LPGmain

ELECTION CAMPAIGN LIVERPOOL

The National Green Party is looking to elect its first members of Parliament, smashing the myth that a Green vote is a wasted vote. Here, in Liverpool we aim to double our councillors from 2 to 4.
Unfortunately we have no wealthy non-doms to support us, so we need your help. There are jobs to be done. Printing leaflets or delivering them, stuffing envelopes, canvassing, all help to get our message across to people. To lend us your support please phone Tom Crone on 728 2485.
Or you can donate. Your money can help pay for two full ward campaigns, for two General Election deposits (for Riverside and Wavertree), for postage to send 'freepost' leaflets out. For details of how to donate, see here.

Help us fight for a fairer and greener Liverpool!

WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM?

2 March 2010
Liverpool, like every other council in the country, faces serious financial cuts. But Liverpool council is in denial. Instead of making clear where the cuts are going to be, and who is going to pay for it, they make empty promises, knowing that they can't fulfil them. The Green Party believes in honesty, and in caring for the future . Therefore we propose a 1% council tax increase, so that the council will continue to have the resources to care for the city.

John Coyne on BBC Radio Merseyside

Wirral council tax will rise 1.67% this year, making the Green proposals look very modest.....

************************

THE FEBRUARY 2010 GREENVIEW IS NOW ONLINE. READ ALL ABOUT OUR ELECTION CAMPAIGN!

************************

HOW MANY COUNCILLORS DO YOU NEED?

1 March 2010
In October last year Green Party councillors proposed savings of half a million pounds by reducing the number of Liverpool City councillors from 90 to 60. With major job losses announced in Council jobs, this has become more relevant than ever....

In Cumbria the county council seems to feel the same. The county council is presently discussing a reduction in the number of councillors from 84 to 60. The issue has been discussed in council meetings and a survey among the people of Cumbria is presently carried out. Liverpool council could show real responsibility and leadership, and follow the example of Cumbria by reducing its number of councillors and have a four-year election, instead of every year.
read here....
Cumbria's proposals

************************

THE LIBDEMS ARE AT IT - AGAIN

23 February 2010
While LibDem leader Nick Clegg berates the Prime Minister for being a bully, the local LibDems have stepped up their smear campaign against the Greens in Liverpool. Isn't it time the party puts its own house in order instead of accusing others of bullying?

A leaflet was distributed in St. Michaels in the past week, stating that 'the Green Party gives up in Liverpool'. It takes some research to discover who wrote it, but it turns out to be "P. Twigger, on behalf of S. Green (Lib Dem)". Sharon Green is the LibDem local candidate for St. Michaels.
The leaflet has taken the Green national campaign for parliamentary candidates in the south, and suggests it refers to Liverpool's local elections. That is not only mean, it's stupid. As if St. Michael's residents don't know the difference....Our local candidate for St. Michael's is Tom Crone, and he is set to win.
On the back are some of the old slurs on the Green party (which we have already rebutted repeatedly).

Sharon Green has shown her true colours, and they aren't Green.....
.

************************

BUDGET TIME

25 January 2010
It's that time of year again: Liverpool City Council deciding where the money goes. The Council's budget proposals for 2010/2011 can be found here. Liverpool Green Party has put forward proposals for amendment.

All proposals by the Liverpool Greens can be found here
-   We want to see an “invest to save” energy efficiency provision of £2.5m earmarked within the capital programme, to investigate the energy efficiency programmes of other local authorities and bring forward a programme of cost efficiency proposals for the City Council as soon as possible.
-   the proceeds from Bus lane fine enforcement should be used to further develop bus lanes and bus bay facilities.
-   There are several costly items the Council could get rid of to make savings: the City Magazine, Burton Manor,
-   Councillors who have an attendance rate of less than 70% should have their allowances cut,
- a 1% (below inflation) increase in council tax, adding 1.6m to general reserves.

The savings could be used, among others,
- To reverse the Lib Dem proposal to cut £250k from aid to voluntary organisations
- To provide new grit bins across the city, on request from community organisations, schools and residents
- To treble the budget for installing dropped kerbs to allow disabled residents to use the footways
- To increase the Working Neighbourhood Fund by £5000 per ward.

