tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70082752435299440482024-02-19T02:46:10.129+00:00Hulme GreensPart of the Manchester Green PartyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-2457431818980326992016-12-11T12:17:00.000+00:002016-12-11T12:32:53.460+00:00A Mug's Game – Andy Burnham and Immigration<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfwiecl_39KIlIYDK5OHs1Boe0q5vE0JhYvLc24nY6J1ZBVpDl9BGFodPNgip6HwrsIsVoV5o_g5NtVYnyB8NfVDS4pk5bFRn2joqXIT1_uS-fC9G6iCGDmWay3atE1BRiA2gcok9-aiv/s1600/immug1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Controls on Immigration" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfwiecl_39KIlIYDK5OHs1Boe0q5vE0JhYvLc24nY6J1ZBVpDl9BGFodPNgip6HwrsIsVoV5o_g5NtVYnyB8NfVDS4pk5bFRn2joqXIT1_uS-fC9G6iCGDmWay3atE1BRiA2gcok9-aiv/s320/immug1.png" title="Controls on Immigration" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Greater Manchester perspective? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">So out of the blue, as part of the campaign to be elected Mayor of Greater </span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Manchester, comes a report that ‘The free movement of people within the </span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">European Union has made British streets unsafe’.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">And that “The status quo – full free movement – was defeated at the ballot box and therefore not an option. We need to make the argument for an immigration system that allows for greater control, reduce the numbers coming here, but does so in a fair way.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The UKIP policy on immigration bases itself on fairness [1] . But these quotes are not from UKIP, they are from the Labour Party candidate Andy Burnham [2].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">My first reaction was a less polite version of ‘Goodness me’, but a quick google search shows Burnham has been back and forth on the issue over time [3].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">From his leadership campaign against Jeremy Corbyn last year he said "What I would say as shadow home secretary is that from here we need to review how freedom of movement works in practice and look at some of those issues that Jeremy Corbyn has raised in this campaign. Issues like, pressures on public services, because often its the more deprived communities that have to absorb that pressure without extra funding. That can't be right," he said. "It also can't be right that people can be brought in from other countries when their employment is still in their country of origin and then employed here to undercut wages - there needs to be a review." [4] <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Typical right wing positioning is to put deprivation and immigration next to each other in an argument and let the public make the association. So to make the argument on ‘pressures on public services’, its ‘freedom of movement’ that’s the issue more than cuts and austerity. Not that those services have been cut to the bone but that they need ‘extra funding’ because of the ‘freedom of movement’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">So let me place Andy Burnham, UKIP, Tories, xenophobia, and racism next to each other but not make any association.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Its painful that I can’t write a positive response to this position from the Labour candidate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">My family are immigrants, my friends are. My neighbours, colleagues, my children’s friends, the people I buy from, the people I read. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">And it’s a choice. What starting point do you take on what the people of Greater Manchester think?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Burnham says “The 700,000 people in Greater Manchester who voted to leave – many of
them lifelong Labour voters – voted for change on immigration. I am quite clear about that and that has to be our starting point in this debate.” [5]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Well mine is “600,000 people in Greater Manchester are living in extreme poverty,
they voted to change this so how do we get them out of it” [6] <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This immigration language is an insult and we don’t need or want it in Greater Manchester. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">As far as I’m concerned, Andy can pack his bags and his
‘Controls on Immigration mug’ and go back to Westminster where he belongs.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Notes <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">1. <a href="http://www.ukip.org/ukip_launches_immigration_policy" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #365899; text-decoration: none;">http://www.ukip.org/ukip_launches_immigration_policy</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">2. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/andy-burnham-claimed-eu-immigration-risks-violence-on-the-streets-2016-12" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #365899; text-decoration: none;">http://uk.businessinsider.com/andy-burnham-claimed-eu-immigration-risks-violence-on-the-streets-2016-12</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">3. <a href="http://order-order.com/2016/09/28/andy-burnham-immigration-flip-flop/" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #365899; text-decoration: none;">http://order-order.com/2016/09/28/andy-burnham-immigration-flip-flop/</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">4. <a href="http://www.cityam.com/244029/eu-referendum-andy-burnham-says-immigration-works-practice" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #365899; text-decoration: none;">http://www.cityam.com/244029/eu-referendum-andy-burnham-says-immigration-works-practice</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">5. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politicshome.com%2Fnews%2Fuk%2Fpolitical-parties%2Flabour-party%2Fandy-burnham%2Fnews%2F81532%2Fandy-burnham-blasts-labour-support&h=YAQHDUCV4" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #365899;">https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/labour-party/andy-burnham/news/81532/andy-burnham-blasts-labour-support</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">6. <a href="http://www.cles.org.uk/news/half-of-greater-manchester-households-in-danger-of-falling-below-poverty-line-report-says/" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #365899; text-decoration: none;">http://www.cles.org.uk/news/half-of-greater-manchester-households-in-danger-of-falling-below-poverty-line-report-says/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-86679405835441702422016-11-30T09:09:00.001+00:002016-11-30T09:09:55.514+00:00Green Mayoral candidate calls for immediate action on Homelessness<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpndoct9uX91rvfXJwjKWyCNo1nE_ojutVyjeZEzPb-MvlhkeqJ3Ahqtk4NVi5o46q3w6z78NPLhnqnLAnwOLjqZYwBe9Fxioc97XeXwyGDiiox-_CiOP-nXoCJsLzdXWRX4ljJMH7eekr/s1600/ShelterrequestScreenshot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Shelter Request" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpndoct9uX91rvfXJwjKWyCNo1nE_ojutVyjeZEzPb-MvlhkeqJ3Ahqtk4NVi5o46q3w6z78NPLhnqnLAnwOLjqZYwBe9Fxioc97XeXwyGDiiox-_CiOP-nXoCJsLzdXWRX4ljJMH7eekr/s320/ShelterrequestScreenshot.png" title="Shelter Request" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shelter Request</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Green candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester Deyika
Nzeribe [1] called on local councils to act on homelessness immediately.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Last week saw the deaths of two homeless men when an
abandoned building was destroyed in a fire [2] as well as a group of young
people placed under an eviction notice in order to remove them from the empty
public-owned building they were occupying [3].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Speaking specifically about the situation in Manchester,
Deyika said “This is both is both a tragic and outrageous situation the Council
has created. Whilst it’s understood that government policy over the past few
years has dramatically increased the levels of extreme poverty [4], local
decision-making has not made things better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Practical things that the Council can do immediately are<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1. Stop chasing organised groups of
homeless people out of the city centre using its legal injunction [5]. It just
means that they are more dispersed, it doesn’t make them disappear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2. Stop the eviction of the young
homeless people supported by the Manchester Activist Network [6]. The building
is empty and due to be demolished in over a year. The Council should be working <b>with</b> the
group to improve the space, until they can move the young people in there into
homes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">3. Re-open the homeless shelters in Hulme
and Harpurhey [7]. There is no reason for them not to be available again AND
they are easier to get to than other provision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">4. Create a committee to address housing
and homelessness. All Councils should do this where, like Manchester, there is
a crisis in these areas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At the moment, while offering plenty of words of sorrow and
condolence, Manchester’s leaders’ actions on homelessness and housing seems
desperately lacking.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Notes</b></span></div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1118858218198041&id=137183923032147" target="_blank"><span style="color: #338fe9;">https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1118858218198041&id=137183923032147</span></a></span></li>
<li> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-homeless-crisis-austerity-government-12232907" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-homeless-crisis-austerity-government-12232907</span></a></span></li>
<li> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=3575" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4;">http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=3575</span></a></span></li>
<li> <a href="http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/140773910-benefit-cuts-will-force-more-manchester-families-rely-food-banks-warns-study" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4;">http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/140773910-benefit-cuts-will-force-more-manchester-families-rely-food-banks-warns-study</span></a></li>
<li> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/barbaric-court-order-says-homeless-6206730" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4;">http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/barbaric-court-order-says-homeless-6206730</span></a></span></li>
<li> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MancActivists/?fref=ts" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4;">https://www.facebook.com/MancActivists/?fref=ts</span></a></span></li>
<li> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/111275217-we-have-do-something-hulme-library-opened-homeless-ahead-christmas" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4;">http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/111275217-we-have-do-something-hulme-library-opened-homeless-ahead-christmas</span></a></span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-70829704290587902392016-11-13T09:07:00.001+00:002016-11-13T09:27:38.095+00:00Fracking no part of Energy Future<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEWujaWDCYi2y5W4rPgQ85YrScxWWlPwSoQsg_O81U73xScWxm4pLFeXTUHQTtpcG9ZglewsfXGWyhNUSvTn-pXM-gzoPjM9ezDKCZ2I-CWzjRAN0P3QQ0u4-4iwpQy50NCgDRbs1R2Jv/s1600/UoF3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="United Against Fracking 12/11/16" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEWujaWDCYi2y5W4rPgQ85YrScxWWlPwSoQsg_O81U73xScWxm4pLFeXTUHQTtpcG9ZglewsfXGWyhNUSvTn-pXM-gzoPjM9ezDKCZ2I-CWzjRAN0P3QQ0u4-4iwpQy50NCgDRbs1R2Jv/s320/UoF3.jpg" title="United Against Fracking 12/11/16" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green bloc at United against Fracking rally</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">Speech at United Against
Fracking rally Saturday 12<sup>th</sup> November 2016</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">Hello people and welcome
to Manchester.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">My name is Deyika
Nzeribe, the Green Party candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">Thanks - to everyone who
has come to speak loud and clear against fracking. Thanks to the amazing
organisers who have pulled together this event, they're brilliant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">Thanks also to the media
who are going to report the enormity of what’s at stake here. And thanks in
advance that they are going to give the fracking industry the robust scrutiny
it deserves.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">There are many great
speakers here today, I’m just going to concentrate on a few points.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">To be topical, there has
been a lot happening in America. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-gX7S4yaacbljeCv2H3pn16qpR_0fMevgvbQ0Pde4w5VKjudX6AIU5cqYfRtshyphenhyphenMjuBsQhq3ql1sv_jkWahJlps6ul7sznTcfBpE4vfQwCaO_aJwH6f0u2_gxvddpS2X4qm21OKwKuA2/s1600/UaF1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="UaF2" border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-gX7S4yaacbljeCv2H3pn16qpR_0fMevgvbQ0Pde4w5VKjudX6AIU5cqYfRtshyphenhyphenMjuBsQhq3ql1sv_jkWahJlps6ul7sznTcfBpE4vfQwCaO_aJwH6f0u2_gxvddpS2X4qm21OKwKuA2/s320/UaF1.jpg" title="UaF2" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">United Against Fracking rally</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">We need to make sure
that no matter who is President of the United States, whoever is in Number 10
for that matter - the shale gas industry is not allowed to hoodwink the public
into believing that fracking is any kind of part of an energy strategy for the
future.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">We also need ensure that the
democratic voice of the people in Lancashire is respected.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">We also need to remember
that YOU are part of the</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">long line</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">of activists from all around the world,
protecting Earth, air and the water against degradation. Barton Moss,</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">Balcombe, Roseacre Wood, the South Africa Wild Coast, the XL pipeline, North Dakota.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">Same line.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">These Green issues are
everyone’s issues.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">You might not be aware
of it but you are in the heart of the Northern Powerhouse, historical
birthplace of the industrial revolution.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">The Green Party vision,
my vision, for a northern powerhouse - is one powered by clean, green,
renewable energy, produced here in the north and which creates more jobs
per pound invested than shale gas ever can; clean energy powered by its people,
its wind, waves and sun. Well daylight if not sun! </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">And to close, we
absolutely we need to remember WHY we are for these things and against
fracking.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->The environment. Our environment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">So, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">You can’t be against
fracking AND for building on Green Belt.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">You can’t be against
fracking AND for expanding the airport.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">You can’t be for and
against the planet.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">We know whats coming,
the facts are there and the science doesn’t negotiate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">So we respect the facts.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">We fight the fossil fuel
industry.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">And we build a green
future.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">Because our lives depend
on it.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">Ends</span></i></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">A report of the event is printed in the <a href="http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=3558" target="_blank">Salford Star</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">The Green Mayor <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1707425802908834/" target="_blank">fundraising event is on November 19th</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-33847196508154092392016-09-08T01:58:00.000+01:002016-09-08T06:56:20.244+01:00In the Running<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">"Devolution"[1] for Greater Manchester has many
things wrong with it. There is</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">a lack of transparency</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">no democratic mandate from the people</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">an almost sole focus on 'growth'</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">a lack of practical focus on social issues</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">a lack of focus on the climate change and environmental
issues</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLr0UjOMwpzofqyYLfFGNQteyPNe8Pwg7v0NogxmsHNUXFqUCSJRF7KWlGolRzp_wyWJewVbtShRuDsBUbCurh7CDf5-5AVSjcWkGI9i9VimUnJXHBWKox5HcHVVEHVfdqGYRJnaL_R1yA/s1600/GMGPM-fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="GMG Greens" border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLr0UjOMwpzofqyYLfFGNQteyPNe8Pwg7v0NogxmsHNUXFqUCSJRF7KWlGolRzp_wyWJewVbtShRuDsBUbCurh7CDf5-5AVSjcWkGI9i9VimUnJXHBWKox5HcHVVEHVfdqGYRJnaL_R1yA/s320/GMGPM-fb.jpg" title="GMG Greens" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Candidates</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So why run to be the Green candidate for Mayor?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Because its an opportunity to put <b>all</b> of these issues on the agenda for Greater Manchester. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The role of the Mayor should be a campaigning one for the
people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In addition, 35% of constituencies in Greater Manchester are
amongst the most deprived in the North West. [2] (</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Deprived areas have strong indicators of poverty, poor health,
unemployment, poor or a lack of housing. [3] [4])</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Manchester itself is stark in its levels of inequality.
