The Green Party in Norwich is setting out ambitious plans to make it affordable for more households to opt for renewable energy and insulation to save money on their fuel bills.

If the Greens become the largest party on Norwich City Council after the local elections on September 9th, they plan to introduce the scheme even at a time when the coalition government is cutting funding for local councils.

Tomorrow (Wednesday 25th August), Darren Johnson, the party's trade and industry spokesperson, will be visiting Norwich to give his backing to the local plan. Darren Johnson was elected to the London Assembly ten years ago, and he was the chair of the assembly in 2009/2010.

Darren Johnson said: "I am very excited by the Norwich Green Party's plans to make life in the city greener and fairer. Practical plans to make the city's homes more energy efficient will help the environment and cut fuel bills for everyone. It's time to turn Norwich Green by voting Green on September 9th "

Johnson will visit the home of Robert and Clare Prowse and their two children at 17 Gould Road, Norwich, a house which offers an example of what the Green Party would like to provide.

The three bedroom semi was built three years ago by the Broadland Housing Association. It has modern standards of insulation and its electricity is provided by a solar panel array on the roof. The Prowses have been pleased with bills of £20 a month for all their electricity needs. Surplus electricity from the solar panels is sold to the national grid and the family receives a cheque every six months, typically for £70.

Crucially, Mrs Prowse believes the family would have been unable to afford the cost of fitting the system had it not already been built in.

The Greens' plan would provide the opportunity for retro-fitting homes where renewable energy and upgraded insulation might not have been affordable. By investing in partnership with energy companies, or by setting up the council's own Energy Services Company (or ‘ESCO'), the aim would be to make solar panels available for generating domestic electricity and to roll out a programme of providing high-grade home insulation. These services would be provided free to householders where possible.

Something similar has already happened in Kirklees, west Yorkshire. In 2007, Green councillors in Kirklees were instrumental in launching a scheme to offer all households in their area free loft and cavity wall insulation. By October last year, 32 000 households were making an average saving of £200 a year on their fuel bills. The scheme created more than 100 jobs and is estimated to have cut the area's carbon emissions by 28 000 tonnes a year.

The long term benefits mean Kirklees Council is saving people £4.5 million a year.

The Green Party candidate for Lakenham ward is Kit Jones, who has worked with the Buildings Research Establishment on sustainable housing. He said: "The Kirklees scheme has been inspirational for us and the Green Party would like Norwich to follow suit. Money will be very tight at City Hall for the next few years but renewable energy is increasingly seen as a safe haven for investment. In the case of solar panels, electricity can be sold back to the grid with the proceeds used to repay the cost of installation and, in time, generate a profit. The scheme would also fight the recession by creating jobs."

Notes

1) A key part of the Green/Labour informal pact in Leeds recently was a £30 million project on free cavity wall and loft insulation for all private households in the Leeds council area. - http://www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2010/may/28/leeds-green-party-house-insulation

2) An ‘election special' edition of Norwich Green Party's Greenview newspaper is available online at: norwichgreenparty.org

3) If you want to help out the campaign in Norwich, or want more information, call 01603 611909.

Yesterday Australia became the second Commonwealth country this year to elect its first Green Party MP – and in a show of solidarity from the other side of the planet, the Australian Greens invited Britain’s first Green MP to broadcast a live message to their celebration party in Melbourne.

Caroline Lucas, the new Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, congratulated Adam Bandt (1, 2), the new Green Party MP for Melbourne, who like Caroline won the progressive vote to take a seat from a Labour party. Caroline today spoke of her delight in the Australian Greens’ success:

“It’s excellent news for Australia, because the Greens are the party nowadays offering the socially progressive policies as well as the best environmental policies.

“And it’s excellent news for the world, because with a stronger Green influence we can expect Australia to be pushing harder for a proper global agreement on climate change.”

The Australian Greens had been polling at 13-16% of the national vote over the last 6 months, and this held up during the election campaign (3).

High expectations of Bob Brown's Greens team

Adam Bandt had been expected to take the house of representatives (lower house) seat of Melbourne from the Labor Party. This seat covers the inner city suburbs of Melbourne and had been held by Labor since 1900.

According to an official from Greens leader Senator Bob Brown’s team, “This seat has been Labor’s heartland, but now many of the progressive voters of Melbourne have become disillusioned by Labor’s conservative stance on refugees, climate change and gay marriage as well as many other issues.”

The early indication (3) was that Adam Bandt polled 52% of the vote “after preferences”, the vote being held under the AV (additional vote) system currently under consideration for the UK house of commons.

Hung parliament – with Greens potentially holding upper-house balance of power

Australia now has a hung parliament, with both major parties wanting to rule, and with independents in the house of representatives potentially in a position to be influential (4).

What has been less widely reported, however, is that the increase in the number of Greens in the senate (upper house) from five to nine could leave the Greens holding the balance of power in the upper chamber.

An Australian Greens insider said yesterday as the votes were being counted that even if the Greens won only two or three new senate seats, “all commentators agree that we will hold the balance of power in the senate. This means we will have a much more influential role in the parliament and in amending and moving legislation. Senator Bob Brown, leader of the Australian Greens, has had unprecedented media attention during the campaign with good coverage of our health, education, transport and environmental policies."

Notes

1. Adam Bandt is an industrial and discrimination law lawyer. He ran for the seat in 2007 and got 45.3% of the vote after preferences were distributed and the Labor vote after preferences was 54% of the vote. This election the long-time Labor member who narrowly beat Adam in 2007 has retired, increasing Adam’s chances of winning.

