Wednesday, 8 April 2015
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
Green Party calls for Referendum on Greater Manchester Devolution
News of the devolution deal [1] between the 10 Greater Manchester Councils
and the Coalition Government took most people in the region by surprise.
Also surprising was the news that the Devolution was conditional on the
region accepting an elected Mayor as part of the deal.
Though the agreement, negotiated out of view of the public, brings some
services under local control [2] there are no additional resources that would
not likely come to the region anyway. In fact, Manchester Council is facing an
additional £60 million in cuts. [3]
Laura
Bannister, Green Party general election candidate for Manchester Gorton, said, "When
Scotland voted on devolution in September, it was seen as a high water mark of
democracy with 84.6% of the population voting [4]. The debate and
discussion leading to the referendum took place over two years. No
such process has happened in Greater Manchester."
Chair of Manchester Green Party, Deyika Nzeribe agreed, "The Green
Party is in favour of devolution when
done correctly. It has to be discussed and accepted at a local level. The
Green Party therefore calls for a consultation of the people of Greater
Manchester, followed by a referendum,
to decide whether we want devolution and if so, what form it should take. This
is the biggest governance change in Manchester in a generation - people have a
right to decide this for themselves. We will work with others to make this
happen."
Since the devolution announcement, a popular campaign has formed to get a
referendum for the people of Greater Manchester. The campaign, ‘DevoManc’ is
encouraging people to sign its online petition [5] and have a Day of Action on Saturday 10th
January 2015 with petition signings all over the Greater Manchester [6].
Notes
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/devolution-to-the-greater-manchester-combined-authority-and-transition-to-a-directly-elected-mayor
- http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/News/Elected-Mayor-For-Greater-Manchester
- http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/prime-minister-david-cameron-warns-8064096#rlabs=14
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_independence_referendum,_2014
- https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/people-must-have-right-to-vote-on-devo-manc
- https://www.facebook.com/events/392412037594684/
Wednesday, 19 November 2014
Hulme Greens Campaign Action Day Sunday November 23rd
Its just under 6
months to the Local and General Election.
Although the Greens are increasing in profile and going up
in the polls, it’s the campaign on the ground, in the streets that will make
the difference come the Elections.
The
work to get an elected councillor continues in Hulme.
This Sunday
November 23rd is the Hulme Campaign Action Day.
We are pleased to have with us Green Party Regional Development Officer Pat Cleary.
There will be some training, doing surveys, and elections
strategy.
Come down, meet other Greens, take the campaign to the
streets.
Contact
hulme@manchestergreenparty.org.uk
07955064319
hulme@manchestergreenparty.org.uk
07955064319
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
Green Party urges Manchester MPs to Vote for Palestine in Parliamentary Debate
2014 has been notable for turmoil in the Middle East.
The Syrian War continued to kill thousands of people [1], the Iraqi government continued to appear unstable [2] and the new common factor in both is the emergence of the Islam State (IS) group [3].
The IS murder of Western captives and large scale killings of peoples in Syria and Iraq have drawn Western nations back into a war likely to last years. [4]
The other great source of conflict in the year was in Gaza between Israel and Palestine [5]. Over the summer there were over 2000 casualties before a ceasefire was negotiated [6]. This ongoing battle between Israel and Palestine has been the longest, most intractable problem in the region.
But in Britain an initiative by MPs Grahame Morris and Manchester’s Gerald Kaufman may change how this country engages with that conflict [7]. They have sponsored a debate, taking place on Monday 13th October, ‘The Future of the Two State Solution in Israel and Palestine’, which could lead to the Britain recognising Palestine as a state.
Doing so would make Britain the second Western European country to do so after Sweden [8] and give momentum to peace talks resuming.
Manchester Green Party commends the MPs for initiating the debate and urges MPs John Leech and Lucy Powell to attend the debate and vote for Palestinian recognition. A link to the Vote for Palestine website can be found here.
