About Andrew Gray
Andrew campaigning in Newcastle on the
eve of Labour’s illegal Iraq war. Greens have
consistently opposed the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan since before bombing started.
War was never the solution to terrorism or
human rights abuses.
YES to Upgrade the voting system
Andrew strongly supports a “YES” vote
in the referendum. The Alternative
Vote system is not proportional, and our
Green MP campaigned for a referendum
in which the people could decide the
merits of different systems, not Coalition
politicians behind closed doors. But it is
a lot better than First Past the Post:
1) Candidates will have to work harder,
not just appeal to core supporters.
2) Everybody will have ONE vote of
equal value, and you can use it to
vote for what you believe in (no
more ‘tactical voting’).
3) Voters will be in charge: you can
express preferences if you want (first,
second, third choice), or just vote for
a single candidate as now.
Andrew was born in Newcastle and has
lived in Heaton since 2000. He works
in a local library, providing advice on
subjects as diverse as family history or
Tudor almshouses, for everyone from
churchwardens to professors, students to
local community groups. He also acts as
a Trade Union caseworker and negotiator, in particular for casual hourly-paid
staff. He joined the half-million strong
march against the cuts in London on
26th March.
Andrew has been involved in many
community campaigns, including the
BAN Waste citizens’ select committee,
and regularly supports the local ward
committee. He is an active CND member and has frequently helped blockade
the nuclear bomb factory at Aldermaston
and Faslane naval base.
On 5th May, vote Green for . . .
? Green councillors led on mass home
insulation with their pioneering
Warm Front scheme in Kirklees.
? Greens have consistently supported
local businesses and campaigned
against the big supermarkets.
? Greens in town halls across the
UK stand up for pedestrians and
cyclists, making our streets safer
places to live, work and play.
Andrew Gray
Green Party
%
Andrew is also an unpaid director of a
not-for-profit software company and a
keen allotment gardener.
“If elected, I will ask my employer for
25% unpaid leave, so that I can commit
more time every week to supporting
residents in South Heaton.”
Printed by Tyneside Community Press, 10 Frank Street,
Wallsend, NE28 6RN. Promoted by Andrew Gray, 61
Addycombe Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5NB
Created with free software under GNU/Linux, and printed
on 100% recycled paper.
Andrew on the allotment in Heaton, which
he shares with four others. (His partner
grew the sunflower!)
A Safer Heaton
Why ASDA will hurt Heaton
A More Equal Heaton
Safer streets are living streets: people
actively using their streets are the best
deterrent against crime. Visible community policing has been effective over the
last few months in Heaton terraces. The
trust and cooperation of local people is
essential in tackling crime and antisocial
behaviour.
Your city councillors caved in to a
well-funded campaign by ASDA and
supported its new supermarket at the
Fossway, against the advice of their
planners. You can read Andrew’s full
objection to these plans at the City
Council planning site (or email for a
copy, [email protected]).
? This breaks the promise made in
2002, that the Shopping Park would
be for non-food retail only in order
to protect Shields Road businesses.
? The promise of jobs is an illusion:
more jobs will be lost from local
shops and businesses than ASDA’s
self-service tills will create.
? Adding a food supermarket into the
Shopping Park will massively increase traffic congestion on Shields
Road and Chillingham Road.
? American studies have linked Walmart/ASDA stores with decline in
community engagement, reduced
levels of volunteering and even
lower voter turnouts.
? CABE (the government’s advisor on
architecture and the built environment) has criticised supermarketbased regeneration schemes. The
latest recession showed that shopping centres with smaller units,
more local businesses and greater
diversity are more resilient.
Savage cuts are being imposed on our
public and voluntary services, which
will hit the poorest hardest. We need
not just opposition, but new approaches
to working with users to ensure that the
most important services survive the cuts.
“If elected, I will support the introduction of 20mph speed limits. I will lobby
for practical measures to prevent ratruns and keep our busiest bus routes
clear of parked cars.”
A Stronger Heaton
A Green economy prefers local shops
and small businesses over multinationals
and supermarkets: not for sentimental
reasons, but because local business employs more people, is closer to its customers, and circulates money locally.
Greens would support more imaginative
use of planning controls, and funding
for more small projects to help local
businesses advertise, and to present
attractive high streets.
“If elected, I will campaign for New
Economics Foundation tools to be used
when assessing regeneration schemes, to
ensure that investment best serves local
needs. And I will work with councillors
from both major parties to support
Chillingham Road’s local businesses.”
Greens support use of public funds to
roll out solar heating and renewable
energy across Council buildings and
social housing, in order to protect the
elderly and those most in need from
rising energy costs.
“If elected, I will never pretend that
massive cuts can be made solely by
‘efficiency savings’ or without hitting
frontline services. I will engage honestly
with other councillors and local people to
achieve fair results.”
You can contact Andrew on
07786 885172, or by email to
[email protected].
www.greenparty.org.uk
younggreens.greenparty.org.uk
greenpartywomen.org.uk
www.lgbtgreens.org.uk
www.newcastlegreenparty.org
For information on electoral registration, postal votes or the referendum:
? tel 0191 277 7100
? visit www.aboutmyvote.co.uk