Hulme Greens: Northern Powerhouse

Sunday, 13 November 2016

Fracking no part of Energy Future

Green bloc at United against Fracking rally

Speech at United Against Fracking rally Saturday 12^th November 2016

Hello people and welcome to Manchester.

My name is Deyika Nzeribe, the Green Party candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester.

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.

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.

There are many great speakers here today, I’m just going to concentrate on a few points.

To be topical, there has been a lot happening in America.

United Against Fracking rally

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.

We also need ensure that the democratic voice of the people in Lancashire is respected.

We also need to remember that YOU are part of the long line of activists from all around the world, protecting Earth, air and the water against degradation. Barton Moss, Balcombe, Roseacre Wood, the South Africa Wild Coast, the XL pipeline, North Dakota.

Same line.

These Green issues are everyone’s issues.

You might not be aware of it but you are in the heart of the Northern Powerhouse, historical birthplace of the industrial revolution.

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!

And to close, we absolutely we need to remember WHY we are for these things and against fracking.

The environment. Our environment.

So,

You can’t be against fracking AND for building on Green Belt.

You can’t be against fracking AND for expanding the airport.

You can’t be for and against the planet.

We know whats coming, the facts are there and the science doesn’t negotiate.

So we respect the facts.

We fight the fossil fuel industry.

And we build a green future.

Because our lives depend on it.

Ends

A report of the event is printed in the Salford Star.

The Green Mayor fundraising event is on November 19th.

Read Full Article >>

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

Read Full Article >>

Hulme Greens

Sunday, 13 November 2016

Fracking no part of Energy Future

Monday, 14 March 2016

Devolution needs to be stopped and rethought

Hulme Ward reports on FixMyStreet.COM

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