Whilst there is great wealth [5], its high levels of homelessness [6] is plain
to see and it has some of the worst health in the country [7].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although the Labour candidate for mayor [8] has a
respectable record as an MP, in Manchester he is the 'status quo' candidate. That is not good enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We should be doing something different. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3epjzOpYpgRNE_bfn4KmlnDAFEGrvPRi_K2V6wCjcrLrukMCrwvI2gevl-uHTk1uoo6nAhonuqb1a3h7jO0DDGpW9ytPmKcoU7As-QKYnRxWCw3yBqg8Uhw6ibrPtzwgLWwey9nDeGAzB/s1600/DNBRTv2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BRT Rally" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3epjzOpYpgRNE_bfn4KmlnDAFEGrvPRi_K2V6wCjcrLrukMCrwvI2gevl-uHTk1uoo6nAhonuqb1a3h7jO0DDGpW9ytPmKcoU7As-QKYnRxWCw3yBqg8Uhw6ibrPtzwgLWwey9nDeGAzB/s320/DNBRTv2.jpg" title="BRT Rally" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BRT Rally</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">On
housing<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Instead of accepting £300 million to build private
accommodation [9] is the end of the story, why don't we ask government for an </span><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">additional</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> £300
million to stimulate social housing construction all over Greater Manchester?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It would <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -18pt;">provide jobs and training</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -18pt;">provide lower cost housing for those in need</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -18pt;">support social landlords</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -18pt;">enable young people to get on the property
ladder</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -18pt;">give a boost to ALL areas of region not just
Manchester and Salford.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">On
health</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The situation is bordering on disastrous. To deal with some
of the worst health in the country</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">we should </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -18pt;">renegotiate the deal with government to get </span><b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">back</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -18pt;"> the estimated £2
billion budget shortfall [10] </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -18pt;">fight to be given a free hand to organise its
health systems instead of implementing government plans [11] . It should be
devolution not delegation.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -18pt;">support the growth of the voluntary sector to
provide additional support for health and social services</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -18pt;">'hand back' health devolution if the additional
help requested is not forthcoming</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Whilst
health doesn't come directly under the Mayors remit, it such a huge issue, it <b>MUST</b> be on the Mayor's agenda.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">On the
economy<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Instead of just competing for 'cherry on the top' events like
Expo2025 [12], the region should also be fighting to bring in Green industry, providing
long-term work as part of a new Green Deal [13].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Greater Manchester is home of the industrial revolution,
and as such is also a parent to the beginnings of climate change [14]. As a
region we have a </span><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">responsibility</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> to effectively
fight climate change, to fight for a Greater Greener Manchester. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That is what I think.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So as a Greater Manchester Green Party member, <b>I'm asking for your vote</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you don’t already have a link to vote contact the Elections
Officer. [15].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thanks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Notes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://devolutionmanchester.max20.com/introducing-devolution/what-is-devolution/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://devolutionmanchester.max20.com/introducing-devolution/what-is-devolution/</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/areas-greater-manchester-named-among-11841499" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/areas-greater-manchester-named-among-11841499</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_deprivation_index" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_deprivation_index</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/news/gm-devolution-health-and-inequality-infographics" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">https://www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/news/gm-devolution-health-and-inequality-infographics</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Manchester#GDP" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Manchester#GDP</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/special-report-shock-rise-manchester-9363644" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/special-report-shock-rise-manchester-9363644</a></li>
<li><a href="http://healthierlives.phe.org.uk/topic/mortality/area-details#are/E08000003/par/E92000001/ati/102/pat/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://healthierlives.phe.org.uk/topic/mortality/area-details#are/E08000003/par/E92000001/ati/102/pat/</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-37020186" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-37020186</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783</a></li>
<li><a href="http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/2015/11/helping-to-understand-health-and-social-care-devolution-in-greater-manchester/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/2015/11/helping-to-understand-health-and-social-care-devolution-in-greater-manchester/</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2014/aug/07/manchester-hospital-reform-plan-failure" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2014/aug/07/manchester-hospital-reform-plan-failure</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/expo-2025-greater-manchester-ashton-11825036" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/expo-2025-greater-manchester-ashton-11825036</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.greenparty.org.uk/archive/news-archive/3493.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">https://www.greenparty.org.uk/archive/news-archive/3493.html</a></li>
<li><a href="http://hulmegreenparty.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/a-sense-of-history-and-responsibility.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://hulmegreenparty.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/a-sense-of-history-and-responsibility.html</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Email: </span><a href="mailto:northwest.greenparty.ero@gmail.com" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">northwest.greenparty.ero@gmail.com</a> </li>
</ol>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-53341169863867642222016-07-06T19:01:00.000+01:002016-07-06T22:28:46.879+01:00Corbyn, Trump and the Prince from Across the Sea<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5zyq_R6oX3NBSGUJ1P7se-lTLk9cawKB8qSysrFyNfQBpROzsaL114wJMhxN3x8lEeKu1X7uvR5VLa_yMgKvm1AfnPYKzKdeLhpdpOeI4H4vmzKAHoMpfJxGiC6YnS21WdiGBSWNSdUq/s1600/CORBYN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Your Choice" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5zyq_R6oX3NBSGUJ1P7se-lTLk9cawKB8qSysrFyNfQBpROzsaL114wJMhxN3x8lEeKu1X7uvR5VLa_yMgKvm1AfnPYKzKdeLhpdpOeI4H4vmzKAHoMpfJxGiC6YnS21WdiGBSWNSdUq/s320/CORBYN.jpg" title="Jeremy Corbyn" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your Choice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Currently the country is in political, financial and social turmoil. With the lack of a clear leadership voice for the country, its difficult to see a way forward. The upper class leaders of the Leave Europe campaign have fled and the two largest parties are embroiled in internal power struggles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For us, the massive surge of support for Jeremy Corbyn has been a concern, so far left unanswered by the Greens. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Can it be argued that joining Labour in support of Corbyn is potentially a dangerous thing?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is a scenario that starts with suggesting that Jeremy Corbyn and Donald Trump find themselves in exactly the same position.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Putting the difference in politics aside, both are outsiders elected to leadership by their memberships over the wishes of their party representatives, with both sets of representatives having tried to remove their new leaders.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In England, the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) is currently trying VERY hard to remove its leader. But it is being checked by its grassroots activists (and in particular the Momentum movement) buoyed by a massive surge in membership.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Momentum</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Momentum in particular seems powerful. As most of the new joiners are specifically joining in support of Jeremy Corbyn, and engaging with Momentum to do so, it is clearly the strongest organising force in the party. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But if Corbyn stays, with their support, the PLP though in retreat, is not going anywhere. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So what now? With weak alternative PLP candidates and a strong Momentum, is it stalemate until the next attempted coup? Maybe. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Part of the strength of Momentum's position is that there is no viable, strong enough candidate within the PLP that can challenge them, challenge Corbyn. And that is true.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Prince from across the Sea</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the assumption that there is no snap election called, one possibility could be that the 'Prince from across the Sea' would break the deadlock. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This Prince could regain a seat in a by-election and position himself as, not just coming back to lead the Labour Party but to save the country. He would have the support of the PLP, be of wide enough appeal to the country that the grassroots activists would grudgingly accept him. And so he would defeat Corbyn in a leadership election, at the same time breaking Momentum across his knee.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A defeated Corbyn would be a massive blow to the progressive movement in the country.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Only the progressive alliance talked of with the SNP, Greens and Plaid Cymru could possibly defeat both the government and keep the Prince at bay.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Building that alliance cannot be focussed on joining Labour, its too unstable a situation. While the party is likely to keep hitting itself in the face for the foreseeable future, in England, a larger Green Party has to be a better bet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="200" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nzTwME3MV9I" width="360"></iframe><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the meantime, the Prince, David Miliband continues to comment in the US media.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-22475371587835806232016-07-02T21:57:00.000+01:002016-07-03T23:55:10.732+01:00Brexit, Racism and Accountability<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3STt6_xYXiQ4NZGy8Mg2pUTh1lzwkTqLiMqWWdxKS7Mj_UU2lQCK5G87_Nir_pX0y0le8JW9tN7M5LCe1_Wf1SJBUcrQvXzALKXKeZvhBUDhEO__lp-3iccEKD1hjbMP0JWm9C3kzHegk/s1600/leave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Brexit " border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3STt6_xYXiQ4NZGy8Mg2pUTh1lzwkTqLiMqWWdxKS7Mj_UU2lQCK5G87_Nir_pX0y0le8JW9tN7M5LCe1_Wf1SJBUcrQvXzALKXKeZvhBUDhEO__lp-3iccEKD1hjbMP0JWm9C3kzHegk/s320/leave.jpg" title="Brexit Leave" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brexit - Voting to Leave</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;">Brexit surprises - the ‘Out’ result itself, who voted out
and the ensuing political turmoil.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Generally, the media has characterised those who voted out
as the disenfranchised white working class, and given the spread of the ‘Out’
vote, this applies to most of the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">The rise in attacks and abuse against Asians, Blacks and Europeans
has been swift. Many column inches have been devoted to ‘Shock’, pointing to
the effects of austerity and the words of grey, white people in small towns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">But England and its people hasn't substantially changed
over the years and certainly not since the EU referendum vote. For some, it
would seem, are now more comfortable being openly racist because, through the
vote, they believe most people think like them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">And the fault for this lies squarely with the leaders of
this country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Recently, too many politicians have taken Race and used it
to demonise as a cover for the negative consequences of their policies or the
deficit in their thinking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">They have 'weaponised' it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Race played a major part in last year’s General Election
with the main parties all promising to be tough on immigrants and doing nothing
to dampen down the resulting xenophobia. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">The Labour Party even produced its
infamous 'Controls on Immigration' mugs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">The recent London Mayoral campaign was openly Islamophobic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">The use of high levels of fear by BOTH the Remain and
