The Green Party in Newport

25 Apr 2012

Greens will safeguard the next generation’s rights to a healthy and productive environment by supporting local business and agriculture above big multinational corporations, improving our quality of life by focusing on human values rather than consumerism, and helping to create a unique town centre where all new buildings will be designed with the next generations’ inheritance in mind. We will reduce Newport’s massive carbon footprint and save every household and business money by making sure all buildings are properly insulated.

Well regulated industries will be encouraged to come to Newport, and Greens on Newport City Council will take steps to reclaim the air we breathe from harmful pollution. We are passionate about education, public transport and community banks, and are ready to step forward with new ideas to face the stark new challenges we face. Our ‘Green New Deal’ offers a radical new approach to bringing job security, economic stability and environmental sustainability.

Green councillors would explore ideas for home businesses in Newport City Centre. Vacant  buildings could be made into family apartments with incubation centres for new businesses on the lower floors. This would allow opportunities for fledgling companies, and introducing families into the city centre is exactly what we need to make it safer.

Greens would also start the process of introducing a Charter for Newport, a long term planning document which would transcend party politics and bring us a strategy for stability of which every citizen could be proud.

19 Apr 2012

Anonymous asked: What is your stance on Westminster housing targets which force the Welsh Assembly to give the OK to many thousands of new homes in Wales, many on greenfield sites such as Bodelwyddan?

Planning and housing are devolved matters and directives regarding these matters come from WAG, not Westminster.

WAGs “Ministerial Interim Planning Policy
Statement 01/2006, Housing” required local planning authorities to collaborate at
the regional level to apportion the Assembly Government’s population and
household projections amongst themselves in order to identify the appropriate
level of housing provision to be included in their LDPs.
Provisional distribution of the required housing among the local authorities in
each region should be based on factors such as past house building rates, current land
availability and environmental capacity.

All Local Development Plans will need to be approved by WAG. All planning applications made for new development will need to comply with the appropriate LDP and with the Town and Country Planning Act, as well as with various TANs.

In answer to the question, there is no doubt that many LDPs will allow building on inappropriate sites but the fault, on this occasion, lies mainly with the Welsh Assembly and with Local Authorities, not with Westminster.

Why Vote Green?

13 Apr 2012

‘Caring about your future, not just your vote’

Because I believe decisions should be made, closest to the people who are most affected. Because I know that Newport City Council urgently needs new and progressive Green voices. Because I believe that social and economic justice is a precondition for secure and happy communities.

Your vote could make the difference between the beginning of a new era for Newport or four more years of the same. Every vote will count on May 3rd

Pippa Bartolotti - Malpas Lead Candidate for Councillor

Pippa, is a semi retired business woman who lives in Malpas and is Wales Green Party Leader. “Newport has the same potential for success as any other city. Green voices in the Council will bring a fresh perspective to the tired old party politics which have dogged development and restricted progress. We need to take confident strides into the future with strategies for urban renewal and sustainability so that we can be proud of our city. ”

Malcolm Degroot - Malpas 2nd Candidate for Councillor

Malcolm is a 53 year old civil servant, lives in Malpas with his partner June, and is Secretary of Newport Trades Union Council. “Members of the unions we represent are having to almost daily fight for their jobs and the services that they provide to the public. I will fight the cuts to vital services that are being handed down from central government to local government to implement.”

Phil Anderson – Malpas 3rd Candidate for Councillor

Phil is 40 years old, married to Becky with two young daughters. He lives in Malpas, is a qualified lawyer, and works for an insurance company in Bristol. “I joined the Green Party because I strongly believe it offers a fair and credible blueprint for a successful and sustainable lifestyle for future generations. I want my children to grow up in an honest and healthy world”

GREEN COUNCILLORS:

Will safeguard the next generation’s rights to a healthy and productive environment by supporting well regulated industries, local businesses and supply chains above big multinational corporations. This will reduce our carbon footprint whilst keeping money in the community.

Will scrutinise the plans to regenerate Newport city centre to ensure that all redevelopment properly satisfies the needs to create an appropriately scaled scheme which will produce a healthy heart to our community and respect our heritage. Newport will never be able to challenge the economic pulling power of regional cities such as Cardiff and Bristol, but we should be able to establish our own unique and individual identity to create a niche within which we can thrive.

Slashing jobs, attacking welfare, pensions and savings is not the way forward. Green councillors will press for the creation of meaningful jobs whilst developing the skills and technology which are necessary to deal with the two most pressing dangers in our world today – economic and environmental crises.

THE ENVIRONMENT

This is of paramount importance to Green Party candidates because the consequences of not campaigning for a ecologically, sustainable and healthy environment has implications for all our other policies.

That is why Green Party members have been at the forefront of local campaigns in Newport including fighting plans to construct a massive waste incineration plant at Llanwern. Greens believe that the release into the environment of the particles produced by burning is harmful to the health of the people of Newport and the surrounding area. There are other technologies for recycling waste that Newport City Council could be exploring that are less harmful to the people of Newport and have less of a detrimental impact on the environment. For example Mechanical, Biological Treatment (MBT), which allows for maximum recycling, and does no harm to the environment. We should also be drastically reducing our waste through more intelligent packaging design, and more thoughtful processes. Waste, after all, is evidence of a mistake.

