Pat Dwan) 158 (7.7%), Con 154 With less than six months to go before the General Election, (7.5%, -2.1%), 105 (5.1%), TUSC 31 (1.5%) more and more Green Party PPCs are being selected, moving 27/11/14 ever closer towards the 75% target. As membership continues Oxford CC, Blackbird Leys: Lab 509 (75.7%, +8.4%), UKIP 91 to rise, as does positive media coverage, the future is looking (13.5%, -7.0%), Con 27 (4.0%, -1.6%), Green 21 (3.1%, -1.4%), increasingly promising. TUSC 13 (1.9%), Lib Dem 11 (1.7%, -0.4%) We must continue to show the people of Britain there is a real Oxford CC, Northfield Brook: Lab 401 (70.6%, -1.0%), Con 65 alternative to the failed old politics of the three establishment (11.4%, +0.0%), Green 50 (8.8%, -2.5%), TUSC 34 (6.0%), Lib Dem parties and the new pretender. 18 (3.2%, -2.5%) Oxfordshire CC, The Leys: Lab 879 (71.0%, -10.5%), UKIP 168 From our elections correspondent (13.6%), Con 77 (6.2%, -1.4%), Green 57 (4.6%, -2.8%), Lib Dem 30 (2.4%, -1.0%), TUSC 27 (2.2%) Activist 12 Green Brighton - triumph or disaster? A tall story Dispelling the myth Up and down the country, our political opponents cite by Nick Hales Brighton as a principal reason not to support the Green Party. The story is that their administration of the city Use the wealth of information in the following pages over the past few years has been a complete disaster, to defend the Green Party’s record in Brighton. Here’s riddled with incompetence and industrial strife, cutting an example of using it to get letters published in the wages and imposing savage cuts on frontline services press. and the most vulnerable. Under the Greens, they say, the Try replying randomly when a relevant issue arises to well-being of the people and the economy of Brighton highlight how good they are, not just to rebut attacks & Hove have suffered terribly. from the opposition. In the run up to the European NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. elections I had the following published in the Bath Chronicle: However, the scale and relentlessness of this campaign of lies has had a damaging effect on the Party, such that “Lin Patterson's recent letter highlighting the problems even a lot of the people of Brighton & Hove have come caused by funding changes in relation to the local to believe it. Citizen's Advice Bureau prompts me to demonstrate why is different. In Brighton & Hove's The following pages will drive a steamroller through the Green-led city council: propaganda, highlight the amazing achievements of the Green administration and provide you with the facts and • £100,000 is being invested in the East Sussex Credit figures to defend the Greens’ true record. Union over three years to support the development of affordable alternatives to pay-day loans, part of the council's Financial Inclusion Strategy, to help A poisoned chalice the most vulnerable citizens deal with rising prices, The achievements of the Green Councillors are all the welfare reform and benefit cuts. more remarkable considering what they were up against: • An extra £10,000 has been invested in software for • They took over the running of the council in May credit union members to access loans and manage 2011 as a minority administration, and their accounts on line. initiatives were frequently undermined and blocked by hostile Tory and Labour councillors. • There is a new financial advice service for women at the Brighton Women's Centre • Over decades earlier these same parties had run the council and presided over pay and conditions • Advice organisations are working with disabled agreements with the workforce which were clearly people affected by welfare reform. unfair to many, especially women. Legal time • There is a community banking partnership, which restraints meant the Greens had to sort out this brings together the city's third sector financial mess, and take the brunt of politically motivated advice organisations. strike action that resulted. • The council has commissioned the MACS money • An extremely hostile right wing local press taking advice service and the local CAB to offer free help every opportunity to smear and attack the Greens. and advice to anyone with debt. • Imposition of the most savage cuts on the council’s • All households affected by the 'bedroom tax' have budget imposed by the government. been offered home visits and budgeting advice Despite all this the Greens have found ways to from MACS maintain and even improve essential services, impose • Advice on mutual transfers and the Tenant Incentive no compulsory redundancies and actually raise the Scheme, which offers practical help and financial earnings of minimum wage council employees to the incentives to tenants downsizing to smaller homes, Living Wage! They have improved the city’s transport, has reduced the number of households affected by housing, education and economy and won a host of the 'bedroom tax' from 949 to 763 in eight months. awards, winning almost £60m, easing the burden on Council tax payers. • £50,000 has been invested in four community- based learning centres on council estates to help Just imagine what a majority Green council could tackle digital exclusion by providing free courses achieve! No wonder Labour have created a national anti- and workshops. Greens unit, headed by Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan, to smear and denigrate the Green Party. Green politics is practical, positive and inclusive. I see no better choice than to vote Green in this year's A must-see article on Labour’s attack on the Greens below: European elections. http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/11/how-green-party- responding-labours-fear-ukip-left Nick Hales, Bath” Activist 13 A new way to govern Greens in Brighton and Hove Brighton and Hove Green councillors took over Trans inclusivity in May 2011. They are a minority administration, Brighton’s scrutiny panel was in June 2014 named joint national winner of the Centre for Public Scrutiny’s award whose initiatives are frequently blocked by for its work investigating trans inclusivity issues in the city. Conservative and Labour councillors combined. Restorative justice Here are some of their achievements. The number of young people entering the criminal justice Equality, fairness and saving money system in the city fell over the three successive years to Oct 2013 as the council’s youth crime prevention team joined The council now spends less on senior with police to help young people understand the impact of management than it has in a decade because it cut the their behaviour and make amends. chief executive’s salary by 40% and raised the pay of the lowest grades, bringing the ratio between the highest and Open budget discussion lowest paid council staff to just over 10:1. The Green councillors publish annual budget proposals Living Wage earlier and with more detail than previous administrations so that they can be scrutinised by everyone ahead of time, On taking office the Greens not only and are made transparent to all – other political parties, introduced a living wage for its staff and citizens and the media. care home workers but also supported the Chamber of Commerce to run a Neighbourhood governance Living Wage Commission to encourage The Greens introduced pilots for Neighbourhood private companies to adopt it. As of July Governance schemes, which support communities to take 2014 the city is home to 130 of the UK’s local decisions with local budgets. 