Headlining on Radio Kent today and on their website and on the front page of the Adscene:
Green Party activists have called for the permanent closure of an incinerator which is currently out of operation while furnace linings are repaired.
The operator of Allington incinerator, near Maidstone in Kent, said it will be closed until the spring.
"We see this as an opportunity not to reopen the incinerator at all," said Stuart Jeffery, of Maidstone Greens.
Mr Jeffery said there needed to be a radical rethink on rubbish.
"We should be reducing our rubbish and aim for a zero waste society if possible," he said.
"You can't just have a quick fix, which this incinerator has always been."
Green Party campaigner in Kent. Also a nurse, academic, former manager, writer, Druid, husband and father...
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Monday, 29 October 2007
Crass and insensitive advert
Letter to Post Office Ltd regarding the advertising campaign. Send your version to Mr Herbert: consultation@postoffice.co.uk
Dear Mr Herbert,
We have already stated our opposition to the closure of these post offices, but we were appalled to see the new advertising campaign pushing the Post Office as the 'People's Post Office'.
Given the devastating impact the closure of these post offices will have on local communities, your advert is at best poorly timed and at worst extremely crass and insensitive. We want thriving post offices to be at the centre of local communities and have no problem with the Post Office promoting itself, but you have chosen an extremely poor time to do this. You are also promoting life assurance for retired people, yet it is exactly these people who will be hardest hit by your closures.
We ask that you withdraw your adverts.
Stuart Jeffery
Prospective Parliamentary Candidiate
Maidstone Green Party
Dear Mr Herbert,
We have already stated our opposition to the closure of these post offices, but we were appalled to see the new advertising campaign pushing the Post Office as the 'People's Post Office'.
Given the devastating impact the closure of these post offices will have on local communities, your advert is at best poorly timed and at worst extremely crass and insensitive. We want thriving post offices to be at the centre of local communities and have no problem with the Post Office promoting itself, but you have chosen an extremely poor time to do this. You are also promoting life assurance for retired people, yet it is exactly these people who will be hardest hit by your closures.
We ask that you withdraw your adverts.
Stuart Jeffery
Prospective Parliamentary Candidiate
Maidstone Green Party
Friday, 19 October 2007
Letter in the KM
Dear Editor,
With news that the incinerator has died and that 5000 tonnes of waste is now to be landfilled, now has never been a better time for action to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Supermarkets and chainstores continue to sell goods with ridiculous amounts of packaging, some goods being wrapped two or three times in plastic destined to sit in landfill. We all have to put pressure on these companies to stop this crazy and pointless practice.
Collectively we must also start to challenge the 'throw away' culture that is great for business, but bad for the environment and bad for our wallets. Goods have shorter and shorter lifespans as quality declines and disposability increases. We should all challenge the companies that produce these throw away goods and the best way to do this is not to give them our trade. We must get the maximum amount of use possible from goods and reuse them wherever possible.
Increasing recycling is not the best option for reducing waste, it takes time, effort, money and energy to recycle. We should only recycle where we haven't been able to reduce or reuse waste.
Landfilling and incineration are both wrong - we have a duty to future generations to leave them a planet, not a rubbish tip.
Stuart Jeffery
With news that the incinerator has died and that 5000 tonnes of waste is now to be landfilled, now has never been a better time for action to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Supermarkets and chainstores continue to sell goods with ridiculous amounts of packaging, some goods being wrapped two or three times in plastic destined to sit in landfill. We all have to put pressure on these companies to stop this crazy and pointless practice.
Collectively we must also start to challenge the 'throw away' culture that is great for business, but bad for the environment and bad for our wallets. Goods have shorter and shorter lifespans as quality declines and disposability increases. We should all challenge the companies that produce these throw away goods and the best way to do this is not to give them our trade. We must get the maximum amount of use possible from goods and reuse them wherever possible.
Increasing recycling is not the best option for reducing waste, it takes time, effort, money and energy to recycle. We should only recycle where we haven't been able to reduce or reuse waste.
Landfilling and incineration are both wrong - we have a duty to future generations to leave them a planet, not a rubbish tip.