Brexit campaigns was new, with Brexit basing their fear platform on immigration
and Europeans. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">That immigrants and Europe have been the main cause of
England's problems – lack of services, housing, jobs - was not only a central
plank of Brexit but also often used by the government over the years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">By voting 'Out', the majority of the public accepted these
argument.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">What have politicians been doing to allay these fears? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Nothing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Leadership battles have turned politicians inward instead of outwards
to the country. No-one is trying to close the wounds this campaign has opened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">A pox on all their houses. Blame for this situation should
be pointed in the right direction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">So what does this mean for the Greens?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;">The national leadership to be much more vocal about their
anti-racist policies and practices.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;">Hold any racist, xenophobic actions and policies of the
other parties to account.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;">Local parties to be much faster to condemn racist incidents
wherever they happen in the country.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;">Show more diversity in its leadership platform.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;">Its done that relatively successfully over the last couple
of years with Shahrar Ali and Amelia Womack presenting a different complexion
to its membership, Natalie Bennett covering almost every inch of the country in
support of local members and Caroline Lucas retaining her popularity with the
press.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;">If though, as a party, we are going back to having a white,
middle aged, middle class leadership, that is a statement in itself.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-1846723763403352742016-06-22T09:56:00.001+01:002016-06-22T12:25:37.244+01:00Comment: Europe - A Mistimed Referendum<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This post is my personal view.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuX49VRT1BJWFQ2GbWYjyGYwkalZivkDcfakC00KveSD1FlyJGydSh6sUvBDYBmcuEix9-JafVc5WdeVUyZQTdJtRzMlsraIasrrmUpG-UFYquv-m92CijvyPgUEP41GkN-HYPw5_graDE/s1600/galloway_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Galloway Farage" border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuX49VRT1BJWFQ2GbWYjyGYwkalZivkDcfakC00KveSD1FlyJGydSh6sUvBDYBmcuEix9-JafVc5WdeVUyZQTdJtRzMlsraIasrrmUpG-UFYquv-m92CijvyPgUEP41GkN-HYPw5_graDE/s320/galloway_1.jpg" title="Galloway Farage" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galloway and Farage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“…unless I have blood as the Law says all Narnia will be
overturned and perish in fire and water.” So demanded the White Queen at a
pivotal point in her conflict with Aslan in the children’s book ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It does not seem so different from how both the Bremain
and Brexit campaigns have presented their doom-ladened cases. In the last days
of the campaign, things have become calmer. Its taken blood to make it so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Both sides of this campaign have been, lets say, ‘misleading’.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Brexit quite simply have often lied and have been quite
open about not being sure what leaving the EU will mean for the country (given
that they will be antagonising their main trading partner) but are hopeful
British ‘pluck’ will pull them through. It won’t. For all the talk of ‘freedom’
the campaign has talked about, its been poorly outlined and arguments, often irrational.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bremain point to the social and environmental safeguards
that Europe has and does provide that maybe lost if we leave the EU, the travel
freedoms and shared work opportunities all gone forever. No. Some of these
things are under threat anyway but Europe has and does so far, provide a safety
net from some of the wilder schemes of this somewhat extremist government.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On both sides political enemies line up alongside AND against
each other arguing together that the other side is wrong. The most striking
image of this (for me) was George Galloway sharing a platform with Nigel Farage
for the ‘Leave’ campaign. Anti-racist and racist campaigners arguing for ‘freedom’..?
No wonder people are confused and campaigners on the ground much less certain
than their publicity materials.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And why is this happening anyway? Has anything
substantial changed in the EU recently? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But the EU IS changing. Its becoming much more right wing and
‘neo-liberal’. Its promotion of austerity, its treatment of poor EU nations
particularly Greece has been sickening, and the treatment of refugees coming to
and within its borders has been shameful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But as important is the current and coming TTIP issue,
the trade agreement currently being
negotiated between the US and Europe. Most of the current focus in the UK has
been on keeping the NHS out of its reach but TTIP will be so much more than
that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Bremain argument on TTIP is weak at best and Brexit
does not have one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This referendum and more importantly, its timing, is from
a ill-thought through campaign promise from David Cameron. As it is, its
pointless. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The time to have the vote on whether or not to stay in
Europe will be at the presentation of the TTIP trade agreement. At that point
the country will have a much clearer idea of Europe’s direction of travel and
be able to decide if that’s the direction it wants to go in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For me the question is when TTIP comes, will the UK have
a referendum?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Until then it’s a weak Yes to Remain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-14748374400601970512016-06-01T12:57:00.000+01:002016-06-01T13:15:35.444+01:00Hulme pub 'The Junction' at Crossroads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZiyMHPBGJRRz4y8tZz54ug939NNUYxDFkQ3Tuf3nHNw1mevxtmbBge4rcKzjeKp0Jpx2N4JnjH_u75YXorTUeSN00Pjq0CFwe9cDJxl76z5XkBfTYguiOcgHY2xhvYTmYd-upPQABbnU/s1600/640px-Junction_Hotel_Rolls_Crescent_Hulme.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Junction - present day" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZiyMHPBGJRRz4y8tZz54ug939NNUYxDFkQ3Tuf3nHNw1mevxtmbBge4rcKzjeKp0Jpx2N4JnjH_u75YXorTUeSN00Pjq0CFwe9cDJxl76z5XkBfTYguiOcgHY2xhvYTmYd-upPQABbnU/s200/640px-Junction_Hotel_Rolls_Crescent_Hulme.JPG" title="The Junction - present day" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">After years of rumours about Hulme's 'The Junction' pub [1], news has
arrived that it has been sold by owners, Hydes brewery [2].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Pub advocacy group CAMRA [3] reports that it has been sold to a local
property developer, separately identified as PortfolioUK [4].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Built in the Victorian era, The Junction is an iconic Hulme landmark [5]
and one of the last traditional community pubs in the area. Its said that there
was once an underground tunnel between the The Junction and the nearby
Hippodrome [6] so that performers staying at (there was once accommodation on
the long ago removed third floor) could get direct access to the theatre. [7]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszcGbc9o56lgtYoF6-1on7SAsx_FzrsvkSLC04YGpm9WVnFETltt6F8KCbpih3bm7rQTs7R__J0k20zXqqjaa5ej6QafhfDzF1F8QUyljohTjmXm94LNRmQ4K1KOmbGpQElowq_QWCNNs/s1600/Junction1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="The Junction - 1924" border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszcGbc9o56lgtYoF6-1on7SAsx_FzrsvkSLC04YGpm9WVnFETltt6F8KCbpih3bm7rQTs7R__J0k20zXqqjaa5ej6QafhfDzF1F8QUyljohTjmXm94LNRmQ4K1KOmbGpQElowq_QWCNNs/s320/Junction1.jpg" title="The Junction - 1924" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Local activists are looking into how the venue can be retained as a
community asset pointing out that the new Plunkett Foundation programme [8]
aims to support up to 80 local pubs with a fund of £3.6 million over 2 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hulme Green, Deyika Nzeribe commented 'Its a shame that Hydes did not
appear value the importance of The Junction as part of the Hulme community, I'm
sure they would have given a chance to local people to put in an offer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">'Over recent years we've lost The Grants [9], The Seahawk [10] and now
The Junction seems to be heading the same way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">'The Universities [11, 12] and Housing associations [13] in Hulme have
spent millions on their private property projects, well here is a chance for
them to support a real piece of Hulme history. If they really do support the
local community, they can put their money where their mouth is'.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ends. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Notes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">1. <a href="http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/74674/">http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/74674/</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">2. <a href="http://www.hydesbrewery.com/our-history/">http://www.hydesbrewery.com/our-history/</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">3. <a href="https://whatpub.com/">https://whatpub.com/</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">4. <a href="http://portfoliouk.com/">http://portfoliouk.com/</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">5. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPiIDj8FXH8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPiIDj8FXH8</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">6. <a href="http://www.mancky.co.uk/?p=6080">http://www.mancky.co.uk/?p=6080</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">7. <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/TRA/3787/junction-hulme">https://whatpub.com/pubs/TRA/3787/junction-hulme</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">8. <a href="http://pubs-of-manchester.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/grants-arms-afewe-royce-road.html">http://pubs-of-manchester.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/grants-arms-afewe-royce-road.html</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">9. <a href="http://thenubiantimes.com/seahawk-lounge-closes-down/">http://thenubiantimes.com/seahawk-lounge-closes-down/</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">10. <a href="http://www.mbs.ac.uk/news/school-news/university-strikes-hotel-deal-as-part-of-1billion-campus-master-plan/">http://www.mbs.ac.uk/news/school-news/university-strikes-hotel-deal-as-part-of-1billion-campus-master-plan/</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">11. <a href="http://www.pjlivesey-group.co.uk/mmu-didsbury-campus/">http://www.pjlivesey-group.co.uk/mmu-didsbury-campus/</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">12. <a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/172-new-apartments-townhouses-built-10744852">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/172-new-apartments-townhouses-built-10744852</a>
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-80454208181983039992016-04-25T01:05:00.001+01:002016-04-28T22:38:05.312+01:00Comment: Race to the Top? Not In Manchester<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkXgJ-fyOuQKs95OiGzYKUcrlovBZfCmAXhEqhE3F1Gj6CubRpTJB252yGOooX205fiEKaG-6xHbzeut0umB-cmQ_KbWiRMuZ_4Uil5bu5MxsWo9KNDW591gKyWHX4wN5vWzR9uZapAau/s1600/singlebp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="R and R" border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkXgJ-fyOuQKs95OiGzYKUcrlovBZfCmAXhEqhE3F1Gj6CubRpTJB252yGOooX205fiEKaG-6xHbzeut0umB-cmQ_KbWiRMuZ_4Uil5bu5MxsWo9KNDW591gKyWHX4wN5vWzR9uZapAau/s320/singlebp.jpg" title="R and R" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">April sees Bury City Council elect its new council leader
Rishi Shori. He is the first Black Minority Ethnic (BME) leader [1] in the
history of Greater Manchester.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">With this in mind, it’s worth looking at the current
composition of Manchester City Council.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Manchester City Council has 96 councillors [2]. All 96 are
currently members of the Labour Party [3]. Labour has historically enjoyed
solid support from the ethnic minority population of the city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lets look at more numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The population of Manchester is approximately 500000 [4]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The ethnic minority population is roughly 30 percent
of this [5]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Of the councils 96 representatives, 16 are from non-European
ethnic minorities. Its about 17% of council body. [6]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Of these 15 are of ‘Asian descent’ and there is a token
African Caribbean member</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Manchester City Council decision making body is the Executive Committee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It has 9 members and of these, all are
English (White) European [7]. (Interestingly enough the half of the Executive
Committee 'assistants' are councillors of Asian decent.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Whilst this is not necessary an issue, its notable that
there is little discussion of how the large changes that are occurring through
devolution will affect the ethnic minority population. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Take the £300 million housing fund [8]. At the moment its almost exclusively being used to support commercial property development. Given that BME population in the city are
likely to be in lower </span><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">socioeconomic</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> brackets it means they are less
