More polls, more good news

Just finished another couple of hours of leafleting (early morning is quite nice) and returned home to another stunning poll, this time in the Telegraph.

Con 29 (-1)
Lib Dem 20 (+2)
Lab 17 (-7)
Green 11 (+1)
UKIP 10 (nc)
BNP 5 (+4)

The UKIP and Lib Dem results seem to be quite volatile compared to the last few polls I've seen, but Green support seems to be holding steady at 10-11%. This poll was done without prompting, i.e. people were not asked if they would vote Green, they had to volunteer the name. (Normally Euro election polls underplay Green support if people are not offered the Green Party name as a party to show support for.)

This is just excellent news and means that we need to keep plugging away with leaflets and door knocking.

Why vote Green

This piece in yesterday's Guardian is sombre reading, but wholly expected. 300,000 deaths currently occurring each year as a result of climate change and due to rise to 500,000 (an underestimate I would have thought).

So what do the petrol heads do? They look for more oil to burn. This has to be stopped - we have to leave this stuff in the ground and concentrate on alternatives such as Kent's London Array.

Polls together

The Times has put us on 10% nationally, just 2% behind the Lib Dems and 6% behind Labour. This is fantastic news, especially as the regional differences could mean a fabulous result across the country. Our share is in line with the recent Guardian poll and Sunday Express poll. The Sunday Express poll had regional breakdowns showing the South East 4% ahead of the LibDems.

The mood on the doorstep in Maidstone is fascinating. Some are protesting about the expenses by not voting and some people who haven't voted for many years are voting to show their anger!

All round support

This is from Cllr Brian Wood, Independent, and former Labour, County Councillor for Maidstone South East: "As a retiring councillor, I am asking people to vote Green next week. I left the Labour party because they turned their back on people but I believe the Greens now fill that gap. Local Greens have shown that they don't just care about the environment, but that they care about people, jobs and communities. Please give them your vote."

Cheers Brian!

Also today from the Daily Mail: "Ab Fab star Joanna Lumley comes out for the Green Party after her Gurkha victory". And again in the Evening Standard:"Lumley: The Green Party is the obvious choice in poll"

Canvassing in Fant yesterday was excellent too! The number of Green voters there seems to be much higher than last year, so fingers crossed. I even got chastised for not having delivered a "Vote Green" garden board to one house... I'll have to knock one up tonight as it's raining.

Bizarre Lib Dem leaflet

While being very used to the LibDem tactic of claiming that only they can beat the Tories, this latest leaflet from Maidstone Lib Dems is just plain bizarre.

The leaflet refers to the councillors on Maidstone Borough Council and claims that "only the Lib Dems can beat the Conservatives here".

I hope they have realised that neither election next week is for Maidstone Borough Council...

They also reference the parliamentary constituency, again quite bizarrely. I'm sure the borough councillors in Maidstone and the Weald are of a different make up from the MBC area.

It's all extremely misleading and sad. Mind you I think we have Lib Dem tactic lite compared to other places in the UK!

For the record, the last poll that I saw had the Greens ahead of the Lib Dems in the South East by 4 points and of course we are electable, Maidstone has had a Green MEP for the past 10 years.

Lobby for proportional representation

Copy of letters to: Peter Mandelson, Harriet Harman, David Miliband and James Purnell in response to recent constitutional crises. See 'Make Votes Count' for more info and please email them if you can! Address letters to Harriet Harman, David Miliband and James Purnell c/o House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. You can also email them: harmanh@parliament.uk , milibandd@parliament.uk and purnellj@parliament.uk

Stuart

Dear Ministers,

There is currently an unprecedented opportunity to bring in positive reforms to parliament in the wake of the expenses problem and I understand that you have been asked to consider these.

Can I urge you to bring in proportional representation for general (and local) elections. The majority of people in this country are not represented by a MP or party that they voted for, a situation that PR would drastically reduce. Furthermore, and in Labour's own self interest, the best way to prevent an overwhelming Tory majority following the next election would be if they only had 40% of MPs!

PR has been shown to work in London, Scotland, Wales, and especially Germany where the rainbow coalition produced one of the most stable governments in Europe for over 20 years.

Concerns about letting extremists in are reasonable, but I ask what price democracy? Extremists will not last long - the public are not stupid and will see through them quickly.

