News, Events & Press Releases
Exeter Green Party manifesto offers bold and innovative ways to fight ‘savage’ Conservative-Lib Dem spending cuts.
Selling council generated renewable electricity to the grid, implementing a workplace parking levy and higher rates of Council Tax for top band properties will help protect essential services from cuts say Exeter Green Party.
The Green Party in Exeter, which is fielding a candidate in all 13 wards up for election on 9th September, say that the priority for any elected Green councilors will be to fight to protect essential services from the cuts being demanded by the Conservative-Lib Dem Government.
The Green Party says that environmental and social justice cannot be realised by making such savage cuts to council expenditure.
Andrew Bell, Exeter Green Party Policy Officer and candidate for Alphington said:
“The City Council is currently looking at how to shave £1 million pounds off its annual budget. We believe that the Council needs to resist making cuts to essential services, cuts that will inevitably affect the poorest and most vulnerable in our community. What we need instead is bold, innovative and positive ways of increasing revenue to protect essential services while at the same time addressing environmental concerns. This is why we propose selling council generated renewable electricity to the grid and implementing a workplace parking levy. Raising revenue to protect essential services while addressing climate change and pollution and improving the health of the community – that’s social and environmental justice”.
Exeter Green Party’s manifesto also calls for the council to adopt a raft of other positive initiatives such as city-wide referendum style polls on important decisions affecting all residents in Exeter, like the recent failed Unitary status bid; lower council tax for the lowest band properties; subsidised bus fares for children and families and a Living Wage for City Council employees to narrow the pay gap between the highest and lowest-paid workers.
Audaye Elesedy, the Chair of Exeter Green Party and candidate for Topsham said:
“This manifesto is a beginning of an ongoing commitment from the Exeter Green Party to present positive and transformational ideas on how we can ensure social and environmental justice in Exeter. As a democratic party we are engaging the people of Exeter in what’s needed for creating a fairer and healthier city with a sustainable environment and local economy. In this election the people of Exeter get to see a party with strong conviction about the politics that matter. If the electorate choose to elect their first Green councillors on 9th September they’ll see us bringing this about”.
Housing Benefit cuts will increase homelessness, Green Party warns
The Green Party is warning that Conservative-Lib Dem cuts to housing benefit could result in increased social problems, greater levels of personal debt and more homelessness.
The cuts to be imposed by the coalition government could see a return to large numbers of people sleeping rough and thousands more suffering dramatic cuts in their income, warn the city’s Greens. The warning comes in the wake of a recent report published by homelessness charity Crisis (1). The report says that 936,960 households across the UK currently claiming local housing allowance will be affected and on average, these households will lose over £600 a year. The report also warns that cuts to housing benefit could have hidden costs in the future, in order to deal with the social problems of homelessness, including health problems and providing accommodation.
Ian Elliott, Exeter Green Party’s housing spokesperson said:
“These particular cuts will hit those on low incomes the hardest, leaving more people struggling to pay their rent, falling into serious debt and ultimately more people becoming homeless. Many people in our community are facing economic uncertainty and even redundancy. The government could avoid these cuts by properly tackling tax avoidance and tax evasion perpetrated by some of the wealthiest people in the country, which could raise billions of pounds a year.”
Full house: Exeter Green Party to stand a candidate in every ward
Exeter Green Party is putting up a candidate in every ward in the forthcoming City Council elections to be held on 9th September, providing the first opportunity in a generation for every elector in Exeter to vote Green.
The Green Party is hoping that its positive and distinctive manifesto, to be launched next week, other Parties in disarray over resignations and the failed unitary bid will give the Green Party the distinctive edge to win seats on the council.
Exeter Green Party election agent Isaac Price-Sosner said:
“The Green Party goes from strength to strength in Exeter with a dynamic and expanding team. A candidate standing in every ward means all voters will have the opportunity to vote Green in this election – the first time in a generation that this has been the case”
Tom Milburn, who is standing in Newtown, where the Green Party believes it has its best chance of winning a seat on the city council said:
“Having lived in Newtown for a number of years it's an exciting prospect for me to be representing a real alternative to the greyness of the usual parties”
Green Party Chairperson Audaye Elesedy said:
“The Green Party is making positive strides in progressing fair and sensible politics with Caroline Lucas MP and Paula Black a Devon Councilor, we can do the same in Exeter. Our offering to the people of Exeter is the most consistent and distinctive choice in this election, we've strong candidates committed to fully engaging with the electorate. Indeed we believe we are the only alternative left!”
In future, let the people decide on unitary status, say Exeter Greens
Exeter Green Party is calling for important decisions affecting the people of Exeter to be decided by local residents in future. While the Green Party has been the only local Party to consistently oppose unitary status for Exeter, they believe that such crucial issues should be determined by a local referendum rather than by politicians.
The Green Party has described the failed unitary bid and subsequent local elections now forced on the city by the courts as a reckless, risky and expensive experiment driven by political motives rather than by the interests of Exeter residents.
Green Party County Councillor Paula Black said:
“At a time of savage cuts imposed by the coalition government a small unitary authority would just not be able to deliver the level of services offered by a County Council. Being a part of Devon will enable Exeter residents to enjoy a much greater range of services at lower costs”.