2. See greens.org.au/content/adambandt# for further information relating to Adam Bandt's campaign.

3. Information provided by Senator Brown’s office to Green Party press office. At the time of writing, the official results website - vtr.aec.gov.au/Default.htm was not showing all of the final confirmed results. For early Australian reportage, see www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/21/2989795.htm

4. BBC Radio 4 Today, 0700 news bulletin 22.8.10.

Today Australia became the second Commonwealth country this year to elect its first Green Party MP – and in a show of solidarity from the other side of the planet, the Australian Greens invited Britain’s first Green MP to broadcast a live message to their celebration party in Melbourne.

Caroline Lucas, the new Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, congratulated Adam Bandt (1), the new Green Party MP for Melbourne, who like Caroline won the progressive vote to take a seat from a Labour party. Caroline today spoke of her delight in the Australian Greens’ success:

“It’s excellent news for Australia, because the Greens are the party nowadays offering the socially progressive policies as well as the best environmental policies.

“And it’s excellent news for the world, because with a stronger Green influence we can expect Australia to be pushing harder for a proper global agreement on climate change.”

High expectations of Bob Brown's Greens team

Adam Bandt had been expected to take the house of representatives (lower house) seat of Melbourne from the Labor Party. This seat covers the inner city suburbs of Melbourne and had been held by Labor since 1900.

According to an official from party leader Senator Bob Brown’s team, “This seat has been Labor’s heartland, but now many of the progressive voters of Melbourne have become disillusioned by Labor’s conservative stance on refugees, climate change and gay marriage as well as many other issues.”

The early indication is that Adam Bandt polled 52% of the vote “after preferences”, the vote being held under the AV (additional vote) system currently under consideration for the UK house of commons. Mr Bandt may even find himself in a “balance of power” situation.

Green Party campaign won progressive vote

As with their English colleagues in Brighton Pavilion, the Australian Greens won the Melbourne seat through an effective targeting strategy and a strong message to progressive voters on social issues, as well as far stronger environmental policies than the bigger parties were offering.

The Australian Greens had been polling at 13-16% of the national vote over the last 6 months, and this held up during the election campaign. At the time of writing it’s too early to tell how many new senators (upper house representatives) the Greens will gain, but a vote of this size could mean five new seats in the senate. This would bring the number of Greens in the upper chamber, which is elected under the single transferable vote system, to ten (3).

An Australian Greens insider said today as the votes were being counted:

“Even if we only get two or three new senators all commentators agree that we will hold the balance of power in the senate. This means we will have a much more influential role in the parliament and in amending and moving legislation. Senator Bob Brown, leader of the Australian Greens, has had unprecedented media attention during the campaign with good coverage of our health, education, transport and environmental policies."

Notes

1. Adam Bandt is an industrial and discrimination law lawyer. He ran for the seat in 2007 and got 45.3% of the vote after preferences were distributed and the Labor vote after preferences was 54% of the vote. This election the long-time Labor member who narrowly beat Adam in 2007 has retired, increasing Adam’s chances of winning.

2. See http://greens.org.au/content/adambandt# for further information relating to Adam Bandt's campaign.

3. Update: later it appeared the Greens had won four more seats in the senate, bringing the total to nine. See http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/21/2989795.htm.

Jenny Jones, Green Party member of the London Assembly and former deputy mayor of London, is in Norwich today supporting the Green Party's campaign to become the main party on a UK local authority for the first time ever.

The so-called "mega-by-election" has been scheduled as a result of a court decision earlier this year. The elections of 9th September could see Norwich Greens become the biggest party on the city council - having since 2008 been the first ever Green Party council group to form the official opposition, with more Green councillors than Conservatives and Lib Dems combined.

Supporting local businesses

A major strand in the Greens' campaign is support for local small businesses. Jenny Jones AM will meet leading members of the Green Party campaign team and the "Buy Local" network, who together are opposing a mini-supermarket development which many locals believe will harm existing smaller shops.

Jenny Jones is deputy chair of the planning and housing committee of the London Assembly, which this summer published Cornered Shops - a new report calling for better protections for small businesses under strengthened planning powers.

Greens across the country are playing a leading role in supporting the local economy during the recession:

- Lancaster's indoor market was saved through a campaign led by local Green councillors. A Green Party motion to council won the support of Labour and other councillors to ensure that tenants' leases were renewed. The decision meant that local jobs, tourism and food production were saved, and proved popular with local shoppers who enjoyed the choice and healthy goods provided by the market (1).

- In Camden, the local Green Party carries out an annual survey of local shopping streets in Dartmouth Park and Highgate. The survey measures how many vacant shops there are, how many have recently closed, and how many are soon to close. This helps the party to understand the particular problem areas, and most effectively campaign to protect local businesses. In 2006 for instance, Camden Green Party called for people to use local shops and avoid chain-stores, as a response to plans for the opening of yet another Tesco in Kentish town (2).

- In St Albans, Greens supported local campaigners who demanded "local business zones" which would offer protection against unaffordable rates (3).

- Plans for the construction of a new Asda in Shipley, in Bradford, were strongly opposed by local Green councillors, saying the store would undermine local businesses which were already struggling in the worst economic recession for a century (4).

- The York Green Party has produced a guide called "Local Shops for Local People" which promotes community traders. The Greens have delivered this street-by-street to all local residents (5).

- The Lewisham Green Party has encouraged the use of reusable cotton shopping bags bearing the logo "Shop Local in Ladywell." As well as promoting local businesses the reusable bags cut down on plastic waste. Local Green councillor Sue Luxton organised a competition at a local primary school to design a logo for the fairly-traded, organic cotton carriers (6).