You have an unique opportunity to bring in a modern electoral system which will save Labour's face and Labour MPs. This could be done quickly with or without a referendum and be pushed through in the next six months!

And while you're at it, an elected upper chamber wouldn't go a miss!

Stuart

Mood on the doorstep

I just love door knocking: listening to people's views and ideas is great, but the mood on the street is very strange...

Green support is rising and the anger towards the big three is incredible.

Today's poll in the Guardian shows us 50% higher than 2004, with UKIP support dropping by about 40%. Good news all round.

Reforming politics

This piece is the Guardian is a ray of hope from the parliamentary debacle of the past few weeks. Constitutional reform was needed 200 years ago and and is as pressing now as could ever be. Let us hope that Brown takes this as an opportunity to make radical changes.

Sadly I doubt that he has either the time or the will to bring in proper reform and I guess that he will suggest another fudge.

My top 5 reforms:

1. Proportional representation at all levels of government (I almost don't mind what type but the way that the London and Scottish elections are run seems to work).
2. Elected upper house. Possibly the most bizarre aspect of a government that calls itself democratic is to have parliamentarians who are not elected.
3. Cap on donations and / or public funding of parties with sufficient support
4. 'Digs' for MPs who need to stay over night in London, not second homes.
5. Constituents decide on pay for their MP??? The concept that MPs cannot afford to live on four times the minimum wage is just pathetic.

I am happy that MP's get work related expenses covered (most employers should do this anyway), but to suggest that ordinary people might be kept out of politics if salaries are £65k plus second home is frankly obscene. If an MP can't get by easily on half of that then they clearly have little understanding to how most people have to live.

LibDems vote for Nukes

Many of the LibDems who I know tell me that their party is anti-nuclear and while I welcome that, it appears that their MEPs are not. The Green-EFA alliance has published voting records on key issues here.

On the Laperrouze report in February this year:

8 out of 9 LibDems voted against a nuclear phase out plan...
8 out of 9 LibDems voted against best possible nuclear safety standards...
8 out of 9 LibDems voted against public funds only being used for nuclear safety R&D...

Don't let them tell you they are anti Nuclear! Business as usual in the Rhetoric - Reality Disconnection Party.

Greens ahead of LibDems in South East

It just gets better and better, the ComRes poll puts the Green Party ahead of both the LibDems and UKIP in the South East

Conservative: 28%
Labour: 22%
Green: 16%
UKIP: 15%
LibDem: 12%
BNP: 2%
Others: 4%

4 points ahead of the LibDems - fantastic news!!!

Campaigning works - Greens on the rise

Fantastic day of campaigning today! Big Green Bus came to Maidstone and we spent a couple of hours dodging the downpours while handing out the EU Greenleaf and Green Party windmills. The reception in town was very good and matches the news today that we have doubled our rating in the polls and we are just 3% behind the Lib Dems!!!

"This morning’s survey of June 4th EU election voting intention from the telephone pollster, ComRes, that’s in the Sunday Express is even more significant. For the shares are: CON 28%: LAB 20%: LD 14%: UKIP 15%: GRN 11%: BNP 4%."

What is more in a YouGov poll to be released tomorrow (Monday 18 May), 34% of respondents
said they would either definitely be voting Green or would consider voting Green. This is the highest percentage ever to indicate potential support for the Greens.

I've started delivering the garden boards - if you want one for your garden let me know (as long as you are in Maidstone!). Another 7,000 leaflets arrive on Thursday to go out at the weekend and the rest of the time is for canvasing.

Reinstate Margaret Haywood

A couple of weeks ago Mark Thomas brought his People's Manifesto tour to Maidstone and Maidstone voted for "Nurse whistle blowers should be supported not sacked". As well as building the People's Manifesto, part of the deal is that Mark has to campaign to get the pledges delivered on. Mark has asked me to help him with this one, so...

to start with can I urge people to sign the various petitions and join campaigns to support Margaret Haywood:

Number 10
RCN

Also email your MP to sign the Early Day Motion.

And join the Facebook group

And if you missed the Panorama programme, see it again here.

Nurse whistleblowers should be backed not sacked!

Party election broadcast

Our part election broadcast, enjoy!

