Rupert's Read

http://www.timeout.com/london/big-smoke/features/4645/Race_to_be_Mayor-the_final_verdict.html

                    Theres a great sequence from Michael Crick on last night's Newsnight: It starts with them saying there's apparently sign of the election in Reading; then they find the Tories, who meet an ex-Tory voter who doesn't like Cameron, because he's too privileged; then they go around with Labour, who talks to somone who won't vote for them, they try to argue for local issues but the bloke wants to use his vote to give 'Brown a kicking'; then they go round with the Lib Dems, who try to persuade somone to vote for him -- she says No: 'I'm making a statement and voting Green'. (The LibDem admits in his 'pitch' speech that the Green Party may well break through onto Reading Council, tomorrow.) They said the only posters they could find were ours, Vote Green Party! You can see it at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes...

From the Green Party Observer backs Siân 1, Ken 2 vote In an historic first, the Observer has backed a Siân 1, Ken 2 vote on Thursday, the first time the party has had a broadsheet backing our election campaign: "The party has already used its toehold on the London Assembly to wring green concessions worth millions of pounds out of the mayoral budget. "A respectable score for Ms Berry, an intelligent and articulate advocate of her cause, would send a clear signal to whoever wins the mayoralty that London cares about environmental policy. It would also deprive the British Natio...

On Sunday 20 April 2008 an article was posted on this blog entitled “ Judith Lubbock perjures herself again .” Mrs. Lubbock has since contacted me to confirm that she has never perjured herself and requested I publish an apology for making such an allegation. In the circumstances I am happy to confirm that it was wrong of me to falsely state that Mrs. Lubbock had perjured herself and I apologise unreservedly for making this allegation. Cllr. Rupert Read.

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED23%20Apr%202008%2017%3A03%3A55%3A350 Check out this link for a follow-up to my posts below, on Norwich's Post Offices and on the Greens fighting to save them.  

I.e. Til the day after Polling Day... By which time to results will be in, the dice cast... In terms of what will happen on election night (and some counts will go on during the following Friday[May 2]): I will be experimenting this year with communicating the results of key contests involving Greens across the Region (plus selected key results from around the country) as they emerge, directly. I will be doing this via 'Twitter', my new frequently-updated, mobile-phone- based MICRO-BLOG, at http://twitter. com/RupertRead . IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE THESE UPDATES (on your computer or on your mobile), THEN GO TO THIS SITE NOW AND SIGN UP to 'follow' updates from me.

[Another excellent piece here from the people at Medialens, covering what was an abysmally unbalanced piece of reporting from the BBC, where they really missed the story, in their anxiety not to offend the Israeli embassy and apologists for Israel in general who mount an effective 'media flak' operation -- including even targetting this blog!] _An Exchange With The BBC's Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen_ The media reported last week that at least 22 people, including five Palestinian children, had been killed during Israeli 'incursions' into Gaza. The Israeli military 'operations' were 'sparked' by a Hamas ambush that had left three Israeli soldiers dead. Reporting followed the usual script that Israel's state-of-the-art weaponry is deployed as 'retaliation' for 'militant' Palestinian attacks. The latest deaths followed the killing in early March of over 120 Palestinians under a massive Israeli assault on Gaza. (See our Media Ale...

As I have argued in several previous posts, 20mph limits in residential areas [which is Green Party policy] would _reduce_ carbon emissions, because they would incentivise walking and cycling, the main barrier to increases in which is fears over safety. Furthermore, however, there is an additional crucial argument in favour of 20mph limits: Most cars hitting 30mph in residential areas will be doing so through fast acceleration and deceleration, which is highly inefficient fuel-wise. The argument in favour of 30mph rather than 20mph limits is predicated upon tests of fuel-consumption WHEN DRIVING AT A CONSTANT SPEED. But constant driving at 30mph in residential areas is very rare [and when it happens, is rarely safe!]. Constant driving at 20mph is far more plausible – and less fuel-inefficient than rapid acceleration and braking. -- Rupert Read Green Party Councillor, Norwich, and Lead Candidate for Eastern Region for the Greens in the 2009 Euro-elections. Why not try my new BLOG...

Dear Carl;      I always appreciated your independence of mind, while you were on Norwich City Council. It was good to see you not always following the LibDem Party line. Sometimes indeed voting with us while all the rest of your Group voted against us.   That made it all the more disappointing to read your ill-advised letter in yesterday's Evening News . In your letter, you accused us of having a pact with Labour, here in Norwich.    When I read that, I didn't know whether to laugh or to vomit. The idea that I would be seeking a pact with the Party [i.e. Labour] who for the last several months have been attacking me (as Transport Spokesperson for the Norwich Green Party) in my ward so maliciously and misleadingly that we are taking legal advice on how best to respond is laughable.    And what was your evidence, Carl, for this alleged 'pact'? Your evidence was the mutual endorsements for 2nd preferences between Ken Livingston...