Notes

1. See http://northwest.greenparty.org.uk/region/northwest/news/lancasters-indoor-market-saved-by-greens.html

2. See http://camden.greenparty.org.uk/localsites/camden/news/newstescokentish.html

3. See http://stalbans.greenparty.org.uk/news/111

4. See http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/4372589.Asda_store_plan_draws_criticism/

5. See http://york.greenparty.org.uk/news/21

6. See http://lewisham.greenparty.org.uk/localsites/lewisham/news/new-bags-to-promote-ladywell-shops-and-reduce-plastic-waste.html

Caroline Lucas MP, Green Party leader, has urged the European Commission to increase aid to Pakistan, amidst the continuing flood disaster.

The UN is set to hold an emergency session to boost international aid to flood-hit Pakistan. The international response has been slow, and the UN says it has raised only half of the $460m (£295m) needed for initial flood relief efforts.

The size of the area affected by the disaster is now equivalent to Belgium, Austria, and Switzerland combined.

Fewer than a million of the eight million people in urgent need have received basic supplies such as tents or plastic sheeting. As well, tens of thousands of villages remain under water.

Green Party leader Caroline Lucas said: "I join Oxfam in urging the European Commission president, José Manuel Barroso, to dramatically increase the EU's contribution to address the crisis in Pakistan. 14 million people have been affected so far, and one-third of the country is underwater. Aid agencies say eight million people are in need of immediate assistance, but many have received no aid at all."

Greens urge stronger action to tackle climate change

As well as addressing the immediate crisis, the Green Party is keen to draw attention to the views of the world's scientific community that climate change is leading to the greater frequency and severity of extreme weather events leading to crises like the one currently devastating Pakistan. A party spokesperson commented today, "The UK government and the EU are not doing anywhere near enough to push for effective science-based targets and the policies we need to implement to deliver them.

"Britain should be leading the world on this - if only because no-one else is. Both the parties in the coalition government have gone out of their way to portray themselves as green, yet now they're in government they have simply failed to take the urgent and radical action that they need to.

"Instead of a Thatcherite policy of cuts aimed at reducing the size of government, they should be pursuing a Green policy of massive investment to transform our economy to reduce our carbon emissions. The deficit is an important, but climate change is far bigger, its consequences far more devastating, and its effects will extend much further into the future if we don't prioritise it now.

"And let's remember that the policies for radically cutting our carbon emissions will also deliver a more stable economy, warmer homes, huge numbers of sustainable jobs, much better public transport, an end to fuel poverty and the start of a new era of energy security."

The Norwich Green Party is campaigning to become the largest party on Norwich City Council, with a special 13-ward by-election called for the 9th of September.

The video outlines their three campaign themes:

- transparency and accountability in local government
- help households save money on their fuel bills, by opting for renewable energy and more home insulation, and,
- a call for Norwich people to support the local economy, and the "Buy Local" campaign.

Contact Norwich Green Party on 01603 611 909 to help out with leafleting and canvassing and other campaign activities between now and the 9th September.

In a strongly-worded private letter, Green Party leader Caroline Lucas MP has accused the prime minister of dealing council and housing association tenants a double-whammy as the PM proposes to slash housing benefit (1) while attacking security of tenure.

The letter was sent on 5 August but the PM has yet to respond.

In the letter, the Green Party leader and MP for Brighton Pavilion questions the PM's evidence base and calls his proposals "ill-judged". Mr Cameron has indicated publicly - but with no prior announcement from the Department of Communities and Local Government - that he would like to see fixed terms for all new council and housing association tenancies, lasting as little as five years (2).

Caroline Lucas points out that "Cutting housing benefits will serve to further increase demand for social housing, as private tenants are unable to afford their rent."

She accuses the prime minister of "coercion", saying that "making continued occupation of a tenant's home dependent on an official deciding whether or not the tenant deserves to remain there would both remove tenants' security and discourage social mobility."

She asks: "Why would I want to get a job and do well if this meant I might lose my tenancy?"

The UK's first Green MP also questions the prime minister over the bureaucracy likely to be created by his proposal, including "the cost of the process of assessing who should and shouldn't lose their home, including the inevitable appeals and possible court cases..."

"These are people's homes not just their houses"

Caroline Lucas continues: "A real look at the evidence shows that the shortage of council house supply is not down to under-occupation by tenants but due to massive and continuous under-investment in council and social housing over decades accompanied by the disastrous policy of 'right to buy' which has decimated the council housing stock."

She adds, "it should not be forgotten that these are people's homes not just their houses and security of tenure is one of the great successes of council and social housing, allowing families to remain in areas they could never afford to stay in if this security did not exist and allowing them to make roots and play an active part in their communities."

The letter concludes with an attack on the government's cuts agenda, which Caroline Lucas says is the driving force behind the policy:

"This policy is a transparent attempt to divert attention away from the consequences of the cuts that your Government is making."

Notes

1. See "Housing benefit cuts will increase homelessness, Green Party leader warns" at http://www.greenparty.org.uk/News/2010-13-08-Lucas-Housing-benefit-cuts-homelessness.html.

2. See eg "David Cameron announces plan to end lifetime council tenancies: Council homes for life to be replaced by tenancies lasting as little as five years based on need and income", Guardian 3.8.10, at http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/aug/03/lifetime-council-tenancies-contracts-cameron.

3. The full text of the letter is below.

Rt Hon David Cameron MP
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA

5 August 2010

Dear David,

Council and Housing Association Tenancies

I am aware of the convention to write to the Minister responsible on a particular policy area.  However I am writing to you directly as public knowledge of your policy proposal on the above issue arises from the comments you made during your recent visit to Birmingham, rather than any official policy document from the Department for Communities and Local Government or communication with Parliamentarians.

The media reports that you want to see fixed terms for all new council and housing association tenancies lasting as little as five years.  The details of the proposal are not yet available on the DCLG website, despite press reports that a consultation paper is imminent.  It is not at all helpful for such a major policy proposal to be made before any official documentation is made available.  Nonetheless, going on what the press has reported, I understand that the idea is for a new short-term tenure to be implemented by local councils, involving regular reviews of tenancies.