Manchester Green Party Chair Deyika Nzeribe says “The West’s poor position is arguably the result of having foreign policies based on ‘interests’. After the lesson of the second Iraq War, 100 years after ‘The Great War’, Britain finds itself again at the brink. But in the recognition of Palestine, there is the potential for something new to happen.”
Kieran Turner-Dave, Green Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Manchester Central, said
“We all want to see prolonged and sustainable peace in the Middle East. In order for international diplomacy to work, people of every community must give equal recognition to the two nations of Israel and Palestine. I would support an immediate arms embargo on both nations; and work with any organisation promoting peaceful democratic engagement to ensure a future in which children of Israel and Palestine are safe, and every citizen’s human rights are protected”.
Ends
Notes
Monday, 25 August 2014
Manchester City Council - The Apartheid Moment 2014
In England, Manchester City Council and its councillors
played a prominent role in the anti-apartheid
movement. They enacted sports and cultural boycotts, they actively divested any South Africa
related assets and investments.
When it came, Manchester, along with the rest of the world, celebrated
the end of apartheid.
20 years later, in England 100s of thousands of people
have been moved to march and protest. Shocking scenes of death and injury on
television over the past few months have showed the world the effect of the
Israeli army’s bombing of Palestine. In this latest spike in violence, the
mainly Palestinian victims have numbered
over 2000 dead and 10,000 injured. The vast majority of these have been
civilian.
After a short ceasefire, the bombing of Palestine seems
to have resumed.
When not being bombed, Palestinians in the West Bank and
Gaza live, in essence, under military occupation. Those Palestinians living in
Israel itself live under an apartheid-like regime.
Amnesty International has long
recorded the human rights violations being committed as part of their call
for the peace and adherence to international law.
Earlier this year, legendary anti-apartheid campaigner
and Nobel Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu spoke to this.
"I have witnessed the systemic humiliation of
Palestinian men, women and children by members of the Israeli security
forces," he said in a statement. "Their humiliation is familiar to
all black South Africans who were corralled and harassed and insulted and
assaulted by the security forces of the apartheid government."
A long-time supporter of the BDS (Boycott
Divestment Sanctions) campaign in support of Palestine, he also
said
“In South Africa, we could not have achieved our freedom
and just peace without the help of people around the world, who through the use
of non-violent means, such as boycotts and divestment, encouraged their
governments and other corporate actors to reverse decades-long support for the
Apartheid regime” and
“To those who wrongly allege unfairness or harm done to
them by this call for divestment, I suggest, with humility, that the harm
suffered from being confronted with opinions that challenge one's own pales in
comparison to the harm done by living a life under occupation and daily denial
of basic rights and dignity”.
For Manchester City Council, though it has supported
calls for peace – organising humanitarian
aid for Gaza, it has also set itself against
the pro-Palestine campaigners –
working with police to suppress demonstrations.
In Manchester, the campaign for Palestine has been
powerful and without rancour against the oppression and violence in Israel.
This is a moment of decision for the City Council and its
individual Councillors.
This is its ‘Apartheid moment'.
Again, Desmond Tutu speaking to Haaretz, ''Those
who turn a blind eye to injustice actually perpetuate injustice. If you are
neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor".
Manchester City Council should
- Divest itself of any assets, investments and relations that directly or indirectly supports the Israeli government
-
Support peaceful action in the city in the campaign for Palestine
Councillors should take a lead and say if they are in
support of the campaign for Palestine.
Its easy to look back misty-eyed at the anti-apartheid campaign
in South Africa.
With so many dead and injured in Palestine, now is the time to
act.
Tuesday, 12 August 2014
Manchester Green Party Public Meeting Thursday August 14th - Israel and Palestine: What is to be done?
In the 6 weeks since
the beginning of July, very nearly 2000 Palestinians have died in the Israeli
assault on Gaza.
Though the deaths of
three innocent Israeli teenagers, initially blamed on Hamas, was reported as
the tipping point for the latest spike in violence, this cycle has been going
on for years.
In late 2008/ early
2009, approximately 1500 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli action and in
November 2010, 170 died.