Here are the first reactions of Denise Carlo, spokesperson for NNTAG, to the County Council's predictable yet still-appalling announcement today on their latestefforts to con the taxpayer out of money so as to fund their NDR project: Denise said: - Norfolk County Council never had any intention of introducing road pricing. Their intention from the outset was to use Government money for a road pricing study to do further work on the NDR. They should pay back the £250,000 study cost to central Government. -  traffic in the city centre has fallen and conditions for pedestrians and bus users has improved as a result of the traffic management, bus, pedestrian and cycle improvements along St Stephens, Castle Meadow and Prince of Wales Road. We need more modest schemes of this kind and not an expensive road.   - the early release of the report a month before the Cabinet meeting on 19 May is transparent political electioneering aimed at influencing the local el...

Greens condemn Norwich congestion charge project as a sham   ·         TIF project was just a 'wheeze' to develop the NDR   Green Councillors today condemned the Conservative administration at County Hall for carrying out a sham study into congestion charging in the Norwich area.  They point out that Government funding intended for sustainable transport has been used to fund traffic modelling for the NDR and to falsely justify building the NDR.    The Government itself rumbled Councils like Norfolk last year when they warned that Councils would not be able to use TIF funding for road building (see note 1).       Green County Councillor Andrew Boswell said "We warned in 2006 that the TIF congestion charge project was a 'wheeze' for the Council to do modelling work to justify the Northern Distributor Road .  We have been proved right. It is a disgrace that Government money int...

NORWICH GREEN PARTY NEWS RELEASE :   THURSDAY 17TH APRIL 2008: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: GREENS CHALLENGE LARGE-SCALE DEVELOPMENT PLANS: Green Party calls for plans for Norwich's expansion into the countryside to be radically scaled-back Green Councillors in Norwich have challenged the Government's plans to build 33,000 new homes in and around the city by 2021. With an estimated infrastructure funding gap of around £400million, the Green Party is calling on Norwich City Council to tell the Government that the housing targets cannot be met. An estimated £650million of infrastructure funding will be needed to support the proposed level of housing development growth and the target is unlikely to be met. Developers would be asked to contribute between £25,000 and £27,000 per house built, which would only generate £165 million. This has created a funding gap of at least £380 million, and possibly as much as £485 million. It seems increasingly unlikely that the Government will supply th...

Your 31 March cover story ("Is Boris faking it? The makeover of a candidate") asks: "Who is Boris Johnson?" I went to Balliol with Boris, studying philosophy with him there and working with him at the Oxford Union, and I have touched base with him off and on in the years since. What your story mostly misses is Boris's ruthlessness (as well as opportunism) as a politician. Much of what he does, if my experience is anything to go by, is very calculated. His self-presentation as slightly buffoon-like is largely deliberate. He does what he thinks will bring him publicity and affection. And he is not at all averse to deceiving people in the process. For example: at Oxford, when I was president of the university Social Democratic Club, Boris sometimes presented himself as sympathetic with the SDP in order to curry favour with sections of the student body. His self-presentation nowadays as green-leaning is a piece of equally opportunistic and calculated spin. Rupert Re...

It has just been announced that, once again, Norwich has come top of the list of Greenest places to live in the entire country, in the annual Local Life survey ( www.locallife.co.uk ). ( Peterborough comes second.) But why is this? The answer can be found here: http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Peterborough-named-UK39s-second-greenest.3975248.jp  Note especially the following quote from this article:  "It is thought that Peterborough , which has been an Environment City  since 1993, missed out on first place because, unlike Norwich , it does  not boast any Green Party councillors. "That could change after the May 1 elections, with a record nine Green  candidates bidding for seats on Peterborough City Council..."    

ITV - 18.25 || BBC - 18.55 || OR WATCH IT ONLINE, ANYTIME, at www.votegreenparty.org.uk The Green Party's visually stunning broadcast for the local elections airs tonight at 18.25 on ITV and 18.55 on both BBC1 . The film, produced by Contaminant Media and animated by sought-after Shroom Studios, uses no actors; instead real people were invited to discuss their concerns, making a compelling argument for Green solutions for a more affordable and fairer society. I've already watched the broadcast -- it is really something! Do watch and share the link!

Little's Log: Norwich City Council: UEA Students need not apply I am not usually the world's biggest fan of Tory Cllr. Antony Little, but in this post he is bang on the money. It is a disgrace that the LibDems in Eaton are whipping up anti-student prejudice in this election to try to hold onto this, their last 'safe' seat in the city. The Green Party is standing a number of students for the Council this year in Norwich, and if elected they will make excellent Councillors, as did Adrian Ramsay (who was still at UEA when he got first elected to the Council.). For example, Ruth Makoff in my ward (Wensum) and Amandine Stone in University ward -- both highly-intelligent and hard-working candidates. It will be especially interesting to see what happens in Uni ward. 'The University ward Labour team' have in the past not been averse to student-bashing, in a 'populist' bid to win votes off campus. But Amandine seems so far to be winning quite a lot of Green vot...