likely to benefit from the fund.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Health devolution [9] was discussed at a public networking
meeting recently, a health strategy officer presented. When pressed, the
officer admitted that if the devolution plans didn’t work, that BME communities
are more likely to bear to bear the brunt of any negative effects as they are
already at a disadvantage in the health system. It is projected that the
devolution health budget may have as much as £2 billion pounds deficit [10].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As for Greater Manchester Police and policing, ethnic
minorities are more than twice as likely to be stopped and searched than the
majority population [11]. Whilst there are actions that can be done to address
this locally, very little effective action seems to be forthcoming the police or its Crime Commissioner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">These serious issues barely raise a ripple because<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">1) There is a lack of diversity on the Council. There are more people called Murphy on Manchester City Council's select Executive Committee than there are African </span><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">Caribbeans on the whole council.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2) What
representation there is - is whipped
into obeying the local Labour party line.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Its worth noting that no councillors voted against the
budget cuts this year and you will be hard pressed to find one councillor to have votes against any cuts within the past five
years. [12]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Representation and diversity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Find a Green local council
candidate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Vote for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Notes</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/first-ever-black-minority-ethnic-11201544" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/first-ever-black-minority-ethnic-11201544</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchester.gov.uk/councillors/name" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchester.gov.uk/councillors/name</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-local-election-results-labour-9220024" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-local-election-results-labour-9220024</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester#Demography" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester#Demography</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester#Demography" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester#Demography</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchester.gov.uk/councillors/name" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchester.gov.uk/councillors/name</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/200033/councillors_democracy_and_elections/3195/the_members_of_the_executive" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/200033/councillors_democracy_and_elections/3195/the_members_of_the_executive</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-31615218" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-31615218</a></li>
<li><a href="http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/2015/11/helping-to-understand-health-and-social-care-devolution-in-greater-manchester/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/2015/11/helping-to-understand-health-and-social-care-devolution-in-greater-manchester/</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.stop-watch.org/your-area/area/greater-manchester" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.stop-watch.org/your-area/area/greater-manchester</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.revolutionarycommunist.org/branches/north-west/3882-lf050215" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.revolutionarycommunist.org/branches/north-west/3882-lf050215</a></li>
</ol>
<div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-91998349253463254242016-04-22T19:07:00.000+01:002016-04-25T01:34:11.621+01:00Green Candidate calls for Reversal of Cuts to Mental Health Services<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMq3cATZuMXSitBJnL6rnaZcJ8qTtGTtM54ECFMAh12hhWkrCgaX7uabBjCA-ORIANiH1M3ro7Yli-4QSgYVWVLPLCgwbjTEufeE4eLlSvRXYGEXehCn_agL1dDljHSdHdIixBuoO5bCZx/s1600/Slide7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMq3cATZuMXSitBJnL6rnaZcJ8qTtGTtM54ECFMAh12hhWkrCgaX7uabBjCA-ORIANiH1M3ro7Yli-4QSgYVWVLPLCgwbjTEufeE4eLlSvRXYGEXehCn_agL1dDljHSdHdIixBuoO5bCZx/s320/Slide7.jpg" title="Health Cuts. Whats going next?" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Green Candidate for Manchester - Hulme, Deyika Nzeribe
called for the reinstatement of mental health services cut by the Manchester
Mental Health and Social Care Trust (MHSCT).</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The cuts to services [1], which are mainly aimed at keeping
its users healthy and out of hospital [2], were announced last autumn in a bid
to save £1.5 million [3].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Trust agreed to go ahead with the proposals at a heated
meeting last month[4].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Green candidate, Deyika Nzeribe points out though, that in
Greater Manchester the health landscape has completely changed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"As of the beginning of April, under devolution,
Greater Manchester has complete control of its health budget and management of
those funds [5]. The new Devolution health board can easily make the decision
to maintain those frontline services which are a lifeline to many of its users.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Its clear from reports, the Trust consultation was a sham
so the Devolution Health Board should take the opportunity to develop some good
will and save those services.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"Health devolution in Manchester comes with a £2
billion shortfall [6]. If the new regional health management can't retain £1.5
million of mental health services, the scale of cuts to come is going to be
scary. Devolution in this city, especially health, should be rethought
[7]".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Notes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1. </span><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/nhs-trust-axed-manchester-crisis-10348427"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/nhs-trust-axed-manchester-crisis-10348427</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2. </span><a href="http://www.manchesterusersnetwork.org.uk/2016/03/10/video-john-byron-alison-curtis-speak-crisis-mmhsct/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchesterusersnetwork.org.uk/2016/03/10/video-john-byron-alison-curtis-speak-crisis-mmhsct/</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">; </span><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchesters-mental-health-services-crisis-10626335"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchesters-mental-health-services-crisis-10626335</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">; <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">3. </span><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-34665959"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-34665959</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">4. </span><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchesters-mental-health-bosses-push-11116054"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchesters-mental-health-bosses-push-11116054</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">5. </span><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-35933922"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-35933922</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">6. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/2015/11/helping-to-understand-health-and-social-care-devolution-in-greater-manchester/">http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/2015/11/helping-to-understand-health-and-social-care-devolution-in-greater-manchester/</a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">7. </span><a href="http://hulmegreenparty.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/devolution-needs-to-be-stopped-and.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">http://hulmegreenparty.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/devolution-needs-to-be-</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://hulmegreenparty.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/devolution-needs-to-be-stopped-and.html">stopped-and.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-39532993498983865232016-03-14T18:48:00.004+00:002016-04-22T22:37:23.311+01:00Devolution needs to be stopped and rethought<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 0%; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 0%;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzl7KRxmM2WmOlikJaqf-aNl_atRMTabDf6YkKGITibB7TEDPJz2dgbYGY-z3tpe8D8JXDHDvBcJAG2v7QwVZu6mPhj3p8OwApsiLUcxl1MXL8e427f8KlGrQQf8l7cYwoh-mB6WjnHazs/s1600/devo-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzl7KRxmM2WmOlikJaqf-aNl_atRMTabDf6YkKGITibB7TEDPJz2dgbYGY-z3tpe8D8JXDHDvBcJAG2v7QwVZu6mPhj3p8OwApsiLUcxl1MXL8e427f8KlGrQQf8l7cYwoh-mB6WjnHazs/s320/devo-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Let me just say it. Its time to stop the Greater Manchester
Devolution. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Stop it, rethink it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 0%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">There seems to be so much wrong with this
process that, not only is there an independent campaign calling for a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/devolutionreferendumcampaign">referendum</a> [1]
but even Greater Manchester’s local newspapers, including the Manchester
Evening News, have bandied together to form a <a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-devolution-fair-deal-campaign-10205154">‘Fair
Devolution’ campaign</a> [2] to get a better deal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">So what are some of the things wrong? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Housing. The <a href="file:///C:/Users/Deyika/Downloads/3.%09http:/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783">£300
million pound fund</a> [3] has mainly gone to private developers despite there
being over 80,000 people on Greater Manchester <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/388698/LT_600.xlsx">housing
waiting lists</a> [4] and a sharp rise in homelessness. As it is currently
structured it is very difficult for social landlords to access this fund to
build badly needed social housing. It doesn’t have to be that way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Health. The <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-31615218">health budget</a>
(offered at £6 billion) [5] has been devolved and is thought to be between <a href="http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/2015/11/helping-to-understand-health-and-social-care-devolution-in-greater-manchester/">£1
to 2 billion less</a> than it needs to run properly [6]. This will cause even
further strain on the regional NHS. It remains to be seen if this regional
approach is a <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/11/devolving-health-social-care-manchester-nhs">threat
to how the NHS operates</a> as a whole. [7]
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Democracy. The majority of people in Greater Manchester
know very little about this devolution process at the moment. The last time the
issue of an elected mayor came up it was <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17949950">rejected by Manchester</a>
[8]. Having the role now imposed as part of the devolution deal, the interim
Mayor was chosen with no opportunity for public discussion or <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-32332399">public hustings</a>
[9]. The forthcoming full Mayoral elections will require a <a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/greater-manchester-mayor-devolution-problems-11004805">substantial
amount of money</a> to run [10]. This greatly narrows the field of potential
candidates. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">As it stands, devolution doesn’t address the <a href="file:///C:/Users/Deyika/Downloads/11.%09http:/www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/northern-powerhouse-looking-grim-10-7461583">towns
‘left behind’</a> in Greater Manchester [11], the <a href="file:///C:/Users/Deyika/Downloads/12.%09http:/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/thinning-blue-line-gmp-left-9731055">cuts
to the police</a> [12] or <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-35360250">local Councils</a>
[13]. And it should do all of these things as well as being <a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/thousands-expected-major-northern-powerhouse-10945003">good
for business</a> [14].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Crucially, in addition, this devolution, ignores the
potential of the process to reignite the Climate Change and Poverty agendas
that are critical to the future for all of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Devolution as policy and principle is a good thing. When
its works properly, it allows people to have a greater say in democracy, it
allows greater responsiveness to the needs of those people. But that is not
what is happening in Greater Manchester. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">In Greater Manchester, a historic opportunity is becoming a
badly thought through mess. Innovation is no guarantee of progress. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">The Green Party in Manchester, as the second largest party
in the city by vote, want a proper say for the people of this region.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Its not too late to stop this version of devolution. And
rethink it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Notes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<ol style="line-height: 0%;">
