Devolution needs to be stopped and rethought

Let me just say it. Its time to stop the Greater Manchester Devolution. 

Stop it, rethink it. 

There seems to be so much wrong with this process that, not only is there an independent campaign calling for a referendum [1] but even Greater Manchester’s local newspapers, including the Manchester Evening News, have bandied together to form a ‘Fair Devolution’ campaign [2] to get a better deal. 

So what are some of the things wrong?

Housing. The £300 million pound fund [3] has mainly gone to private developers despite there being over 80,000 people on Greater Manchester housing waiting lists [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.

Health. The health budget (offered at £6 billion) [5] has been devolved and is thought to be between £1 to 2 billion less 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 threat to how the NHS operates as a whole. [7] 

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 rejected by Manchester [8]. Having the role now imposed as part of the devolution deal, the interim Mayor was chosen with no opportunity for public discussion or public hustings [9]. The forthcoming full Mayoral elections will require a substantial amount of money to run [10]. This greatly narrows the field of potential candidates.

As it stands, devolution doesn’t address the towns ‘left behind’ in Greater Manchester [11], the cuts to the police [12] or local Councils [13]. And it should do all of these things as well as being good for business [14].

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.

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.

In Greater Manchester, a historic opportunity is becoming a badly thought through mess. Innovation is no guarantee of progress.

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.

Its not too late to stop this version of devolution. And rethink it.

Notes

1. https://www.facebook.com/devolutionreferendumcampaign/
2. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-devolution-fair-deal-campaign-10205154
3. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783
4. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/388698/LT_600.xlsx
5. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-31615218
6. http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/2015/11/helping-to-understand-health-and-social-care-devolution-in-greater-manchester/
7. http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/11/devolving-health-social-care-manchester-nhs; http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/health/andy-burnhams-warning-over-swiss-cheese-8721228 
8. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17949950
9. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-32332399;     http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/tony-lloyd-chosen-greater-manchester-9357302
10. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/greater-manchester-mayor-devolution-problems-11004805
11. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/northern-powerhouse-looking-grim-10-7461583
12. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/thinning-blue-line-gmp-left-9731055
13. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-35360250
14. http://www.uk-northern-powerhouse.com/; http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/thousands-expected-major-northern-powerhouse-10945003  

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Manchester Green Party praises Labour MPs willing to oppose damaging Welfare bill

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Deyika Nzeribe of the Hulme Green Party said:

“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.

“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.

“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.”

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, who voted against the bill, said:

“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.

"Our crumbling social security system is on the brink – now is the time to take a stand.

“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.”

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.

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.

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.

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The Green View March 2015 - Hulme Wants More Jobs

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Comment: Corporate Social Responsibility and Climate Change

With the recent release of the IPCC report on top of the many, many warnings on Climate Change and the effects it will have on the planet, its hard to fathom the lack of response from the business and corporate communities. The lack of an adequate response from government.

Sometimes an honest response is better than none.

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A Sense of History and Responsibility: Manchester and Climate Change

Its not uncommon for Manchester’s Leaders to evoke the city’s industrial heritage and spirit of innovation.

Manchester is the home of The (Manchester) Guardian, the first computer with memory, the first ‘nuclear-free’ city. It has a history of ‘firsts’.

Manchester is also arguably known as the first industrial city, with the advent of the cotton industry, mechanical innovation, the building of factories and a huge increase in population transforming the conurbation and the country.

Of the many things written about Manchester at the time it was described as a ‘great city rising before us as the very symbol of civilization, foremost in the march of improvement, a grand incarnation of progress.’ [Chambers' Edinburgh Journal, 1858; quoted by Briggs, Victorian Cities, 88]

But at the same time it was described ‘Earth and air seem impregnated with fog and soot. The factories extend their flanks of fouler brick one after another, bare, with shutterless windows, like economical and colossal prisons’ [Girouard, Cities and People, 257-258]

In describing Manchester as that first industrial city which influenced the world, so it can be argued that the origins of man-made Climate Change also began in this city.

This city, as much as any, needs to take ‘Climate Change’ and its effects as seriously as the global threat it is. In the same way that Manchester has historically been a technological and cultural leader, today it needs to be an environmental one.

The recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report's focus was to look at ways of reducing the effects of climate change. Its message is that catastrophic climate change can be averted without sacrificing living standards. It suggests that the transformation required to a world of clean energy is eminently affordable. The implication of this statement is that action is ‘doable’, it’s possible, if action is taken quickly.

As a central and influential organisation in the region, Manchester City Council has been notable for

• Aggressive expansion of its airport interests (Manchester Airport Group)
• Fiddling of its own carbon emission reports
• Being fined by the European Union for breaking pollution laws
• Under-resourcing of its own Manchester: A Certain Future climate change organisation

Manchester Green Party has been critical of the Council for this particularly as its actions or inaction are ultimately political decisions.