The latest bombardment
has led to pressure on Israel for a permanent ceasefire and although short
cessations in the fighting has occurred, the death toll still rises, the images
of the dead and injured both heart-breaking and sickening.
Whats to be done?
There have been
widespread calls for an arms embargo, sanctions, a boycott of goods,
investigations into war crimes.
There have been
protests, marches and vigils all over the world, including Israel.
What should happen
next?
What should be the
response of politicians in England?
What is the Green
Parties response?
We will be discussing
these areas on Thursday.
Speaking will be
Annie Neligan – who
has been to the West Bank several times speaking on her experience there, Green
Party policy and putting that policy into practice.
Dr Anat Greenstein is
an Israeli woman living in Manchester. She has been involved in feminist and
anti-militarist activism in Israel for more than 20 years and will be speaking
on the anti-war war movement and campaign against Zionism within Israel.
Mohammed Ghalayini
from Gaza and part of the Manchester Palestine Action (MPA) which is working
towards building a sustainable boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement in
Manchester.
When: Thursday August
14th, 7pm
Where: Friends
Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, M2 5NS
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
Manchester #BringBackOurGirls Event Thursday July 17th 7pm
It is nearly 100 days since the 267 Nigerian school girls were kidnapped from
their school dormitories.
They now live with the threat of being sold into slavery.
Except for the recent visit to Nigeria by Malala Yousafzai in support of the girls, recent press coverage of the situation has decreased.
Local groups however, have continued to raise awareness.
Manchester #BringBackOurGirls are holding a public event on Thursday
July 17th from 7pm to 9pm. This will be #Day94.
Colette Williams one of the
organisers of Bring Back Our Girls Manchester said “It seems as the whole world
has forgotten that these girls are still at the hands of their abductors, in
fact most people believe that they have been rescued and have been returned
home. It is important that the plight of these girls is kept on the agenda and
we need to keep up the call for their safe return.”
Deyika Nzeribe, also involved said “It’s important that an
incident like the kidnap of nearly 300 girls does not get lost in the news
cycle. Local support in Manchester and Liverpool has been great so far and the
#Day 94 event will continue in that vein”
Amongst the contributors will be
Ade Arogundade – Chair of Manchester’s Nigerian Union
Olusegun Ayodele – Perspective on Nigeria past & present
Ms Bola Lydia Akinyemiju - President Nigerian Students Society, The
University of Manchester
Liz Cameron – UNISON, speaking on Child Trafficking
Performers incl. Rejoice, Empress Asher, Venice & Lishon-Sam-Shanice
The evening will be hosted by acclaimed local poet and performer Chanje
Kunda.
This is a free event but places are limited so please book places
through Z-arts:
Box Office: 0161 232 6089
Email: info@z-arts.org
#BringBackOurGirls Manchester are grateful for the support of Sustained
Theatre Up North and Z-arts in the development of this event.
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Comment: Manchester, Cottonopolis and Slavery – Lets have a Parade…
 |
| 'Going Global' for Manchester? |
(This
is a personal comment and not representative of the views of Hulme or
Manchester Green Parties.)
Sunday
June 22nd 2014 is the annual Manchester
Day Parade. The theme this year is ‘Going
Global’, looking at Manchester ‘from Roman fort to Cottonopolis to world class
21C digital city… the original modern city Going Global!’
‘Cottonopolis’ was the
period of time when Manchester became a wealthy and powerful city on the back
of the cotton industry. The same cotton industry that was built on the backs of
slaves and the Transatlantic
Slave Trade.
While
Manchester is proud of many things that can be celebrated as part of a
parade, ‘Cottonopolis’ is NOT one of them. It’s an inappropriate subject for
such an event. On social media there has been several calls for Manchester City
Council to reconsider this part of its festivities but these calls have fallen on stony ground. The lack of response is notable as,
despite the Labour
Council having 100%of the seats and the mix of ethnicities in Manchester,
it has NO councillors of African
Caribbean descent.
