Rupert's Read

Over the past 12 days, peaceful protests in Syria have been faced with violence. The blood of too many people was spilled and others were arrested and beaten by security forces. As long as this violence goes on, the Syrian government’s legitimacy will diminish by the day both in the eyes of the Syrian people as in the eyes of the international community. The commitments to reform made by the Syrian government are welcome and necessary. Until now, although some call for regime change, a majority of Syrians apparently wants to give president Bashar al-Assad a chance to reform. Hence it prefers a calm but meaningful transition from within over a sudden and radical revolution with the risk of violent escalation. However, the opportunity to reform will soon evaporate when the Syrian government continues to shed the blood of peaceful protesters. The president will lose his legitimacy and his chance to initiate reforms. Therefore it is essential, that the Syrian government stands by it’s comm...

[These are my answers to the official hustings questions that Green members have asked those of us applying for possible nomination to the Lords as Greens:]   Question 1: The purpose of the House of Lords is to scrutinise and amend legislation drafted by the House of Commons. This is highly technical work, as are the rules governing procedures and processes within the House.     Could you tell us how your background and work experience have given you the skills to work with draft legislation as a Green peer, and what those skills are? ·          I've served two terms as a Green Councillor (and am now stepping down). I've been involved repeatedly, often under great time-pressure, often at length, in drafting/amending motions for Council, policy, Committee recommendations, etc. . My experience as a politician working with draft local 'legislation' will greatly help in the Lords. ·     ...

See the link below: It's great that Compass decided to do this. Now at last there is a venue in which we can explore the great deal that we have in common, across Parties. I think that Labour people in Compass will be surprised, even shocked, by how pro-equality, etc., most of us in the Green Party are. As has been pointed out, all that you need to do to get an idea of this is to look at the Green Manifesto for the last election and compare it to Labour's. Virtually everyone in Compass would certainly prefer the former to the latter. So: Now we can start building a progressive alliance that can challenge Cameron and Clegg next time. http://www.compassonline.org.uk/news/item.asp?n=12404

Check out the front page of PR Week this week: http://www.prweek.com/news/1060326/Brown-Lloyd-James-targeted-protest-Gaddafi-promotion-links  

Here is a short list of some of the main developments to have taken place in the Green Party in this country in the last few years: 1) This is quite interesting: A couple of years ago, there would hardly have been a page like this on the 'Daily Telegraph' website: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/green-party/ 2) My piece from OPEN DEMOCRACY responding to Caroline's election as MP last year: http://rupertsread.blogspot.com/2010/05/caroline-lucas-does-it-for-greens.html 3) Here is possibly the most important substantive thing that the British Green Party has done for the world in the last few years: the concept of the Green New Deal, originated by Caroline's intellectual soulmate and report-writer Colin Hines, in concert with a bunch of other luminaries including of course Caroline herself: http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news-archive/3493.html 4) My take on the issues facing the Green Party recently/currently organisationally etc.: http://rupertsrea...

Read my earlier piece on #Libya, #Hague, #AV etc: http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/03/william-hague-libya-questions/ I am pleased to say that most of these questions have now been answered. Hague is showing some leadership today at the Qatar summit. Better late than never!

PLEASE GOTO http://www.pledgebank.com/FundGreenwins , and sign the pledge I've started. Pledge to help us in Norwich Green Party achieve success once more! Thanks; Rupert.