Stuart Jeffery
Children are the key that unlocks ideas of social justice
This is from the Guardian today in a piece by Polly Toynbee:
"Putting children first would be a social revolution, redesigning everything, turning the world on its head. Walking and cycling in streets safe enough for any unaccompanied young child going to school would take priority over cars, parks over car parks, buses over 4x4s. Youth centres that were palaces of pleasure, where arts, sports, drama, dance and fun would take priority over adult pleasures in the neighbourhood. Children's centres, still a fledgling programme, would be community hubs from before every baby was born. (A report this week finds the first year of a baby's life is most mothers' loneliest time.) Supermarkets would indeed be required to hide away the bad and promote the healthy, with a state unashamed to be the good nanny and raise drink prices steeply. Banning smoking and the London congestion charge show how cultures can be changed, if government has the nerve to do it."
Well said!
"Putting children first would be a social revolution, redesigning everything, turning the world on its head. Walking and cycling in streets safe enough for any unaccompanied young child going to school would take priority over cars, parks over car parks, buses over 4x4s. Youth centres that were palaces of pleasure, where arts, sports, drama, dance and fun would take priority over adult pleasures in the neighbourhood. Children's centres, still a fledgling programme, would be community hubs from before every baby was born. (A report this week finds the first year of a baby's life is most mothers' loneliest time.) Supermarkets would indeed be required to hide away the bad and promote the healthy, with a state unashamed to be the good nanny and raise drink prices steeply. Banning smoking and the London congestion charge show how cultures can be changed, if government has the nerve to do it."
Well said!
Saturday, 13 October 2007
C Diff
I have deferred blogging about the C Diff scandal at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, partly because it was a massive story, covered by everyone, partly because it was so shocking, partly because I think there was little that I could add, and partly because it is my local trust and I know quite a few people there.
It is difficult to estimate the shock of the tragedy and certainly there is a lot of anger among people in Maidstone (and across much of West Kent). My heart goes out to all those who have suffered and died.
The focus on targets and finances that has been at the forefront of blame, seems likely enough. Clearly the NHS had a rough ride during that period with money. Star ratings were everything.
We must put people at the heart of care, but what happens when the money runs out? What happens when we are pushed to meet targets at the expense of care? People suffer...
Other countries manage to find more cash for their health services, the UK still lags behind in investment in health care. But the British electorate doesn't want to pay more taxes. Look how the inheritance tax bung from the Tories swung the polls. Of course most people don't have to pay more tax for us to have a better society. Sure, lets tax the rich more and the poor less - you can't do it the other way round, but lets stop building more roads / airports / nuclear power / arms / armies and stop fighting illegal wars before we say there's not enough money around to look after sick and vulnerable people properly.
Stuart
It is difficult to estimate the shock of the tragedy and certainly there is a lot of anger among people in Maidstone (and across much of West Kent). My heart goes out to all those who have suffered and died.
The focus on targets and finances that has been at the forefront of blame, seems likely enough. Clearly the NHS had a rough ride during that period with money. Star ratings were everything.
We must put people at the heart of care, but what happens when the money runs out? What happens when we are pushed to meet targets at the expense of care? People suffer...
Other countries manage to find more cash for their health services, the UK still lags behind in investment in health care. But the British electorate doesn't want to pay more taxes. Look how the inheritance tax bung from the Tories swung the polls. Of course most people don't have to pay more tax for us to have a better society. Sure, lets tax the rich more and the poor less - you can't do it the other way round, but lets stop building more roads / airports / nuclear power / arms / armies and stop fighting illegal wars before we say there's not enough money around to look after sick and vulnerable people properly.
Stuart
Monday, 8 October 2007
Widdecombe confirms stand down
It seems that Ms Widdecombe has now confirmed that she will stand down as Maidstone's MP at the next election, making the next election in Maidstone a little more interesting. AW received over 50% of the vote last time, clearly she had a great deal of support and one must admire her for that.
Things have been going downhill though, since then. As her media career takes off and she writes more books, she is less visible to Maidstone people. Noticeable by her absence from recent NHS protests and the protest on the KIG, apparently no longer living in the borough and not answering requests to attend surgery, I suspect that she has run out of steam. 60 may be the age to retire.
Other Tories are full of steam though. Cameron swung a large number of points in the polls with his bribe of scrapping inheritance tax. Promising our offspring more money in their inheritances clearly persuaded some. I would rather leave my daughter a planet and an environment to be proud of than a wadge of cash anyday.