I cannot see how your policy announcement could be described as evidence based.  On what basis do you conclude that under-occupation and high income are prevalent in the Council and social rented housing sectors?  I would be very interested to see the data upon which you have relied in coming up with this ill-judged policy.

A real look at the evidence shows that the shortage of council house supply is not down to under-occupation by tenants but due to massive and continuous under-investment in council and social housing over decades accompanied by the disastrous policy of "right to buy" which has decimated the council housing stock.  Do you still support "right to buy" given that you do not even appear to support the "right to rent"?

I should be grateful for details of what account has been taken of the impact of your Government's threatened cuts to housing benefits in relation to this policy?  Cutting housing benefits will serve to further increase demand for social housing, as private tenants are unable to afford their rent.  Clearly, it makes sense to provide opportunities for council and social housing tenants with space in their home to move to smaller accommodation if that is something they want to do.

However, it should not be forgotten that these are people's homes not just their houses and security of tenure is one of the great successes of council and social housing, allowing families to remain in areas they could never afford to stay in if this security did not exist and allowing them to make roots and play an active part in their communities.

As well as being unfair, coercion will be ineffective - it is not the way to improve council housing supply.  The threat of coercion in the background, making continued occupation of a tenant's home dependent on an official deciding whether or not the tenant deserves to remain there would both remove tenants' security and discourage social mobility.  Why would I want to get a job and do well if this meant I might lose my tenancy?  And what would be the cost of the process of assessing who should and shouldn't lose their home, including the inevitable appeals and possible court cases?

The Government cannot avoid the need for real and sustained investment in both council and social housing by trying to suggest the supply problems are caused by under-occupation of council homes.  It is not tenants who are to blame for the council and social housing crisis!

This policy is a transparent attempt to divert attention away from the consequences of the cuts that your Government is making and it can only be described as a counterproductive assault on tenants' rights.

I should be grateful for your response to my concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion

Caroline Lucas, the leader of the Green Party and MP for Brighton Pavilion, has warned that the coalition government's cuts to housing benefit could result in increasing social problems with serious debt and homelessness.

The Green Party leader was commenting on a recent report published by homelessness charity Crisis (1). The report highlights the social risks of housing benefit cuts, which will affect 936,960 households across the UK who are currently claiming local housing allowance (LHA). On average, these households will lose over £600 a year (2).

The report also warns that cuts to housing benefit could have hidden costs in the future, in order to deal with the social problems of homelessness, including health problems and providing accommodation.

Housing benefit cut is equivalent to big increase in income tax for poorer people

Caroline Lucas MP said:

“Consider someone earning £16,000 (after tax-free allowance) and receiving housing benefit. If they lose £728 that would be the equivalent of paying an income tax rise of over 4.5 per cent (3, 4, 5).

“These particular Tory-Lib Dem cuts will leave more people struggling to pay the rent, more people falling into serious debt and ultimately more people becoming homeless.

“This is very unfair, coming at a time when many of these people are facing economic uncertainty or even redundancy.

“Once again we see the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition’s cuts hitting the poorer people in society. The government could avoid these cuts by properly tackling tax avoidance and tax evasion perpetrated by some of the wealthiest, which could raise billions of pounds a year (6).”

Notes

1. The report by Crisis can be found at http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/publications/1008HBCuts%20formatted.doc. Crisis comments, “The Government announced cuts of £1.8bn to housing benefit in its emergency Budget soon after coming to power. According to an impact assessment by the Department of Work and Pensions, every one of the 123,000 households in the region reliant on Local Housing Allowance         (LHA) — the form of housing benefit paid to tenants in the Private Rented Sector — will be affected. On average, claimants in the South East will see their LHA cut by £12 per week, or £624 per year.”

2. Figures from “New figures reveal areas hardest hit by housing benefit cuts”, Crisis news release of 12 August 2010: http://www.crisis.org.uk/pressreleases.php/403/new-figures-reveal-areas-hardest-hit-by-housing-benefit-cuts.

3. £728 is the extra rent that people in one-bed properties in Caroline’s own constituency, Brighton and Hove will be forced to pay annually due to cuts in housing benefit. The amount will vary from area to area due to the government’s method of calculation. The calculation of housing benefit is complicated. The level of benefit you can claim is linked to local rents in the area and is calculated at the median rent level. The government is moving the basis of calculation of entitlement from the 50th to the 30th percentile (of rental costs of properties in a given area). The reason for the relatively high figure in Brighton and Hove is that there’s a bigger gap between the 30th and 50th percentiles. This is because there’s an especially large private rented sector in Brighton and Hove, so rent levels are more spread out, hence the bigger gap, hence the higher average cut in benefit.

4. £728 as a percentage of £16,000 = 4.55%. Of course taking into account tax-free allowance, the actual percentage would be much higher.

5. This and all other raw figures here are derived from the aforementioned report by Crisis, citing two government sources: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/local-authority-staff/housing-benefit/claims-processing/local-housing-allowance/impact-of-changes.shtml and http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/impacts-of-hb-proposals.pdf.

6. See Cuts: The Callous Con Trick by Caroline Lucas et al, http://www.financeforthefuture.com/TaxBriefing.pdf. See also Green Party news release of 19 June 2010, “Cuts ‘destructive and unnecessary’ says Green Party leader”, at http://www.greenparty.org.uk/News/2010-06-19-callous-cuts-report.html.

A Guardian newspaper survey of British MPs concerning climate change was met by “Stunning apathy, mainly,” says the newspaper today.

Only 11 per cent of the 650 MPs replied to a Guardian survey asking three short "yes or no" questions.