500 living wage paying private companies. Urban dereliction to community space Equal pay They transformed a large, decaying urban open space, The Greens grasped the nettle of equal pay for male and Level Park in the centre of town with new gardens, a new female council staff which had been avoided by previous water feature, a new children’s playground, new public administrations by raising the allowances for some and toilets, a cycle café, better lighting and furniture, a new lowering them for others. It triggered a bin strike but ended skate park, and more green space. It did this by securing with equal allowances for men and women at a time when £2.75m of outside funding and using just £250,000 of women lag men by 15%. council taxpayers’ money. Referendum Food waste to compost In 2014 it became the first UK council to propose a referendum They expanded community on raising council tax by 4.75% to protect services for the composting across the city's most vulnerable. Labour and Conservative councillors city; in 10 of the city’s 26 combined to vote down the proposal. schemes, residents can Prevention works turn their food waste into free compost. More than In Oct 2013 new figures showed fewer people in the city 500 people are now using were ending up in hospital because of alcohol, more drug the community compost users were being treated and crimes against young people service. had fallen for the third year in a row. Standing up to homophobia Getting recycling rates back up Stonewall put the council in first place in their 2014 Recycling rates have Education Equality Index. Stonewall has described the stabilised and are coming council as ‘leading the way’ in celebrating difference and back up after a successful supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. trial of a communal system for blocks of flats in one area has now been rolled out to all blocks. Rates had been falling because new Italian-made communal bins inherited from the Tory administration had proved impractical. Recycling rates were further knocked by bin strikes and lorry breakdowns. Latest figures not yet available. Ethical Purchasing Greens introduced an ethical procurement strategy to improve minimum standards for the products the council buys in. For example, the World Wildlife Fund has granted the council a Gold standard for timber purchasing.

Activist 14 Open-access to green space in perpetuity Warmer homes, cheaper bills They declared over 800 acres of council-owned down land For the first time in living memory, communal heating and farm land as ‘open access land’, meaning residents can bills in some Brighton & Hove council blocks have fallen as freely use land which was once closed to them. They added council tenants benefit from a major programme of energy another 670 acres in July 2014, protected in perpetuity. efficiency retro-fitting which, where possible, includes solar panels and new heating systems. Imaginative Solutions Rather than wait for the Government to provide funds for building new schools, the Green administration bought a disused police station in Hove and revamped it as a satellite to the nearby junior school so that they could increase the number of children they take. Youth employment In 2013, thanks to ensuring investment in their team helping young people back into training or work, Brighton & Hove became one of the most improved areas in England with only 6.6% of 16-18 year olds not in employment, education or training – the lowest figure since 2004 when this measure was first calculated. Protection for pets Improving education New council tenancy agreements include a requirement Education in Brighton & Hove was for long a major concern that dogs living in council-owned homes should be micro- to parents in the city, but since the Greens came to office chipped. This has encouraged more tenants who own dogs results have improved. The 2013 GCSE results were the to behave responsibly as their pets are much easier to trace. best ever, though they fell in 2014 after tougher marking Planting for nature was introduced across the country. A level results continued to improve in 2014. 80% of sixth form and colleges are B&H Greens have been including more diverse and good or outstanding as judged by the schools inspectorate sustainable planting in open spaces such as perennials, wildflowers, and bee and butterfly banks. Ofsted. A new secondary school is in the pipeline. Affordable Homes Early years provision By November 2014, Greens had overseen the delivery of All Children’s Centres have been kept open across the city 389 affordable homes (as part of wider residential and with no loss of services, in contrast to many councils and mixed developments). Another 130 are due to be completed despite government cuts in this area. All the council’s early before May 2015, and at least another 232 due in the year years provision is judged outstanding by Ofsted. after the election. Helping council tenants Filling empty homes In October 2012 the Greens set up a Housing Inclusion By July 2014 the Green administration had brought some Team to offer financial help and advice to tenants hitby 416 council homes and more than 460 empty private benefit cuts. The group joined forces with advice charity homes back into use. The average time it takes to re-let MAC and by August 2013 had helped nearly 400 people an empty council home is now just over two weeks – the access £350,000 in unclaimed benefits and savings on lowest in many years and one of the best turnaround times household bills. in the UK No bedroom tax evictions Building new homes In May 2013 the council was the first in the country to In the Green Party’s term of administration it will have declare a “no evictions” policy for tenants who could not overseen the building 639 homes. A further 681 affordable pay the bedroom tax. It has been extended to 2014/15. homes, including more than 200 new council homes, are in Meanwhile Labour councils have been happy to do the Government’s dirty work. the development pipeline. Community Banking “We are very proud to be starting work The Green administration on our second major site in Brighton, invested £100,000 in a one of the most forward thinking and local credit union partly to help it set up an online creative cities in the UK” system for residents to Richard Upton, Chief Executive of Cathedral access loans, making the Group (Holdings) July 2014 credit union as accessible as high interest ‘payday Safety for private tenants lenders’. It also banned such In Nov 2012 it introduced a new licensing scheme by which lenders from advertising private landlords letting a property for sharing by three or on council billboards. more people must bring it up to an agreed standard. More than 1,500 licences were applied for by April 2014 with new fire alarms and other prevention measures installed. Activist 15 City renaissance 23 October 2014 Agenda Item 39(d) The Greens signed innovative deals in September 2014 to Brighton & Hove City Council convert the derelict site Circus Street in the city centre into NOTICE OF MOTION GREEN GROUP an “innovation quarter” with an academic building, library NHS “Brighton & Hove City Council calls for the last fifteen years of and gallery for University of Brighton, as well as a new privatisation of the National Health Service to be overturned, and dance studio, theatre, offices and flats. It signed a similar the NHS returned to being a public service funded by, run by and deal with the university to redevelop a derelict army accountable to local and national government. barracks, which is estimated to create 740 new jobs over This council believes that the NHS should be a cradle to grave a 10-year period. The plans include a new business school, service that works in tandem with social care services. However 300 homes and a central research laboratory to support this council is concerned that instead of proper funding from hi-tech start-up companies. general taxation, desperately-needed budgets are being directed to overheads involved in schemes such as commissioning healthcare and PFI contracts. This negatively impacts residents of our city who use local NHS services, as well as social care services provided by this council. Therefore this council opposes the legislation and changes introduced by current and previous governments, of the Health and Social Care Act, which forces those with commissioning responsibilities to put out virtually all services to tender. We therefore also support campaigns such as Defend the NHS who campaign for markets for profit to be kept out of health care delivery.”

