Cheltenham

Labour Abandons Their Green Plans

Cheltenham Green Party — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 18:15:30 +0000

Labour ditches £28 billion green investment plan: A backward step for climate and economy

It's not about the economy's capacity, it's about political will and priorities.

This is a massive backward step – for the climate, for the economy and for good quality jobs. Both the security of our planet for the next generations and the nation’s future prosperity is dependent on greening our economy and that requires large scale investment.

Labour have chosen to wear their fiscal rules as a millstone around their neck. A different approach through tax reforms, in particular by introducing a wealth tax on the super-rich, could help pay for the green transition. There is more than enough money to pay for this. The Green Party would go further and faster, spending at least double what Labour originally pledged.

Greens recognise that investing in a green future will provide people with economic, social and environmental security. By decarbonising industry, insulating buildings, and ramping up renewable energy infrastructure, we can drastically reduce emissions, cut household bills, and create well-paid and secure jobs in every corner of the country.

According to the Office for Budget Responsibility, early investments in climate initiatives are not only cost-effective but essential. Delaying action escalates costs and exacerbates the climate crisis. It's high time we prioritize our planet's health over short-term economic apprehensions.

We advocate for a progressive tax reform, ensuring the wealthiest contribute their fair share towards combating climate change. This strategy also includes substantial support for those hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis, offering tangible solutions such as home retrofitting to reduce both bills and carbon footprints.

We are one of the richest countries in the world. We can choose to do this if we want to. Labour has chosen not to.

The state of the NHS in Cheltenham

Not a week goes by without me hearing about someone’s challenges with the badly underfunded health service in Cheltenham. These challenges include a lack of A&E provision; staff shortages affecting our maternity wards; ambulance delays; waiting lists; the search for affordable dental care; poor mental health services and not least, a workforce feeling unloved, unsupported and under resourced.

We cannot let this continue. I am therefore calling upon all local parties to pledge to stop the blame game and work together for the good of the town. We have to ensure the local NHS in all its forms gets the resources it so desperately needs.

If you have any questions about this article or want to raise any issues with me as your Green Parliamentary Candidate for Cheltenham, you can contact me at directly at daniel.wilson@cheltenham.greenparty.org.uk

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Our Streets Should be Safer

Cheltenham Green Party — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 15:56:31 +0000

Daniel Wilson's Cheltenham Blog

Our streets should be safer
Two weeks ago, an 82-year-old died after being hit by a car in Cheltenham town centre.
This is not an isolated case. There have been several accidents on our roads in the past few years,
with some even happening near schools. Despite this and the public outcry that follows, nothing is
done. We have been promised countless much-needed pedestrian crossings – where are they?
Many of Cheltenham’s routes around the town do not have a pedestrian crossing or have one in the
wrong place. And where crossings do exist, such as by the Brewery, traffic jams are so long that cars
cannot even see the green man.
How many more accidents will it take before the council introduces a 20mph speed limit and more
crossings in the town centre?

Poverty in the UK
According to this year’s poverty report from the Joeseph Rowntree Foundation, it is 20 years and six
prime ministers since there was a sustained fall in poverty.
It makes for grim reading. More than one in five people were living in poverty in 2021/22. That’s
almost 14 and a half million people, with over eight million working-age adults and four million
children.

Successive governments have allowed poverty to become entrenched and for inequality to widen.
The super-rich have seen their incomes soar during a time of increased hardship for millions of
people.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Poverty is a political choice.

There are things that can be done to address it. We support Barnardo’s call for the chancellor in his
Spring Budget to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) beyond the current end date which is set
for the 31st March.

As Labour finalises its manifesto, there’s little indication they will make the right choices to help the
millions enduring grinding poverty. This is why we so desperately need a group of Green MPs in
parliament to put pressure on Labour to do the right thing.

The Green Party would increase Universal Credit by £40 per week and abolish the two-child benefit
cap. A wealth tax on the super-rich, changes to Capital Gains Tax and abolishing “non-dom
status” would pay for these measures to reduce poverty.

Stop taking the p*ss Councillor Wilkinson
I know Max loves his “war on wee” but painting some toxic paint on walls and posing for a photo is
not going to solve the many issues race week creates for the town. What about a war on misogyny, a
war on anti-social behaviour, a war on litter, a war on paying for sex? In your final 3 months as a
councillor, we’d like a little less self-publicity please and a little more action.

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The Post Office Scandal

Cheltenham Green Party — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 16:25:54 +0000

It is incredible how long it has taken successive governments to address the clear injustice faced by
hundreds of honest, hard-working people at the Post Office.

We shouldn’t need a TV drama to get the Government to do the right thing and address a manifest
injustice on this scale.

