Rupert's Read

So, John McCain has announced his choice for V-P running mate: Sarah Palin. And, around the blogosphere and beyond, a number of British right-wing commentators (notably Peter Hitchens and Iain Dale) are already coming out in support of her. It is good to see these Tories lining up in support of Palin. It makes pretty clear just how skin-deep the Cameron 'revolution' has been. Let's remind ourselves on some of what Palin stands for: * Palin opposes abortion even in the case of rape or incest. She believes, that is to say, in (for example) the right of a father who rapes his under-age daughter to ensure that his daughter bears his grandchild. Yes: Palin believes that rapists and incestuous predators have the right to see their babies sired, as long as they succeed in forcing conception. * Palin doesn't believe in evolution, and thinks creationism should be taught in state schools. * She's doesn't think humans are the cause of the climate chaos that is...

History seems to be repeating itself. New Orleans is being emptied to try to escape Hurricance Gustav. New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin ordered the city emptied this morning in the face of what he called "the storm of the century." http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-08-31-gustav-sunday_N.htm   It really is very simply, people. Vote Green, or the planet gets it... If we don't radically change direction, and soon -- if we don't take the massive measures required to preserve for ourselves a stable liveable climate -- then there really will be a new 'storm of the century' every couple of years... : Katrina, Gustav... The list will simply go on and on...  

News release from Eastern Region Green Party   Green Party Conference, September 5th - 8th London   -  Norwich City Councillor expected to be elected as first ever Green Party Deputy Leader -  Greens gear up for more election wins in 2009 and first seats in Parliament   The Green Party meets in London for its 4 day Autumn Conference on Friday September 5th. For full details visit    http://www.greenparty.org.uk/nextconference   The 2008 conference will be an historic occasion for the party. Following the debate and referendum carried out earlier this year, the Greens decided to go ahead with the election of a Leader and Deputy Leader.   The contest for Leader is between Dr. Caroline Lucas, Green MEP for South East England since 1999, and TV actor Ashley Gunstock.   T he sole Deputy Leadership candidate is Councillor Adrian Ramsay, Leader of the Opposition on Norwich City Council, w...

Feeling a bit chuffed! Because, as lead Euro-candidate for the Greens in a target region (Eastern), I'm today's picked as the Total Politics  'Daily Politico': http://tinyurl.com/6ofptb

http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2008/08/top-20-green-blogs.html Hooray! From a standing start [my blog has been in existence for less than a year] I've made it into Iain Dale's Top 20 Green Blogs. (Jim Jepps is a well-deserved number 1, by the way.) The list is one I am really quite proud to be in the company of...  

In just over a week from now (5th September), an historic Green Party Conference will begin in London: the Conference at which the election of our first-ever leader will take place. All Green Party members and supporters want a Party that works well, a Party that punches above its weight, a Party that will deliver the successes and the desperately-needed policy-changes nationally that Greens are already achieving all over the country, locally. A key part of this extension to the national stage is happening now by the very act of our holding our first-ever election for a leader (the election is by postal ballot, and will formally end at Conference). But this, and our growing professionalism across the piste, is not enough. We need a leader who is engaging, inspiring and who can captivate the hearts and souls of the electorate. We need a leader who ouzes warmth and passion, someone who can reach people from all backgrounds in society. We need a leader who can lead us to the national stag...

  [[press release]]   Norwich Green Party councilor and lead candidate for MEP Rupert Read attended a meeting at North Walsham Community Centre last night, 26 August 2008.   The meeting took place to hear both sides of the raging debate between waste transfer company HFS and local residents of North Walsham and Spa Common.   HFS have applied for planning permission to carry 74,999,999 tons of waste to and from their Spa Common waste transfer station, and have purchased several large tankers for this purpose, including 44 ton HGVs, the largest permitted on British roads.   Local residents object to the serious danger these large vehicles pose to cyclists and pedestrians in the town generally, but particularly on the little country lanes leading to the HFS facility, and down Manor Road , on parts of which the lorries literally take up the whole road.   When two trucks meet down that road, one has to reverse all the way back. ...