We call upon Manchester City Council to

• take IPCC report seriously
• properly resource and focus carbon and pollution reduction emission actions and environmental improvement actions so that they maximise climate improvement not economic growth
• engage fully with long-term advocates of climate change actions such as The Tyndall Centre, Dr Kevin Anderson, Manchester ClimateMonthly, Steady State Manchester, MERCi, Friends of the Earth amongst others.

 Manchester was also home of Emmeline Pankhurst the leading Suffragette. Their motto was ‘Deeds not Words’.

That is the spirit the City’s Leaders need to evoke.

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Response to Coalition Budget 2014: Turning the Screw

Listening to the Coalition Chancellor talk about the economy, you would think that all is well, unemployment falling, growth on the rise, the sun is shining on England.

In that context, his Budget Statement 2014 is ‘More of the Same’.

People doing well under this government will do better.

But for those not doing well, the screw will really turn.

The Budget 2014 does nothing for the working poor and given the continuing rise in the cost of living, will make things worse for those families.

In addition, the announced National Welfare Benefits Cap will be a nightmare for those people dependant on benefits. The proposed Cap for the country (119 billion) will be about the same as the amount the government paid in 2013 ALONE in CASH (115 billion) to the support the banks 5 YEARS after the financial crisis, it cannot practically be implemented without causing severe problems.

And the question is ‘how will it work and what will it mean for Manchester residents’? For a city that had the highest level of Child Poverty in the country in 2013, this policy will be a disaster. Manchester City Council will have to plan accordingly for the next few years because to its shame the national Labour Party are supporting and are planning to vote for the Welfare Cap proposal.

The North West Green Party's lead European election candidate, Peter Cranie, asked “Why is it always the least well-off who lose the most? At the moment, people with incomes above £150k pay only marginally higher tax rates than teachers and nurses.”

Manchester Green Party Chair Deyika Nzeribe said “The high levels of poverty and stories of hardship the people of Manchester have endured over the past few years have been well documented. Manchester Green Party condemns this budget as part of the continuing assault on the most vulnerable in society and if reports are true, it’s a disgrace that the Labour Party is even thinking of supporting it in Parliament.”

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Manchester Green Party: Response to Comprehensive Spending Review 2015/16

Picture by George Hodan

Yesterday the poorly performing Coalition government announced its Spending Review for 2015/16. The centre piece of the review was a further £11.5 billion of spending cuts, including £2.6bn from the Communities Department.

It is expected that this will translate to an average 10% cut to local council budgets.

Manchester and Manchester City Council has fared badly from previous rounds.  Under the current government, during 2011/13 the Council had been forced to make cuts of £170 million. The last Spending Review, taking effect during 2014/15 an additional £80 million is removed from local budgets.

In practice, in Manchester, this has directly led to almost 3000 jobs lost from the Council, closure of Youth Services, SureStart Centres, Day Care Centres, libraries, swimming pools, public toilets as well as cuts to Childrens’ Services, Adult Services, Neighbourhood Services, grants for voluntary organisations and funds which support disabled people to remain independent in their communities. And this is not a complete list.

What will an additional 10% cut mean to Manchester?

For the people of this city, up until recently, the hope was to hold out for a change of government, to hope that an incoming Labour government would put a stop to the austerity that is strangling our local communities. But Labour has accepted the Coalition’s argument and has committed itself to keeping to the current government’s public spending plans. It leaves The Green Party as one of the few national parties making an argument against austerity.

For the past few years Manchester City Council has reacted to the budget reductions by 

• investing in capital projects (Manchester Central Library, the National Football Museum, Manchester Airport)
• investing in the unusual (the Alicia Keys concert, the Australian Commonwealth Swimming team)
• cutting services to the most vulnerable in the city

There is an argument to be had in Manchester on the Council’s spending priorities.

Manchester Green Party Chair, Deyika Nzeribe reacted to the Spending Review saying “Further cuts to the Council budgets will be disastrous given what has already been lost. But after 2 rounds of significant cuts, the reaction of the Labour Council is poor. Funding the Australian Swimming Team while cutting Manchester libraries and swimming pools is one of several bad decisions that we can’t afford.

And instead of just concentrating on how best to reduce its services, why isn’t the Council using its fundraising expertise to support and expand what is left of the voluntary sector in the city so it can take over where the Council can no longer manage? It clearly can do it for buildings, why not services for people that need it?”

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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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'Green Economy, Green Jobs' Event Friday March 15th

What If..?

What if Manchester City Council’s economic policy is wrong?

What if the jobs are not coming back as thought?

What if it can’t adapt to a hostile government’s welfare reforms?

