Post-Election
2010
The green newspaper for the Norwich South constituency
Green Party
Thank You
• Green Vote Doubles in Norwich South
• Second Highest Green Vote in the Country
G
reen Party Candidate Adrian
Ramsay would like to thank
everyone who voted for him
at the recent General Election. Adrian
received 7,095 votes in the Norwich
South constituency, more than double
the number from the last General
Election, and the second highest
Green vote in the country.
Adrian Ramsay said: “Thank you to
everyone who voted for me in the
election for Norwich South MP, and to
everyone I met during the election
campaign for such a warm reception.
Whilst I was disappointed not to be
elected as your Member of Parliament,
I appreciate every vote I received and
am pleased with the substantially
increased vote share.”
In the election, Simon Wright
replaced Charles Clarke as the MP for
Norwich South. The LibDem vote share
was similar to that of the last General
Election, while the Labour vote share
declined significantly. The
Conservatives also obtained a similar
vote share to last time.
Adrian Ramsay continued:
“Congratulations to Simon Wright on his
election. I hope he will be a strong voice
for Norwich in Parliament. I would also
like to pay tribute to the work of Charles
Clarke in his 13 years as Norwich
South MP. Whilst Mr Clarke and I have
had many differences on important
issues during that time, I would like to
express my appreciation for his work
on behalf of local residents.”
FIRST GREEN MP
Caroline Lucas was elected as
Britain’s first Green MP at the General
Election. Dr Lucas, who is the Leader of
the Green Party, was elected in the
Brighton Pavilion constituency.
Adrian Ramsay, who is Deputy Leader
of the Green Party as well as a City
Councillor for Norwich’s Nelson Ward,
concluded: “It’s a fantastic national
breakthrough to see Caroline Lucas
elected as the first Green MP. We now
have an ethical voice in Parliament to
challenge the growing gap between
rich and poor, oppose privatisation and
Change in Cons
Greens
up
vote share 1.1%
up
since last
7.5%
General
Labour
Lib
Election
down
Dem
How the party percentages
down
8.7%
have changed in your Norwich
0.6%
South constituency since 2005.
www.norwichgreenparty.org
Adrian Ramsay talking to residents of North Earlham during the election campaign
cuts in public services and press for
action on climate change.”
Caroline’s constituency, Brighton
Pavilion, saw the highest Green vote in
the country. Our area, Norwich South,
saw the second highest Green vote and
is therefore the constituency most likely
to elect the second Green MP next time.
See page 3 for a profile
of Caroline Lucas.
Norwich South - results in full
CANDIDATE
PARTY
VOTES
%
+/-
Simon Wright
Liberal Democrat
13,960
29.4
-0.6
Charles Clarke
Labour
13,650
28.7
-8.7
Antony Little
Conservative
10,902
22.9
+1.1
Adrian Ramsay
Green
7,095
14.9
+7.5
Steve Emmens
UK Independence Party
1,145
2.4
+0.9
Leonard Heather British National Party
697
1.5
+1.5
Gabriel Polley
102
0.2
+0.0
Workers Revolutionary Party
Edited and produced by Stephen Little. Printed by Sharman and Company Limited,
Newark Road, Peterborough, PE1 5TD. Promoted by Chris Williams on behalf of
Adrian Ramsay and Norwich Green Party, all c/o 27 Clarendon Road, Norwich, NR2 2PN.
.....spotlight on Local News.....spotlight on Local News.....spotlight on Local News.....spotlight on Local News.....
Where Are the Swings?
Long Wait for Play Equipment
at Jenny Lind Park
News in Brief
Green Councillors are
supporting the campaign to
protect the site of the old
Lakenham Sports and
Leisure Centre.
The City Council identified the
site, off Cricket Ground Road, as a
possible site for development as
part of its Site Allocation Plan
consultation. The Council is
currently considering responses to
the consultation, in which many
residents argued that the site
should be opened for community
use. Green Councillors are pressing
for this and other green spaces to
be protected. The Council will carry
out another consultation in the
autumn, when it has published its
recommendations for this and
other sites.
L
The City Council has said that it
hopes the play equipment will be
installed before the start of the school
summer holidays. Opposition Green
Party Councillors have emphasised
that it is important that this happens
and are suggesting that residents
Green Party Councillors
have written to the owners
of Earlham House shops on
Earlham Road demanding
that they find a permanent
solution to the problems of
pot holes, drainage and
subsidence in the car parks.