Expenses pledge

The most sickening aspect of the whole expenses affair is that these appallingly greedy MPs would still be claiming for dog food, nappies, various homes etc. if they hadn't been caught. It is no good them apologising, the public wants immediate change and an that means an election. They should stand down now and repay the money.

If I get elected I will make any expenses that I claim public. I will be held to account for them and they will be open to full scrutiny. If I get elected, the electorate will be my employer and therefore you would be entitled to know what I will be doing and claiming.

However, if I'm not elected soon and get a new job some distance away where I have to stay during the week, I won't be asking my employer to pay for the flat, a cleaner, my travel to work, dog food or women's dresses. I will be buying these myself from my salary (except the last two items as I don't have a dog and don't wear many dresses). Any normal person would take this approach. Let elect some normal people to parliament and kick out those with snouts in the trough.

Gotta pick a pocket or two?

Wonderful thought below from the great Beau Bo D'Or on MP's expenses. I say scrap the second home scheme and provide MP digs for MPs to use. There was a report that an MP claimed £800 for a TV, my TV cost £30 a few years back (secondhand) - it is not plasma or flatscreen, but so what?

Anyway, enjoy!

More criminals in Kent

More amazing revelations from the policing of the climate camp today. The police spied on local magistrate and chair of CPRE Kent, Richard Know Johnson... Clearly a hardened criminal that needs locking up?

From the BBC: 'Allyn Thomas, Assistant Chief Constable of Kent Police, defended the force's strategy: "Because we know people feel very strongly about these environmental concerns, there is the possibility that there will be some outburst, whether it's just unpleasantness or criminality. "'

So now the police are cracking down on unpleasantness, so perhaps they ought to arrest Nigel Farage for his party political broadcast? Along with telling poorer nations that the UK is nice and rich and is not prepared to support anyone else and that they can all get lost 'cause they are theiving foreigners, I think he started to talk about fraud and the EU.

I must say I was a bit switched off with his xenophobic clap trap at that stage so I missed bits but I suggest that UKIP ought to look to their own record on fraud:

Tom Wise MEP... £40k of public funds - still waiting to go to court I think.
Ashley Mote MEP... convicted of 21 charges of fraud.

Impressive, only 2 out of 12 MEPs.

What party are you?

I seem to have come close to the bullseye on the EU Profiler site, but the interesting bit is that they have placed Labour to the right of the Tories. That should upset both of them! Monbiot has been saying that for some time and it certainly came as no surprise to me.

Vote for Change

Well done David Cameron, a message that is spot on for the Kent County Council elections next month. I hope that Kent voters will listen to Cameron and vote for change in the political make up of our council. The Tories have held Kent almost continually for the last 100 year - change is long overdue...

He also said: "With every Conservative vote, the message will be simple: Enough is enough. You're the past,". I think this is a bit rude??? Will this be going on their election leaflets? If I got told that I was 'the past' just for voting Tory I'd be a bit miffed!

I think the message should be 'Be part of the future now - vote Green'.

KIG march

I had hoped to put some photos of the StopKIG march on this blog, but the cameraman's camera wasn't compatible with my PC. He tells me that he has to take the film in to be developed... (note to self: take own camera next time and / or ensure cameraman is compatible with 21st century, etc., etc.)

The march (walk) was very well attended, it looked to me have around 1000 people there, and there was good coverage in the press. The Beeb here and KM here.

Four local Greens attended; we have been thoroughly supportive of the campaign. Friends of the Earth went along too.

Harbouring criminals

Maidstone has hit the nation headlines with the news that Labour Peer, Baroness Uddin, doesn't live here. She has been claiming a second home allowance for her second home in Wapping while claiming that her home in Maidstone is her main residence, according to the Torygraph.

While more and more parliamentarians are found with snouts in troughs, we can vote out the MPs but we can't get rid of peers.

It is time to not just reform the expenses system (give them student style digs to use if they need them) but also to scrap the Lords in favour of a wholy elected house (obviously by proportional representation).

Labour, you had so much opportunity but you have wasted it.

