Jenny Jones, Deputy Mayor of London, Darren Johnson, Green Party Mayoral Candidate and Jean Lambert, Member of the European Parliament will be setting out Green Party programme for London for the next term of office.
The Green Party is putting forward an exciting vision of a Green London where quality of life for all is the major priority. The manifesto sets out Green Party policies for real and solid improvements in the everyday things that affect Londoners lives.
At present, London Green Party has one sitting MEP, Jean Lambert and three sitting members of the London Assembly including the post of Deputy Mayor of London. The Party is expecting to increase the number of elected Greens across London.
Darren Johnson, Green Party Mayoral candidate for London said, "My vision for London isn’t just a sprawling metropolis to provide even more get rich quick schemes for property developers. My vision for London is for a green city, a vibrant city of urban villages, each with its own strong identity, strong local economy and quality local services within walking distance for everyone. More and more people are ready to support our vision for London and the radical policies that I would introduce as Mayor. We are looking forward to the best Green vote ever on June 10th."
Jean Lambert Green MEP said "This manifesto is a roadmap describing how elected Greens will protect London’s public services boosting Londoner’s quality of life through adopting green energy, planning and waste policies for the city – and integrating anti-discrimination, human rights and social justice into our work, both in the European Parliament and the GLA."
Jenny Jones, Green Party Assembly Member and Deputy Mayor of London of London said, "Voters know that Greens deliver on their promises. Our manifesto lays out our programme of environmental and social justice that informs and guides all our work once elected. It does what it says on the tin."
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The Green Party Manifesto for London 2004
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Transport – affordable, safe, reliable
* An immediate end to new roadbuilding and the £1.2 billion saved to be re-allocated to facilities for cyclists and pedestrians and improvements in public transport
* Congestion charging extended to all of Greater London, with lower charges for outer zones, and a levy of £3,000 a year on company car-parking spaces.
* A five-year fares freeze, free travelcard scheme for unwaged people and young people, reduced fares for low-paid workers
* Seamless bus/rail/tube transfers for disabled people, with at least 50 per cent accessibility by 2015 and full access by 2020
* All tube and rail services to be brought back into public ownership, an all night tube service at weekends, an orbital rail service for inner London and investment in new tramways
* An Air Traffic Congestion Charge, a total ban on night flights and an end to airport expansion
An economy for Londoners, not big business
* Creating 80,000 new jobs in transport and the environment sectors jobs as well as new jobs in creative industries, manufacturing and local public services. A five-year tax break for new manufacturing and green industry
* Greater support for local, small businesses, including targets for affordable business premises in new commercial developments and preferential rates for small businesses.
Better public services and local amenities
* Fighting to save threatened local services across London – such as health centres, nurseries, schools, libraries, post offices and advice centres
* Campaigning against privatisation, which puts profit before the public service ethos, undermines local, public control and threatens local jobs.
* A GLA Housing for London Authority to ensure the provision of high quality, truly affordable homes for Londoners, which will set targets to end homelessness, make full use of empty buildings, oversee the renovation of substandard estates and housing and ensure sufficient new home-building to tackle the housing crisis
* Greater action on the social factors leading to poor health, including unemployment and poor education and housing
* An HIV/AIDS Action Plan to improve treatment and prevention and to tackle social exclusion
Human rights and equalities
* A London Human Rights and Equalities Centre, to promote awareness of human rights
* Support for a London Youth Parliament and establish a London Regional Forum on Ageing
* Ensure all London policies meet the demands of the Disabled People’s Manifesto for London
* Full equality for lesbians and gay men, including partnership, pension and housing rights
Safer neighbourhoods
* More local police stations
* Action on gun crime – cutting off gun supply and improving witness protection
* Social prevention of crime, tackling poverty and unemployment and ensuring quality youth facilities in every local community
* Tougher action on domestic violence, racist and anti-gay crime, and corporate crime
* Ending police racism and discrimination, better protection of civil liberties and work to end to Stop and Search harassment
* Legalising cannabis and treating heroin addiction as a health issue and not a crime problem – providing more residential rehabilitation for crack and heroin users
Environment
* A Zero Waste strategy, to minimize waste and maximize recycling, shut down existing incinerators and stop new ones being built
* All the Mayor’s planning meetings to be held in public. Objectors will have the same right to present their case as developers
* Ensuring mandatory installation of solar panels on all new buildings
* Protecting water ways and all green open spaces
* A major tree-planting scheme to ensure street trees in every street
* A GLA Strategy for Animals in consultation with animal protection groups. Working to get an animal rights officer in every borough
Safe healthy food
* Action to improve access to affordable, healthy, nutritious food in poorer areas
* A local farmers market in every town centre in London and support for food co-ops and community food initiatives
* One thousand new allotment plots by 2008
* Free fruit for all London’s primary school children and all junk food and drink vending machines removed from schools
Real democracy
* More powers to be transferred from the Mayor to the London Assembly, including the power to shape and amend all Mayoral strategies and policies
* Strategic responsibility for health, education, housing and energy to be devolved from central government to the GLA – abolition of the Government Office for London and its powers transferred to the GLA
* The introduction of smaller boroughs or community councils, to involve more people in local decision making and opposing mergers of the present boroughs
Culture, arts and sport for all
* Funding for a non-profit community arts centre in every local area, equipped with affordable space for performances, rehearsals and meetings
* Funding for a major Museum of Immigration, to build on the work of the Spitalfields Centre
* Focus funding on providing decent local affordable sports facilities in every borough, including facilities for disabled people. Stop the sale of playing fields.
Darren Johnson is 37 and was selected as the Green Party’s candidate for Mayor of London in May 2003. He was elected to the London Assembly in May 2000 where he is Leader of the Green Party Group. He was also elected to Lewisham Council in May 2002.
The Mayoral election will be held on June 10th at the same time as the elections for the London Assembly and the European Parliament. At the last Assembly elections the Greens scored one of their best ever results in the Party’s history, securing 11.1% of the vote across London and winning three seats on the 25-member Assembly.
Darren Johnson’s vision for a sustainable Green London can be found on his website www.johnsonformayor.org.uk
Jean Lambert is London’s Green Member of the European Parliament and she is No 1 on the European election list for the London Green Party.Jean Lambert’s website is www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk
Green Party Assembly Members are Cllr. Darren Johnson AM, Deputy Mayor Jenny Jones AM and Noel Lynch AM