  THE GREEN PARTY – THE ONLY PARTY ONE CAN TRUST, TO DEFEND THE POST OFFICES     There is a 'Postal Services Directive' making its way through the EU legislative process at present that seeks to commercialise postal services. Labour, Lib Dem and Tory MEPs have all voted for it. The Directive will lead to post office closures because it prevents governments subsidising any that are a public service but not making much money.   The only Party whose Euro-MPs have voted against this Directive is the Green Party.   Cllr. Adrian Ramsay, Parliamentary candidate for Norwich South, said "It is unfortunate that the other Parties, though locally they say they are against Post Office closures, have national and international policies that point in precisely the opposite direction. It is MPs and MEPs from the three old Parties who are taking the very actions that are making post office closures in Norwich more likely."   CHARLES CLARKE -- THE LAS...

http://keziadugdale.blogspot.com/2008/04/red-ken-to-go-green.html A sensible grown-up post here by Kezia, on the London elections. [ London voters: Bear in mind how critically important it is to deliver a strong Green presence in the ASSEMBLY elections. We mustn't let the high-profile Mayoral race overshadow those.] Kezia also discusses our Party Political Broadcast this evening – do tune in! 6.55pm, on BBC.  

Caroline Lucas and Adrian Ramsay tell how close we really are to Westminster. Click here!

http://jimjay.blogspot.com/2008/04/canvas-tales.html Eminent Cambridge Green Party blogger Jim Jepps blogs here on one of the spicier moments of his visit to Norwich this weekend, to help us win big on May 1st... He is now sitting across the dining room table from me drinking a cup of tea and eating a biscuit; we've been prevented from canvassing further this afternoon by a sudden thunderstorm. He tells me that his experience this afternoon and yesterday has convinced him that Norwich people are not, as had been led to believe, inveterately eccentric!    

[I don't often do this, but this piece is so important, and so needs to be widely read and understood...]  Here is an article from the _Guardian_, from earlier this week:   http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/apr/07/climatechange.carbonemissions Climate target is not radical enough - study Nasa scientist warns the world must urgently make huge CO2 reductions Monday April 7 2008   [ This article appeared in the Guardian on Monday April 07 2008 on p1 of the Top stories section. It was last updated at 01:21 on April 07 2008. ] One of the world's leading climate scientists warns today that the EU and its international partners must urgently rethink targets for cutting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because of fears they have grossly underestimated the scale of the problem. In a startling reappraisal of the threat, James Hansen, head of the Nasa Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York , calls for a sharp reduction in C02 limits. Hanse...

  NORFOLK GREEN PARTY STANDS BY ITS CALL FOR 'FOUR AND A HALF' UNITARIES MODEL FOR NORFOLK "Local government should be local ", say Greens. LATEST POSITION OF THE GREEN PARTY ON PROPOSALS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION IN NORFOLK : With the Boundary Committee asking Councils in Norfolk to put forward revised conceptual models for unitary Councils across the county by today, Norwich and Norfolk Green Parties decided to restate their common position. [ A version of this document has just been sent to the Boundary Commission, an hour ahead of their final deadline for comments from interested parties.] The Green Party continues to support 'four and a half' unitaries for Norfolk : Greater Norwich (covering the whole of the built-up area) North Norfolk ...

Norwich City Council Elections, Thursday 1 May 2008 Green Party Manifesto Summary Everywhere more and more people are realising the importance of tackling manmade climate change. People are looking to vote for political parties that don't just talk about the issue, but that will actually take the steps that are necessary if we want to provide a tolerable future (indeed a better future) for generations to come. Green Councillors in Norwich are already making an impact on the City Council's approach to reducing energy use and promoting renewable energy . Candidates and councillors in Norwich Green Party want to initiate a real dialogue with the public about council policies. We want an open Council . We want to bridge the gap between council officers, councillors and citizens and ensure decisions are taken in a transparent and accountable way. A Green Council would: Set up area committees with local budgets, where ward councillors have real power to influence what happe...

http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Charles_Clarke&mpc=Norwich+South&dmp=1012 http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Charles_Clarke&mpc=Norwich+South&dmp=1032&display=motions These sites prove that Charles Clarke is the last person in Norwich who one would trust to defend our Post Offices. See also this remark of his from a recent article in the EVENING NEWS Save our post offices How closures will hit our communities LUCY BOLTON 20 March 2008 MP Charles Clarke, whose constituency is Norwich South, has said he is keen to save post offices in his constituency when that is the best solution, but has distanced himself from criticising the cuts. He added: “I don't think closing branches is a bad thing.” NOW: contrast these facts with Clarke's extraordinary remarks on the front page article of today's EVENING NEWS: Charles Clarke, MP for Norwich South, said: “I strongly support the campaigns against ...

Further to my earlier post on this, a little more detail: I went to Balliol with Boris, studying philosophy with him there and working with him at the Oxford Union, and I have touched base with him off and on in the years since. What most people who don't know him don't realise is Boris's ruthlessness (as well as opportunism) as a politician. Much of what Boris does, if my experience is anything to go by, is very calculated; his self-presentation as slightly buffoon-like is mostly deliberate . He does what he thinks will bring him publicity and affection. And he is not at all averse to deceiving people in the process. For example: At Oxford, I was [for my sins...] President of the O.U Social Democratic Club; Boris sometimes presented himself as sympathetic with the SDP in order to curry favour with sections of the student body http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/pandora/a-youthful-flirtation-comes-back-to-haunt-boris-410843.html  . His ...