Narrow defeat for left Greens on the cuts. As far as I can make out....

Yesterday a motion committing the Green Party to resistance to and no collaboration with the cuts was defeated at our spring conference in Cardiff yesterday. As is often the case the arguments were rather confused and quite a few people were unsure where they stood on the issue. After a card vote it was something like 72 to 59.

The argument from the other side was that if we hold power in any council we should try our best to make the cuts less painful (We do not yet hold power in any council) . To be fair it was accepted by everyone that we should not vote for a cuts budget. Darren Johnson in Lewisham voted against Labour's cuts budget as the one Green on that council - one of the people putting the other argument across. Better not allow Eric Pickles get hold of running a council as this would make things far worse!

Essentially I think they are mistaken that the concessions we may get from central government would make enough difference in comparison to the damage done to the Green Party's image and credibility. Sectarian leftist and Labour party hypocrites are already sharpening their knives to get stuck in to us. Some Greens living outside the inner cities in wealthier areas perhaps do not fully grasp how devastating the cuts will be for Tower Hamlets, East and South Bristol, Manchester etc..

These people are good decent people, but my position is that if we are not firmly behind the anti cuts movement in action as well as rhetoric then we may be swept away and consigned to the dustbin of history (ooh Lenin misquote alert!) Some new people at conference were pleasantly surprised as to how big the left vote was.

This issue is not over in the Green Party. Lets all muck in together to build for the TUC demo on March 24th and see if we can't recreate Egypt in London!

Hugo Blanco - Latin America and the Ecosocialist Alternative

Hugo Blanco is a leader of the Peruvian Campesino movement and has been politically active since the 1930's. He will be visiting Bristol as part of a national tour in support of 'Lucha Indigena' (Indigenous Struggle). Social movements in Latin America, often indigenous are now winning important environmental and social victories. Come along to here these inspiring stories.

Tuesday, October 12th 7-9pm

Hamilton House,
80 Stokes Croft,
Bristol
BS1 3QY

Free (donations appreciated)

All Welcome

The Commune forum on localisation this Sunday

This looks quite interesting for people who can get to St Pauls this Sunday at 6pm. The Commune produce some good stuff and are free from many of the faults of many on the traditional left in my opinion.

http://thecommune.wordpress.com/2010/08/14/bristol-commune-forum-on-localisation/

Vote Derek for Deputy

My Friend Derek Wall is standing for Deputy Leader of the Green Party (as is the Current Deputy Adrian Ramsay)

Derek Wall would make a fantastic Deputy Leader of the Green Party. His commitment to social and ecological justice is inspiring. We need the Green Party to be part of a global movement linking the struggles of the indigenous, with those of us fighting for our collective and individual rights. Derek is uniquely placed to put the Green Party at the centre of this.

Here is his election web site:

http://derekfordeputy.blogspot.com/p/endorsements.html

Defend East Bristol Community Adult Education.

Defend East Bristol Community Adult Education. This is about the imminent cuts to the courses that are run in the community; for those who are learning English, for those who have left school without qualifications and now feel ready to try again and maybe prepare themselves for further education and a new career, for those with learning difficulties who benefit from courses that are close and sociable. For many of these people the travel to Bristol City College and accessing the courses there is daunting, expensive and just not appropriate to their circumstances and other responsibilites.

The closure of these local classes is a real loss to them and to the whole community.

Students, teachers and others in the campaign have so far held meetings of over 100 people, lobbied the Council outside and in the council chamber and are now organising a march. See below. Please publicise and support.

Defend Adult Community Education in East Bristol Saturday 24 March

Assemble 11.30 at the Beacon Centre by the City Academy, Russell Town Avenue BS5

(near Lawrence Hill and the bottom of Church Road)

to march into town via Lawrence Hill and Old Market, round Broadmead and to Castle Park

for music, food and speeches.

E mail bigmarch@hotmail.co.uk or join the FacebookGroup: Defend East Bristol Community Education.

Please bring banners, placards, whistles etc.

Support the PCS strike!

The PCS (Public and Civil Servants Union) striking in defence of jobs, conditions and the public services, have announced further national strike action on Budget Day, Wednesday 24 March.

John McInally, vice president of the union spoke about the dispute at the closing session of a very successful Bristol Convention of the Left in Easton last Saturday. It was unanimously agreed to give all the help we can.

Bristol has a fantastic tradition of support groups (FBU, CWU, VESTAS).

To that end, next Monday 22 March 6pm, at the CWU (Communication Workers Union) Offices, 20 Church Road, Lawrence Hill BS5 9JA.

We will be setting up the Bristol PCS support group,. PCS representatives will update everyone, giving full details, and then it's up to us to get behind them. Please publicise and support. We will all benefit from their victory.