Proposed by: Councillor Shanks Seconded by: Councillor Hawtree Supported by: Councillors Buckley, Bowden, Davey, Deane, Jarrett, Jones, Kennedy, A Kitcat, J Kitcat, Littman, Mac Cafferty, Phillips, Powell, Randall, Rufus, Sykes, Wakefield and West.

Healthy, quality food In July 2014, Brighton & Hove City Council became the first in the country to introduce Soil Association food buying standards for all catering contracts over £75,000, including local and healthier food. Edible Landscaping In Spring 2011, in a move later recognised by Sustainable Business start ups Food Cities network and the World Green Building Council The concentration of start-ups and small and medium size it was the first council in the country to encourage urban enterprises in the city grew by 5% while the Greens were in food growing in its planning guidance, with encouragement office from 2011 to 2013, by 5% giving it the third-highest to grow on walls, rooftops and balconies. In the 12 months concentration in the country. In June 2014 it was also rated following, 44 out of 98 planning applications (45%) the third-best city in the country for small enterprises with proposed food growing as part of development. Examples high growth strategies. include a sixth floor raised bed allotment. Two new libraries Hospital redesign – partnership working While other councils have been closing libraries, Brighton The Greens worked in partnership with the Royal Sussex Greens opened two in 2014 at Mile Oak and Woodlingdean. Hospital to ensure that the proposals for the £420m rebuild of its Victorian hospital, the city’s biggest ever regeneration project, were brought forward speedily and “Our experience in Brighton and Hove has successfully to planning after they had stalled under the shown just what can be achieved if you previous Tory administration. get the right individuals and organisations together to develop a common vision of how they want to change their food system and then support them in turning that vision into reality. For many years, Brighton and Hove has been ahead of the game.” Clare Devereux, Director at Food Matters August 2013

Health for all 18 months after the Greens introduced a concessionary card for entry to leisure centres for people on certain benefits, 1,300 people had signed up and made 34,000 visits to the council’s leisure centres. Activist 16 Cycle contraflow Least car dependent TRANSPORT On narrower one-way roads, cycle In 2012 the Campaign for Better Through the ambitious plans contraflow lanes were created. Transport named Brighton & Hove of Brighton & Hove’s Green Floating bus stop the least car dependent city outside London. administration, it beat other Under the Greens, the council has areas in competitions to obtain become the first in Britain to introduce Bus journeys climb £24 million of outside transport a “floating” bus stop where a cycle Bus usage in the city increased by 5% funding so council tax payers’ lane runs behind it to avoid the buses in 2012 and then by another 3.6% (see picture). the following year. Bus journeys by bills were kept to a minimum. Travel planning Brighton & Hove residents increased from 44.8 million to 46 million, more Steps taken They continued the work of earlier than residents anywhere else in the administrations on personal travel UK outside London. They now have 20mph planning. Since 2006 some 70,000 doubled in 20 years from 22 million. The council introduced the largest people have been visited at home and continuous 20mph area in the UK offered advice. They also introduced Air quality improves with the whole of Brighton centre eco driving courses showing how In the last two years nitrous oxides covered. After it was implemented, people could save petrol. Car club hire pollution fell at 44 of 46 monitoring traffic speeds reduced on 74% of the vehicle numbers have grown and the stations in Brighton & Hove. Carbon roads, collisions in a 5 month period city has the third-largest fleet of such dioxide emissions dropped. Figures dropped by 20% and casualties fell by vehicles in the UK after London and from July 2014 show a further fall in 19%. Phases 2 and 3 extended 20mph Edinburgh. CO2 emissions from transport, from to most of the suburbs. Improving buses 317 tonnes to 301. Cycle hub Bus initiatives have included electronic Bike city Behind the train station, work has real-time boards at bus stops linked The number of people cycling to work nearly finished on a new three-storey to satellite tracking, Smartcard and doubled in the 10 years to 2011. From “cycle hub” with shower and changing smartphone ticketing. 2009 to 2012 there was an average facilities, a bike shop, café, cycle repair Junctions for people 11% rise in daily cycle journeys across outlet and bike hire, as well as storage the city. for 500 bikes, free and open 24/7. It Dangerous junctions such as Seven cost £900,000 but council tax payers Dials and the Vogue Gyratory have Road injuries drop only contributed £100,000. been reconfigured. The latest Dept. of Transport figures showed that casualties on Brighton Cycle priority and ‘head-start’ The results & Hove’s roads fell for the third year lights for bikes at junctions. running and by just over 18% in the Proper cycle Lanes European City of the Year 3 years since the Greens took office. They built cycle lanes on major arterial CIVITAS named Brighton & Hove There were 200 fewer people killed routes to segregate bikes from fast Europe’s City of the Year in September and injured in 2013 than in 2011 traffic. Where this was done cycling 2014 for its sustainable transport before the Greens took office. increased by 14% in one year. policies.

“Thanks Brighton, it’s been fun. We’re ready for anything now: the world on two wheels!” Travel writer Joanna Simmons in “Bitten by the biking bug in Brighton and Hove”

This document was written by Robert Lindsay and Lianne de Mello for the Association of Green Councillors, adapted for Green Activist by Peter Barnett See original document here http://agc.greenparty.org.uk/assets/ images/agc/Brighton%20&%20 Hove%20achievements.pdf

Seven Dials junction – reconfigured for people Activist 17 GreenFAX GREEN PIONEERS No.2 The Post Growth Project John Blewitt Who Was... Rachel Carson? As economic growth continues to be heralded By David Flint as the cure for all financial and other woes by mainstream politicians, business leaders and media commentators, outside the mainstream the realisation that such growth is not the solution, but in fact the opposite is beginning to gain traction. The idea that we are about to enter a post- growth world, whether we like it or not, has acquired credibility among many of those who acknowledge that the forty-year old argument for ecological limits to growth has its basis in an understanding of the world as it is rather than as we might like it to be. Importantly, the conditions making for these ecological limits to growth have recently produced a series of exciting debates around Rachel Louise Carson (1907-1964) was a marine biologist and the globe about a future and necessary post- writer. She was most famous for her book Silent Spring which growth world. criticised excessive pesticide use and triggered advances in the environmental movement and in environmental regulation. The world after growth suggests real opportunities to realise a number of Rachel Carson grew up on a family farm near Pittsburgh. Her universals that have struggled to become interests in nature and writing started in childhood and continued realities - equality, justice, peace, prosperity, at Johns Hopkins University where she obtained degrees in biology environmental sustainability, respect and and zoology. In 1936 she became the second woman to join the the principle of hope. These universals are no US Bureau of Fisheries in a full-time professional position – junior longer the ‘impossibilist’ dreams of political aquatic biologist. radicals but realistic and necessary conditions She combined this work with writing and published her first book on for a better world. marine biology in 1941. Promotion, many articles and a second marine Green House’s new book, The Post-Growth book followed, and by 1952 she was able to leave the Bureau to write Project, shows how it can be done initiating full-time. She then became increasingly interested in pesticide use. new, vibrant and alternative avenues for Carson was diagnosed with cancer in 1960, despite which she enquiry, critique and policy development. continued to work on her magnum opus, Silent Spring, which was Green House is an independent think tank: published in 1962. Unhappily she died from complications of her http://www.greenhousethinktank.org/page. cancer in 1964. php?pageid=home The Post-Growth Project, Her key idea was that the pesticides which were increasingly widely edited by John Blewitt and Ray Cunningham, used were damaging both ecosystems and human health. She is published by the London Publishing blamed overuse of pesticides for the decline in bird populations and Partnership/Green House and is available drew attention to evidence of them causing cancer. She also criticised at: http://londonpublishingpartnership.co.uk/ the manufacturers for misleading the public and the government the-post-growth-project/ for letting them. Carson argued that pesticide use should be John Blewitt is a core member of Green House greatly reduced both to minimise the dangers and to stop the pests and is also Chair of Malvern Hills Green Party. developing resistance. The book provoked fierce attacks from the chemical industry but her science and support from other scientists held off the attacks and her work has been vindicated and widely praised. More importantly, it has energised the environmental movement and caused governments to regulate more strictly. Rachel Carson was years ahead of her time on conservation issues and her 1951 article on climate change must be one of the earliest popular accounts of the problem. But it is for Silent Spring that she is remembered. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carson Silent Spring - Houghton Mifflin, 1962. Activist 18 Policy - Citizens Income of people are being forced into part-time, temporary and Citizens Income – an idea too insecure employment. idealistic to take seriously or one The Citizens Income would provide an important whose time has come? foundation for the kind of ‘portfolio’ paid working lives For those who may be are hearing about a Citizens which more and more people are likely to have in the Income for the first time, it is a non-taxable, non-means- future. tested, unconditional, regular income payment made to every UK citizen regardless of whether they are in or Other considerations out of work. It will replace most, but not all, benefits, It was agreed that the Citizens Income cannot be planned but most importantly it is a secure income for everyone or introduced in isolation from other Green Party policies. regardless of circumstances. It aims to provide a stable There need to be discussions about the future of jobs degree of economic security throughout the different and what we mean by ‘work’ by exploring the value of stages of one’s life. unpaid activity and its contribution to community and The Citizens Income has been Green Party policy since social life. the Party’s beginning. Members in North East England We need a housing policy which addresses the lack have taken it off the shelf, got it back on the agenda for of affordable, energy-efficient homes; we need an updating and costing and are beginning a discussion employment policy which ensures that wages are not about how to present it in a way which provides a forced down and that employment rights are protected. realistic solution to the many issues and concerns people We need more discussion within the Green Party