The paper, which wanted to test whether “the UK's new parliament think global warming is happening and manmade” said the survey results showed “worrying apathy,” especially as some 232 of the members elected in May – over one-third – are new to parliament. Only 70 MPs replied to the questions, which asked MPs whether they agreed with these statements:

1. Scientific evidence strongly suggests the world has been warming since the Industrial Revolution and will continue to do so?

2. Scientific evidence strongly suggests that most of this warming is caused by emissions from human activities?

3. The UK government should take urgent action to cut the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, in order to meet a target at least 20% lower by 2020?

Caroline Lucas, Green Party leader and the UK’s first Green MP, answered as follows:

1. Yes of course it does, and has done for many years.

2. Ditto.

3. Yes, but we must emphasise “at least”, because 20% by 2020 would be hopelessly inadequate.

Caroline Lucas today commented on parliament's "lack of wholehearted commitment" to tackling climate change:

“There clearly has been movement in the right direction over the years, but the bottom line is that there still isn't enough urgency or ambition behind action on climate change.

"And most politicians are still far too ready to talk about the difficulties of cutting emissions, when they could be focusing on the benefits – like warmer homes, much better public transport, huge numbers of sustainable jobs, a more stable economy, an end to fuel poverty.

"Radical CO2 reductions brought about by conservation and renewables would also give us energy security and would stabilise energy prices in a way that fossil fuels and nuclear power can’t hope to.

“In the end government doesn’t have the right targets – even 40% global cuts by 2020 would give us only a 50:50 chance of avoiding dangerous climate change.

"The Green Party can show how to deliver 90% cuts by 2030, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in the process.”

What did the survey demonstrate?

The Guardian acknowledged that it “would be wrong to draw many conclusions from this small and self-selecting sample but perhaps considering the response rate is the safest: 28% of the parliamentary Lib Dem party replied, 19% of Labour and just 2% of Tories. That would fit with many observers' ideas of the importance of the climate change issue to MPs in those parties,” said The Guardian, adding that of the mere seven Tory MPs who responded, one was a moderate climate sceptic and one more a “hard-core” sceptic. The Labour contingent also included “1 hard-core and 1 moderate sceptic,” said the paper.

The climate change and energy secretary, Chris Huhne, climate change minister Greg Barker and energy minister Charles Hendry all supplied three yeses, said The Guardian – adding that none of the three Defra ministers in the Commons bothered to reply.

A Green Party spokesperson commented today:

"It is slightly worrying that only 11 per cent of MPs, including less than a fifth of Labour and much less than one-third of the Lib Dems, could be bothered to take the opportunity to side with climate science.

"Of course MPs are not obliged to answer questions from newspapers – but they were simple enough questions. And with the evidence of the consequences of climate change mounting all the time, I would have thought any MP who was remotely concerned would have been glad of the opportunity to stand up and be counted."

The Green Party says it continues to be "the only party with the science-based targets, the right policies and the political will to tackle climate change."

The Crown Prosecution Service has decided that four police officers, accused of a "serious, gratuitous and prolonged" attack on terror suspect Babar Ahmad in December 2003, are to face criminal charges.

The high court was told last year that Ahmad was punched, stamped on, kicked, and strangled during his arrest by officers from one of the Metropolitan Police's territorial support groups (TSG).

The CPS's decision to prosecute came after an independent review by retired senior judge Sir Geoffrey Grigson into the handling of the case.

Jenny Jones, Green Party member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said: "We've known for many years that the TSG has needed reform. There have been consistent allegations of unnecessary aggression and brutality. I, for one, am tired of being assured by senior officers that all force has been 'reasonable' only to find out that it hasn't. It's difficult to believe even today that this same situation couldn't happen again. Urgent reform of the TSG is needed."

Green Party leader Caroline Lucas MP has asked the parliamentary catering authorities to consider introducing Meat Free Monday to the catering outlets in parliament.

The Meat Free Monday campaign, which is being pursued all around the UK by environmental and other groups, is encouraging local authorities, schools and other public and private bodies to allocate one day a week to providing a totally animal-free menu in order to help tackle the world's environmental and other problems.

Caroline Lucas MP explains in her letter:

"Farming and slaughtering animals is now recognised as a significant contributor to today's greatest environmental problems. According to the United Nations, livestock farming could be responsible for up to 18 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the entire transport sector combined. As well as saving carbon, reducing the amount of meat in our diets will also help improve health. (1)

"Parliament could send a powerful message and set a great example by designating one day a week as Meat-Free."

The letter was co-signed by Lib Dem MP John Leech and Labour MP Kerry McCarthy.

"Opt for quality over quantity," say Greens

A Green Party spokesperson said today:

"The central message of the campaign is that one meat-free day a week can make a difference.

"This is not about expecting everyone to become vegetarian or to restrict people's choices, but to spread awareness of the impacts that people's individual and collective choices can make.

"Meat Free Monday is an inventive and useful idea. The Green Party would like to see the UK move towards a situation in which people who choose to eat meat will opt for quality over quantity. A smaller amount of better-quality meat, produced in a sustainable way from animals that are well looked-after, would make for a tastier and healthier diet, better animal welfare and a significant contribution to tackling climate change."

Norwich Green Party candidates and councillors will take to the streets on Monday to find out from local people how Norwich City Council could be more open and responsive.

At a time when the Council faces difficult decisions, because of budget cuts imposed by the new coalition government, Greens believe it is essential that there is maximum transparency in everything the council does. Councillors need to listen more closely than ever before to what local people say about how the money should be spent.

