Speech to Colchester Cabinet about Outhouse

This is my speech in the HaveYourSay slot to Colchester City Council Cabinet Meeting on Wed 12 July 2023.  It starts at 16:35 minutes and ends at 20:05 minutes. 

NVC - Liv Larsson and Andy Paice

Notes from NVC and Social Change at Rainbow Mill 2017 on Liv Larsson and Andy Paice.

Anti-Austerity Alliance in Ireland

Ireland elected six new socialist TDs (the Irish Dail's equivalent of MPs) at the February 2016 election. The vote reflected continuing resistance to austerity and in particular the powerful campaign against water charges, as reported in socialistworker.co.uk.

Petition for 2nd EU Referendum

A petition to Parliament is circulating in the "wake" of Brexit:

No to Lexden Road Bus Lane

I'm not opposed to bus lanes in principle, far from it, but this plan to remove the two cycle lanes on Lexden Road to make way for an unnecessary bus lane is driving me round the bend.

Referendums past and present: EU and AV

EEC referendum 6 June 1975: UK voters backed continued membership of the European Economic Community by a large majority in the country's first nationwide referendum, reported the BBC:

EU referendum betting odds

Betting odds indicate 62 per cent probability of UK voting to stay in EU (as at 15 June 2016), having dropped from 78 per cent probability in the last few weeks. Nevertheless 62:38 is not a neck and neck race!

2016 election results: from socialism to ecologism - Rupert Read

The best analysis of the 2016 election results that I have seen so far is "In the Corbyn era, Greens must move from socialism to ecologism" by Rupert Read, 10 May 2016. The point about Corbyn (who I've met and admire) proposing in January this year to keep the Trident nuclear subs, only without their carrying nuclear weapons, passed me by until now.

Is European Commission accountable to elected MEPs?

Just commented on The Undemocratic EU Explained - It Will Never Change
(by Get Out activist from Centre for European Reform, Huffington Post, 21/03/2016), as follows:

Cabinet Reshuffle

Her Majesty's Government, May 2015, aka Rogues Gallery aka Public Enemies Nos 1-50
www.gov.uk/government/news/her-majestys-government-12-may-2015

Violent crime and its scapegoats

The most depressing discourse, in my view, of the recent Colchester Gazette Hustings¹ for prospective MPs was the debate about crime prevention, policing and personal safety. It was sparked off by questions on two subjects: part-night lighting and the two recent horrific murders in Colchester.

Is your money really there?

The government allows profit-seeking private banks to create our money supply as debt. Ninety-seven per cent of all money first enters the economy as debt, when the banks loan it into circulation. The money system now has most of us trapped in debt. Worse still, we need growth in order to find the money to pay the interest we owe the banks. But we cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet. Thus, our money system is directly contributing to the destruction of the eco-systems on which we depend.

Media Bias On Crimea - medialens

Prior to the March 16 referendum, the BBC website reported: 'Crimeans will vote on whether they want their autonomous republic to break away from Ukraine and join Russia.'
The title of the news report indicated the focus: 'Is Crimea's referendum legal?'
The answer: 'Ukraine and the West have dismissed the referendum as illegal and one that will be held at gunpoint, but Russia supports it.'
Legality was not an issue in BBC coverage of the January 2005 election held in Iraq under US-UK occupation. This was accepted on the main BBC evening news as 'the first democratic election in fifty years'. (David Willis, BBC1, News at Ten, January 10, 2005)
And the Iraq election was held in the middle of a ferocious war to crush resistance to occupation. Just weeks before the vote, American and British forces had subjected Iraq's third city, Fallujah, to all-out assault leaving 70 per cent of houses and shops destroyed, and at least 800 civilians dead.

Voting At Gunpoint - The Jaw-Dropping Media Bias On Crimea by David Edwards - medialens

democracy and shopping

As co-ordinator of Colchester and District Green Party, I got an angry email this week after the Essex CC elections from someone saying that the Green party candidate hadn’t delivered leaflets or canvassed constituents in his area, so we didn’t deserve his vote and we deserved to come last.

It seems to me that some people think democracy is like shopping: at election time consumers go to the ballot and choose whichever shop has the best offers. Here are what I think some of those offers might sound like.

• UKIP: Save £££s on Europe and … er, that’s it.
• Tories: Get the poor to squabble over the crumbs from the rich man’s table so they don’t see how we’re robbing them blind.
• Lib Dems: We could solve all our problems if only everyone just started being nice to each other.
• New Labour: In times of austerity, we must have cuts, but we’ll only chop one of your legs off and we’ll do it slowly.
• Green Party: By virtue of optimism of the will over pessimism of the intellect, we believe we can destroy the juggernaut of globalised capitalism before it destroys our planet.
• Libertarian Anarchist: Everyone should be free – free to dine at the Ritz or sleep under the bridge and children can have sex and take heroin if they want to.

Anyway, I only included the phrase about how some people think democracy is like shopping and said:

The Green Party is a small party with a small number of dedicated members and it cannot mount election campaigns everywhere like the larger parties. Our strategy is to target those areas where we think we can win and to get a Green Party candidate on the ballot everywhere else.  Our strategy has paid off in that we have won our first two seats on Essex County Council (in Witham and Rochford).  Our strategy to get a Green Party candidate on the ballot everywhere else has meant that everyone everywhere has had the chance to vote Green if they want to. 

It seems to me that some people think democracy is like shopping: at election time consumers go to the ballot and choose whichever shop has the best offers. But I believe democracy depends on active participation by all citizens. In that regard, I thank you for writing as I’m sure there are many others thinking as you do who have not taken the trouble to raise their concerns.  I believe that, if you want change, the matter is in your hands and I wonder if you’d be willing to help us leaflet, knock on doors, etc, next time.  

I hope this explanation helps. If you want to keep in touch, please sign up for our emails at http://lists.greenparty.org.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/lp-colchester. 

Hello UKIP, goodbye BNP

Just saw this at http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/bye-bye-bnp and wonder if UKIP will go the way of the BNP. 

Under Nick Griffin’s leadership, the BNP made their first breakthrough in Burnley in 2002. Within a year they were the second largest party on the council. This week they lost their last seat there.

The BNP’s problems began with their heavy defeat in Barking and Dagenham in 2010. Since then they have been consumed with internal strife, huge debt and demoralised activists. In yesterday’s elections they only managed just over 100 candidates and only a handful managed to poll above 10%.