Sadly, antisemitism in the form of hostility and discrimination against Jews is still a problem today. Each year Holocaust Memorial Day reminds us where discrimination against any group within society leads.
I'd recommend that readers take the time to read Andy Newman's (Socialist Unity Network) piece in the Guardian from last year. I'd highlight this passage:
"Sometimes well-meaning people fail to recognise antisemitism when they encounter it, because they are not attuned to the linguistic codes in which it is expressed, or are unaware of the cultural themes of anti-Judaic prejudice being drawn upon."
What this means is that sometimes antisemitism arises in recklessness or a lack of awareness about how comments can be damaging to Jewish people. As individuals, we are likely to react defensively if we are challenged, understandably so, as all moral people would seek not to offend intentionally. But as Newman makes clear, defending or dismissing a challenge to language used in itself becomes antisemitism.
Last year I taught a Jewish student on a UPS International Perspectives module. He genuinely didn't have the much understanding about the history of Israel/Palestine. To expect otherwise would be antisemitic stereotyping of him as an individual, based on a projection that every Jewish person is concerned with this international issue. Nor could I have expections about him to be more or less critical of Israel than any other student, for the same reason.
On the left, direct antisemitism will stand out when it comes up. However, there is less certainty in respect of platform sharing. I've been clear that I would not share a platform with the BNP. I don't want to share a platform with someone who is racist. However, in the polarised politics of the Middle East, there are occasions that when we are rightly showing solidarity with people in Palestine, we end up at protests where there are chants of "we are all Hezbollah" or with speakers who have expressed clearly antisemitic views. This is a problem, and to quote Andy Newman again, "The Palestinian cause is hindered, not helped, when the left fails to notice or confront anti-semitism."
It is vital that we continue to be critical of the actions of the government of Israel. To choose to boycott Israeli goods or protest against the oppression of Palestinian people is a justified moral position. But as I've argued elsewhere, what is crucial for an individual or a political party, is consistency. To only focus on or predominantly focus on the Israel/Palestine issue alone, without a consistent approach to all of the oppression experienced around the world, will be seen as antisemitism.
As an anti-racist, I'm clear that these issues need to be discussed and debated and this must be an ongoing. The fact that we commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day means we can refocus on oppression within our own society, particularly in respect of the travelling community, Islamophobia and the need to be vigilant about anti-semitism.
27 January 2012
22 January 2012
Gayle O'Donovan
Today I physically shook as I read an email that informed me that a good colleague had died. It was especially hard to hear about the loss of such a young, talented woman, who has put such a lot into not only our political party, but social and environmental causes in general. My thoughts are with her family and her friends.
I got to know Gayle pretty well during our 2008 Hulme campaign. We were working really hard to try and hold onto our only council seat in Manchester and she was there at most door knocking and leafleting sessions. She had a positive bubbly attitude and was possessed of a mild Irish lilt that made her instantly memorable. Gayle and many others put in a tremendous effort and despite losing by (just) 50 votes, there was a feeling that Manchester Greens had put together the best campaign in a very long while.
Gayle was one of those people that put others first. I remember having to arm twist her just for her to consider standing as a target candidate at some future point. She was a political natural. She put in a lot of work helping our Euro campaign in 2009, when I was standing as lead candidate, sadly another near miss. In 2010 Gayle was selected to stand as the lead candidate in Hulme and for the General Election in Manchester Central. She ran a brilliant campaign and we gained more votes than ever before or since, but as in many other places, our local election efforts were swamped in a General Election tide.
Gayle not becoming a councillor meant that the party got the benefit of her enthusiasm, ideas and dynamism on the national executive from 2010 onwards. While I didn't have as much contact in the last couple of years with Gayle, particularly after she moved to Norwich, we still swapped the occasional text and she was instrumental in helping us to troubleshoot a potential problem here in the NW, even after she had moved region.
I am filled with sadness that we have lost such a good person politically but more than that, I am sorry that I'll never share another pint with Gayle at Conference or on a party social. She was great company, blessed with wit and an ability to speak her mind. Rest in peace Gayle.
I got to know Gayle pretty well during our 2008 Hulme campaign. We were working really hard to try and hold onto our only council seat in Manchester and she was there at most door knocking and leafleting sessions. She had a positive bubbly attitude and was possessed of a mild Irish lilt that made her instantly memorable. Gayle and many others put in a tremendous effort and despite losing by (just) 50 votes, there was a feeling that Manchester Greens had put together the best campaign in a very long while.
Gayle was one of those people that put others first. I remember having to arm twist her just for her to consider standing as a target candidate at some future point. She was a political natural. She put in a lot of work helping our Euro campaign in 2009, when I was standing as lead candidate, sadly another near miss. In 2010 Gayle was selected to stand as the lead candidate in Hulme and for the General Election in Manchester Central. She ran a brilliant campaign and we gained more votes than ever before or since, but as in many other places, our local election efforts were swamped in a General Election tide.
Gayle not becoming a councillor meant that the party got the benefit of her enthusiasm, ideas and dynamism on the national executive from 2010 onwards. While I didn't have as much contact in the last couple of years with Gayle, particularly after she moved to Norwich, we still swapped the occasional text and she was instrumental in helping us to troubleshoot a potential problem here in the NW, even after she had moved region.
I am filled with sadness that we have lost such a good person politically but more than that, I am sorry that I'll never share another pint with Gayle at Conference or on a party social. She was great company, blessed with wit and an ability to speak her mind. Rest in peace Gayle.
