Over 3000 voters disappear from Hulme’s Electoral Roll

Government changes to the voter registration process have resulted in 39,787 people disappearing from Manchester’s electoral roll in the last 12 months.

In Hulme, comparing figures from March 2014 and March 2015, the number of voters in Hulme has dropped by 3442, a decrease of 26%.

The change to the registration system has disproportionately affected young people, students, private renters and people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

A closer look at the figures revealed that although the average fall in voter numbers is 13% in 4 of the 5 districts of Hulme, in the 5^th area which has a high student population, that fall is 73%.

Deyika Nzeribe, the Green Party Local Election candidate for Hulme said “With the deadline for registration being this Monday April 20^th, its essential people pay attention and take action or they will miss their chance to vote for a change in government, local and national.

If you don’t like politicians but want to vote, go to the independent ‘Vote for Policies’ website, make your own mind up.”

There are 10% less people on Manchester’s electoral register than this time last year, which could radically alter the outcome of the election. In the Manchester local elections in 2014, The Green Party came 2^nd with 12.7% of the vote, whilst the Lib Dems came 3rd with 11.7%.

The council wards that have seen the greatest drop in registered voters are areas with high populations of students, private renters and minority ethnic voters.

The City Centre has lost 37% of its registered voters. Ardwick has lost 33%, Withington 28%, Hulme 26%, Rusholme 23% and Fallowfield 21%.

Meanwhile, more affluent areas with a higher percentage of homeowners have remained largely unchanged. Chorlton has only lost 3% of voters, whilst Didsbury East lost 2%.

You register to vote online in under 5 minutes by visiting https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and entering your national insurance number.

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Comment: You only think you are a Labour Party supporter (but you’re not)

Its easy to have a go at a rival party just before an election but  an interesting thing happened at a ‘Europe and Immigration’ hustings event yesterday.

On Twitter, the prospective Labour MEP candidate was criticised by a Labour Party supporter in the audience. I was a little embarrassed for him given the twitter feed was on the big screen.

After speaking very receptive members of the audience, there were several  things I should have said, like

• The government’s latest Immigration Bill (which asks landlords to check the status of immigrants, cuts back on the right to migrate to join family and drastically cuts down the ways you can appeal) only got through Parliament with Labour assistance. The Greens opposed it.
• Tuition fees lead to an average student debt of approx £35,000 on a 3 year course.  Labour is planning a commitment to reduce fees from £9000 to £6000. Established Green Party policy is to scrap tuition fees completely. Every young person, every student should be voting Green.
• Labour Party is currently thinking over  renationalising the railways. Green Party MP Caroline Lucas presented a  bill to  Parliament do just that in 2013.
• Labour invented the bedroom tax, the government just extended it
• Labour introduced significant privatisation to the NHS, the government just extended it

Green Party positions on a whole range of issues are more in line with those of Labour party supporters than the Labour Party itself.

What I did do is point the audience to the Vote for Policies website and to make their own mind up.

Everyone should do it and vote accordingly.

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REGISTER TO VOTE by Tuesday May 6th 2014

The deadline for voting in the European and Local Elections 2014 is registration is Tuesday May 6^th.

If you are planning to vote in Manchester, download the form from here.

If you live outside of Manchester, you can get more information here.

If you want to do a comparison of the various parties policies visit Vote for Policies.

ITS YOUR VOTE.

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Comment: 14.5 million reasons...

Recently a group, askthepeopleofmanchester formed in reaction to a news item that came out of Manchester City Council.

At a committee meeting the Council announced that its investment in Manchester Airport had yielded a windfall of 14.5 million pounds that they could spend as they like.

What are they proposing to do?

1. Put the money into the ‘Green and Clean Initiative’, the focus of which is NOT reducing climate change OR pollution levels. It is to run activities that improve the ‘perception’ of visitors and cleanliness of the city in line with Manchester aspirations to be a ‘Global City’.  
2. Put the decision on how to spend the whole £14.5 million in the hands of the Chief Executive, Howard Bernstein (in ‘consultation’ with others)

It’s nonsense.