With Green Party support in Norwich among the strongest in the country, the Norwich Greens could be the largest party on Norwich City Council after the 13-ward local council election on September 9th. The Norwich Green Party is pledging to do all they can to protect front-line services in the face of what has been described as the government’s “blunderbuss” approach to public spending cuts. (1)

At 11:30 on Monday (August 9th), Green Party candidates and councillors will put themselves in the front line of public opinion by setting up an interview point on the corner of St Peter’s Street between the Forum and City Hall.

They will sound out local people on ideas for more openness:

- Should council meetings be taken out to local communities?

- Should there be more "participatory budgeting," where citizens have a direct say in the allocation of part of the Council’s financial resources? (2)

- Should local people be asked for examples of council wastefulness, where money could be saved?

- Should they be able to choose priorities for spending and for cuts?

For those who may not have time to stop and talk, there’ll also be a suggestion box for written ideas that people would like the Greens to consider.

Claire Stephenson, former Green group leader on the council and now seeking re-election, said:“A few weeks ago I persuaded the Council to make the first move towards more openness. Councillors from all parties agreed to improve the system for scrutinising decisions that the ruling Executive councillors take.

"Information about the way the council works and the decisions it makes should be made available to far more people who live in the city.

"Now, with the election coming, we want to show we’re serious about moving further towards the Green vision of a City Council fully open to community participation. Part of that is to find out exactly how the people of Norwich want us to handle the difficult choices ahead, so we’re going out to ask them.”

The "Open Council" initiative is one of three main themes of the Green Party local election manifesto to be launched on Monday.

The Greens also want to take advantage of new arrangements which make it affordable for more households to opt for renewable energy and high-grade insulation to save money on their fuel bills, which can be done either by investing in partnership with energy companies, or by setting up our own Energy Services Company (or "ESCO").

The third strand of the Green manifesto will be a call to support the local economy partly through the "Buy Local" network. (3) This not only encourages Norwich people to seek out locally produced goods and services but also encourages local businesses to sign up others as suppliers.

Notes

1) www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk

2) http://www.participatorybudgeting.org.uk/

3) www.buylocalnorfolk.org.uk

3) The full by-election manifesto of the Norwich Greens will be available from Monday at: www.norwichgreenparty.org.uk

The Green Party will celebrate their first Member of Parliament, Caroline Lucas, at tomorrow's Pride in Brighton and Hove.

The party's human rights spokesperson, Peter Tatchell, will join the Green Party's float. The theme of this year's Pride is "Pride and No Prejudice."

Caroline Lucas MP said: "It's a privilege to have been elected by the voters of Brighton Pavilion constituency in May, as the country's first Green MP. Part of my job as your MP is to fight for fairness and equality to ensure LGBT people are respected and empowered - which isn't easy anywhere - even in such an LGBT-friendly place as Brighton and Hove.

"Many who identify from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities put their faith in me in May's general election so thank you.

"I'm sorry I can't be at Pride this year, as I was last year, as I have family commitments this time, but I wish you all well on this special day of the year. Have fun and celebrate!"

Phelim Mac Cafferty, National Chair of LGBTGreens added: "We are incredibly proud of the historic achievement of the election of our first MP, Caroline Lucas, and want to thank the people of Brighton Pavilion for putting their trust in us. Caroline has already used her first weeks as an MP to speak out against prejudice and will continue to campaign for LGBT equality. While naturally, we want to emphasise a sustainable approach to Pride we also want to show our gratitude to the people of Brighton Pavilion.

"The float will be built in the form of the Houses of Parliament and has been created according to sustainable standards: all of the wood used for the creation of Parliament is sourced from sustainable sources. While the face of Big Ben will be adorned with solar panels which will power the DJ rig on board the float - using sustainable energy in exactly the way we'd like to see the actual Houses of Parliament powered. The truck will also run on a biodiesel blend. Greens demonstrate in our own small way how alternatives can be found to depleting fossil fuels, and we are confident that because the people of Brighton have elected Caroline that they will share our Pride in pushing for a sustainable future.

Mac Cafferty concluded: "Greens are proud to be once again on the streets celebrating the LGBT communities and we are looking forward to a reflective time but one where we can also enjoy Brighton's biggest, best, free event. As well as having a float on the parade, we will have a community stall in Preston Park where more information about LGBTGreens is available. On behalf of LGBTGreens, can I take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and sustainable Pride."

A joint statement, "The time to organise resistance is now," co-signed by Green Party leader Caroline Lucas and 72 others, was published in the Guardian on the 4th of August.

The statement followed the "Can't Pay, Won't Pay" rally in late May 2010, at Conway Hall, London. The statement calls for a "broad movement of active resistance to ... the most savage spending cuts since the 1930s, which will wreck the lives of millions, by devastating our jobs, pay, pensions, NHS, education, transport, postal and other services."

Later, it continued to say, "Corporation tax is being cut, the bank levy is a pittance, and top salaries and bonuses have already been restored to pre-crash levels.An alternative budget would place the banks under democratic control, and raise revenue by increasing tax for the rich, plugging tax loopholes, withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, abolishing the nuclear deterrent by cancelling the Trident replacement."

The full statement can be read at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree

The Green Party, in the 2010 general election, stood in over 300 constituencies around the country, on a platform of fighting inequality, protecting public services, and the creation of an extra million jobs and training places. We supported an immediate £44bn package of measures which would include workforce training, investment in renewables, public transport, insulation, social housing and waste management.

An organising conference for further action against the cuts will be held in late November (27 November 2010, 10am-5pm) at Camden Centre, Town Hall, London, WC1H 9JE.

For further information, see: coalitionofresistance.wordpress.com, or email: coalitionofresistance@mail.com.

Caroline Lucas, Green Party leader and MP for Brighton Pavilion, wrote yesterday to Defence Secretary Liam Fox, a day after a fire on Tuesday night at Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston, in Berkshire.