Stuart
Things have been going downhill though, since then. As her media career takes off and she writes more books, she is less visible to Maidstone people. Noticeable by her absence from recent NHS protests and the protest on the KIG, apparently no longer living in the borough and not answering requests to attend surgery, I suspect that she has run out of steam. 60 may be the age to retire.
Other Tories are full of steam though. Cameron swung a large number of points in the polls with his bribe of scrapping inheritance tax. Promising our offspring more money in their inheritances clearly persuaded some. I would rather leave my daughter a planet and an environment to be proud of than a wadge of cash anyday.
Stuart
Saturday, 6 October 2007
Post Office closures in Maidstone
As we are sure you are aware, the post offices in Hardy Street and South Park are threatened with imminent closure. This is clearly an outrage that must be fought. The Royal Mail has enlisted management consultants who have identified our local post office as 'not viable'.
Hardy Street post office is an essential lifeline to many people: it serves as a focal point within our community and it is well run by well respected people. The alternative post offices are a mile away, too far for many people to walk and with only a half-hourly bus service, they are not suitable for people without a car. Hardy Street post office must not be allowed to close.
Post offices provide essential services for local residents and help build social cohesion in a town which sees communities becoming increasingly fragmented. Local post offices are especially important to those without cars and once again we see these people being made to suffer in the name of economics. This is discrimination against the one in five households who don't have a car and particularly affects the elderly.
While the post office claim that they have to subsidise our service, surely it is right that services such as these are subsidised. This is the purpose of taxation - it protects vulnerable people and provides others with good services and security.
The so-called 'consultation' period runs until 11th Nov. There are two things you can do. Best of all, write to the Network Development Manager who is leading the consultation - the address is below along with a template letter that you can use if you want to. Secondly, please sign the petition in the shop or electronically on the Maidstone Green Party website.
Write to:
Gary Herbert
Network Development Manager
Post Office Ltd
c/o National Consultation Team
FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM
Dear Mr Herbert,
Hardy Street [or South Park] post office provides an essential service to our community and must not be closed.
Our post office serves as a focal point within our community. This community will fragment without services such as a local post office.
The post office is essential to those without a car, these are often elderly people. The alternative post offices that you have suggested are approximately one mile from Hardy Street. The bus service to them is poor and infrequent making a round trip by bus take two hours. The walk to and from the alternative post offices will take at least an hour. [South Park distances to follow]
We live in an age of increasing danger from climate change and environmental pollution as well as increasing congestion on our roads. Your proposal will ensure that people are forced to use their cars for post office services, making a real negative impact to our environment.
It is right that services such as local post offices are subsidised. This is the purpose of taxation - it protects vulnerable people and provides others with good services and security for the future.
Please do not close our post office.
Friday, 5 October 2007
Incinerator
Letter published in Kent Messenger today:
Dear Editor,
With news that the incinerator has died and that 5000 tonnes of waste is now to be landfilled, now has never been a better time for action to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Supermarkets and chainstores continue to sell goods with ridiculous amounts of packaging, some goods being wrapped two or three times in plastic destined to sit in landfill. We all have to put pressure on these companies to stop this crazy and pointless practice.
Collectively we must also start to challenge the 'throw away' culture that is great for business, but bad for the environment and bad for our wallets. Goods have shorter and shorter lifespans as quality declines and disposability increases. We should all challenge the companies that produce these throw away goods and the best way to do this is not to give them our trade. We must get the maximum amount of use possible from goods and reuse them wherever possible.
Increasing recycling is not the best option for reducing waste, it takes time, effort, money and energy to recycle. We should only recycle where we haven't been able to reduce or reuse waste.
Landfilling and incineration are both wrong - we have a duty to future generations to leave them a planet, not a rubbish tip.
Stuart Jeffery
Green Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Maidstone and The Weald
Maidstone Green Party
60 Boxley Road
Maidstone
07970 436029
01622 808370
Welcome!!!
I have started this blog to focus on politics in Maidstone, especially Green politics. My other blogs cover a Green approach to health care and general Green issues, but I didn't have one just for politics. I do now - please comment on my blogs.
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