Local residents in Lakenham
are helping to clear up the
Lakenham Way cycle and
footpath through monthly
litter picking sessions.
Green Party Councillor Stephen
Little is organising the monthly
sessions where local volunteers
help to clear fly-tipping and litter
from the walkway. At the same
time the City Council is carrying
out structural repairs to the walls
at the side of the walkway. The
Council then plans to take
ownership of the land and carry
out regular maintenance to
ensure that Lakenham Way is
more pleasant and safe for
residents to use in the future.
If you would like to help with
the litter picking sessions
please call Stephen Little on
(01603) 617888.
The other remaining aspects of the
work to the park, which include planting
more shrubs and installing more seats,
are planned for the autumn.
Green Councillors Adrian Ramsay,
Stephen Little and Samir Jeraj
at Jenny Lind Park.
write to the Council to help keep up
the pressure for this to be a priority.
To add your voice to the campaign
for the play equipment to be
installed as soon as possible, please
write to Planning Department,
City Hall, Norwich, NR2 1NH or
e-mail [email protected]
Eyesore Site to be Developed
T
he redevelopment of the
Shoemaker pub site in West
Earlham has moved a step closer.
Flagship Housing Association is buying
the land in order to build affordable
housing on the site. Work to clear the
site is expected to start later this year.
Photography by helenofnorwich
After months of lobbying by
residents and Green Councillors,
the owners resurfaced the car
park in March, but the pot holes
were not dealt with first and have
reappeared. Green Councillors want
to see a permanent solution – and
are asking the City Council to carry
out enforcement action to ensure
this happens. Green Councillors are
also pressing for the shops and flats
as a whole to be better maintained
by the absentee landlord.
Green Councillor Stephen Little said:
“Residents have every right to feel
frustrated with the unacceptable
delays in this project. It must be a
priority to get the play area finished
before the summer holidays and I
have made this point very strongly.”
ocal residents and Green
Councillors in the Vauxhall
Street area are frustrated that
the new play area at Jenny Lind Park is
still without play equipment. The
work to revamp the park has been
underway for several months now and
some areas, such as the games courts,
are complete. However, local families
are still waiting for play equipment
to be installed.
Adrian Ramsay outside the derelict
Shoemaker pub site in West Earlham,
where redevelopment is expected
later this year.
Since the Shoemaker pub, at
Earlham West Centre, closed in 2005
the site has become derelict and
subject to vandalism and fly-tipping.
Residents have been calling for the
site to be cleared and redeveloped.
Last year planning permission for 12
flats and 6 houses to be built on the
site was granted by the City Council
but until now there has been no
developer in place to start the work.
Earlier this year Green Party
Councillor Adrian Ramsay contacted
the owner of the site to request that it
be cleared of litter and fly-tipping and
to ask when development of the site
was going to happen. Adrian Ramsay
commented: “I was pleased when the
owner organised for litter to be cleared
from the site a few months ago, but
what we really need is for the derelict
building to be cleared. I’m pleased that
Flagship Housing is now in place to do
the work and I hope affordable homes
are built on the site soon.”
Exotic Garden Doing Well After Harsh Winter
W
ill Giles’ Exotic Garden on
Thorpe Road was hit badly
last winter by prolonged
cold temperatures, after several
consecutive mild winters. Will and his
volunteers have been working hard to
ensure that the garden looks fantastic
as always in time for the summer
open days, which this year are every
Sunday from 13th June.
When asked if the harsh winter calls
into question the science of climate
change, Will is clear that global warming
is occurring and that as a society we
need to take action to avoid its worst
effects. Climate change is about more
unpredictable weather patterns, not
just about warming, but Will is
convinced that global temperature
rise is part of a long term trend and
that this is affecting the natural world.
For information about the open
days, or to volunteer your help with
maintaining this magnificent garden
in the heart of our city, please phone
Will on (01603) 623167 or e-mail
[email protected] or visit
www.exoticgarden.com
The exotic garden on Thorpe Road is
recovering well from a harsh winter.
...spotlight on Caroline Lucas & Tom Dylan...spotlight on Caroline Lucas & Tom Dylan...