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/devolutionreferendumcampaign/" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">https://www.facebook.com/devolutionreferendumcampaign/</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-devolution-fair-deal-campaign-10205154" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-devolution-fair-deal-campaign-10205154</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/388698/LT_600.xlsx" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/388698/LT_600.xlsx</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-31615218" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-31615218</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/2015/11/helping-to-understand-health-and-social-care-devolution-in-greater-manchester/" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/2015/11/helping-to-understand-health-and-social-care-devolution-in-greater-manchester/</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/11/devolving-health-social-care-manchester-nhs" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/11/devolving-health-social-care-manchester-nhs</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;">; </span><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/health/andy-burnhams-warning-over-swiss-cheese-8721228" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/health/andy-burnhams-warning-over-swiss-cheese-8721228</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17949950" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17949950</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-32332399" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-32332399</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;">; </span><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/tony-lloyd-chosen-greater-manchester-9357302" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/tony-lloyd-chosen-greater-manchester-9357302</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/greater-manchester-mayor-devolution-problems-11004805" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/greater-manchester-mayor-devolution-problems-11004805</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/northern-powerhouse-looking-grim-10-7461583" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/northern-powerhouse-looking-grim-10-7461583</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/thinning-blue-line-gmp-left-9731055" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/thinning-blue-line-gmp-left-9731055</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-35360250" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-35360250</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.uk-northern-powerhouse.com/" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://www.uk-northern-powerhouse.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;">; </span><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/thousands-expected-major-northern-powerhouse-10945003" style="line-height: 0%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/thousands-expected-major-northern-powerhouse-10945003</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;"> </span></li>
</ol>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-8606058259702383032015-11-15T17:34:00.000+00:002015-11-15T21:27:08.240+00:00Comment: Where are Manchester Council’s emergency homeless shelters?<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdsFY4L0qb8CU9IXPWOP4Jofgqnd352OUY-SSBNshvoMW3a57ytIqkh5vDOYiR5FieymHMjmo_LEHzvFBy6Zeg3-PR1HxHrozn5H6i2T4FGn2l9GJOjxL-9EIyy4TKn4txcnnS69BgPAB/s1600/IMG_20151106_050218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Post Ark 1" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdsFY4L0qb8CU9IXPWOP4Jofgqnd352OUY-SSBNshvoMW3a57ytIqkh5vDOYiR5FieymHMjmo_LEHzvFBy6Zeg3-PR1HxHrozn5H6i2T4FGn2l9GJOjxL-9EIyy4TKn4txcnnS69BgPAB/s320/IMG_20151106_050218.jpg" title="Post Ark1" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">There has been much criticism of Manchester City Council and its
approach to homelessness over the past few months.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This has especially been the case with its suppfor evicting the homeless
from various buildings and shelters from around the city centre. The most notorious
example of this was supporting Manchester Metropolitan University’s double eviction
of the Ark [1]. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">A pivotal action in altering the council’s position came when homelessness
activists briefly occupied an empty office block on Charlotte Street in city
centre. They aimed to make it a community hub for the homeless from which they
could get shelter food and advice [2]. Although swiftly evicted, almost
immediately afterwards, Manchester United football legends Gary Neville and
Ryan Giggs generously offered shelter in their empty ‘Stock Exchange’ building
[3].<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In an about face, the Council then declared it too would make
buildings available [4].</span></div>
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<span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">That was two weeks ago.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The site of the Ark on Oxford Road is currently empty and fenced
off by MMU. There is no sign of the activity MMU evicted the Ark for.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Its been a week of cold, wet, windy weather. Under the fly-over on
Oxford Road on both sides, there are homeless again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When asked why they were there, why didn’t they go to the ‘Stock
Exchange’, they said that they did but it was full.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When they were asked about the Council’s empty buildings for the
homeless, they knew nothing about them. At all. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYgOseFUrupbzvt-h_kF_loQUcNYoNC1Uzwv29Ab6QPpfUZQrADV6uLjwqpHKX-EmCx5m5srIV7KG8me0sey22FMGqKgBCNwvL7dPnQ8lRu55_Z0RUWFlHrkJ8f-_4T1qobmZePY0kRgT/s1600/IMG_20151106_045612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Post Ark 2" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYgOseFUrupbzvt-h_kF_loQUcNYoNC1Uzwv29Ab6QPpfUZQrADV6uLjwqpHKX-EmCx5m5srIV7KG8me0sey22FMGqKgBCNwvL7dPnQ8lRu55_Z0RUWFlHrkJ8f-_4T1qobmZePY0kRgT/s320/IMG_20151106_045612.jpg" title="Post Ark 2" width="320" /></a><span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When it explained what was offered in the press the response was [to paraphrase
and replace words] – ‘Goodness me, they should hurry up, this is no flowery
joke being out here’.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Since then, as reported by the local press, the camp near Piccadilly
train station has grown to about 30 people [5].<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Its been a very bad week weather-wise. When are these buildings
going to open? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What are the Council waiting for? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Christmas?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>Notes</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=2967">http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=2967</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/squatters-bid-set-up-homeless-10278055">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/squatters-bid-set-up-homeless-10278055</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/gary-neville-tells-homeless-protest-10283700">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/gary-neville-tells-homeless-protest-10283700</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">4.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/town-hall-follow-gary-neville-10352188">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/town-hall-follow-gary-neville-10352188</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">5.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="yiv4535734802im"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/dozens-rough-sleepers-set-up-10433163">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/dozens-rough-sleepers-set-up-10433163</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-36547893524818090492015-11-15T15:30:00.000+00:002015-11-15T15:50:40.633+00:00Pomona Island Planning Hearing Report Back<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-0FXHVG4u3VZh64URL55BTHkdVuYRQG3Lc5tXbYQrtr-Er9glaN7xKL69XotQ5SSVR0XpoQNT2itWafaa69fCd6x9hx2p1O1Tuff39wn5OJvAIbHN3a1HIT_XB9JB61GAsigkFura9lw/s1600/pomona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-0FXHVG4u3VZh64URL55BTHkdVuYRQG3Lc5tXbYQrtr-Er9glaN7xKL69XotQ5SSVR0XpoQNT2itWafaa69fCd6x9hx2p1O1Tuff39wn5OJvAIbHN3a1HIT_XB9JB61GAsigkFura9lw/s320/pomona.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trafford
Council Planning Committee gave planning permission for 2 blocks of flats on
Pomona Island on Thursday evening (12th November). </span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<br />
The site has not been in use for decades. In that time it has evolved
into a rare and mostly undisturbed rich habitat for wildlife, including rare
species.<br />
<br />
<span class="yiv4535734802im">Opponents
of the plan want more imaginative use of the space than another spate of the same overpriced blocks of flats that have sprung up in the Manchester area.
They are also deeply concerned by the ecological impact of development. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="yiv4535734802im">The land
is owned by Peel holdings and is probably most well-known to Mancunians who
pass it on the tram route, alongside the Manchester ship canal on the border of
3 boroughs, Manchester, Trafford and Salford. </span><br />
<br />
Although there has been a campaign group against building, the likelihood of
lots of locals organising to protect the site is hampered by there not being
many locals around in the first place. Across the water in Salford Quays there
are some abodes of a similar demographic to those planned, often fairly
transitory inhabitants not too likely to get involved with local activism.
Also, being on the border of boroughs (or wards for that matter) can often make
the geographical politics and identity of a location somewhat opaque<br />
</span><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2876"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
Pomona<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Island<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2875"><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>was
very attractive, even to non-ecologists. But plans to build will have been
bubbling under for a long time and a few years ago a large amount of vegetation
was cleared, making it look less attractive. Funny that. </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br />
<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2881"><a href="https://dataderived.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/pomona-has-been-cleared-of-all-plants/">https://dataderived.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/pomona-has-been-cleared-of-all-plants/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="yiv4535734802im">The plan for the towers had been knocked back once
for being below standard, but the development firm, Rowlinsons, had returned
with some improvements, though they still look completely bland and identikit.</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2883" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2885" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2884"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The development has been awarded £10,000,000 or our money via the
dodgy democracy Devomanc scam, sorry...scheme.<br />
<br />
The spooning out of money is detailed here, along with other background info.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/news/22-of-devo-manc-housing-fund-gone" style="outline: none;">http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/news/22-of-devo-manc-housing-fund-gone</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br />
A key theme at the hearing was that of councillors clearly being not very happy
or impressed with the plans (though many were flat ignorant of the ecological
importance of what is officially designated as a brownfield site). Still, most
of those who spoke were minded to approve the plans, not least through fear of
being taken to court if they weren't. The option to kickback the plan for
improvements and consideration for environment didn't seem to be an option
for them.<br />
<br />
The council had asked Peel Holdings for a masterplan of their overall vision
for the whole area. Peel didn't bother, but disrespecting the council turned
out to be no great problem. A further disappointment that turned out not to
matter was the total lack of affordable or social housing in the plan,
despite the £10m bung from public funds.<br />
<br />
The underlying message from the committee was one of "We don't like
it, but we'll bend over anyhow, what can we really do?" (they are only
elected representatives after all)<br />
<br />
Trafford Council have sent a signal that banality, disregard for environment,
lack of co-operation or clear strategy are all fine really. One
might wonder if they have the imagination to sense this.<br />
<br />
It's an object lesson in how corporations trump people and planet time again
via stultified and cowardly politics, and why so many have lost faith in that
political system.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2888" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2887"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It is to be hoped that if/when future plans are submitted, the
council won’t allow themselves to be a case study in "fool me once, shame
on you. Fool me twice, shame on me".</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2886" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2889" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Notable exceptions in opposition to the plans
were Labour members Delores O'Sullivan and David Acton (who is not on the
committee).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2890" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2891" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br />
It's not too late for future development to be more eco-friendly and for
Trafford Council to find some spine. It would be great for the area to be
utilised as much needed urban park space, possibly in concert with an </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">"Eden of The North"</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> vision in contrast to Osborne's dubious
Northern Poorhouse, er... Powerhouse.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
<br />
For those who deem such ideas unrealistic, a realistic compromise would be
housing that is in harmony with habitat and wildlife as well as social goals of
affordable housing and employment. But so far it's just another instance of
death by a thousand cuts for the ecology, including evictions of rare schedule
1 bird species, the Little Ringed Plover and Kingfisher not to mention, Sand
Martin, Jacksnipe, Pipistrelle Bat, Daubenton’s Bat, Water Vole, Cormorant and
many other species, all found to have been happily inhabiting the site.