The budget for 2010/2011 will be decided at the Council Meeting on Wednesday January 27.

************************

New Year message from Peter Cranie, Liverpool Green Party

I’m writing to thank all of you who contributed to the Euro campaign in Liverpool last year and to those of you that have become members during or since the election result. I can’t possibly thank every individual for every piece of work they have done so far – there are far too many people who did too much to ever be fully credited – but to all of you the party owes you a great debt.

The disappointment at losing out on the last Euro seat to the BNP was immense particularly given that here in Liverpool we gained nearly 12% of the vote and the BNP did badly. I still feel the effects of such a close loss and I know that every member, Green supporter and many political neutrals have felt that way as well.

What we do know is that each of us can make a contribution, however small, to make sure that it doesn’t happen again. What I am asking of each of you as a Liverpool Green member or supporter is to think of the contribution you can make, and to imagine it is going to be your personal actions between now and 2014 that can reverse the horribly close result we experienced this year.

One way we can start is by increasing the number of councillors we have elected here in Liverpool and by increasing the number of candidates we stand in neighbouring boroughs. As more and more people get the chance to vote Green and see Green councillors elected, the better our prospects in future regional elections under Proportional Representation.

Despite our regional disappointment, these are still exciting times to be a Green. An ICM constituency poll for the Green Party in Brighton Pavilion in December shows the following:

Greens 35%

Tories 27%

Labour 25%

Lib Dems 11%

Not only that, but 63% of the Labour and Lib Dem voters polled were willing to switch to us if they see us as the best tactical option to beat the Conservatives. Whatever huge disappointment we have had in narrowly missing out on more MEPs will be overcome even if we manage to elect a single Westminster MP. The British public understand Westminster and even a single MP will finally get rid of the “wasted vote” tag that is so often used against us by our opponents.

It is possible that we now have over 10,000 national members (it was 9,630 at the beginning of December), which would be 33% growth in just one year, with a General Election campaign still to come. These are exciting times for our party and we are needed now more than ever before.

Please do get involved with your local party. It is only through inaction or inactivity from the good people that parties like the BNP manage to get a foothold. It is up to us to make sure they are beaten here in Liverpool at the local elections and in future European Elections.

With Best Wishes and Thanks

Peter

***********************

NOW VOTE FOR A GREEN FUTURE

Peter Cranie, Green Party candidate for Greenbank has today (22nd December) had a letter published in the Independent newspaper.

You can read the letter by clicking here - please note, you are required to scroll down the screen to the letter, "Now vote for a green future".

***********************

THE END OF CAR CLUBS IN LIVERPOOL?

25 November 2009
Liverpool is about to lose its car club. Not because there isn't enough demand, or because it isn't profitable, but because the city's leaders refuse to support it. Vandalism, lack of bases and obstruction of existing bases is forcing the car club out of our city.

City car club sign

Car clubs are the ideal solution if you need a car occasionally, but don’t want the hassle that comes with owning one: maintenance, insurance, taxes, finding parking space….
In Manchester and Leeds car clubs are expanding, and are offered free parking bases by the council. In Liverpool the demand for car clubs is growing, but the council has refused to expand the number of Car Club bases, or provide them free of charge.
Moreover, if a Car Club base is obstructed the council’s Parking Service will not take enforcement action. Worse, if a user is forced to park illegally, because of illegal obstruction of the car base, the Parking Service suddenly wakes up, and issues a PCN … to the user of the Club Car.
The Car Club is popular with the city council’s own staff, but apparently not with the Council.
The City’s Car Club operation is presently out to tender. But which potential operator would be interested, in a city where the council itself obstructs the operation?

The demise of Liverpool's car club will cause serious transport problems for some people, like Phil Godfrey. He has written to the council, but with little hope that things may change.

This is the latest piece of evidence, as if we needed more, that the City's prestigious 'Year of the Environment' is nothing more than badly applied Greenwash....

************************

LIVERPOOL COUNCILLORS EXPENSES PUBLISHED

4 August 2009

Cllr John Coyne issued a Freedom of Information Request, reference 66895, to reveal the full details of each councillors expense claim for mileage and subsistence. Any member of the public is entitled to make such a request.

The full results are published HERE for any member of the public to view directly and to avoid the need for duplication.

************************