Mark Thomas has a particularly good site on the lords: comparethemarquis.com

Stop KIG walk in Bearsted

Please do not reply to this email use info@stopkig.org

http://www.stopkig.org info@stopkig.org Latest News Countryside Walk

Are YOU joining us for our supporters walk on Monday 4th May?? It only needs 30 minutes of your time to join us for the photo-shoot on The Green at 10am, or a little longer if you are able to walk with us to show support and help us protect this countryside for us and future generations. Please join us if you can, and bring family and friends too!! T-shirts available to purchase on the day- these help us raise much needed funds-please buy one if you are able. They are only £7.70 each! As we are expecting a large number of people to attend this walk, we want to avoid a bottle-neck as we set off down The Street. After the photos, it is suggested to line up behind the marshals who will be at the side of the Green to lead everyone in large groups. Reminder…..Don’t forget the MBC Planning meeting 6pm on Thurs 7th May. This is being held at The Maidstone Studios, New Cut Road, Bearsted. (see NEWS page on our website) More details of both events on our website. See www.STOPKIG.org for details Save your countryside from Kent International Gateway

Belarus Roma

Economic downturns, increasing surveillance and increasing fearful governments all mean that people living in the margins get persecuted. Roma everywhere are a clear example of this. The appalling actions of the Italian government have not gone completely unnoticed by the press as they attempt to database and criminalise the Roma there. Racism must be stopped wherever it occurs.

The email below is from Belarus. I can't verify any of it, but I have no reason to doubt it either.

Dear Greens!
Last news from Belarus

http://www.dzeno.cz/?c_id=18196

Let them to survive…

Today is 40 days when one 14 years Roma girl was suicide. According to Russian Orthodox Church tradition, 40 days its symbolic. It was in Tolochin, small town in Vitebsk region. According to Tolochin branch office of Party of Communists of Belarus, today, local library membership card is the only one document which certificated her existence in that life. There was no birthday certificate, no medical card, no school attendance certificate; nothing left…Nothing left, except just simple short piece of paper, librarian membership card. According to local leader of Tolochin branch office of Party of Communists of Belarus, officially there is no evidence about Natalia Tumarevich’s existence in Tolochin!!!

Natalia Tumarevich was typical Roma girl. Nice, bold, funny girl with whole life in front of her. How did she live? What dreams she had? What she liked? We don’t know…

What have happened in Belarus with Roma? What is going on in Belarus? Suicide’s a not characteristic of Roma community. Roma people has very high survival rate everywhere. But everything has an edge even Roma survival rate.

Roma living conditions are very far from ideal everywhere, it’s true. Different numbers of Roma population in Belarus. I would say something about 25000. Approximately 97 percent of total Roma population is totally unemployment. More then 90 percent didn’t finish secondary school. There are no Roma school, no Roma newspapers, no Roma classes, no cultural programs, nothing. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that but it is. People are existing in Belarus without any kind of positive attention from Belarusian government. In the same time TV channels disseminating different stereotypes about Roma people, doing that with the great pleasure, doing everyday… Attention for Roma people in Belarus directed to discriminate them, to prevent, to separate them from education, from job, from the progress. It’s not a single case, it’s Belarusian state policy to discriminate Roma people!!!

Stop to left “librarian membership cards”, stop it now. We are people like everyone else. And we will live our life like a people!!!

For everyone I want to appeal with this. Imagine, please, how many Natalia Tumarevich’s are in your country? Some of them are very close too you, somewhere next too you. Probably, everyday you meet people like Natalia. Remember, Natalia Tumarevich still leaving in your city, in your town, in your country and you are in position to help her. We can’t resurrect poor Roma girl from Belarus but what we can do is to stop our indifference to people like Natalia. Let them to survive…

Kalinin Nicolas

Delegate in European Roma Travelers Forum

Member in Federation of European Roma Young People

Widdecombe - more denial

More appaling crap from Ann Widdecombe, but a big congrats to Rob Callaghan and the Maidstone FOE group for getting this in the press.

I have been waiting for her to start promoting smoking as a healthy lifestyle option, or caution against travelling too far in a single direction for fear of falling off the edge of the world. Perhaps when she realises that cats will die in the 6th mass extinction she will have second thoughts?

Cameron claimed to be green but then allows elected members to trumpet anti-science / anti-truth views like these (and Widdecombe is far from being alone!). If he wants to show some leadership then he should sack them. The stakes are far too high to have idiots like these in a future government.

Of course Widdecombe won't be an MP by then, but I have no confidence that Helen Grant (Tory PPC for M & the W) will be much better.



Marc from Throbgoblins spells it out really well today: