Comment: Race to the Top? Not In Manchester

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.

With this in mind, it’s worth looking at the current composition of Manchester City Council.

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.

Lets look at more numbers.

• The population of Manchester is approximately 500000 [4]
• The ethnic minority population is roughly 30 percent of this [5]
• Of the councils 96 representatives, 16 are from non-European ethnic minorities. Its about 17% of council body. [6]
• Of these 15 are of ‘Asian descent’ and there is a token African Caribbean member

  

The Manchester City Council decision making body is the Executive Committee.

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.)

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.

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 socioeconomic brackets it means they are less likely to benefit from the fund.

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].

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.

These serious issues barely raise a ripple because

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 Caribbeans on the whole council. 

2)   What representation there is  - is whipped into obeying the local Labour party line.

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]

Representation and diversity. 

Find a Green local council candidate. 

Vote for them.

Notes

1. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/first-ever-black-minority-ethnic-11201544
2. http://www.manchester.gov.uk/councillors/name
3. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-local-election-results-labour-9220024
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester#Demography
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester#Demography
6. http://www.manchester.gov.uk/councillors/name
7. http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/200033/councillors_democracy_and_elections/3195/the_members_of_the_executive
8. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783
9. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-31615218
10. http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/2015/11/helping-to-understand-health-and-social-care-devolution-in-greater-manchester/
11. http://www.stop-watch.org/your-area/area/greater-manchester
12. http://www.revolutionarycommunist.org/branches/north-west/3882-lf050215

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Green Candidate calls for Reversal of Cuts to Mental Health Services

 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).

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].

The Trust agreed to go ahead with the proposals at a heated meeting last month[4].

Green candidate, Deyika Nzeribe points out though, that in Greater Manchester the health landscape has completely changed.

"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.

“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.

"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]".

Notes

1. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/nhs-trust-axed-manchester-crisis-10348427

2. http://www.manchesterusersnetwork.org.uk/2016/03/10/video-john-byron-alison-curtis-speak-crisis-mmhsct/;  http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchesters-mental-health-services-crisis-10626335;  

3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-34665959

4. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchesters-mental-health-bosses-push-11116054

5. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-35933922

6. http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/2015/11/helping-to-understand-health-and-social-care-devolution-in-greater-manchester/

7. http://hulmegreenparty.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/devolution-needs-to-be-

stopped-and.html

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Council Leader should learn some Mancunian generosity

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.

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".

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.

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?

As for the generosity of Mancunians, this does not extend to the Council. This spring it cut funding to homelessness support.  [3]

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]

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.

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.

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.

1.    http://www.manchester.gov.uk/blog/leadersblog/post/743/homelessness-and-street-begging/comment

2. http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/140773910-benefit-cuts-will-force-more-manchester-families-rely-food-banks-warns-study

3. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/number-people-sleeping-rough-greater-8745312

4. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783

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Claremont Resource Centre to Close

Over the last few months it has become apparent that the Claremont Resource Centre on Rolls Crescent is to close.

The substantial expansion of Rolls Crescent Primary School next door will mean that the Claremont will be demolished to make way.

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 African Caribbean Care Group (ACCG).

Though initially there were fears the Care Group was also closing down, this appears not to be the case.

The Care Group is however, looking for a new home and as of this moment is still uncertain as to where that would be.

We hope that the Group is aiming to and able to remain in Hulme.

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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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Manchester Green Party Calls for Targets to Combat Child Poverty - Levels in City highest outside London

The Green Party is challenging Manchester City Council to set Child Poverty Reduction targets and dedicate resources to reducing the number of families living in poverty to the national average within 5 years.  The city has the highest levels of childpoverty outside London.

Deyika Nzeribe, Co-Chair of Manchester Green Party said "This should be the minimum aim if Manchester City Council wants to show its commitment to tackling child poverty seriously.  Following the elections, we now know we have a purely Conservative government in place for the next 5 years. We can expect deeper cuts causing far more hardship. Labour council leaders must act now! We can't leave this issue to be dealt with by foodbanks."

He added:  "While council leaders are in the news being photographed with topTories like George Osborne, in the much spoken about race for a Greater Manchester Mayor and devolution from central government, these incredible levels of child poverty must not be forgotten."