The severity and scale of the scandal was made worse by the economic model chosen for the Post
Office. Ministers washed their hands of responsibility while this public corporation – with the
Government as the sole shareholder – was told to chase profits and allowed to take risks with
unproven, outsourced technology.

No one was in charge, no one cared and when it all went wrong, no one was responsible. We need
models of ownership that put public interest and accountability first. The scandal also raises
questions about the obsession from all government parties with outsourcing and avoiding
responsibility.

It is right that every wrongful conviction is overturned as quickly as possible, but the fact that the
Government has been forced to bring forward emergency legislation that overrides the justice
process underlines how ministers let this tragedy drift on into a full-blown crisis.
This is not the first time government has been found wanting when the lives of people have been
turned upside down by failings in public administration. Too many are still waiting for justice, from
Grenfell residents and infected blood scandal victims to nuclear test veterans.
Every one of these injustices needs resolving as soon as possible.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
I want to give a shout out to Vision 21 and the repair cafes they run each month. They run 10-1pm
on the first Saturday of the month at St Andrew’s Church on Montpellier Street.
With the ongoing cost of living crisis and climate emergency, there is no better way to do your bit by
keep using things you already have. This cafe repairs anything from electrical goods to textiles.

It is time the UK follows the lead set by France, where the public can claim back anything between
€6 and €25 of the cost of mending clothes and shoes at registered businesses from the government.
They have also introduced a similar scheme for repairing electronic gadgets and appliances. Such
schemes will significantly help to reduce waste and boost the circular economy.

Before you head to the shops to replace something which is damaged or no longer works, consider
paying a visit to Cheltenham’s repair cafe – it might save you money and help the planet at the same
time.

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2024 Can Be The Year For Change

Cheltenham Green Party — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 16:19:50 +0000

It is easy to let the January blues get the better of us. Cheltenham Town and Gloucester Rugby are
languishing at the wrong end of their respective tables, the days are short, we may have already
abandoned dry January and the credit card bills from December’s overindulgence will shortly be with
us.
In this first edition of the New Year, I want to provide some positivity and call on Cheltonians to seize
the upcoming political opportunities

Our Town
Despite its challenges, Cheltenham remains one of the best places to live in the country. We have
the Cotswold hills on our doorstep, some of the finest parks, many great schools and colleges and
outstanding facilities be it restaurants, shops or leisure activities.

Our Country
While there is much wrong with UK, we must be thankful to live in a country which is not suffering
from political repression, famine, severe flooding, earthquakes or war. In 2023 wars around the
world resulted in a 28-year high for deaths from conflict. We hear a lot about Ukraine and Gaza in
the news, but conflicts continue in Syria, Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Myanmar, Nagorno-Karabakh, the
DRC, Kosovo and Haiti….to name just a few. We cannot imagine what these peoples are going
through. Are we surprised so many people are having to flee their own country and taking so many
risks to their own lives to do so?

Our Political System
It has come under attack from a wave of populism which began with Brexit in 2016 but appears to
be on the decline following the demise of Boris Johnson et al. Thankfully we can still vote out the
politicians we do not agree with and in 2024 that matters! We have elections in Cheltenham in May
for the borough council and at some point, for the Parliamentary seat in Westminster. This is the
year you need to ensure you are registered to vote. It can make a positive difference.

This is the year your vote can end the two-party state Cheltenham has suffered for far too long. This
is the year your vote can improve representation on the borough council, bringing an end to the
dominance of the Lib Dems. This is the year your vote - for anyone but the Conservatives - will bring
about a change in government

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We Need More Transparency from Lib Dems

Cheltenham Green Party — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 16:28:30 +0000

We need more transparency from Lib Dem run Cheltenham Borough Council
Those are not my words but those of the Lib Dem leader of Gloucester City Council! It would appear
Cheltenham Borough Council, which co-owns Gloucestershire Airport, has been in talks to sell off the
airport without consulting many of their colleagues who represent the other shareholder
…..Gloucester City Council.

Are we surprised? Sadly not. This is yet another action being carried out by the borough council
without consultation. We saw much the same with their decision to disband Cheltenham Borough
Homes. The logic for bringing CBH in house remains as clear as the River Chelt after Severn Trent has
discharged more sewerage into it.

We need more transparency from our elected officials. Engagement in local democracy is already
low in Cheltenham and that is not a good thing.

COP28
As the COP28 climate talks continue, the Green Party has set out three key demands.
First, we need a clear unambiguous commitment from the UK government to the 1.5C Paris
Agreement target which was signed by 196 countries eight years ago at COP21. The government
must do whatever it takes to get this target back on track. An ambitious strategy is now necessary as
a result of dither and delay by countries like the UK in taking the bold action needed.