about have about their own economic situation. the impact of a Citizens Income on our consumer society At a meeting on the issue in October 2014 a dozen or so and economy, what unforeseen consequences there North East England Green Party members got together might be and to make sure that all policies are mutually to talk about how to present the Citizens Income; to compatible. discuss the kind of objections which would be raised against it and the positive arguments for it. Another name? And finally, what should we call this policy? In Europe it is called a Basic Income because it would provide a foundation upon which people can build their lives. (See “Basic Income: The Movie” at http://m.youtube.com/ watch?v=ViywrpAyVdY). There are arguments for calling it the Universal Basic Income because the notion of universality is so important. But in our discussions the majority were in favour of keeping it as the Citizens Income because it implies both rights and responsibilities of citizenship, recognising our relationship with others and the community. The dialogue to continue We are going to continue our discussions about the Penny Remfry and Alison Whalley Citizens Income and encourage other local groups and organisations to invite us to speak about it. We urge other local Green Parties to do the same and join in the Pro and Cons discussion. The cost of the Citizens Income and the assumption that The Citizens Income – an idea too idealistic to take some people would take advantage of it were seen as seriously or one whose time has come? Our answer in the most obvious objections, together with the concern North East England: its time has come. Let’s start making that employers would take advantage of it by reducing it a real possibility. wages because people would have a basic income. North East England Green Party Against these arguments there were many positives – Penny Remfry- [email protected] it would get rid of the poverty trap, it would promote Alison Whalley - [email protected] social cohesion because being universal no one could be accused of being a so- called “scrounger” for receiving NEXT ISSUE: Clive Lord, who has been advocating the CI throughout it, and it would give people more choice in the type of the GP’s 41 year existence will be responding . paid work, training and education they engage in. This http://www.clivelord.wordpress.com is very important these days when increasing numbers Activist 19 Energy democracy

generated by their industrial-scale solar farms without pumping Cheap PV solar will undermine valleys full of water or setting up dangerous large-scale energy the big energy providers storage plants. The household solar panel manufacturers, on the other hand, only need a low-cost battery to suit a single home, by Hugh Small, West Central London Green Party which typically uses 12 kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity per [email protected] day, to kick the market into an even higher gear. These batteries have only recently appeared on the market; the Bosch price of The threat of climate change has led governments to about £6000 plus £1000 per kwh up to a maximum of 13 kwh) subsidise many forms of renewable energy. New home bears no relation to the price ten years from now if they fulfil photovoltaic (PV) solar rooftop installations, subsidised their potential and become mass market items. This potential by government feed-in tariffs, are now running at 100,000 is not just to store rooftop solar energy for use after dark but a year in the UK, and over the last five years the new rather to be a mixing deck integrating supplies from different technology has been fitted to 3% of the 20 million homes cut-price intermittent sources on and off the grid. A McKinsey in the UK that are not in apartment blocks. study of the future marginal cost of battery capacity for electric What would happen to the rooftop PV solar market if the vehicles predicted a fall to one third of the 2012 cost by 2025. Government halted the subsidies, as it probably soon will? The fixed element of the cost should fall even faster. Answer: it would grow just as fast or faster. The reason is that Hinkley C obsolete before it’s built home PV solar equipment and ancillary technologies have The very high price agreed by the Government for the Hinkley C advantages over and above the ‘renewable energy’ feature. A nuclear power plant, which will bind taxpayers whose parents key advantage is that they will undermine the government- have not yet been born, shows up another advantage of the protected cartel of former monopoly electricity suppliers and ‘energy democracy’ created by household micro-generation and put the householder in the driving seat. storage: it makes it unnecessary for unqualified public officials to make guesses about how much it will cost to generate national UK to lead green energy revolution baseload electricity 50 years into the future and to negotiate The UK has characteristics that will place it in the forefront of this huge contracts for mainframe power stations. No longer need energy revolution, despite the fact that our relatively northern the population be cowed by frightening stories about ‘the lights latitude reduces the strength of the sun. First, we do not have going out’. extremes of temperature because we are an island bathed by a warm tropical current. Second, our housing stock lends itself to A dozen years from now, when half the UK’s residential rooftops rooftop solar: 85% of the population lives in a house with its own could have solar panels, the payback time for an average roof rather than an apartment. This is the highest proportion installation will have fallen from today’s 12 years (with subsidies) in the EU; in France the proportion is 70% and in Germany only to less than 3 years (without subsidy but assuming that baseload 40%. Related to this, our gardens are bigger too, but paradoxically grid electricity is sold at today’s price). Solar homes will then the internal living space per person is smaller which reduces be capable of generating as much electricity between them our energy needs. Our household demand for energy is already as Hinkley C. With