EndChildPoverty [has reported that 39% of families with children in Manchester live in poverty, which is nearly 10% more than every major city in the North of England. This is despite Manchester being the third wealthiest city in the country. Moreover, the figure of 39% of families with children in poverty is just the average across Manchester. In Hulme it is 47% and Moss Side its 49%, with Rusholme, Longsight and Ardwick suffering similar deprivation.

The Greens say that though politicians in the city frequently point to the government as being responsible, other Labour councils in the North have notably lower levels of child poverty. Following this year’s elections, Manchester has a 100% Labour Council and the MP for Manchester Central, the constituency where child poverty is worst, is the shadow minister for Children and Families.

Deyika Nzeribe stated: “Even if some people or politicians were to feel no moral urgency to act, it should be recognised that lowering poverty and inequality also improves health and reduces crime within a population, reducing the cost to the state It should be an aspiration of a healthy, growing city to be reducing and eradicating child poverty."

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The Green View Election 2015 Edition

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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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Basic Income not means tested

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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

1.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Civil_War

2.    http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/07/20/time-running-out-iraq-nation-spirals-chaos

3.    Vice News – The Islamic State http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUjHb4C7b94

4.    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/islamic-state-mps-will-back-air-strikes-but-fallon-warns-that-war-could-last-for-years-9756564.html

5.    http://www.vox.com/cards/israel-palestine/intro

6.    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28939350

7.    http://www.scriptonitedaily.com/2014/09/16/breaking-uk-parliament-will-vote-to-recognize-the-state-of-palestine/

Manchester Green Party Statement on Palestine http://www.manchestergreenparty.org.uk/news/2014/09/08/2014-09-08-israel-palestine/

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Manchester City Council - The Apartheid Moment 2014

In 1994, the elections held in South Africa ended apartheid and elected Nelson Mandela as President.

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.

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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 17^th 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.

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#BringBackOurGirls Vigil Tuesday May 6th Manchester

A ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ Vigil being held tonight 
Tuesday May 6^th, Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester from 5pm – 7pm. The Manchester Green Party fully supports this campaign.

For more information visit the Facebook page 

https://www.facebook.com/events/402072226600264/

A Liverpool vigil is organised for Saturday May 10^th  1pm, St Lukes Bombed Out Church. 

For more details visit 

http://sqmbizmaguk.wix.com/liverpoolbringback.

To sign the petition visit
https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/over-200-girls-are-missing-in-nigeria-please-help-find-them-bringbackourgirls

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Alex Park protesters take to trees to stop “Felling Vandalism"

A plan by Manchester City Council to fell over 400 healthy trees and destroy over three acres of wildlife habitat are being condemned by Whalley Range residents. The fellings planned as part of a £4.6 M series of changes to the popular Alexandra Park in Moss Side have led to protests.

Chrissy Lowe of the Save Alexandra Parks Trees campaign said "This action by the council is completely unjustified and deliberately ignores the wishes of local residents. The Council has misled the public about both
the extent and reason for felling the trees and park users regard this as an act of municipal vandalism by a council hell-bent on riding roughshod over the local residents."

The intended changes to Alexandra Park also include controversial plans to fell many much loved mature trees to make way for tennis courts despite the fact that existing courts in the park are unused and there are already
9 tennis clubs within a mile.

"Yesterday felling began and we were able to slow things down by taking to the trees. We will continue our peaceful but firm resistance to Council actions today and we urge anyone who is able to come down and support us.  The Council also failed in its statutory duty to consult local residents. We are confident that this doesn't fulfil their legal requirements and could be grounds for judicial review." says Ian Brewer also of the campaign.

Manchester Green Party Chair Deyika Nzeribe commented “The campaign group has done everything right. They got over 2000 signatures asking for the plans to be reconsidered, they got local experts to show how the councils plans could be altered to preserve trees and they have been in dialogue with both the Council and funders the Lottery every step of the way. They have been completely ignored.

To draw a parallel, last week Manchester City Council made a great show of how unfair the cuts to local budgets were and how the government were ignoring them. The council are acting in exactly the same way as the government to this local issue.”

Anyone concerned about the Council's plans is urged to contact the Save Alexandra Parks Trees Group. A similar plan to fell 476 in Whalley Range was abandoned a year ago following a public outcry.

To get involved contact

Ian Brewer and Chrissy Lowe

savealexandraparkstrees@hotmail.com

07757639668

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Alexandra-Park-Trees/405847552830652?fref=ts

http://savealexandraparkstrees.wordpress.com/

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