Summed Up
First Green MP
£250 billion
Caroline said: “Thanks to the
confidence that the voters of Brighton
Pavilion have shown, Green principles
and policies will now have a voice in
Parliament. Policies such as responding
to climate change with a million new
‘green’ jobs in low-carbon industries, fair
pensions and care for older people, and
stronger regulation of the banks will
be heard in the House of Commons.”
There are many issues on which
Caroline will be taking a distinctive
stand at Westminster. She will be
calling on the new Government to:
• Withdraw our troops from Iraq
and Afghanistan.
• Scrap student tuition fees and
bring back grants.
• Renationalise the railways and
regulate the buses to create a
cheaper and more reliable public
transport system.
• Create new jobs in green
industries such as renewable
energy and home insulation.
• Bring in a ‘Robin Hood tax’ on
risky transactions between the
big banks to help fund public
services and tackle poverty.
• Clamp down on corporate tax
evasion, regulate the banks and
introduce a permanent tax on
bankers’ bonuses.
Photography by JJ Waller
G
reen Party Leader Caroline
Lucas was elected as the
party’s first MP at the recent
General Election. Caroline, a former
County Councillor and Euro-MP, is Vice
President of a number of campaign
groups including Stop the War
Coalition, the RSPCA and Railfuture,
the leading organisation promoting
better rail services. After years of
campaigning for better Government
policies from outside Westminster,
Caroline is delighted that she can now
campaign from inside Parliament.
Adrian Ramsay, Green Party Deputy
Leader and Norwich City Councillor,
will be working closely with Caroline
Lucas on key national campaigns, such
as the fight to protect crucial public
services from cuts and privatisation.
Caroline Lucas is this country’s
first Green MP
For more information on Caroline’s
work as the first Green MP please
visit www.greenparty.org.uk and
www.carolinelucas.com
First Green Lord Mayor
In his year in office Tom will be
working alongside the new Sheriff,
Evening News columnist Derek James,
to raise money for the civic charity,
Rotary House. The charity provides
support to deaf people to help them
lead independent lives. Councillor
Dylan and Mr James will also be
promoting racial harmony as one of
the themes of their civic year.
Norwich’s new Lord Mayor, Tom Dylan
N
orwich recently became the
first city in the country to have
a Green Lord Mayor when
Tom Dylan was elected to the position
by fellow councillors on 18th May.
Tom, who has been a City Councillor for
Mancroft Ward since 2007, will be the
Lord Mayor of the city for the next year
and will represent Norwich at
ceremonial and community events.
As Lord Mayor, Tom Dylan is a
figurehead for the city, but the Council
is still run by the ruling Labour
administration. Tom remains as one of
the representatives of Mancroft Ward
as well as being Lord Mayor.
Tom Dylan said: “I am proud to be
Lord Mayor of our fine city. There’s lots
to look forward to. I’ll be presenting
the city’s sports awards. I want to take
every opportunity to promote sport,
exercise and the city’s green spaces.
I’m also looking forward to the Peace
Camp and to opportunities to support
networks of independent and local
businesses in the city, such as the
Norwich Lanes.”
There were no local elections in
Norwich this year so the political
make-up of the City Council remains
the same. Labour is the largest party
and forms the Council’s ruling
Executive. The Green Party is the
second largest party and therefore the
main opposition group.
...Cost of
preventing four
million child
deaths globally
and providing
universal primary
education.
...Funds that could
be raised by a
0.05% ‘Robin
Hood Tax’
on high-risk
transactions
between
big banks.
...Amount that
big oil companies
are spending
on tar sands
extraction – the
most polluting
source of oil.
80,000
...New jobs could
be created in UK
through a
free insulation
scheme for
4 million homes
each year.
...Drop in number of
people in work in
UK in first three
months of 2010.
...Number of British
graduates who
could not find a
job last year.
with you to protect crucial services
here in Norwich.
Adrian Ramsay writes…
L
et’s start with the positives.
There are some policies in the
coalition agreement which I
welcome, particularly the pledge to
scrap the ID cards scheme and the
proposal to replace the House of Lords
with an elected upper chamber.
But there are many aspects of the
coalition between the Conservatives
and LibDems which worry me. My
biggest concern is the proposal for
'savage cuts' to the funding of our
public services, starting this year.