What if you found out that Manchester has the highest levels of child poverty in the country?

What then?

We think differently about the Manchester economy.

Let’s talk about the future of Manchester.

We can build a model that is resilient and distributes wealth more equally in the city.

A model that can build a strong city and stronger region.

Manchester Green Party Presents: ‘Green Economy, Green Jobs’

Speakers: Natalie Bennett – Leader, Green Party of England and Wales

Neil McInroy - Chief Executive, Centre for Local Economic Strategies

Friday 15th March, 7–8.30pm

Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS

More information: email secretary@manchestergreenparty.org.uk

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/events/426436640770200/

Follow us

Online: http://www.manchestergreenparty.org.uk/

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Manchester-Green-Party/137183923032147

Twitter:  @McrGreenParty

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Fighting for Fairness… but Who is doing the Fighting?

The Manchester City Council Leader’s Blog is an interesting piece. Called ‘Fighting for Fairness’, it is about the recent Council Executive meeting that spent most of that meeting addressing cuts to local swimming pools and libraries.

From the title and text, you would think that it was the Council that was fighting to keep services open, NOT the 1000s of Manchester residents that signed, marched, occupied, lay down in roads and attended council meetings.

Its unlikely that any pictures will emerge of the council leader addressing crowds, loudspeaker in hand, urging them to fight cuts to local services.

And its easy to jab Labour over these issues but not so helpful.

Its more helpful to ask questions:

Why has the Levenshulme pool not been built? When campaigners fought to keep their baths open in 2011, the council were happy for people to think the pool will be open this year. What guarantee is there that other promised pools will open in 2015?

Why are local libraries under threat anyway? Why didn’t the Council plan ahead in 2011? If that seems unfair, Manchester Central Library, costing £48 million in refurbishment, is to share a new award of nearly £1million with Birmingham Library. Someone planned ahead for Central Library. Whilst it is good news, its more money for large capital projects whilst local services go to the wall.

Where is the new thinking on how to keep council services open? York Council is experimenting with creating a mutual to run its services instead of cutting services or getting volunteer’s to run libraries.

It’s a sad day when a Labour Council takes on board the Big Society model of service delivery.

There are other ways of addressing changes in local council services in Manchester.

Watch this space.

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Online: http://www.manchestergreenparty.org.uk/

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Manchester-Green-Party/137183923032147

Twitter:  @McrGreenParty

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Comment: Libraries Consultation Session in Longsight. Well...

Its currently consultation season in Manchester.

To deal with the £80 million cut to its finances from central government, Manchester City Council has decided that cuts to library and leisure services are amongst its preferred option choices.

For libraries, that consultation runs until April 17^th 2013 and consists of a questionnaire and a series of public meetings.

I went to the first of two sessions which covered the ‘central’ area which includes Central Libraries, Longsight, Hulme and Moss Side.

Though the fate of libraries and pools have been the subject passion and attention, it was disappointing that I was only one of 3 people in attendance at this session to hear the Head of Libraries and his deputy run through their tentative plans for libraries in the city.

They seem to be proposing various types of libraries in the city. Where facilities are to be cut, it is suggested there maybe community libraries.

Community libraries will

• Be run by volunteers
• Have access to main book stock and  library system IT
• Have a buddy library (with staff from the buddy library possibly working 7 hours per week in the community library)

Libraries are willing to hear other ideas/ variations BUT their overwhelming goals are to cut costs and have as wide a geographical reach as possible in a ‘sustainable network’.

If community groups raised additional funds from other sources then this would/ could alter what resources that library may have in it such as cultural activities, homework clubs, advice surgeries. 

But its up to the communities.

I took the opportunity to ask about Hulme library. It was confirmed that the library plans are to ‘move the service’ to Moss Side Leisure Centre but this will be settled finally  after the consultation period. The Head of libraries said that they would be looking at a multi-purpose venue such as at Wythenshawe Forum.

The Head of Libraries said that the new Hulme facilities would not be a ‘drop-in’ service but could not confirm what level of service or staffing would be likely. He was also unable to confirm how long after the consultation, staffing levels and service would be settled.

It didn’t occur to me to ask about the Power House Moss Side library until after I’d gone. That seems to be a different kettle of fish altogether, but that is also up for review.  

For myself I left feeling unconvinced by the whole thing and said that I thought that the lack of two way feedback to ideas submitted meant that communities did not have the chance to develop ideas in any meaningful way within the consultation process (although that’s not to say it doesn’t/ isn’t happening). In addition, it wasn’t clear from Libraries what resources were available for communities  were thinking of taking over a facility, though it did come to light that some support would be possible.

The second public session covering the central area is tomorrow, if you have any questions or concerns, go to the meeting, fill out a questionnaire, see what you think.

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