that size market, it seems inevitable that small compared to other countries, but it will become smaller grid batteries will be a consumer item and the UK’s housing still because the current poor insulation is a legacy of fossil fuel stock will be an energy storage farm. Industrial sites, as well stocks which used to be the cheapest in the world. The steady as residential, will be interested in the commercial potential of improvement in home thermal efficiency will again favour micro-generation but it will have most benefits for householders household PV solar installations. because they currently have no negotiating power over their energy costs. Low-capacity PV solar installations are growing at 20-25% annually, even as feed-in tariffs for new installations fall, because Home produced energy will prevail equipment costs have been falling too. Rooftop panels consist Electricity is only a quarter of the energy used in a typical home of arrays of semiconductor devices which is why their cost is today, the rest being gas used mainly for heating. This article falling as fast as computer memory has done – 25% per annum will not describe how new heat pump technology imperils the according to the US Department of Energy’s Sunshot report. future of the gas industry by exploiting the warm air of our The firms that are betting on increased sales volume by mass- temperate island climate, nor what part thermal solar may producing systems to make them cheaper are not driven by enter the mix. Nor will it predict how much the profitable environmental idealism. cost-reduction activities in industry will reduce total energy They are driven by the prospect of taking a huge existing demand. The purpose here has been simply to use PV solar as market away from the kind of competitor that new entrants in an example to look behind the pious ‘renewables’ stereotype other industries can only dream of: the fat and happy previous which has prevented many people from seeing how it can lead monopolies that are now the “Big Six” energy suppliers. These to the demise of the dominant suppliers. Governments would incumbents have their hands tied behind them because they do then not need to ‘pick winners’ among the different generation not own the rooftops of their customers. They will be obliged technologies because the competitive market will safely do so. to lease land to deploy the new solar technology and will have UK home micro-generation could be the energy equivalent of to overcome planning hurdles. They also need to transmit over the mobile communications technology which disrupted the a grid that uses up a significant portion of the electricity that monopolistic telecoms industry two decades ago and converted they put into it and which (according to their dire predictions it into a healthy ubiquitous service in which the consumer which they may come to regret) may not be able to keep up equipment supplier, not the commodity network operator, is with demand. They also cannot store the intermittent energy the innovator. Activist 20 Who’s Who in the Green Party

green Party central Office THE GREEN PARTY LEADERSHIP 020 7549 0310 [email protected] NATALIE BENNETT Leader of the Green Party [email protected] The house of commons http://www.nataliebennett.co.uk https://twitter.com/natalieben https://www.facebook.com/ GreenNatalieBennett

SHAHRAH ALI Deputy Leader [email protected]

CAROLINE LUCAS MP for Brighton Pavilion HOUSE OF COMMONS London SW1A 0AA Deputy Leader Cath Miller - Chief of Staff 020 7219 7025 [email protected] Jenny Williams - Press Officer07590 050 565 [email protected] [email protected] Twitter: @CarolineLucas https://www.facebook.com/caroline/page The Visit Caroline’s website to subscribe to weekly email news bulletins MEP http://www.carolinelucas.com/ for the South West & Gibralta Website: http://mollymep.org.uk/ The london The [email protected] assembly Twitter: @MollyMEP Baroness Jones https://www.facebook.com/molly. of Moulsecoomb scottcato?fref=ts Press Officer Andrew Bell JENNY JONES [email protected] Member MEP Dep Chair Police & Crime Committee for London [email protected] [email protected] Twitter: @greenjennyjones http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk http://t.co/BA70H5w5MY Twitter: @GreenJeanMEP http://t.co/6Isc6vT6Zl Facebook: http://www.tinyurl.com/ Office Manager jeanlambert Tom Chance Press Officer Claire Norman 020 7250 8417 KEITH TAYLOR MEP London Assembly Member Chair of the London Assembly for the South East [email protected] [email protected] http://www.keithtaylormep.org.uk @DarrenJonhsonAM Twitter: @GreenKeithMEP http://london.greenparty.org.uk/ elected-greens/assembly.html Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ Press Officer KeithTaylorMep Ian Wingrove Constit. CoordinatorKrysia Williams Press Officer Joe Ryle 02072508418 Activist 21 Who’s Who in the Green Party

National Party Office National Press Office 020 7549 0315 020 7549 0310 [email protected] [email protected] Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street Development House London EC2A 4LT 56-64 Leonard Street Zoe Hall - Press Officer London EC2A 4LT [email protected] Archie Thomas - Press Officer www.greenparty.org.uk [email protected] Twitter: @TheGreenParty 020 7549 0315 www.facebook.com/thegreenparty @archie_thomas Latest news releases here CHRIS LUFFINGHAM http://greenparty.org.uk/news/ Campaigns Director [email protected] Rory O’Keefe TOM BECKETT Leadership Assistant Fundraising & Operations Director [email protected] [email protected] 020 7549 0251 TOM SHARMAN Eloise Shavelar Senior Policy & Communications Officer [email protected] [email protected] Kate Barnett Regional Liaison Officer Finance & Office Manager for Hampshire & Isle of Wight [email protected] Keith Taylor, Green MEP for South East Adam Stacey Membership Admin. Officer www.keithtaylormep.org.uk [email protected] Twitter: @GreenKeithMEP PETER McANDREW Digital Officer [email protected] Target Constituencies & MEGAN HANN General Election Leadership Team Fundraising & Membership Officer Campaign Manager Adam McGibbon [email protected] [email protected] 07712321978 Larissa Hansford Young Greens Coordinator