For the last 3 years, Manchester City Council has been complainingthat the cuts to services have been forced on them by the Government and there has been no choice in decisions it had to make.

Now it HAS some money its choosing NOT to look at saving those services, services which help the people of Manchester.

What would we do? A number of things including

• Keep open the libraries and swimming pools that people have campaigned
• Create a fund for people affected by the bedroom tax to prevent evictions
• Look at pilot projects that support the employment of young people in Manchester
• Improve and extend Manchester cycle lanes
• Create a fund for small social enterprises and voluntary sector organisations offering up to 20% matched funding for grants or contracts that offers a public service to the people of the city
• Invest in proper ‘joined-up-thinking’ planning, education and activities that reduce the climate change emissions and pollution in the city.

There are also a range of things that can be done around the food banks, investing in start-up microbusinesses and child poverty.

But really, who is to blame for this proposal being considered at the full Council meeting on October 9^th?

Manchester’s Labour councillors. As a group.

They were the one’s wringing their hands saying ‘its not our fault’ when the cuts were happening and now they actually have a chance to do something about it, they are silent.

Manchester has had enough of them.

What can you do?

1. Signthe petition TODAY!!!  Askthepeopleofmanchester are a campaign worth following
2. Contact Manchester councillors, ask them why they are supporting this proposal
3. VOTE!!!

In Manchester Labour councillors only seem to react if they think their seats might be threatened. OnThursday October 10th, is the Ancoats and Clayton by-election.

Of course, we are asking people to voteGreen Party or if you can’t vote get in touch to help out.

There are 14.5 million reasons to do so.

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Manchester Greens Demand No Bedroom Tax Evictions Vote

Speaking at a cross-Party rally against the bedroom tax on Saturday, Manchester Green Party Chair Deyika Nzeribe called on the city’s Labour Council to refuse to evict any tenants because of the bedroom tax.

Deyika said  “The bedroom tax and council tax changes effectively cut benefits income by 27%.  That could affect over 12000 households in Manchester. The Green Party is against this – locally and nationally. 

“The coalition Government could have looked to make their reforms through local councils and housing organisations, instead they have made the bedroom tax the responsibility of the poor.   The Green Party and the Scottish National Party have taken a clear stance against the bedroom tax in Parliament.  Though campaigning against it, Labour has indicated that they would keep the tax in some form.  

“The same double standard is reflected in Manchester where the Council have remained silent on what they would do regarding the changes. Green-led Brighton and Hove Council have resolved that no tenant will be evicted because of the bedroom Tax.  On behalf of Manchester Green Party, I call upon the City Council to vote on a motion that no tenant will be evicted because of the tax in this city.  The Labour Council should stop making speeches and start taking action.

Manchester already has the highest level of child poverty in the country and rising levels of unemployment.  These welfare changes will make things very much worse." 

Manchester Green Party in recognising this,

• have met with and support the work of the Greater Manchester Poverty Commission and the newly formed Poverty Action Group,
• we have started a debate on how a local Green Economy can decrease the shocking levels of poverty in the city and make it less susceptible to recession, and  
• are assisting local and city wide groups providing support for and protesting the bedroom tax and cuts to local services.

During the Spring 2013, the Manchester Green Party will hold a series of open policy forums following on from our initial ‘Green Economy, Green Jobs’ seminar in March. With the aim to creating practical policy and actions to address some of Manchester’s pressing issues, areas looked at will include

• the  Economy, Employment and Poverty,
• the Environment and Climate Change,
• Infrastructure,
• Neighbourhoods and Democracy. 

Welfare, NHS, Social Services, the Economy. 

The country is going in the wrong direction with these  ‘reforms’ and by its inaction, so is this city.

The Green Party aim to change that.

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