Second, the fair and managed phase-out of all fossil fuels. As one of the rich countries most
responsible for the climate crisis, the UK must stand on the side of future generations and those on
the front line of climate breakdown. The government must resist pressure from the petrostates and
others at COP who wish to continue with business as usual and keep the world hooked on fossil
fuels. At home this means leading by example with an immediate end to all new oil and gas licences
and a rapid acceleration towards renewable energy.

Thirdly, these climate talks must recognise that it is a super-rich elite who are super-heating the
planet. The government must be willing to challenge the grotesque inequality driving climate
breakdown and reform our tax system to make the polluter pay. This means taxing the wealth of the
super-rich and introducing a carbon tax on the most polluting corporations and individuals.
Introduced globally these could generate a generous new Loss and Damage Fund to finance climate
action in the poorest countries – those suffering the most from the impacts of climate breakdown
but contributing the least to the crisis.

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Cheltenham Can Have a Green-led Council and a Green MP

Cheltenham Green Party — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 16:35:00 +0000

Those are not my words but those of Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, who was in Cheltenham last week. Caroline made the point that some 20 years ago, Brighton was a two-party battleground between the Conservatives and Labour.

It has since elected an MP in four consecutive general elections and twice made the Greens the
largest party on the council. The town is a healthy three-way fight, which is something Cheltenham should and could aspire to have.

Cheltenham doesn’t have to continue in a two-party system it is time for change.

Green PPC Daniel Wilson on stage with Caroline Lucas MP at an event in Cheltenham

Inadequate Investment in Flood Defences
With expected shifts in the British climate to more intense rainfall and greater frequency of flash
floods, government investment plans for flood defences contain no guarantee that the country will
be more resilient to flooding.

The warning comes as a report from the National Audit Office highlights that the Environment
Agency (EA) has reduced the predicted number of properties it will be able protect by 2027 from
336,000 to 200,000.

Due to cuts from central government, the Environment Agency has had to remove 500 of the 2,000
new flood defence projects that were originally included.

As the thousands who have been flooded will testify, prevention is better than cure. The
Government should allow those in vulnerable areas to apply for small grants to protect their
businesses and households before a flood hits, rather than afterwards.

There also needs to be a greater emphasis on creating natural flood defences through practices such
as planting trees and hedges that absorb water and restoring bends in rivers. And rather than
bulldozing planning laws, as Labour proposes, we need to reassess regulations which
unbelievably still allow for building on flood plains.

A statement of failure
Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement was notably missing any significant green policy or investment –
with the Chancellor even bragging about new oil and gas licences granted by the Conservatives.
Last week’s statement contained only short-term fixes. The £960m investment by 2030 for a new
“green industries growth accelerator” programme is not, as BusinessGreen’s James Murray puts it,
“going to move the dial”.

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer rightly dismissed the statement as “another failed opportunity
to end the cost-of-living crisis, tackle the climate crisis and restore crumbling public services on
which we all rely.”

Only the Green Party has the political will to deliver a fairer and greener Britain

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Homelessness is Not a Lifestyle Choice

Cheltenham Green Party — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 16:42:16 +0000

If you talk to the rough sleepers on Cheltenham high street, you will soon realise that homelessness
is not a ‘lifestyle choice’. The latest attack by the Home Secretary Suella Braverman comes on the
back of a litany of extreme statements by a minister who should not be allowed to hold office.
I call on Alex Chalk to stand up against such nonsense coming from his front bench.

Let’s ensure the crisis in Gaza doesn’t fuel hate elsewhere.
I unequivocally condemn the atrocities of the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas. That attack
has not only left thousands of innocent people dead or injured, but it has also led to a rise in hate
and polarised opinion in the region and around the world. I caution anyone against trying to turn the
escalating crisis in Gaza into either a pro-Palestine or pro-Israel issue. It is more complex than that.
We can be anti-terrorist but pro-Palestinian state. We can support the rights of the people of Israel to
live in peace without fear of attack but condemn the behavior of the Israeli government when it breaches
international law. We need to separate the Israeli state from its people as much we separate Hamas from
Palestinians. Few Muslims support the actions of Hamas, and few Jews support the mounting civilian death
toll in Gaza therefore we must also try and keep religion out of the debate.

A state should have the right to defend itself, but not an unconditional right. Cutting off food, water
and fuel to hundreds of thousands of civilians is a war crime and may serve to help grow support for
Hamas within Palestine, making things even worse.

The political rhetoric coming from the UK government and some parts of the media is often not
helpful. Claiming all those taking part in peace marches are promoting hate is nonsense. The vast
majority of people joining the protests are as worried for the Israelis held hostage as they are for the
civilians of Gaza.