From Jerry Hicks

I'm the Green Candidate for Kingswood

I have been selected as the first ever Green Party General Election candidate for Kingswood.


I am delighted to have the opportunity to stand as Kingswood's first ever Green General Election candidate, its about time the people of Kingswood had a real, progressive alternative to the Neo-Liberal agenda of the three main parties. If elected I will only claim an average wage for the constituency, donating the rest to Green Party funds.

Thanks to all who have contributed towards the deposit. Watch this space!

Jerry and the Wobblies

Apart from trying to get to grips with my History MA course I have involved myself in support of the CWU Postal Workers Strike, until it was pulled/sold out (take your pick). Loads going on locally and Nationally, Local Respect member and Trade Unionist Jerry Hicks is running for Unite General Secretary; http://www.socialistunity.com/?p=4911

I was particularly impressed with the work put in by the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) in support of the posties and went to their meeting on Friday. Traditional trade unions are particularly hamstrung by their own bureaucratic structures as well as Anti Union laws brought in by Thatcher and hardly touched by New Labour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Workers_of_the_World

Documentary Screening: Inside the Revolution: A Journey into the Heart of Venezuela (Thursday 29th October/Bristol)

Inside the Revolution: A Journey into the Heart of Venezuela

(Director Pablo Navarrete, 65mins, Alborada Films, 2009)

February 2009 marked 10 years since Hugo Chavez took office, following a landslide election victory, and launched his revolution to bring radical change to Venezuela. While wildly popular with many in the country, Chavez's policies and his strongly-worded criticisms of the U.S. government have also made him powerful enemies, both at home and abroad, especially in the media.

Filmed in Caracas in November 2008, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of Chavez's controversial presidency, this feature-length documentary takes a journey into the heart of Venezuela's revolution to listen to the voices of the people driving the process forward.

"This is a rare film about Venezuela, a country in extraordinary transition. Watch this film because it is honest and fair and respectful of those who want to be told the truth about an epic attempt, flaws and all, to claim back the humanity of ordinary people."
- JOHN PILGER (Journalist, author and documentary filmmaker)

::: Thursday 29th October, 7.30pm-9.30pm

Film starts 7.45pm.

Entry: Free but donations gratefully accepted

The screening will be introduced by Derek Wall (Former Principal Male Speaker for the Green Party of England and Wales), who will also take part in a Q&A with the director after the screening. The event will be chaired by Karen Bell (Bristol Solidarity with Venezuela).

VENUE DETAILS:
University of Bristol
Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies
School of Modern Languages
17 Woodland Rd
Bristol BS8 1TE

Map:
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=BD7+1BN&countryCode=GB#map=51.46022,-2.60375|16|4&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:51.46022:-2.60375:16|BS8%201TE|BS8%201TE

Facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=151133118307

For further details on the documentary and to watch the trailer, please visit:
http://www.alborada.net/alboradafilms

Green Left Statement on Birmingham Hall Green

The Steering Committee of Green Left voted unanimously to support the following statement. We believe that in this week of the failed New Labour conference and following on from last Saturday's Convention of the Left in Brighton, it is a significant step in the direction of forging a new progressive and Left unity in British politics.

“Green Left calls upon our fellow Greens in Birmingham not not to stand a candidate in the constituency of Birmingham Hall Green in the coming general election in order to give a strong, progressive and environmentally aware candidate the chance of taking the seat. We believe that Salma Yaqoob of Respect is the candidate most likely to do this and her victory would be a victory for all those opposing the policies of privatisation, war, greed, racism and environmental destruction.

We believe that this is an opportunity for the progressive movement in Birmingham to unite behind one candidate and not to make the mistakes of the European election, where a divided Left opened the way to the election of racists and bigots. For the benefit of the people of Birmingham and of radical politics in this country we ask the Green Party in Birmingham to stand aside and not to oppose Salma Yaqoob. We are firmly of the belief that this will benefit both the Green and progressive movements in this country and send out a signal that we are serious in challenging the neo-liberal economic policies of the three main parties as well as Fascism and racism.”

Climate and Capital - seminar in London

Climate and Capital

Saturday 12 September

10.30 - 5.30, Friends Meeting House, Euston, London

A seminar organised by Socialist Resistance and Green Left

Sessions on:

• Global Fight for Climate Justice
• The economic crisis and the ecosocialist response
• Gender, ecology and ecosocialism
• Alternatives to the market
• Alternative production
• The impact in the global south
• Direct action prefiguring a sustainable society
• Sustainable cities
• The campaign for green jobs
• Building the fightback and organising for Copenhagen

Speakers: Ian Angus, Grace Livingstone, Raphie de Santos, Romayne Phoenix, Liam MacUaid, Helen Ward, Sean Thompson, Sheila Malone, Derek Wall, Terry Conway, Roy Wilkes and others...