Rowlinsons could easily have earned brownie points and added green roofs to
their designs but alas no and so another eco opportunity lost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2897" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2896"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br />
Urban green space is vital, yet almost every individual development can be
legally / politically excused on it's own merits, especially in the light of
housing and employment difficulties. However, the collective effect is
calamitous. There is more to ecology than rainforests, Polar Bears and the
contents of a David Attenborough documentary. It is the very life that
surrounds us wherever we are, and it is being systemically destroyed for profit
with scant regard for consequence.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2894" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br />
Such awareness, and the necessary vision for 21st Century sustainability, elude
too many politicians, stuck in the last generation, and too many of the current
generation of capitalists. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2894" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447598676760_2894" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Steve Durrant</span></div>
<div class="yiv4535734802msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-23356395489998571642015-10-29T19:52:00.001+00:002015-10-29T20:14:53.023+00:00Hulme Green Party calls on Homeless Film Festival to boycott Manchester Metropolitan University<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBITy2VrAwOCNszybuQO8XW7BSESDxYK7tpDioNrFrJwjQ_jbzBEuqSW8AuW5QB7VVqwryUCZaxZozXxHGtlfG82mglIMXy70IogodUjZc6EZD2qCQxO1rM_uVK0A9FI7COX7eNIqfgzD/s1600/Ark1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="HFF boycott of MMU" border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBITy2VrAwOCNszybuQO8XW7BSESDxYK7tpDioNrFrJwjQ_jbzBEuqSW8AuW5QB7VVqwryUCZaxZozXxHGtlfG82mglIMXy70IogodUjZc6EZD2qCQxO1rM_uVK0A9FI7COX7eNIqfgzD/s200/Ark1.jpg" title="The Ark" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hulme Green Party are calling on the upcoming Homeless Film
Festival (HFF) [1] to boycott film screenings and other events hosted
by Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The aggressive legal action that MMU have pursued in conjunction with
Manchester City Council and the repeated evictions of The Ark homeless shelter
have received much public attention in the last few weeks. [2]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The harassing actions of these large institutions against this
vulnerable group were called out by homelessness campaigns, students
and Manchester Green Party. [3]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Deyika Nzeribe, Hulme resident and Green Party campaigner
said: "While we recognize the good work that the HFF are doing and
have done, it is just wrong for them to ally themselves
with MMU, who have aggressively pursued and evicted the
Ark homeless camp twice in the last few months. It was a well
organised shelter, which was doing a lot to raise awareness of
homelessness and to provide support for vulnerable people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"On the back of this ‘partnership’, MMU will be able to use HFF as
an example of the good work it's doing for the homeless, to cover up what it's
actually doing on the ground. HFF should do the right thing and boycott the MMU venues."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Notes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1. <a href="http://www.homelessfilmfestival.org/#!screening/cswe" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4;">http://www.homelessfilmfestival.org/#!screening/cswe</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">2. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/30/manchester-homeless-people-face-jail-over-city-centre-tent-camps" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4;">http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/30/manchester-homeless-people-face-jail-over-city-centre-tent-camps</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">3. <a href="http://hulmegreenparty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/support-ark.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4;">http://hulmegreenparty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/support-ark.htm</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-70697061463485271402015-10-13T14:41:00.002+01:002015-10-13T14:49:13.332+01:00Council Leader should learn some Mancunian generosity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7N0HFFCd6XHK0g25Mg-tqtjuf5nOXpNd1rOY7pAZ00tL599zE1Q5k3fvqe_MoU5jdaBMwzWNpbHQcZIfQBfol2F9tRwd0Hw4ZKQBhDlyPm7wC_OuEKd5z7mmKgQHBgFXwf0QsRXOURYp/s1600/mcc2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mancunian Generosity" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7N0HFFCd6XHK0g25Mg-tqtjuf5nOXpNd1rOY7pAZ00tL599zE1Q5k3fvqe_MoU5jdaBMwzWNpbHQcZIfQBfol2F9tRwd0Hw4ZKQBhDlyPm7wC_OuEKd5z7mmKgQHBgFXwf0QsRXOURYp/s200/mcc2.jpeg" title="Mancunian Generosity" width="160" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The comments on the Leader’s Blog [1] by Richard Leese on
begging and homelessness are reprehensible. It is classic demonization of some
of Manchesters’ most vulnerable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The piece looks to draw distinctions between beggars and
the homeless while describing them in almost the same terms. For beggars
"the most likely beneficiaries are the nearest off-licence, drug
dealer" but the homeless "are people with chaotic, dysfunctional
lifestyles often with drink, drug, and mental health problems".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Leader talks about 80% of beggars not being homeless.
What does that mean? There is a noticeable increase in begging AND the homeless
on the streets over the few years. We know that the "Lack of affordable
housing, welfare cuts, and cuts to support services" has led to an
increase in homelessness, why wouldn't it lead to an increase in begging?
Foodbanks [2] and soup kitchens can't catch everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The claim that beggars are commuting from London for the
notable Mancunian generosity is ridiculous. When is the evidence for this? And are
beggars also commuting from Liverpool, Birmingham and other large cities?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As for the generosity of Mancunians, this does not extend
to the Council. This spring it cut funding to homelessness support. [3]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Since then, however, the Council has spent over £100,000
prosecuting the homeless in the city centre while at the same time promoting
the huge amount of luxury flats planned for the city centre partly funded by
£300 million of government funds. [4]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What use are the Council Leader's comments except to turn
the public against the visible homeless on the streets. It casts doubt on any
initiative announced by the Richard Leese will be anything more than a
token enterprise, that it won’t approach
the scale of action needed to properly address the homelessness crisis. Next thing you know, he’ll
be asking people not to give to the homeless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Manchester’s generosity is better than the comments of the
Council Leader. He should do a better job of representing it. He should learn
from it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the meantime its to be expected that the homeless
themselves will do the best they can to look after themselves on the streets of
Manchester.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://www.manchester.gov.uk/blog/leadersblog/post/743/homelessness-and-street-begging/comment">http://www.manchester.gov.uk/blog/leadersblog/post/743/homelessness-and-street-begging/comment</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2. <a href="http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/140773910-benefit-cuts-will-force-more-manchester-families-rely-food-banks-warns-study">http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/140773910-benefit-cuts-will-force-more-manchester-families-rely-food-banks-warns-study</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">3. <a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/number-people-sleeping-rough-greater-8745312">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/number-people-sleeping-rough-greater-8745312</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">4. <a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-2977612563187264322015-09-09T23:52:00.000+01:002015-09-09T23:59:26.519+01:00Keeping it BREEAM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NpUjCTy3gxpI0GYMbQF4kAyEC4f8vTfpX2FOusqfML8RTEqvryU8Vumpj9DWJhUGcHIUfYIHo1uZZUcAJoiW1lTMKr0pm539fa07nDl1aj1gW35KgG7M0Z_GbwT3o_Ks-LsnzJ5Rd4HQ/s1600/Breean1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NpUjCTy3gxpI0GYMbQF4kAyEC4f8vTfpX2FOusqfML8RTEqvryU8Vumpj9DWJhUGcHIUfYIHo1uZZUcAJoiW1lTMKr0pm539fa07nDl1aj1gW35KgG7M0Z_GbwT3o_Ks-LsnzJ5Rd4HQ/s200/Breean1.jpg" width="182" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Manchester Metropolitan University's (MMU) Birley Fields
campus is nearly complete with the shops on Stretford Road being the last
visible works to be completed.</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The development of the campus has been promoted
highlighting that its planned specification would make it the greenest campus
in Europe. [1] <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In MMU's case, inevitably, some of those features did not
make it off the plans. If some environmental features do not make it to
implementation, its disappointing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What is interesting with MMU is that it has applied to
Manchester City Council to be make<b> exempt</b> from the BREEAM standards when it
comes to the shops on Stretford Road. [2] The BREEAM standard against which the
sustainability of new, non-residential buildings in the UK is assessed. [3][4]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To deliberately look for exemption from this standard makes
MMU's environmental statements more marketing than principle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They should think again and <b>withdraw</b> their planning
request.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Notes</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.mmu.ac.uk/news/news-items/2054/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.mmu.ac.uk/news/news-items/2054/</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pa.manchester.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=NS72MUBC6K000" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://pa.manchester.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=NS72MUBC6K000</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BREEAM" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BREEAM</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.breeam.org/about.jsp?id=66" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.breeam.org/about.jsp?id=66</a></li>
</ol>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-42117234919749612132015-09-09T23:08:00.002+01:002015-09-09T23:16:24.475+01:00Comment - Manchester City Council position on migrants a double standard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UjJCp8-jEVM3UxMrpSmeHrtuOssQUfZ9xkESF3P-HwWPFGNeP9KFEsLo2jU9-gyC054iTwD2xl4Ck-9Q3LVprtAw1lejbZIDwuH_IOWbbNqk6ZNJZqhwekZVcjgxRntJLMwox2YRZetD/s1600/mcc2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UjJCp8-jEVM3UxMrpSmeHrtuOssQUfZ9xkESF3P-HwWPFGNeP9KFEsLo2jU9-gyC054iTwD2xl4Ck-9Q3LVprtAw1lejbZIDwuH_IOWbbNqk6ZNJZqhwekZVcjgxRntJLMwox2YRZetD/s200/mcc2.jpeg" title="Manchester City Council position on migrants a double standard" width="160" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Manchester City Council and its Labour leadership showed
some double standards in its recent statements on the refugees coming to
Britain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Nationally, the government has been shamed into accepting
more refugees. On the back of this, in Greater Manchester, Labour politicians
have been falling over themselves to welcome the refugees (however
conditionally). According to a recent newspaper report, Council Leader Sir
Richard Leese "says the city will gladly play its part in housing
destitute people".[1]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">On Manchester's destitute people, the City Council along
with Manchester Metropolitan University is taking legal action to evict the
homeless camp that has come together under the motorway flyover on Oxford
Road.[2] <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The organised camp is one of several to have formed over
the past year as the homelessness crisis in the city has grown worse and with
the City Council recently cutting support services.[3] It is estimated that
over 200 people are sleeping rough.[4]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If Manchester City Council wants to show its caring side,
it can start by stopping the legal action its pursuing against The Ark and the
other homeless camps. [5]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While we welcome the Council's plans to aide and support
refugees, it should extend this compassion to those already destitute on the
streets of this City.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Notes</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/deal-us-not-serco-say-9993699" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/deal-us-not-serco-say-9993699</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/050974232-manchester-homelessness-crisis-ark-shelter-plea-public-support-after-council" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/050974232-manchester-homelessness-crisis-ark-shelter-plea-public-support-after-council</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/special-report-shock-rise-manchester-9363644" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/special-report-shock-rise-manchester-9363644</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/260673764-charity-accuse-manchester-city-council-lying-about-homeless-figures" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/260673764-charity-accuse-manchester-city-council-lying-about-homeless-figures</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/homeless-protesters-could-jailed-breaching-9942874" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/homeless-protesters-could-jailed-breaching-9942874</a></li>
</ol>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-33699934994992441802015-09-08T14:34:00.000+01:002015-09-09T22:13:41.462+01:00Support The Ark<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUY4AEZv_U2GACh-M03IU_w3lRO8OBRhIzW2UjlEN9ePgcOLBJS4MwsWafdGaizcLKGgcXeAwJNRcxvGMppH9ZG0segKnWmdc6Ytjz-kgR7fG0e7MKU8_upAyoWTCmIhpaemJ40t2rFw8r/s1600/Ark1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Homeless Shelter on Oxford Road, Manchester" border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUY4AEZv_U2GACh-M03IU_w3lRO8OBRhIzW2UjlEN9ePgcOLBJS4MwsWafdGaizcLKGgcXeAwJNRcxvGMppH9ZG0segKnWmdc6Ytjz-kgR7fG0e7MKU8_upAyoWTCmIhpaemJ40t2rFw8r/s320/Ark1.jpg" title="The Ark" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">You may have noticed the ‘homeless camp’ that has set up on
the edge of Hulme, specifically under the flyover on Oxford Road.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Since Manchester City Council evicted the camps in St
Peters Square, St Anne's Square and King Street [1], the few individuals living
under the flyer has grown into a small shelter. They call it 'The Ark'. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That shelter is now currently under threat of eviction by
Manchester Metropolitan University and Manchester City Council [2].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Its inhabitants, about 12 people, were served legal papers
last week and are due in court from 7th September.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Deyika Nzeribe from Hulme Green Party said "That
Manchester City Council is continuing its campaign to harass the homeless of
Manchester is as scandalous as it is immoral. The fact that Manchester
Metropolitan University is a partner in this action is deeply disappointing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"It is common for the homeless of Manchester have to
live together for protection from the attacks that they frequently endure in
the city centre. The shelter, a mile from Piccadilly, can hardly be considered
'political' or 'campaigning'."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Over the six months Manchester City Council has embarked on
dual high profile campaigns. The first is to highlight the proposed 1 billion
pounds worth of housing investment planned for central Manchester [3]. The
Council is planning to use the £300 million pound housing investment fund
granted as part of the Devolution deal to do this [4]. So far, 22% of that
funding has been committed to support luxury housing within similar
developments earmarked [5]. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRvz30-f0lFXk6JSsGSFJlIGHeh45cDX2oc67wwUNO7LusYlpSkmsl7uL7O7j8PKeCaGhyphenhyphenVt3h8cGSYY9GCYzgyZtJMMRTwg7fKM2xRLjvgjyJZHrHF3whCOrxMGEPpbhBHYtt0NOuxfk/s1600/Ark2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRvz30-f0lFXk6JSsGSFJlIGHeh45cDX2oc67wwUNO7LusYlpSkmsl7uL7O7j8PKeCaGhyphenhyphenVt3h8cGSYY9GCYzgyZtJMMRTwg7fKM2xRLjvgjyJZHrHF3whCOrxMGEPpbhBHYtt0NOuxfk/s320/Ark2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The second is the pursuit of Manchester's homeless. The Council has spent over £100,000 on legal
fees [6] to gain injunctions to move the homeless camps from the city centre.
