The Department for Work and Pensions has admitted...

		Francis Sealey August 23 at 8:08am
The Department for Work and Pensions has admitted making up comments from supposed, "benefit claimants" that appeared in a leaflet about sanctions. The quotes were made up and the photos came from stock characters. They were unreal. In March this year Parliament's Work and Pensions Select Committee said there was evidence that sanctions were geared towards punishing people for being unemployed and might not actually help them find work. The MPs said there was evidence that the benefit cuts for unemployed people caused more problems than they solved and might be "purely punitive". This has caused outrage and there is now a petition calling for the resignation of the Secretary for Sate Iain Duncan Smith. A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “The case studies were used for illustrative purposes to help people understand how the benefit system works. They’re based on conversations our staff have had with claimants. They have now been removed to avoid confusion.” I think that is Civil Servant double speak for saying “we got it wrong folks!” When Governments of all colours produce dodgy documents and fabricated leaflets then it is little wonder that there is a disconnection between people and politicians. It should always be the job of politicians to put this right and not defend it. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/iain-duncan-smith-faces-calls-to-quit-over-fake-quotes-scandal-10466068.html Iain Duncan Smith is facing demands to quit over fake quotes scandal www.independent.co.uk Iain Duncan Smith is facing calls to quit over his department's admission that it fabricated quotes ...

WHAT NEXT AFTER THE FAILED (nuclear) NON-PROLIFERATION REVIEW CONFERENCE

You are invited to London Region CND’s Public Meeting on Wednesday September 2^nd, 2015, from 7pm to 8.30pm, at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square EC1 (Near Holborn tube)

 

WHAT NEXT AFTER THE FAILED (nuclear) NON-PROLIFERATION REVIEW CONFERENCE (NPT)

Speaker: Paul Ingram

Paul is Executive Director of British-American Security Information Council

 

Followed by Questions and Discussion.

 

No charge, though donations welcome.

Hope you can make it.

 

David Polden, Worker, London Region CND.

 

 

Paul Ingram is a well-known GP activist. He will also be the main Speaker at our monthly Speakers Meeting, at Development House on September 29^th.

London Green Party monthly Speakers Meeting

London Green Party speakers' meeting  which took place on 18/8/'15
Eliot Corner on Music & Green Politics
Mark Dearn on TTIP.
Chair: Noel Lynch

See video:
http://greenleftblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/london-federation-of-green-parties.html

 

There is much panic at the moment amongst politicians.......

		Francis Sealey August 18 at 6:41am
There is much panic at the moment amongst politicians of the centre. They see a new and major challenge to their economic orthodoxy. Like all defenders of the faith they attack others saying their policies will not work but the truth is that it is their policies that now seem bankrupt and unworkable. The centrists tell us that only they can run a successful economy and create the growth that will protect the people they claim to care for but recent decades demonstrate a different story. Joseph Stiglitz the Nobel prize winning economist has written a book on "The Great Divide" and he makes it clear that "US research showed that all the economic gains since the early 1980s had gone to the top 10%. “The bottom 90% of the economy has seen stagnation for a third of a century and similar trends – not as bad – are at play elsewhere. It’s just very hard to say these centre-left parties – with emphasis on ‘centre’ – have been able to deliver for most people. Their economic models have not delivered and their message is not working." Recently he spoke at The Arts Club on Dover Street saying, “I am not surprised at all that there is a demand for a strong anti-austerity movement around increased concern about inequality. The promises of New Labour in the UK and of the Clintonites in the US have been a disappointment.” The centre parties have failed the litmus paper test which measures how successful they have been in creating well being for all their peoples. Rather than making a more just and equitable society they have managed economies that have become more unequal, where the rich have got richer at the expense of the poor and middle class and where as a result political instability has grown at an alarming rate. When history is written, the epoch of centre politics will go down as one of the most disastrous in recent decades - a time when opportunities were lost and when politicians gave up on their responsibility to their electorates in return for short term personal gain and political office. It really is time for a change. http://www.penguin.co.uk/books/the-great-divide/9780241202906/ The Great Divide by Joseph Stiglitz www.penguin.co.uk Why has inequality increased in the Western world - and what can we do about it? In The Great Divide...

Noel on Bright Green

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Noel Lynch

A former Assembly Member, I am the only experienced candidate.

A party member for 26 years holding many roles in that time, including 13 years as London Federation Chair and now its Membership Officer.

Widespread support in all local parties – see endorsements. The only candidate endorsed by Green Left.

I have made London my home of choice after coming from Ireland 28 years ago. My daughter and grand-daughter were born here, it is the greatest city in the world.

The London Assembly needs a friend for trade unions, the homeless, those living in poverty, small business and to affect the 25 who die every day as a result of air-pollution.

I founded the GP Trade Union Group and was homeless about a decade ago.

We need to reach not just those natural Greens but connect City Hall to everyone suffering from Tory austerity in all 32 boroughs.

If elected, I will be that voice London-wide, and also in every community that needs an advocate.

I will be accountable to the membership and won’t give the next mayor an easy ride when it comes to: safe walking and cycling, building social rented housing, fighting attacks on trade unions, human rights, immigration, ending the complacent pollution mitigation and giving those in poverty and homeless hope with housing and an all-out fight against austerity.

As an Assembly Member, I saved a homeless centre, helped save several parks and saved London from fluoridation.