Book now on-line for 1/3 off entry and £2 off new book by Ian Angus on "The Global Fight for Climate Justice" by clicking here.

Check out all the details on the seminar and get the leaflet here.

what are my politics? I don't really know to be honest.

Sometimes I put myself down as a bit "flaky" in my politics, as a rather nerdy teenager I flirted with the old Liberal Party, before becoming a convinced lefty and sometime member of first Militant (now Socialist Party) then the SWP. I left militant partly 'cos I found their meetings dull, and preferred the SWP line on Stalinism and frankly the SWP were more active at my university (Militant were too busy with politics in the "real" word, which I now see was perfectly reasonable)
The SWP's strident, often sectarian and over simplistic politics soon began to wear thin with me and I started reading round the subject. Studying Anarchist critics of Leninism like Emma Goldmann and Peter Arshinov and later theorists (especially Murry Bookchin) but, I never really was a true Anarchist and I find the libertarian left nature of the Greens, really suits me best right now. My short attention span means my political theory is broad, but slightly shallow.
Still, within the Green Party we have our fallings out and disagreements, unfortunately sometimes the rivalries become rather too personal, which is a shame. Despite disagreements, I want to be in a broad based party with people from different traditions, coming together to fight for a common cause.

Bristol Elections

Mixed night for Greens in Bristol- disappointment in Ashley, where a big personal vote forLib Dem Jon Rogers kept us out, but a massive increase in Easton where we went up from 560 to 938 votes, now just 352 behind the Lib Dems!
Very hopeful for the Euro elections, we shall see!

We've sown up the left wing comedian Vote

Pinched from Jim Jepp's Daily Maybe (arguably the finest Green Blog in the world)

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/mark-steel/mark-steel-turn-left-and-then-left-again

Then Alexi Sayle emailed our fantastic North West Euro candidate Peter Craine with the following:

"One of the great things about Britain is that, unlike in a lot of Europe, we have never let extremist parties of the right get anything but a tiny toehold in our electoral system. I'll personally be voting Green this time but whoever you support you should use your vote to continue our noble tradition and keep the BNP out."

Sikh Federation says vote Green!

From their website:

http://www.sikhfederation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=142:stop-the-bnp-in-the-european-elections&catid=35:news

"The BNP can only be defeated by mobilising all those opposed to fascism. To this end the Sikh Federation (UK) urges Sikhs throughout Britain to cast their vote on 4 June in large numbers. If any Sikhs are to cast a protest vote it is better if candidates of the Green Party are supported, which is the only major political party that has passed a specific motion in support of the Sikhs right to self determination."

First Joanna Lumley now the Sikh federation, who's next? :)

Candidate for St. George West Ward, Vote Green Vote Nick Foster on June the 4th

I'm very pleased to be selected as Green Party Candidate for St George West. Hopefully I can build on the votes I picked up in the bye- election last year, St George isn't traditional Green territory, but I think its important we offer a positive alternative both to the empty promises of Lib/Lab/Con and the racist bile of the far right.

I have been working hard for my partner Katie Buse in Easton and the Ashley Campaign is hotting up where Daniella Radice was just 110 votes short of victory last time around. Here in East Bristol we have a great range of candidates, including one of Bristol's top Green Campaigners, Glenn Vowles in Eastville.

Must not forget the dynamic Ricky Knight who leads our Euro list and stands a decent chance, thanks to the fairer voting system used of being the South West's first Green MEP.

Population or consumption?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/15/consumption-versus-population-environmental-impact

This was spotted by Chris Cotton in the Guardian - an interesting contribution to what is one of the most serious and controversial issues for Greens ( and anyone else, serious about the future)

Mark Thomas says Vote Green

Saw this on You Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhIR8MIxzh8

Thanks Mark!

Leaving work to spend more time in politics

Yet more upheaval in my life! I've handed in my notice, selling luxury products in an economic crisis is neither very lucrative, nor what I want to be doing right now. I'll be starting part time work and spending more time being an activist and hopefully writing more on this rather negleted blog. I have added the excellent Local Green Tony Dyer's blog onto my blogroll:
http://aureamediocritas-tonyd.blogspot.com/

Two very different viewpoints of the Israel/Palestine question worth looking at:

http://greensengage.wordpress.com/

http://azvsas.blogspot.com/

Unite -Amicus Selection - Vote Jerry Hicks!

Well known Bristol Socialist Jerry Hicks is running for General Secretary. He has the support of the Green Party Trade Union Group and Green Left. He has come out against Heathrow Expansion, unlike the present Unite leadership. If you are an Amicus member check out the following links:

http://jerryhicks.wordpress.com/
http://www.socialistunity.com/?p=3545