Green Party Councillors on local councils can make a real difference. You have three votes to elect three councillors.

Use your votes for change and elect the

First Green Councillors for Newport

LOCAL COMMUNITIES

The Green Party is committed to the principle of decentralising power wherever possible. Obviously not all decisions can be made at a local level but we believe that the best placed people to make a choice are the people most affected, and that far too many decisions are made remotely and without local participation.

Green Councillors:

Will press for full consultation with communities before policies with significant implications for them are implemented.

Would ensure that communities should be provided with the resources that they need to allow them to enjoy a healthy, safe and satisfying existence.

Would promote co-operatives, small businesses, community enterprises, development trusts and credit unions, as a means of building local economies.

Vote GREEN on May 3rd!

We believe in fairness and justice, the end of poverty, the right of every human being to a basic living wage. We believe that there is a true cost to everything we buy and do which is not properly measured or paid for: the cost to the environment, the cost to our wellbeing, our happiness; and the cost to our children.’

Green Party Support is Rising Fast

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Fairness and social justice are key to Green Party policies. This applies as much to our international obligations as it does to activities nearer to home. We live in a world that is becoming more divided and unequal by the day. This has only been magnified by the economic downturn that we have faced in the 21st century.
But the burden of economic uncertainty is not being equally shared, leading to communities facing severe cutbacks to the services they rely on. With rising unemployment, particularly amongst 16-24 year olds, wage freezes and/or job losses, fuel and transport price increases, and attacks on the welfare state it is no wonder families find themselves under so much pressure.
Green Councillors will:

Ensure that value for money will be achieved wherever possible with regard to the budget and spending commitments made by NCC. This would not be at the expense of jobs and services to meet the politically motivated public spending cuts whether they originate from Cardiff Bay or Westminster.

Press for co-operation with agencies and organisations to support the needs of the community for the provision of services and help that vulnerable people rely on.

Contact Pippa Bartolotti 01633 822922
Email: pippa@pippa-bartolotti.co.uk
www.greenparty.org.uk

25 Mar 2012

mrandrewlewis asked: Hi, I'm currently researching to do a vlog on the green ideology for a series of vlogs on political ideologies that i'm doing on youtube and tumblr. I was wondering if you could help me out by telling me some of the main aims in green politics and what you think some of the less obvious pros are to a country being run by a green party would be. It would be of great help and of course I would credit you in the video :) Thanks!

The main aims in Green Party politics are social justice, equality, environmentalism and democracy. Our policies on social justice and equality aim to make sure that everyone in this country get’s fair deal, regardless of how wealthy you or your family might be. We believe in progressive taxation (the less well off you are, the less tax you pay) as well as many other policies which aim to close the wealth gap between the rich and the poor.

Unfortunately the environment doesn’t care whether or not we’re in a recession, which is why when other political parties try and sweep the issues under the rug, we make sure they are not forgotten about.

People can sometimes forget the strength our policies can offer in the fight to close the gap between the rich and poor, however this is where we get a large amount of grass roots support. It is very difficult to predict what troubles the future might hold, but whatever challenges we have to face, we make sure that no-one is left behind and that everyone is treated fairly and with equal rights.

I joined the Green Party because I wanted to be part of a political party where the leadership and the spokespeople represented the views and feelings of the grass roots campaigners. I found that in the Green Party, the leaders and spokespeople ARE as well the grass roots campaigners. Integrity and honesty are massively important to me in politics and I don’t feel I could ever be part of a political movement that has even a shred of dishonesty about it.

I hope this has answered your question. I’d be happy to answer any follow-up questions you might have. My name’s Chris Were and I’m the Deputy Leader of Wales Green Party

Newport Greens

24 Mar 2012

The Green Party of England and Wales is a growing political movement promoting social and environmental justice through campaigns, direct action and the electoral process.

In Newport we are building an exciting branch of the Green Party. Since the 2010 General Election our membership has grown and there is a call for regular meetings and more action. If you are interested in coming to meetings please use the ‘contact us’ form and we will get back to you with all the details.

We believe that we can build a better way of life in Newport. Our communities need sustainable local economies, meaningful local relationships, and more say over local decisions if they are to be strong, proud and happy. By embracing carbon neutral technologies such as tidal and wind power, by attending to our local agriculture and manufacturing potential we seek to return vibrancy, prosperity and well-being to our city. The industrial world will slide past peak oil production and into the new future of localization and a strengthened feeling of community. In Newport we intend to be ready for this generational change.

In a world of finite resources it is impossible to seek continual economic growth. The Newport Green Party joins with the National Party of England and Wales in seeking new solutions which will enhance individual and collective well-being through engaging everyone in our community, through lobbying Parliament and the Welsh Assembly, and through influencing decision makers to take realistic and progressive decisions which will serve us well into the future.