The European Commission recently warned anti-Semitism across Europe is at levels not seen since
the rise of the Nazis in the 1930s. Some Jewish communities in the UK are scared to leave their
homes. Now is the time more than ever we need to come together to stand united against terrorism;
united against any state which breaches international law and united against hate in all forms be it
anti-Semitic or anti-Islamic. No ifs, no buts.

The Green Party has called for an immediate end to the violence in Israel and Palestine.

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Greens finish strong second in Prestbury, look to 2024

Cheltenham Green Party — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 11:48:17 +0000

Our amazing candidate Jan Foster came a strong second in Prestbury, defeating both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives. PAB retained the seat with a much depleted majority.

It is clear that the Green message resonated with voters in Prestbury. People want change, and Jan will be working hard to earn the trust of local people over the next 6 months before the May 2024 local elections.

Given how ineffective PAB have been recently in standing up for Prestbury, we will be keeping a close eye on events and helping where we can. Jan can be reached at jan.foster@cheltenham.greenparty.org.uk

What does this result mean for Cheltenham?

Greens prove again they can defeat the Lib Dems

This marks the second time that Greens have defeated both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives in an election here in Cheltenham.

This matters. The Liberal Democrats and their divisive election messaging here divides people into "us and them". When people vote positively for change and vote Green, our hard working candidates can and do defeat the mainstream parties. This result in Prestbury shows 2024 is a chance to bring real change to Cheltenham.

The Conservative vote is collapsing

The Conservative vote in Prestbury fell from 2nd place in 2021 to last place in 2023, falling by over 60% in 2 years. That is an enormous drop, and we believe that this pattern will be repeated right across Cheltenham next year. Voters real choice at the next election will be between the Green Party and more of the same from the Liberal Democrats.

2024 will be a huge political year in Cheltenham

With the collapse in the Conservative vote, there is a huge opportunity for a Green breakthrough here in Cheltenham next year. 2024 will be a rare 40 seat council election, so in one election we have the chance to make a huge impact on the council and elect multiple Green councillors. The recent elections in Prestbury and St Paul's clearly shown that the Lib Dems tired old mantra of "vote for us or let the Tories in" is a hollow election slogan. We will be calling on people in Cheltenham to vote for positive change with the Green Party.

Gloucestershire is experiencing a green surge, with over 37 Green councillors now working hard for local residents across the county. Next year is Cheltenham's turn.

Excited about 2024?

Want to help make a Green win a reality? We need volunteers like you to help in our big 2024 election campaign.

Click the button to help, or contact coordinator@cheltenham.greenparty.org.uk

I want to help the Greens here!

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Get your tickets for a special Green Forum with Jonathon Porritt now!

Cheltenham Green Party — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 11:05:45 +0000

Join us for a special event hosted by environmentalist and former Green Party Chair Jonathon Porritt in the beautiful surroundings of the St Philips and St James Church, Leckhampton. Buy tickets here!

As well as reflections from Jonathon on 50 years of the Green Party and the state of play in 2023, we will be discussing how green shoots are growing in Cheltenham and what it takes for Cheltenham to turn Green as we look ahead to the 2024 local elections. And if you want to be a part of our big plans for 2024, this is the perfect opportunity to find out more.

Tickets are £5 each, with all monies going to support Green Party campaigns here in Cheltenham.

Though this is a Green Party event you do not have to be a member to attend, family and friends all welcome! Get your tickets here whilst you can!

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Prestbury by-election announced

Cheltenham Green Party — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 12:27:58 +0000

Cheltenham Green Party has just announced that Jan Foster has been selected for the Prestbury by-election.

The election was called after the previous PAB councillor for the ward John Payne resigned, leading to a sudden election.

Jan said "Prestbury needs an independent and hard working councillor. I would like to pay tribute to John Payne’s many years of service as a local councillor. Green Party councillors are not told how to vote on local issues by their party. This means that, if elected, I would be truly able to represent Prestbury’s interests first and foremost.

"I will work with Cheltenham’s two Green councillors, and indeed all council members whatever their party political persuasion, to solve local problems. The Green Party fights on its own merits. I ask you to elect me because I am a reliable and resourceful candidate, who will work hard to make Prestbury even better. I won’t take you or your vote for granted."

Jan’s selection comes off the back of the Greens making a huge breakthrough by winning their first ever councillor in Cheltenham in last year's local elections taking a seat off the Liberal Democrats, followed by the defection of Liberal Democrat Wendy Flynn (Hesters Way) to the Greens. Gloucestershire is experiencing a green surge, with over 37 Green councillors now working hard for local residents across the county.

If you want to contact Jan you can email her at jan.foster@cheltenham.greenparty.org.uk

Join our campaign in Prestbury here

Live in Prestbury? For a Vote Green poster click here!

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