This was soon after cutting council funding to organisations supporting the
homeless [7].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Manchester City Council and Manchester Metropolitan
University are some of the largest institutions who, between them have recently
spent hundreds of millions on buildings [8] or promoting buildings [9]. The
pursuit and harassment of the homeless and particularly the Ark is shameful.
Both institutions should stop this action immediately and put those resources
to helping people get off the streets. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Notes</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/homeless-camp-sets-up-king-9875548" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/homeless-camp-sets-up-king-9875548</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/050974232-manchester-homelessness-crisis-ark-shelter-plea-public-support-after-council" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/050974232-manchester-homelessness-crisis-ark-shelter-plea-public-support-after-council</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/future-manchester-revealed-vertical-village-9604147" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/future-manchester-revealed-vertical-village-9604147</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/greater-manchester-councils-hand-out-9984274" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/greater-manchester-councils-hand-out-9984274</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/bill-manchester-homelessness-protest-exceeds-9534300" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/bill-manchester-homelessness-protest-exceeds-9534300</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-homeless-campaigners-could-end-9535878" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-homeless-campaigners-could-end-9535878</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mmu.ac.uk/news/news-items/3417/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.mmu.ac.uk/news/news-items/3417/</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/special-report-shock-rise-manchester-9363644" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/special-report-shock-rise-manchester-9363644</a></li>
</ol>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-54573616566202307082015-09-08T08:25:00.002+01:002015-09-08T08:25:57.629+01:00A thought on the Labour Party ahead of the announcement of their new leader. The 18th of August marked the anniversary of the Battle of Peterloo, when 60,000 people protested in Manchester in support for the vote and political reform. The struggle for a democracy which is truly representative of the people continues today. In Manchester, the latest threat to democracy is the Government’s devolution deal. Devolution in general something we support. We believe important decisions about local areas should be taken by those closest to those areas. However, the devolution deal does not offer more accountability to the people but less. For example Greater Manchester is currently represented by an unelected Mayor, former Labour MP Tony Lloyd, and this will be the case until 2017.<br />
<br />
There seems to be an ongoing argument within the Labour Party over whether the leadership contest will cause or is causing a split. It is hard to see what the debate is about. It seems apparent that there is a split. Greens in Manchester were aware of a split long before the leadership campaign began. The gaps were apparent in the differences in views between Manchester City Council and local MPs over the devolution deal for Greater Manchester. While the Council was and is very happy to sign a deal with George Osborne, local MPs were and are much more skeptical about the long-term consequences of the deal.<br />
<br />
If Jeremy Corbyn is elected it does appear that the gap between him and Sir Richard Leese (the leader of Manchester Council) will be a large one. For a start Mr Leese has given his backing to Yvette Cooper. The differences are the greatest when it comes to housing and tackling poverty. While Mr Corbyn agrees with the Green Party and argues for the building of new social housing, the Council prioritizes the building of private homes. It has recently unveiled plans for new projects across the City Centre. Of the thousands of new flats and houses, none of them are set to be social housing; and none of them are even to be set as ‘affordable’. This is despite the fact that there are currently 20,000 people on the social housing waiting list in Manchester. The Council sees rising rents as a positive economic indicator and recently spent over £100,000 on evicting and taking legal action against homeless protesters in the City Centre. We believe that this approach from the Council has encouraged social housing conglomerate One Manchester to come up with plans for Hulme which don’t include any social housing.<br />
<br />
We look forward to working with the supporters of Mr Corbyn in developing and implementing plans to create more social housing and combating inequality across Manchester.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-88422517304337493882015-08-21T09:39:00.000+01:002015-08-21T09:54:25.373+01:00What's the future for Cornbrook and Pomona Island?<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-hHuOKYRfbyTSpI26IYnb3M3itVLWYsNFrqoMjjPjkLv41oAV4GhY9SZEyiBchuMuux2k0t-VjbgibGz4aUcikE39zdgLfC6-WwvzFJXOQwzPNj_EIkMrUK3aZfyf9rdvTcebVXH7c0-/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cornbrook" border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-hHuOKYRfbyTSpI26IYnb3M3itVLWYsNFrqoMjjPjkLv41oAV4GhY9SZEyiBchuMuux2k0t-VjbgibGz4aUcikE39zdgLfC6-WwvzFJXOQwzPNj_EIkMrUK3aZfyf9rdvTcebVXH7c0-/s1600/026.JPG" title="Cornbrrok" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Canal at Cornbrook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The last entry talked about the Council’s proposed
development of Great Jackson Street. This article is about the Council’s plans
for Cornbrook and Pomona. The Council plans to build a large hotel, a ‘commercial
business hub’ and a number of flats. In addition, it is working with Trafford
Council to build a large number of flats on Pomona Island in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As with the Great Jackson Street plan, the Council has no
desire to build any affordable homes or social housing on the site. The promise
of some new commercial space at least shows that the Council does know that
people need to have somewhere to work as well as just live. However, the
Council does not look set to overturn its existing policies of attempting to
attract in new employers rather than supporting local businesses to grow. We want to see some of the commercial space be set aside for either small
businesses, or for an office to support small businesses and local charities. We also want to the plans to have more imagination when it comes to retaining the current </span><span style="line-height: 18.39px;">environment</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> of Pomona Island.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We also want to see a plan which takes into
consideration the environment. Pomona is currently an Oasis of green at the
edge of the City Centre. The site was home to a pleasure garden in the 19<sup>th</sup>
century and it would be good to see Pomona continue to have green space rather
than seeing it become overdeveloped like the rest of the former docks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The most troublesome thing about this proposal is that it
has been designed without consulting the public. It has been dreamt up by the
Tory heads of Trafford Council and the Labour heads of Manchester Council
behind closed doors. Even Hulme Councillors were not consulted about the plans.