The fire was severe enough for local roads to be cordoned off, and for residents to be evacuated.

AWE Aldermaston is the facility which designs, produces and maintains components for all British nuclear warheads.

In the letter, Lucas asks how the fire started, and if off-site contingency arrangements were put into operation. Lucas also asks for an independent inquiry into the fire, with the results being made fully available to the public.

The full text of the letter follows below.

==

Dear Liam,

re: Fire at AWE Aldermaston, 3 August 2010

I am writing to you about the fire which took place at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston on the night of 3rd August 2010. I understand that the fire was brought under control by the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and AWE's own fire crew, and that there were no radiological consequences as a result of the incident. Nevertheless, the matter raises a number of concerns about safety management at AWE and I should be grateful if you would advise me whereabouts on the AWE site the fire commenced, and, in as much as you are able to do so, what the cause of the fire was. In particular, I should be grateful if you would advise as to whether the fire started in one of the hydrodynamics facilities at AWE Aldermaston, or as a result of work on a hydrodynamics experiment.

Please also advise as to whether the AWE Off-Site Contingency Arrangements were put into operation to respond to the incident.

Given public concern about safety standards at AWE, may I request that an independent inquiry is conducted into the fire, and that the results of the inquiry are made fully available to the public.

I also request that operations of the type that led to the fire are halted until the results of the inquiry have been published.

Thank you for your assistance, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Lucas
Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion

==

Notes

1) A spokesperson for AWE Aldermaston said: "At around 9pm on Tuesday 3 August, a fire broke out in a building within the conventional non-nuclear explosives area of AWE Aldermaston. AWE's fire and rescue service were quickly on the scene and were supported by Royal Berkshire firefighters. One member of AWE staff received minor injuries in the incident and was treated... on the site. As a precautionary measure, a 600 metre cordon was set up around the building and a small number of local residents were evacuated overnight from their homes in the Red Lane area. A full investigation in the causes of the incident, which has no radiological implications, will be undertaken."

Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London, said today that: "It is not surprising that detainees at Campsfield are protesting. Unlike convicted criminals, who at least know the length of their sentence, those in administrative detention at places like Campsfield often have no end-date in site. It is well-documented that such uncertainty damages mental health and increases tension.

"Detainees can find themselves transferred between centres with no warning, so lose contact with those handling their cases - increasing the pressure. Add to that the recent Government cuts in legal assistance which mean even longer delays for individuals, it's not surprising we are seeing protests.

"This Government's decision to end the detention of children is welcome. It could cut the misery for countless others by restricting adminstrative detention to the small number of cases where it might be strictly necessary, for public safety, for example; restoring effective legal aid and providing a legal status for those unable to return to their country-of-origin." (1)

A statement from the inmates said some people had been detained for more than three years at immigration removal centres across the country with "no prospect of removal or any evidence of future release."

Notes

1) The last report from HMIP on Campsfield said that:

"It was difficult for detainees to gain legal advice and representation from local solicitor firms. While an updated list of solicitors was available in the library, only six of the 26 firms listed accepted legal aid work and only one of these was a local firm in Oxford. The majority of detainees who made a faxed request for assistance from firms on the list did not receive a response. In addition, the local firm was oversubscribed, with 23 detainees waiting to be seen at the time of the inspection. This led to delays of several weeks for an appointment and often resulted in the detainee no longer being at the centre by the appointment time. According to local solicitors, the lack of local legal representation continued to stem from unsatisfactory funding of immigration detention work by the Legal Services Commission (LSC). The withdrawal of two LSC tender processes for immigration detention contracts in recent years and the uncertainty of any future contract being put forward for tendering meant that the ability to set up a dedicated team within firms to cover the level of demand was severely limited."

The Norwich Green Party launches its bid today to become the largest party on their city council, in by-elections for 13 wards that will take place on the 9th September. Five of their 13 candidates have previous experience as a city councillor, three as Greens, and one each with Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

The Norwich Greens doubled their vote share, and had the 2nd highest Green vote in the country, in Norwich South in the general election. For the last two years, the Greens have been the second largest party on Norwich City Council with 13 councillors, just two behind Labour's 15.

If the Green Party becomes the largest party on the city council after the 9th September, this will be a first, for any Green group, on any council in the UK.

Graeme Gee, a former Labour councillor, will stand as a Green Party candidate in Mancroft ward. [1] He said: "The Green Party is the party with the ideas and the passion to guide Norwich through these tough economic times. I am pleased to be standing for the council again with a party that will really look out for the interests of Norwich residents. I have already been out talking to people about the issues that matter to them, and I'm looking forward to being able to work on their behalf if elected."

Paul McAlenan is a builder and former Liberal Democrat councillor who lives with his family in Norwich [2]. Paul has been a campaigner on key local and environmental issues for over 20 years. He is now standing for the Green Party in Crome ward. He said: "I've been impressed by what the Green Party has achieved in Norwich and am pleased to be its candidate in Crome. I look forward to working hard with my Green colleagues to achieve a greener future for Norwich."

Adrian Ramsay, Norwich city councillor and deputy leader of the Green Party, said: "It is fantastic that our list of candidates contains so much talent and experience. Across the city, people from all walks of life are coming over to the Green Party. They realise that we offer a real alternative that puts fairness to all people at its heart."

Amongst the other Green Party candidates are Jessica Goldfinch, Steven Altman, and Claire Stephenson as former Green Party councillors [3]; Jo Henderson, a successful local businesswoman; Lesley Grahame, who works as a nurse; and Jean Bishop, a horticulturalist who runs her own business.

Notes

[1] Graeme was a Labour councillor on Norwich City Council for eight years ending in 1996. During that time he served on planning, leisure and community services, finance, personnel, and economic development committees. 

