It’s Living Wage Week: Let’s make it mandatory says London Green Party 3 November 2013 by sianberry Living wage week right time to make it mandatory, starting with big business and government Jenny Jones AM has called for the Mayor of London to look at ways to start making the London Living Wage mandatory during the second Living Wage Week. Jenny Jones right, with Green Party activists Despite previously telling the London […] Read more »
Universal credit is both “mean-spirited” and “shambolic” says Green Party 28 October 2013 by sianberry Responding to the government’s announcement that universal credit is today being rolled out to just one Jobcentre, Hammersmith in London, Romayne Phoenix the Party’s spokesperson on Welfare said: “The Green Party has long opposed the government’s universal credit scheme on ideological grounds. By sapping money from the poor and making victims of anyone who needs […] Read more »
Euro-MPs back Green calls to suspend data sharing deal with US 24 October 2013 by sianberry The European Parliament today adopted a resolution calling for the suspension of the EU-US agreement on the exchange of bank transfer data, following the revelation that the US secret service NSA was also involved in the surveillance of SWIFT (the international bank transfer company). After the vote, London’s Green Party MEP Jean Lambert stated: “In calling for the […] Read more »
Mayor of London won’t clamp down on ‘Downton-style’ segregated housing aimed at investors 23 October 2013 by sianberry The Mayor of London refused to clamp down on developers insisting on separate entrances and lifts for affordable housing that help sell homes to investors, following questioning by Darren Johnson AM today at Mayor’s Question Time. Darren asked about One The Elephant, a development of 284 flats with prices starting at £330,000 for a studio […] Read more »
Downturn in ridership raises questions for cycle hire scheme 22 October 2013 by sianberry The number of cycle hires in September this year has decreased by 32% when compared to the same month in 2012, new Transport for London figures show. In January 2013 cycle hire scheme access fees increased from £1 to £2 per day, £5 to £10 a week and £45 to £95 a year. A TfL […] Read more »
World leaders must renew focus on tackling poverty and inequality, says London MEP 22 October 2013 by sianberry WORLD leaders must focus on providing more decent work for women and young people as well as eradicating poverty and hunger, London MEP Jean Lambert has said. In a message for International Day for the Elimination of Poverty the Green Euro-MP has called for the UN to step up efforts to meet the Millennium Development […] Read more »
“Keep the East Coast Mainline public” says Green Party ahead of demo 18 October 2013 by sianberry The Green Party has given its full support to today’s demonstration, organised by the campaign group Action for Rail, against the proposed re-privatisation of the East Coast Mainline railway. The party has called upon the government to listen to the demands of its travelling public with national support for renationalising the railways currently standing at […] Read more »
MEPs back Green calls to end monthly ‘merry-go-round’ of European parliamentary meetings 15 October 2013 by sianberry LONDON Green Euro-MP Jean Lambert has welcomed a vote by the European Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs Committee to scrap the monthly ‘merry-go-round’ of holding meetings in both Brussels and Strasbourg. She said the practice, which sees up to 5,000 lawmakers and parliamentary staff travel some 550 miles from Brussels to Strasbourg and back each month was […] Read more »
Babies low birth weight linked to air pollution 15 October 2013 by sianberry Babies born to mothers who live in areas with air pollution and dense traffic are more likely to have a low birth weight, according to a large European study. The researchers, who included a team from the UK, found that babies were smaller even in areas with relatively low levels of air pollution, well below […] Read more »
MEPs reject Tory calls for public to be denied say on fracking 11 October 2013 by sianberry PUBLIC consultation will play a key role in future applications for ‘fracking’ in Croydon and Orpington – and major development projects like Heathrow – after MEPs voted to revise EU legislation on environmental impact assessments (EIAs). The Greens strongly welcomed provisions to make EIAs compulsory for non-conventional fossil fuel projects, notably shale gas extraction and […] Read more »