Cllr Lee-Ann Igbon was concerned that she had not been consulted about the plans
before they were released. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Council leader Mr Richard Leese said that as only a
small amount of the plan was actually in Hulme he didn’t think it was much of
an issue. That statement appears to be disingenuous as Mr Leese must have
surely read the report which has plans to build hundreds of flats and directly
states that existing services such as schools, dentists and doctors’ surgeries
would be used by the new residents. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The impact of all these new homes and other developments
on transport is also a major concern. There is no plan to deal with the
increase in traffic created by these plans. Chester Road, Bridgewater Way A57
are already extremely busy at peak times and a heavily built development on
this site will greatly add to this problem. While there is an existing tram
stop it is not plausible that this will cater for all the transport needs of
the new homes and other planned buildings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Change is always
going to occur and the Hulme Greens are not against that. But we believe that
changes to the city should be made with the people, not made behind closed
doors with the leaders of other Councils. In addition we will be arguing for
new developments to provide affordable homes, social housing with controlled
rents, space for small businesses, green spaces, and amenities for the
community and be designed to tackle climate change. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-26184166306394376932015-08-16T12:14:00.000+01:002015-08-17T01:07:12.115+01:00Housing Association ‘No DSS’ housing proposal despite waiting list crisis.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwUfuKNNo-QDXKJR85pdWOVp_LXykGyCNc_Nlsl1N54MTkYv2n7fA9vDEeWy_i4x6RIczHVyHSAGTUXn_0TJAcnFNfA2DkyNkPH-yY1LfROWIZDHS052NX5Aq658RHeJgrhpdsRqMFuRu/s1600/Leaf-Street-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hulme Living - Leaf Street image" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwUfuKNNo-QDXKJR85pdWOVp_LXykGyCNc_Nlsl1N54MTkYv2n7fA9vDEeWy_i4x6RIczHVyHSAGTUXn_0TJAcnFNfA2DkyNkPH-yY1LfROWIZDHS052NX5Aq658RHeJgrhpdsRqMFuRu/s320/Leaf-Street-2.jpg" title="Hulme Living - Leaf Street image" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Social landlord OneManchester’s [1] controversial
plans to build new housing in Hulme reveal that </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">none</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> of the
170 properties will be available as social homes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The scheme called ‘Hulme Living’[2], which
OneManchester hopes to begin in early 2016, will be across 2 sites in Hulme,
one approximately 100 property build on <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Leaf+St,+Manchester+M15+5LE/@53.4690698,-2.2478087,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x487bb1efb40cd149:0xbca249f40a907531" target="_blank">Leaf Street</a> the other <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir//53.4682026,-2.2578382/@53.4677614,-2.2543616,16.13z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0" target="_blank">Chorlton Road.</a></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
Dave Power, chief executive of OneManchester</span><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> justifies the
proposal, saying “…Greater Manchester desperately needs to be building at least
10,000 new homes per year in order to play its part in tackling the national
housing crisis” [3].</span><span style="background: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
Deyika Nzeribe, Manchester Green Party and resident of Hulme said
“OneManchester is supposed to be a social landlord. Where are the social homes
in this plan? Dave Power is right in saying that there is a housing crisis in
Manchester but that crisis is that there are <u>20,000 people</u> on
the council waiting list[4], the worse in the North West of England. If not
organisations like OneManchester, who is going to build the social housing we
desperately need?</span><span style="background: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“If all the accommodation in these plans are for
rent, why not have a mix, have 40% of the tenants in there from the housing
list? THAT would be a small step but it will be in the right direction.”</span><span style="background: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Manchester Green Party Chair Steffeny McGiffen commented “With 20,000
people on the housing waiting list evidence of the lack of accommodation for
people in need can be seen every day on the streets of Manchester. Those
charged with the welfare of the city are failing to tackle the issue and
arguably, wilfully ignoring it."</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ends</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Notes</span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">1.</span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">One
Manchester - </span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://www.onemanchester.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">http://www.onemanchester.co.uk/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">2.</span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Hulme
Living - </span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://hulmeliving.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">http://hulmeliving.co.uk/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">3.</span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">170
new homes expected to be built in Hulme - </span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/170-new-homes-expected-built-9780001" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/170-new-homes-expected-built-9780001</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">4.</span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Households
on local authorities' housing waiting lists - </span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://data.gov.uk/dataset/households_on_local_authorities_housing_waiting_lists_-_excluding_households_waiting_for_transfers" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">http://data.gov.uk/dataset/households_on_local_authorities_housing_waiting_lists_-_excluding_households_waiting_for_transfers</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-44421219603751766982015-08-05T13:53:00.002+01:002015-08-16T22:01:32.340+01:00Claremont Resource Centre to Close<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrESA9Y0Dx5zgeOcmE_qSi8Jd4Ma7md29WtZcSetUDkf7e8vnnR9EF9YK03fCzxDBPojZLLl7EGWegzMFlzl-ycmwwE1QjV1aLrsUpfZ3C1dlfQYz8Uw0Fabfy3sNyy8XSfgg-IgfsELsc/s1600/IMG_20150723_213642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Claremont Resource Centre" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrESA9Y0Dx5zgeOcmE_qSi8Jd4Ma7md29WtZcSetUDkf7e8vnnR9EF9YK03fCzxDBPojZLLl7EGWegzMFlzl-ycmwwE1QjV1aLrsUpfZ3C1dlfQYz8Uw0Fabfy3sNyy8XSfgg-IgfsELsc/s320/IMG_20150723_213642.jpg" title="Claremont Resource Centre" /></a></div>
Over the last few months it has become apparent that the Claremont Resource Centre on Rolls Crescent is to close.<br />
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The substantial expansion of Rolls Crescent Primary School next door will mean that the Claremont will be demolished to make way.<br />
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Though in the past the building was home to the much-loved Hulme Resource Centre and a Citizens Advice Bureau, its main current occupant is the <a href="http://www.accg.org.uk/">African Caribbean Care Group (ACCG)</a>.<br />
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Though initially there were fears the Care Group was also closing down, this appears not to be the case.<br />
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The Care Group is however, looking for a new home and as of this moment is still uncertain as to where that would be.<br />
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We hope that the Group is aiming to and able to remain in Hulme.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-13511103409394871082015-08-04T10:28:00.001+01:002015-08-05T18:36:18.625+01:00What's on the horizon for Hulme?<p>Hulme has changed in the past and will change again. Hulme in the 1870s was home to 75,000 people and was predominately made up of terraced housing. Then the 1960s and 1970s saw the building of big blocks of flats like the Crescents. Now the large blocks have gone and where they once stood we have Hulme Park and private houses. Recently Hulme has seen Manchester Metropolitan University building on Birley Fields.
<p>Hulme and the surrounding area is about to change again. The Council has drawn up plans to drastically change many areas in and around Hulme. This blog entry is the first in a series which will be seeking to inform people about the changes planned for the area and to spark debate over whether these plans are what the people of Hulme want. </p>
<p>This article focuses on the <a href="http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/download/6168/great_jackson_street_strategic_framework_full_report_and_plans_march_2015">Council’s strategy to develop the area around Great Jackson Street</a>, which is just across from Hulme Park. The plans include proposals for a 58 storey tower and five other towers over 20 storeys high. While there are also some houses, the Council have ruled out providing any social housing or affordable housing. We believe that if the demand to build is so great for developers then surely the Council can push them to build some social housing or affordable housing. The Council claims that the site will have a mix of different types of properties but if the plans exclude affordable and social housing this mix seems to be pretty shallow.</p>
<p>There is also little provision for new shops or any other amenities. Without new plans these new properties will put a strain on doctors’ surgeries, dentists and schools in the area. In fact the Council has specifically mentioned that residents would be using existing services in Hulme. The people of Hulme need more jobs but this plan does not offer them. The building work would be covered by the same work schemes that the MMU Birley Fields campus was and the building work there created only a handful of jobs for local residents.</p>
<p>The plans have also not considered how these buildings will look to the people of Hulme. The plan makes an effort to show how the buildings will look from different positions around the city centre, but when it comes to Hulme there has been no consideration. The proposals also have little provision for public space. </p>
<p>Manchester does need new homes and Hulme Greens are not opposed to building in general. However, we believe that all changes to Hulme should have the clear backing of residents. The Council thinks that putting a consultation form on its website is sufficient and that this is reaching out to the public. We disagree and believe that the Council should consult more with the public before endorsing plans to radically change an area. It’s not just the public who aren’t properly consulted about new plans in the area. At a meeting on the 29th of July, Labour Hulme Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon complained that she had not been consulted about plans proposed for Cornbrook. This is despite the fact that another Labour Councillor for Hulme, Nigel Murphy is part of the Council executive which runs the Council. </p>
<p>The plans are just that at the moment and can be changed. At this stage it is important to make your views heard whether they be positive or negative. The Council may not be interested in hearing your views but we are, so get in touch and tell us what you think.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHcSoIG9mqoIXQS4gqoLSUSO-LrhyphenhyphenUA7jelCfdRwjYyVYQ90KpwzCSLBJtL2HpANKs2AJugPCOgiAKvDjtqtimbzc88pO77S9z3Gyiz5WOFAFSspVXRYVz8VSJVX-oJJzYauAYtMmqlAV/s1600/Great+Jackson+Street+pic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHcSoIG9mqoIXQS4gqoLSUSO-LrhyphenhyphenUA7jelCfdRwjYyVYQ90KpwzCSLBJtL2HpANKs2AJugPCOgiAKvDjtqtimbzc88pO77S9z3Gyiz5WOFAFSspVXRYVz8VSJVX-oJJzYauAYtMmqlAV/s320/Great+Jackson+Street+pic.png" /></a></div></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-42799215091222504722015-07-26T00:45:00.000+01:002016-04-22T22:42:44.915+01:00Manchester Green Party praises Labour MPs willing to oppose damaging Welfare bill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDQGN3OkZE4kFY7daTvLkCDfz9kB7obWbPaF3R1_a0ItIEaZDl5uh3bxVwQSYP6YbsHrKm6bfWGbMXPze26b3tLWUvX4MabMIiy_g0GEIoOzA_4vmuZPX48JYG_TOSHIAq4zOUx_yasBX/s1600/2A60A31000000578-3158155-The_bulk_of_more_than_12billion_in_welfare_cuts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDQGN3OkZE4kFY7daTvLkCDfz9kB7obWbPaF3R1_a0ItIEaZDl5uh3bxVwQSYP6YbsHrKm6bfWGbMXPze26b3tLWUvX4MabMIiy_g0GEIoOzA_4vmuZPX48JYG_TOSHIAq4zOUx_yasBX/s320/2A60A31000000578-3158155-The_bulk_of_more_than_12billion_in_welfare_cuts.jpg" title="UK Welfare Cuts July 2015" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The majority of Manchester’s Labour MPs have failed to
oppose a bill this week that is expected to make life more difficult for the
city’s most vulnerable people. The Manchester Green Party welcomes the decision
by two MPs to rebel and is calling on other local MPs to do more to combat the
city’s growing poverty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Manchester has some of the highest levels of child poverty
in the country. The Welfare Reform and Work Bill, which passed its second
reading by 308 to 124 votes, has been heavily criticised by academics,
charities and campaign groups who say that if the bill becomes law, it will
have a detrimental affect to children and families in poverty, young people out
of work, and ill and disabled people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Rather than voting against the bill, the Labour leadership
instructed its MPs to abstain on the vote. The bill passed with a majority of
184, precisely the number of Labour MPs who abstained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Manchester Green Party welcomes the decision taken by
Gorton MP Gerald Kaufman and Blackley and Broughton MP Graham Stringer to rebel
against the Labour line and oppose the bill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Unfortunately, Manchester’s other MPs, Lucy Powell, whose
constituency has one of the highest rates of child poverty in the UK, and the
newly elected Jeff Smith, were among those who followed their party leadership
and abstained on the vote.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Deyika Nzeribe of the Hulme Green Party said: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“If more Labour MPs had rebelled against their party and
joined other opposition members in the SNP, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and
the Green Party, the bill would have been defeated and Manchester’s families in
poverty protected from yet more government’s cuts to tax credits, welfare
benefits and public services.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It’s astounding and depressing that the majority of
Manchester’s Labour MPs refused to stand up for their most vulnerable
constituents. Manchester Central has one of the worst rates of child poverty in
the UK and we have an opposition MP apparently afraid to oppose this toxic Tory
bill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“The Manchester Green Party calls on Manchester’s Labour MPs
to listen to their constituents, to look at the evidence that these cuts are
hurting our most vulnerable citizens and to join the growing opposition in
parliament, which is currently being led by the smaller parties. The poor and
in need should not be paying for the mistakes of past governments or the
financial sector.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, who voted against the bill,
said: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It's now down to MPs from all parties to look beyond the
politics of today’s debate and focus instead on the devastating impact that
this piece of legislation will have on people up and down the country. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"Our crumbling social security system is on the brink
– now is the time to take a stand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“George Osborne is playing politics with poverty. Failing
to stand up to this regressive Welfare reform would be an utter betrayal of the
principle which says that those in need deserve support.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">More than half a million people in Greater Manchester are
believed to be living in poverty, with a further 1.6 million at risk. Many are
working for low wages and rely on working tax credits to lift them out of fuel
poverty and food poverty. The bill will make it harder still for these families
to thrive and survive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The benefit cap is to be lowered to £20,000 and the bill
contains a clause that gives the government the right to lower this yet further
without consulting parliament. This will plunge large families with high rent
costs further into poverty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The bill also abandons the UK’s commitment to eradicating
child poverty by 2020 and goes so far as to redefine poverty so that it no
longer relates to people’s ability to afford essentials such as shelter and
food.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7008275243529944048.post-25145388661486443542015-07-23T21:41:00.001+01:002015-07-23T21:41:34.792+01:00Site updates
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<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Over the next few days you may notice a few rounds of ongoing changes to these pages as we splash some virtual (environmentally friendly) paint around, dust off the hamsters and generally try to make the site easier to navigate. If you would like to share any opinions with us as we apply these updates or have any suggestions about what you would like to see here we would love to hear from you. Please feel free to do so by adding a commenting to this post. Or alternatively email us directly at: </span>hulmegreen@gmail.com</div>
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