Greens also believe that Exeter’s future lies in Devon. Exeter Green Party Chair Audaye Elesedy said:
“As oil and other resources deplete and tackling climate change becomes more and more urgent, we will need to be more rather than less connected with rural Devon. We will look at the surrounding rural hinterland to supply a much greater proportion of our food and energy”.
While the Green Party believes that the costs now forced on Exeter residents by snap local elections imposed by the courts is the fault of other local Parties in Exeter they say they are fully prepared for the upcoming city elections.
Exeter Green Party Press Officer Andrew Bell said:
“Only the Green Party can claim to have clean hands on this issue and we hope that the people of Exeter realise this. As a truly democratic Party we believe local residents should determine the way their city is organised and governed by local referendums. The Labour government pushed blindly ahead with unitary status for Exeter despite the fact that the Exeter bid did not meet all the government’s own criteria. They did this in the full knowledge that a future Tory government would reverse the decision. All local Parties, including the Liberals and local Conservatives, backed this misguided attempt at unitary status which has resulted in a complete fiasco. Our consistent opposition to unitary status for Exeter places us in a unique position”.
Green policies most popular with electorate, according to online survey
The Green Party would win the General Election if people voted purely on policy. That is the conclusion of a website which allows users to pick a political party based on policy alone.
On the day the Green Party in England and Wales launched its manifesto for the General Election, promising a "living wage" of £8.10 an hour, a million new jobs, a state pension of £170 per week and the abolition of prescription charges, Greens say they are the runaway winners when it comes to policy.
The website www.voteforpolicies.org.uk sidesteps bias and traditional loyalty by getting voters to pick their favoured political policies without knowing which political party the policies have originated from.
After over 100,000 people have used the on line survey, the Green Party have 28% of the vote. By contrast, the establishment political parties are faring less well. The Liberal Democrats have 18% of the vote with Labour and the Conservatives trailing behind with 17% and 16%, respectively.
Policy areas voters are asked to pick from include crime, democracy, economy, education, environment, Europe, NHS, immigration and welfare. As well as the environment, Greens poll strongly on key election issues, ranking as favourites for their policies on crime, education, health/NHS, and welfare, often with a lead of over 10 percent.
Cllr Paula Black, Exeter’s Parliamentary candidate said:
“These results are no surprise to us. We know that the British public show real common sense when it comes to policies that will create a fair and sustainable future for the UK. When people take the time to look at our policies in depth, they realise that we are not just a single issue party but have policies to address all issues affecting people’s wellbeing and quality of life, issues such as the economy, jobs, public services and pensions. The vast majority of voters can see the policies of the main parties aren't working and they're crying out for change. This survey on policy enables people to vote for what they really believe in and shows that if we had a truly democratic and representative electoral system free of first-past-the-post and tactical voting we would see many Green Party MPs at Westminster; we might even have a Green government.”
Exeter Green Party condemns flawed decision on unitary status
Exeter’s Green Party Parliamentary candidate, County Councillor Paula Black has condemned the decision of the Labour Government to impose a unitary council on Exeter. Clearly this decision is one being made for the benefit of the sitting MP and has nothing to offer either the county or Exeter.
Paula says: "This is politics at it's worse, using power to influence voting patterns rather than using power to benefit the people of the county. The county provides the services that are essential to everyones well-being, these will now be stretched to the limit in a time when we know we are all to face cuts to recover from the economic disaster inflicted upon the county's people through irresponsible government encouraged credit boom.
“The most vulnerable will be put at further risk as the cost of this decision will spiral out of control. It will take over 5 years before the costs even begin to reduce. I seriously fear that services that support the elderly, urban and rural poor, youth services, as well as child protection have not been considered. I ask how a government that purports to support the ordinary people and is committed to deliver services can act in such a callous manner as to endanger the quality of life of the county for the benefit of a few votes in Exeter."
Paula is determined to use the election campaign to high-light the serious damage this decision will be doing.
Workplace parking levy will improve quality of life in city
The Green Party is urging councilors of Exeter Council’s Executive Committee to back proposals to introduce a workplace parking levy in the city.
The Exeter Green Party has given the proposals its full backing saying that such a levy would improve health by reducing air pollution, encourage more walking and cycling and has the potential to revolutionise public transport.
Andrew Bell, Transport spokesperson for Exeter Green Party said:
“We all know that Exeter is suffering from chronic congestion and cannot expand without the city grinding to a complete standstill. We also have several serious pollution hotspots. And of course there is climate change - over half of Devon’s carbon emissions come from the transport sector. The introduction of a workplace parking levy is a relatively simple and cost effective way of addressing these problems. Reductions in traffic, making it safer and more pleasant to walk and cycle, and much improved public transport can only improve the quality of life for city residents. Nottingham Council has realised the advantages and will introduce the levy in 2012. Will Exeter’s councilors be as bold? We hope so; the idea has our full backing.”
The Green Party also dismisses arguments about the levy disadvantaging businesses in the city. Andrew Bell says:
“A workplace parking levy would actually benefit businesses as it would reduce the considerable costs of congestion and enable workers to predict their journey times more accurately. As long as funds from such a levy are used specifically for improvements to public transport and cycling and walking routes, staff would be offered alternative ways of getting to work. Therefore companies could reduce the number of parking spaces they offer, thereby saving money. So the levy could be a hugely positive thing for companies and their employees, and at just £1 a day per parking space the benefits are extremely good value for money.”