During the election, the LibDems
promised not to make such cuts
during the first year to ensure they
didn't kick start a spiral of
unemployment.
It’s disappointing that the LibDems
have gone back on their manifesto
pledge and accepted these cuts. Of
course they had to make some
compromises, but these cuts could
affect some of the services we most
rely on, such as the Sure Start, schools
and universities. I will be keeping a
close eye on what spending cuts the
Government proposes and will work
The Green Party’s costed manifesto
for the General Election recognised
that some spending cuts are needed.
For example, we proposed that trident
nuclear weapons should not be
replaced – and it’s disappointing that
the coalition agreement will allow this
expensive replacement to happen.
However, our manifesto showed how
key funding for public services can be
maintained by increasing tax for those
who can afford to pay more – such as
the big banks and those earning over
£100,000 per year.
There are many policies on which
the position of the new Government is
unclear from the coalition agreement.
When will our troops be brought
home from Iraq and Afghanistan?
Will the fox hunting ban be retained?
Will student tuition fees be scrapped?
Will there be free personal care for
the elderly? Will our schools and
hospitals be protected from increased
corporate influence?
On all these issues, it is not yet clear
which direction the new Government
will take us – but I’m pleased we have
a Green MP in Parliament to fight for
fair and ethical policies.
Contacting
Norwich Green Party:
For more information or to offer
help please get in touch.
Phone: (01603) 611909
E-mail:
[email protected]
Post: 27 Clarendon Road,
Norwich, NR2 2PN.
Earlham House Shops,
Earlham Road, Norwich
01603 250000
thegreengrocers.co.uk
Farmers’ Market: second
Sunday of every month
Surgeries: The Green Party
Councillors hold the following
surgeries. You can come along to
raise a local issue or problem.
No appointment needed.
First Tuesday of each month, 5pm
to 6pm at Inner Space, Maude Gray
Court, St Benedicts Street
First Friday of each month,
6:30pm to 7:30pm,
Christ Church, Magdalen Road.
Second Monday of each month,
6pm to 7pm at Belvedere
Community Centre, Belvoir Street.
Recycled
paper
Greens Fight to
Protect Public Services
The Green Party will fight to protect crucial
public services from proposed cuts. In particular:
Sure Start
Adrian Ramsay worked with local
residents to save the Thorpe Hamlet
Sure Start nursery when it was
previously under threat. The
Conservative manifesto pledged to
keep Sure Start but the outreach
workers may be lost. The outreach
workers play a crucial role in ensuring
new parents receive the support they need from Sure Start. Greens will fight
to protect Sure Start and outreach workers from any proposed funding cuts.
Higher Education
Adrian Ramsay signed the Norwich
Student Manifesto and pledged to
fight proposed cuts in higher
education budgets and to press for an
end to student tuition fees. This battle
continues after the election. Greens
will fight to protect jobs, student
places and research funding in higher education as a crucial part of building a
stable and fair economy for the future.
Photography by helenofnorwich
What does the
new Government
mean for us?
NHS
Adrian Ramsay has worked with
new parents to highlight the need for
greater funding of the midwifery
services at the N&N. The staff at the
N&N do a great job but have not been
given enough funding to ensure that
all pregnant women get the support
they need. Whilst there are efficiency savings that could be made within the
NHS, and whilst the Government has pledged not to reduce NHS funding,
there are many areas of the health service that need increased funding.
Greens will fight to ensure that all NHS services are properly funded.
Can you help
Norwich Green Party?
Yes, I will help by:
Voting Green at the next local elections
Displaying a window poster at election time
Displaying a garden poster board at election time
Delivering some leaflets in my area
Doing some paperwork, such as stuffing envelopes
Doing policy research
Coming to a Green social event (ticket to request details)
Making a donation (cheques payable to ‘Norwich Green Party’)
Joining the Green Party (tick for details)
Name: .................................................................................................................................
Address: .............................................................................................................................
....................................................... Telephone: .............................................................
E-mail: ................................................................................................................................
Please return to: Norwich Green Party, 27 Clarendon Road, Norwich, NR2 2PN.
The Green Party will contact you using the details you have supplied. If you
do not wish to receive information from the Green Party please tick this box:
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