The campaign to re-elect Caroline in Brighton Pavilion is now well under way. Canvassing is taking place [email protected] weekly. A campaign website will be going live soon. Chris Rose - Election Agent Members are encouraged to attend monthly action days, 01322 838 757 where leafleting and canvassing takes place across the constituency. Join here [email protected] https://my.greenparty.org.uk/civicrm/petition/ Louisa Greenbaum sign?sid=7&reset=1 Conference Coordinator With Brighton Pavilion at No.19 on Labour’s target list for the next general election, and Labour fighting hard to [email protected] attempt to remove the only Green MP in Parliament, it’s TOM HARRIS critical that the entire party is involved in the campaign. Electoral Returning Officer To be added to the “Re-Elect Caroline” campaign mailing [email protected] list, please email : 07966 488690 [email protected] Activist 22 Green Party Executive (GPEx) Responsible for the overall running and day-to-day direction of the Party. GREEN PARTY REGIONAL COUNCIL (GPRC) Elected biannually by postal ballot of the Party membership. Responsible for keeping under review the general well-being of the Party and for supporting and advising the Green Party Executive, particularly on matters of Chair finance political strategy. Two members from each regional party elected by postal ballot. Richard Mallender VACANT 07976 775619 GPRC Co-Chairs Freda Davis and Mike Shone chair@greenparty. Secretary: Kevin O’Brien MINUTES: David Jones org.uk @CllrRMallender West Midlands london Internal Leader Communications Vicky Duckworth Federation Natalie Bennett vickytoole82@yahoo. Peter Barnett Glynis Carpenter (see previous page) co.uk Twitter @PeterGBarnett @VickyDuckworth glyniscarpenter@ internalcommunications@ Vicky Duckworth- hotmail.com greenparty.org.uk Green Mike Shone Kevin O’Brien co-Deputy Leader INternational mike.shone@ kev_green_party_uk@ SHAHRAH ALI btopenworld.com yahoo.com (see previous page) international@ @MikeShone2 greenparty.org.uk @Anothergreen http://another-green- world.blogspot.co.uk/ co-Deputy Leader South West North East AMELIA WOMACK LOcal Party CAROL KAMBITES Sandy Irvine (see previous page) Support ckambites@btinternet. 0191 844367/07582257731 Emily Blyth com sandyirvine45@gmail. 07743862651 com localpartysupport@ www.agreenerway. greenparty.org.uk RicKy Knight info/wordpress/ Elections Twitter: EFBlyth rickyknight@ IRIS RYDER JUDY MACKIEJOWSKA northdevongreens. Management iris_ryder@yahoo. elections@greenparty. org.uk Mark Cridge co.uk org.uk 01271 371732 07968592550 @greenknight49 management@ Facebook: greenparty.org.uk ecowarrior49 EqualitY & Diversity Twitter: @markcridge Shan Oakes Yorks & East Midlands 01482 862085 or TRADE UNION Humberside 07769 607710 Mike Shipley shan@voice- LIAISON OFFICER international.net ROMAYNE PHOENIX PETE KENNEDY 01663743120 @shanoakes romaynephoenix@ pdkennedy@hotmail. sue_mikeshipley@ facebook blog mac.com co.uk yahoo.co.uk Jack McGlen @romaynephoenix jmcglen_sw@yahoo. Freda Davis Sue Ledger co.uk 07971 296025 01663743120 07905678618 Publications freda247davis@gmail. 0779160971 @jmcglen MARTIN COLLINS com sue_mikeshipley@ facebook publications@ @uathindigo yahoo.co.uk greenparty.org.uk External Communications CLARE PHIPPS South East North West clarephipps@gmail. Wales GP Leader Liz Wakefield com Pippa Bartolotti JAM SHEPPARD and pippabartolotti@ liz.wakefield@ jamessheppard1981@ MATT HAWKINS walesgreenparty.com btinternet.com gmail.com matt2hawkins@ @pippabartolotti hotmail.com pippa.bartolotti http://pippabartolotti.net Nicole Haydock and 0161 7051560 Young Greens VACANT e-mail: haydockbgp@ Penny Kemp Co-Chairs yahoo.com 07590 046503 Clifford Fleming pennyanne.kemp@ clifford@younggreens. btinternet.com org.uk @penny_kemp @cliffordfleming Blog: Wales Eastern Chris Simpson Policy Siobhan JILL MILLS CARRIE BOWES MacMahon christopher_s@ [email protected] policy@greenparty. siobhan@younggreens. btinternet.com org.uk org.uk @mac_shivers and Chris CARMICHAEL Campaigns russell secker Sam Riches xrisemma@yahoo. Howard Thorp mailto:russelsecker@ 07866806512 co.uk gmail.com policy@greenparty. campaigns@ org.uk greenparty.org.uk Twitter: @hgthorp Activist 23 COMMITTEES Regional Parties policy working groups The Association of Green East Midlands If you belong to a working group not Councillors Campaigns Committee eastmidlands.greenparty.org.uk Peter Allen, Chris Keene, Dave listed, contact Sam Riches: Coordinator: Robert Lindsay Regional Contact [email protected] H: 01449 741959 M: 07947127693 Plummer (2 vacancies) David Foster 01332 608977 [email protected] Sue Ledger (GPRC) [email protected] Jobs and Industry Twitter: @GPEWCampaigns Jonathan Essex Executive Press Office Mike Shipley [email protected] [email protected] Conferences Committee 07801 541 924 Chair: John Coyne Ricky Knight (Convenor) Eastern [email protected] Housing - Tom Chance eastern.greenparty.org.uk Vice Chairs: Liz Wakefield Louisa Greenbaum [email protected] Conferences Coordinator Regional Contact Alan Weeks louisa.greenbaum@greenparty. Ian Brandon Rural Affairs - Mike Shipley Treasurer: Susan Murray org.uk [email protected] @derbyshiregreenparty.org.uk Parish/Town cllrs’ rep: 07791 640 971 Charlene Concepcion, Bill Press Office James Abbott John Marjoram McComish, Julie Wood (1 [email protected] Energy - Ceri Jones GPRC Rep: Mike Shone [email protected] vacancy) Sue Ledger (GPRC) London The AGC is open to Green councillors [email protected] london.greenparty.org.uk Education - Richard Clarke and wannabe councillors. Go to: Regional Contact [email protected] http://agc.greenparty.org.uk/how- to-join.html Disputes Resolution Tom Chance/Caroline Allen Population - Nicky Watson Committee [email protected] [email protected] Read more about the AGC at: Ben Sweeney, Adam McGregor www.agc.greenparty.org.uk Press Office Matthew Hawkins Animal Protection (3 vacancies) [email protected] [email protected] Caroline Allen North East [email protected] neengland.greenparty.org.uk TRANSPORT - Alan Francis Scottish Green Party Equality & Diversity http://www.scottishgreens.org.uk/ Committee Regional Contact [email protected] Deborah Fenney, Manishta