Please vote Noel Lynch No.1 and MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/noellynchlondon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noel4london

Website: http://noel4london.org

Bright Green

News

Far from being a drain on the nation, migrants actually make Britain a more prosperous place

Far from being a drain on the nation, migrants actually make Britain a more prosperous place, according to a major report by researchers at University College London last year. It found that immigrants from the European Union who came to Britain between 2000 and 2011 paid out £20 billion more in taxes than they received in benefits. There are more than six million foreign-born workers in Britain, accounting for one in seven of all in employment, according to Oxford University’s Migration Observatory. They make up more than a third of workers in food and clothing manufacturing, and more than a quarter of warehouse workers. And 31 per cent of cleaners and people working in food preparation and hospitality – ranging from butchers to cooks and bar managers - are migrant workers. Around 30 per cent of NHS doctors, and 40 per cent of nurses, are from overseas. One in five of carers are foreign workers, and tens of thousands of migrants work as fruit and vegetable pickers. More than one in three of all foreign-born workers live in London. Britain’s economy could come to a standstill but for the contribution of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers. So we should welcome them for the positive contribution that they make. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1113/051113-migration-report

Recent immigration to the UK: New evidence of the fiscal costs and benefits www.ucl.ac.uk UCL News RSS Feed: The latest news from UCL.

Voting for the Green Party London Assembly List

Online voting started yesterday for the Green Party List for the London Assembly.  This part of the LA is elected by PR. The Green Party has always won at least two seats, so whoever comes first or second in the green selection is almost certain to get elected to the Assembly, next May.

I have been No.3 in the last few elections, but this time our two sitting AMs are not standing,  so I am one of the favourites to take a seat.
My website is at  http://noel4london.org/

My letter in the Evening Standard, 4/8/15

Clive Stephens, Chief Executive of the “View from the Shard” says that local Londoners  are under represented among the one million visitors a year to the London attraction (“Evening Standard” Friday 31 July) .

If he wants to attract more locals, it might help if he introduces concessions to London’s Seniors. The View from the Shard is one of the few attractions that does not offer such a concession and yet seniors form a high proportion of the Londoners who are tourists in their own city. It is this age group that has the leisure time to visit London’s places of interest but, although the View from the Shard website lists concessions for students, children and disabled adults there is no mention of this important group.

Will Mr Stephens start to recognise this group or does he fear that they do not have the extra money to spend on Fortnum and Mason picnic packages and £10 glasses of champagne?

Noel Lynch

Jack the Ripper demo

Great protest  last night against the Jack the Ripper Museum.  Good Green Party turnout, with local  Tower Hamlets GP members + three Assembly candidates - RoseMary Warrington, Dee Searle and myself. We had the London feather banner and the Green Women banner

The Limerick Soviet

A little known part of Irish history. Glad to see it’s been made into a film. 

 

We also had a soviet near where I come from when the workers took over a mill in Bruree with the slogan ‘We make bread not profits’

 

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/documentary-tells-story-of-limerick-soviet-that-became-global-news-in-1919-1.2305111

 

http://noel4london.org/noel1stforlondonassembly/

Noel Lynch brands Murder museum Vulgar and Disgraceful

Noel Lynch the frontrunner to succeed Jenny Jones and Darren Johnson at city hall will be joining hundreds of campaigners for woman's rights outside the new 'Jack the Ripper museum' on Cable street has branded the opening of a museum which should have been dedicated to woman's right vulgar and disgraceful.

 

Noel said,

 

"Cultural history is one of the most important things about this part of London. It is breath taking that a businessman would have such arrogance to impose a Disney-like museum dedicated to the murder of women!"

 

"Cable Street's history should be remembered and portrayed as the place where so many of the woman's rights battles were conducted. The amazing suffragettes who put themselves up against the establishment, faced death threats and imprisonment in their quest for the right to vote. We need to tell our young people the story of how these rights were won. These struggles and victories should be celebrated for local community and to bring tourism to this part of London."

 

"We must not allow an individual to hijack our history and profit out of it. I am calling on Tower Hamlets council and the whole community to shut the museum down until it respects the woman's rights movement, who still have to struggle against sexism and discrimination. This movement must be at the heart of any museum, not a sideshow to the story of a murderer!"

 

1. Noel has signed the 38Degrees Petition calling on the museum to be shut down.

 

2. Noel has more endorsements than any other candidate running for Green Party selection to the GLA list.

3. Noel will be at the demonstration from 5:30pm on Tuesday 4th August.

 

4. The ballots for the internal selection for the GLA election will be going out later this week.

 

Please contact Noel Lynch

02083407759

noellynch@lineone.net

 

James Youd Press Officer

07761242146

jamesbcy@yahoo.co.uk

New type of election hustings in Barnet.

Next Monday we will have a very unusual election hustings for the Green Party London Assembly Londonwide list. It's a mixture of traditional hustings and speed dating.

Naturally, as a candidate, I will be taking part and I hope loads of friends and supporters will turn up.

Please cascade this message to all those interested.

Also, visit my website:  http://noel4london.org

Details from Barnet & Camden Green Parties below

Sign up now at http://bit.ly/1fQ0x4i for our exciting local hustings in North Finchley on Monday 27th July for candidates seeking selection to be the Green Mayoral candidate or onto the Green Party list for next year's London Assembly elections.

The top two on the list are very likely to be elected to the London Assembly next year and this is your best chance to put your own questions to the Greens who will replace Jenny Jones and Darren Johnson on the Assembly.

You are guaranteed to be able to put your questions, as the main part of the meeting will take a 'speed-dating' format, with each candidate sat at her or his own table ready to answer your questions individually in five-minute 'dates'.

This will be your opportunity to raise your own issues with candidates and it should be a memorable evening, so don't miss it!

The hustings will be from 7pm downstairs at the Bohemia in High Road, North Finchley, N12 9QH, finishing at about 9pm. The Bohemia is 10 minutes' walk from Woodside Park tube station and is very near to bus stops on the 86, 125, 134, 221, 263 and 460 bus routes.

We look forward to seeing you. Please forward this invitation to other members of your local party. There is plenty of room for all!

Barnet and Camden Green Parties