The
Manchester Evening News in its article “10 reasons for Mancunians to be proud ahead
of Manchester Day” says that ‘despite the livelihood of the city and its people depending
on cotton, it was Mancunians who campaigned to abolish the trading of slaves
from Africa.’
Well that’s nice but that discounts the nearly 250 years of
English involvement in the slave trade and Manchester was a major beneficiary.
And to be clear, we’re talking about actually real life slavery on an ‘industrial’
scale, not the slightly unsavoury tv version. Millions of people were shipped across the
oceans and its estimated nearly
2 million died during transportation alone, some of whom were thrown
overboard on purpose so slave ship captains could claim on their insurance
for ‘lost property'.
Cottonopolis is
one of the first ways Manchester went ‘global’,
its not the type of thing you celebrate by throwing on a costume (unless its
supplied by Sainsburys) or decorating a ‘float’.
I, for one, will
not be going.
Deyika Nzeribe
(Manchester activists are putting on an alternate event 'Understanding Reparations' Sunday June 22nd 4pm, WIOCC, Manchester).
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
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
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.
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
#BringBackOurGirls Vigil Tuesday May 6th Manchester
A ‘Bring Back Our Girls’
Vigil being held tonight
Tuesday May 6th, Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester from 5pm – 7pm. The Manchester Green Party fully supports this campaign.
Tuesday May 6th, Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester from 5pm – 7pm. The Manchester Green Party fully supports this campaign.
For more information visit the Facebook page
A Liverpool vigil is organised for Saturday May 10th 1pm, St Lukes Bombed Out Church.
For more details visit
Thursday, 1 May 2014
REGISTER TO VOTE by Tuesday May 6th 2014
The deadline for voting in the European and Local
Elections 2014 is registration is Tuesday May 6th.
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.
Wednesday, 30 April 2014
Hulme Green Party Newsletter Election Special 1 (2014)
Thanks to Amir and Leona for their input.
Thursday, 24 April 2014
MGP Public Event: Civil Liberties vs Terrorism - Thursday May 8th 7pm
Green Party policy
says ‘In a complex, modern society, it will be a long time before we can
eradicate the root causes of ‘terrorism’. Any measures to protect society
should not undermine the fundamental values that shape a green society:
inclusion, justice, equality.
Police and intelligence activity need to be well-resourced, and given
sufficient freedom to ensure their safety and efficacy. They must, though be
carried out in a transparent and accountable way, and remain within the law’ PD
– Peace and Defense Policy Document (2008)
But over time the law has evolved to include pre-charge detention,
‘control orders’, ‘Section 7’ as well as changes to Immigration and
Communication Law. The inception of private communications outside of the law
has been well documented.
These changes are only part of the government’s counter-terrorism
strategy, CONTEST (the main threads of which are Prevent, Pursue, Protect,
Prepare) which aims "to reduce the risk to the UK and its interests
overseas from terrorism, so that people can go about their lives freely and
with confidence."
But strategy has been criticised for many reasons including
- The underlying analysis and
theory has been described as flawed.
- Legal and other bodies have
pointed to the erosion of Civil Liberties of British citizens
- The focus on the mainstream
Muslim community.
What is the justification for the anti-terrorism strategy as its current written? How effective is it? Should we expect to lose some of our rights in exchange for safety? Whats the balance between fighting Terrorism and Civil Liberties?
What is it like to be caught in the middle of this?
We are pleased to announce our speakers for the event:
Alex Davidson, Secretary of Manchester and Trafford Socialist Party
and
Harris and Zulaikha Ahmed from the SAVE THE FAMILY HOME campaign
Alex Davidson, Secretary of Manchester and Trafford Socialist Party
and
Harris and Zulaikha Ahmed from the SAVE THE FAMILY HOME campaign
Thursday May 8th 2014 at 7pm – 9pm
Venue: Friends Meeting
House. 6 Mount Street, M2 5NS Manchester
For more information contact chair@manchestergreenparty.org.uk or
go to
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