[2] Paul was a Liberal Democrat councillor on Norwich City Council between 1999 and 2004. During that time, Paul was particularly involved with the Planning Committee and worked to promote sustainable building and modern architecture.

[3] Jessica Goldfinch was a Green Party Councillor in Nelson ward between 2003 and 2006. During that time she was the party's housing spokesperson, and chair of the Licensing Committee. Steven Altman was a Green Party Councillor in Mancroft ward between 2006 and 2007. Claire Stephenson was until recently Leader of the Opposition on the City Council. She also chaired the Scrutiny Committee. If re-elected, she is expected to become leader of the Green group of councillors on the council again.

Labour and the Green Party start the Norwich by-election campaign with 9 councillors, while the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have only 4 each.

The full list of Green Party candidates:

Jean Bishop (Bowthorpe)
Rebecca Lewis-Smith (Catton Grove)
Paul McAlenan (Crome)
Nick Clinch (Eaton)
Kit Jones (Lakenham)
Graeme Gee (Mancroft)
Jo Henderson (Mile Cross)
Claire Stephenson (Nelson)
Jessica Goldfinch (Sewell)
Lesley Grahame (Thorpe Hamlet)
Ash Haynes (Town Close)
Sue Carpenter (University)
Steven Altman (Wensum)

Caroline Lucas, Green Party leader and MP for Brighton Pavilion, has tabled an Early Day Motion to express her disquiet at how the death and inquiry of Ian Tomlinson was handled.

Lucas has called on City of London coroner Professor Paul Matthews to step aside because of his decision to appoint Dr Freddy Patel to conduct the post mortem examination.

Lucas said: "Ian Tomlinson's family has already suffered for 16 months and public confidence in the police and the investigation processes has been severely affected by this case. It is therefore crucial that an early date is set for the Inquest and to remove serious questions about conflict of interest, the coroner should step aside."

Lucas also called upon the Home Secretary, Theresa May, to appoint a judge to oversee a "prompt and effective" inquest into the "far-ranging issues" raised by the case, and that the Tomlinson family should receive public funds to support their legal challenge.

--

The full text of the Early Day Motion tabled tonight:

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF IAN TOMLINSON

That this House notes the public interest and disquiet over the case of Ian Tomlinson and the threat to public trust and confidence in the Police that this case poses; further notes that the Independent Police Complaints Commission failed to investigate this death for seven days and how this failure has undermined public trust and confidence in the police complaints system; further notes the controversy over the appointment of the pathologist, Dr Freddie Patel, and notes the possibility of a conflict of interest in the inquest as currently constituted; therefore, calls upon the Secretary of State for Justice to appoint a judge as coroner to conduct a prompt and effective inquest into the far ranging issues this case raises; and calls upon the Legal Services Commission to provide public funding for Ian Tomlinson's family to be legally represented.

The Academies Bill, allowing schools to opt out of local council control as early as September, was approved by Parliament tonight.

The vote was 317 in favour, 225 against. The legislation is expected to receive royal assent on Tuesday before the summer parliamentary recess.

The National Union of Teachers have described the bill as an "attack on the very existence of democratically accountable, free state comprehensive education."

Caroline Lucas, Green Party leader and MP for Brighton Pavilion, after the bill was passed by the Commons, said: "Today, with this bill's passage, is a bad day for democracy and for education. This was legislation that was rushed through Parliament, without proper consultation. We should be improving the quality of every local school for all children, rather than accelerating Labour's programme of academies to deepen divisions between schools."

Amendments were proposed during debate on the bill by Caroline Lucas, none of which were adopted, in an attempt to make the process of establishing them more open, democratic and fair.

Her amendments, if passed, would have:

- made it mandatory for all Academies to follow the national curriculum

- ensured that Academies can revert to maintained status

- ensured that Academy schools should have no charitable status

- allowed parents and the wider community to make representations for any funding arrangements for Academies, and,

- placed a limit of 25% of voting rights for Academy sponsors on Academy boards, to ensure proper democratic and community representation.

Green Party leader Caroline Lucas MP today welcomed a court's decision to heavily fine Trafigura, the company which was this year at the centre of a major controversy in the UK concerning an alleged cover-up of a toxic waste scandal in Africa (1).

Now, in a separate case brought in the Netherlands over toxic waste dumping in Ivory Coast, an Amsterdam court has ruled that Trafigura must pay a fine of 1 million euros.

In her maiden speech to parliament this year, Caroline Lucas spoke out against the way British courts had then been used to silence criticisms in the UK of Trafigura's dumping of toxic waste in other countries. Today, the Green MP expressed her satisfaction that Trafigura was being held to account.

"Thousands were made ill and at least 15 people killed by this toxic waste"

In the latest case, the ship, the Probo Koala, chartered by Trafigura, attempted to offload caustic soda and petroleum waste in Amsterdam. Port officials refused to treat the waste, as it turned out to be far more toxic than had been assumed. The ship then sailed to the Ivory Coast, where the waste was dumped on tips in and around the city of Abidjan. Thousands fell ill, and a UN report ruled that the death of at least 15 Ivorians has been attributed to chemical poisoning by the waste.

Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, commented today: "We must continue to hold companies to account when they dump toxic products in developing countries. We must deal with our own waste, not export it."

Notes

1) In October 2009, a "super-injunction" from Carter-Ruck, Trafigura's legal firm, tried to prevent the Guardian from reporting on a parliamentary question from Paul Farrelly MP. Farrelly's question was on the publication of the Minton report on the alleged dumping of toxic waste in the Ivory Coast, commissioned by Trafigura. The ban on reporting parliamentary proceedings on legal grounds appeared to call into question privileges guaranteeing free speech established under the 1688 Bill of Rights.