Green MEP heads to Kingston to discuss key concerns for local residents 24 April 2009 by sianberry ean Lambert, London’s Green Party MEP, will join local Greens for a walkabout in Kingston next weekend on Saturday 2nd May. Jean will be meeting residents and discussing the key issues for the borough. Education is one area of concern. Kingston’s schools are hugely oversubscribed, and in March the council admitted that it faced a […] Read more »
UK failing to clean up London’s air quality 24 April 2009 by sianberry Defra announced today that it was submitting its application for a further delay on crucial EU air quality targets — targets that the UK was meant to meet by 2005 (1). EU air quality targets are negotiated in the EU Parliament to reduce the pollutant particles found in London’s air. These particles have been linked […] Read more »
Brent Greens say use of weed-killer is “reckless” 21 April 2009 by sianberry Dr. Shahrar Ali, Brent Green Party’s spokesman for the environment, says the use of the chemical Glyphosate to kill weeds could put the safety of London residents at risk. Shahrar said: “There are still investigations in the European Union whether or not it could be allowed because there are cases where it could be causing harm to human health. […] Read more »
Met G20 tactics “fundamentally wrong” – MPA motion 21 April 2009 by sianberry A motion has been tabled for the agenda of the next public meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority on the 30th May, 10am at City Hall. The motion recognizes that policing the G20 demonstration on the 1st April was: "difficult, but believes that the strategy and tactics adopted by the Metropolitan Police were fundamentally wrong." […] Read more »
London Mayor fails rape victims 21 April 2009 by sianberry The London mayor has so far failed to come up with the money to deliver on his promise of three new rape crisis centres in London. Only £233,000 a year was included in this year’s budget towards the centres. Jenny Jones was only one of two Assembly members who supported an amendment to the budget […] Read more »
Boris Johnson’s first year – Green Assembly Member speaks out 21 April 2009 by sianberry As Boris Johnson approaches his first anniversary as London Mayor on 2nd May, Green Assembly Member, Darren Johnson AM, reflects on the Mayor’s first year in office. Darren said, “Although there have been one or two bright spots such as scrapping Ken Livingstone’s six-lane road bridge and planting more trees, Boris Johnson’s overall performance has been deeply depressing. We have […] Read more »
New report shows huge energy wastage from mobile phone masts 20 April 2009 by sianberry Competition between mobile phone companies is wasting almost 300 GWh a year due to duplication of telephone network equipment, says a new report from the Green Party. According to the report, published Monday 20 April, the amount of energy currently wasted by the mobile phone networks would be enough to: * Run almost a third […] Read more »
Pre-budget comment – Scrap scrappage – it’s rubbish! 17 April 2009 by sianberry Darren Johnson, London Assembly Member, and Green Party spokesperson on trade and industry, says the "scrappage" policy likely to feature in this month’s Budget is "fundamentally flawed." Darren Johnson said: "This was tried in Germany. It increased sales of new cars by 40% but it probably had little real positive impact. Consumers simply shifted their […] Read more »
Parliament Committee votes to step up maternity leave to 20-week Minimun 16 April 2009 by sianberry Today the European Parliament Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality voted to set maternity leave at a minimum of 20 weeks, as well as giving a strong political signal on paternity leave. London’s Green MEP, Jean Lambert, commented: "There is no bigger event for an individual or a family than welcoming a new child […] Read more »
Green Party asks further questions of Met on policing 15 April 2009 by sianberry Jenny Jones, the Home Affairs spokesperson for the Green Party (and a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority) responds to the release of footage of a police officer striking a woman protester on the 2nd April 2009: "This new video footage confirms what many of us knew, that the assault on Ian Thomlinson was far from […] Read more »