Shirley Ford 01914565464 Economics - Miriam Kennet Green Party in Northern Sunnia, Alan Borgars, Paul [email protected] [email protected] Weaver (1 vac) Press Office Nic Best 07990 590463 http://www.greenpartyni.org/ 01670 517915, 07878 896292 Drugs Shane Collins Green World Editorial [email protected] [email protected] http://europeangreens.eu/contact Board North West 07952 929 710 Steve Emmott Laura Burley (Convener) northwest.greenparty.org.uk HEALTH Stuart Jeffrey [email protected] Regional Contact [email protected] European Green Party Emily Heath 01524 380169 Committee Nicholas Hales, Thomas Williams [email protected] Peace and Defence (2 vacancies) Chris Burdess [email protected] 00 32 (0)10 41 16 54 Iris Ryder, Nicole Haydock, Mike Press Office Andy Donnelly Mobile: 00 32 (0) 477 902 318 [email protected] Waste Jonathan Essex Shipley (GPRC), Peter Barnett [email protected] [email protected] (GPEx) South East southeast.greenparty.org.uk Scientific Greens Kester Ratcliff Green European Foundation International Committee Regional Contact Rue d'Arlon 15, B - 1050 Brussels, Lucy Early, John Street, David Jonathan Kent 02082499021 [email protected] Belgium Raby, Paul Cohen, Anna Clarke [email protected] 0117 955 4525 07769 113533 +32 (0) 2 234 65 70 Policy Committee Press Office Monetary Reform: Daniel Key e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Sam Riches, Carrie Bowes [email protected] website: www.gef.eu South West (Conveners), Alan Francis, Brian Greens/EFA Central Heatly, Rustam Majainah, Alick southwest.greenparty.org.uk Young Greens Munroe, Constantine Buhayer Regional Contact secretariat Norma Sherratt 01179247806 http://younggreens.org.uk/ Office PHS02C27 Standing Orders Committee [email protected] Members under the age of 30 Paul Henri Spaak building Doug Rouxel, (Convener) Martin Chloë Somers For general enquiries contact: Rue Wiertz 60, 1047 Brussels, Hemmingway, Ian McCulloch, [email protected]. Coordinator Belgium Matthew Clark, Moira Dunworth org.uk Larissa Hansford website: www.greens-efa.eu [email protected] Press Office Vacant [email protected] Federation of Young Wales National Committee Political Committee wales.greenparty.org.uk European Greens Amelia Womak, Co-Chairs Rue Wiertz 31, B - 1050 Brussels, Regional Contact Belgium (Co-chairs), Pippa Bartolotti, Siobhan MacMahon Ann Were 01600714625 +32 (0) 2 62 60 72 7 Natalie Bennett, Baroness Jenny [email protected] [email protected] Jones, Darren Johnson, Caroline Clifford Fleming e-mail: [email protected] Lucas MP, Richard Mallender, Press Office website: www.fyeg.org Jake Griffiths 07752 754537 [email protected] Penny Kemp, Sam Riches, Carrie [email protected] Treasurer Thomas Bolitho Bowes, Elise Benjamin, Judy [email protected] Global Greens Rue Wiertz 31, B - Maciejowska, Keith Taylor MEP, West Midlands westmidlands.greenparty.org.uk Press Officer Georgia Elander 1050 Brussels, Belgium Molly Scott Cato MEP, Jean +32 (0) 2 62 60 72 8 Regional Contact [email protected] Lambert MEP, Howard Thorp e-mail: [email protected] Tom Harris - coordinator@westmid- Non-portfolio members landsgreenparty.org.uk website: www.globalgreens.org Tom Pashby Press Office Scott Redding [email protected] 07740 150285 Shihab Basit media@westmidlandsgreenparty. [email protected] Green Seniors org.uk Fiona Costello Green Activist www.greenseniors.co.uk Yorkshire & the Humber [email protected] Editor Peter Barnett Sophie van der Ham Maureen Childs, yorkshireandhumber.greenparty. Please send corrections, updates, [email protected] mobile 07979 386683 org.uk additions to this directory to: Regional Contact Thom French online petition: [email protected] internalcommunications@ Colin Noble 07825340969 greenparty.org.uk http://www.greenseniors. [email protected] sTRUCTURES & PROCEDURES co.uk Press Office Martin Deane Charlene Concepcion, Matthew [email protected] Clarke, Joseph Clough Activist 24 Green Activist promoted by Peter Barnett on behalf of the Green Party both at Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT spring conference 2015

Spring Conference 6-9th March 2015

St George’s Hall Liverpool. Autumn 2014 Conference - chit chat www.greenparty.org.uk/conference Fringe programme Join us for the last conference before the General Members wishing to apply for a fringe slot can do so Election with a full programme of activist training and online via the conference page on the website: educational fringe meetings in addition to the usual conference business of creating policy. fringe application (deadline Friday 9 January) Information See the website for travel and accommodation information. www.greenparty.org.uk/conference Queries to Louisa Greenbaum Conferences Co-ordinator [email protected] Health voting paper As no Section B motion (voting paper) is expected at Autumn 2014 Conference Plenary Spring Conference, Policy Committee are obliged to put forward a chapter from Policies for a Sustainable Society Timetable for fast-track review. Conference opens at 12 noon on Friday 6 March and Some feedback has been received about out-of-date closes at 3pm on Monday 9 March. terminology in the Health chapter - current text at: The Leader's speech will take place at 2pm on Friday. An http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/he.html outline timetable will be published by mid-December and a draft full timetable by the end of January. (You - so we have decided that this chapter will be appropriate. can download past spring conference timetables from If you are interested in joining the Health Policy Working the website as a guide.) Group to propose revisions for the current text, please contact Stuart Jeffery: [email protected] Agenda deadlines 15th January - 2nd-agenda deadline (date by which amendments to 1st agenda must be submitted to SOC Mid December - 1st agenda published 15th January - 2nd agenda deadline Motions must be submitted to the Convenor of SOC [email protected] You can download a document from the conference website which explains the policy making process: Further info: POLICY MAKING PROCESS: Registration Autumn 2014 Conference - fringe meeting Online registration will open Friday 5 December. Activist 25