18 January 2012
Liverpool Greens Vote Against Cuts
This is an updated post from earlier, hence the title change. The full text of today's amendment being put forward by Liverpool's Green councillors is at the bottom of this post. In summary we identified 7 cuts that could be avoided if Liverpool, a Labour council, would raise council tax by 3.5%
I've just tweeted that our two councillors voted against the cuts following a text message from Cllr John Coyne. I'm therefore certain that our amendment was not passed.
There will be a final point at which Labour in Liverpool might possibly reverse its current trajectory of accepting the government's 2.5% "bribe" to freeze council tax this year. Let's be clear what that means. In the following year there will be 2.5% less revenue than there would have been otherwise. That means there will be £4 million less for Liverpool City Council to spend on its services that year (and every following year).
What we are proposing is a 3.5% council tax rise (inflation at year end of 2011 was 4.2% so this is below the inflation rate we've had this year) which would have raised an additional £1.6 million this year and therefore mean a further £5.6 million would have been available to spend next year.
It seems that the local Labour leadership is on the wrong trajectory. I sincerely hope that the many good Labour councillors there are in Liverpool can put forward and win the argument, within their own party, about why they should raise council tax. There is just one chance left for what is the right decision for Liverpool. Sadly, it is too late for the services below, which will now experience cuts as listed.
I don't yet know if any Labour councillors abstained (I hope so). If you didn't, we'll hold you to account in the coming years. The Lib Dems, apart from their gimmick over the contingency fund, have no real alternative to offer in Liverpool. We'll have to be the voice of real opposition from now on.
The Green amendment that was not accepted:
"Delete action EW3, thus retaining Bulky Bobs as a free service - cost £260,000.
Delete action C5, thus retaining £900,000 local authority contribution to child and adolescent mental health - cost £200,000
Mitigate action C7 and retain some grant provision for school uniforms in cases of severe hardship, for example where the child of a low income family needs to buy a second uniform after a change of school, following exclusion or otherwise, or in cases where a low income family needs to buy a uniform for more than one child in an academic year - cost £200,000.
Delete action C9, thus retaining £176,000 for teenage pregnancy advice service - cost £76,000.
Delete action C10, thus retaining £258,000 local authority funding for support to parents with disabled children - cost £108,000.
Delete action C24, thus retaining support for ethic minority, traveller and asylum seekers' children - cost £95,000.
Delete action ASC8, thus retaining local authority support of £1,900,000 for older people in sheltered housing - cost £300,000.
The total costs of those amendments would be £1,239,000.
Increase council tax in 2012/13 by 3.5% thus foregoing the government "incentive" of 2.5%.
The balance of £361,000 should be placed in reserves.
Having decided to increase Council Tax by 3.5%, the net effect of that decision after the additional costs of the above changes, should be the availability of £4,361,000 to pay into reserves in 2013/14 and again in 2014/15. Council should consider using reserves to mitigate cuts to services, after consultation, or to reintroduce services."
I've just tweeted that our two councillors voted against the cuts following a text message from Cllr John Coyne. I'm therefore certain that our amendment was not passed.
There will be a final point at which Labour in Liverpool might possibly reverse its current trajectory of accepting the government's 2.5% "bribe" to freeze council tax this year. Let's be clear what that means. In the following year there will be 2.5% less revenue than there would have been otherwise. That means there will be £4 million less for Liverpool City Council to spend on its services that year (and every following year).
What we are proposing is a 3.5% council tax rise (inflation at year end of 2011 was 4.2% so this is below the inflation rate we've had this year) which would have raised an additional £1.6 million this year and therefore mean a further £5.6 million would have been available to spend next year.
It seems that the local Labour leadership is on the wrong trajectory. I sincerely hope that the many good Labour councillors there are in Liverpool can put forward and win the argument, within their own party, about why they should raise council tax. There is just one chance left for what is the right decision for Liverpool. Sadly, it is too late for the services below, which will now experience cuts as listed.
I don't yet know if any Labour councillors abstained (I hope so). If you didn't, we'll hold you to account in the coming years. The Lib Dems, apart from their gimmick over the contingency fund, have no real alternative to offer in Liverpool. We'll have to be the voice of real opposition from now on.
The Green amendment that was not accepted:
"Delete action EW3, thus retaining Bulky Bobs as a free service - cost £260,000.
Delete action C5, thus retaining £900,000 local authority contribution to child and adolescent mental health - cost £200,000
Mitigate action C7 and retain some grant provision for school uniforms in cases of severe hardship, for example where the child of a low income family needs to buy a second uniform after a change of school, following exclusion or otherwise, or in cases where a low income family needs to buy a uniform for more than one child in an academic year - cost £200,000.
Delete action C9, thus retaining £176,000 for teenage pregnancy advice service - cost £76,000.
Delete action C10, thus retaining £258,000 local authority funding for support to parents with disabled children - cost £108,000.
Delete action C24, thus retaining support for ethic minority, traveller and asylum seekers' children - cost £95,000.
Delete action ASC8, thus retaining local authority support of £1,900,000 for older people in sheltered housing - cost £300,000.
The total costs of those amendments would be £1,239,000.
Increase council tax in 2012/13 by 3.5% thus foregoing the government "incentive" of 2.5%.
The balance of £361,000 should be placed in reserves.
Having decided to increase Council Tax by 3.5%, the net effect of that decision after the additional costs of the above changes, should be the availability of £4,361,000 to pay into reserves in 2013/14 and again in 2014/15. Council should consider using reserves to mitigate cuts to services, after consultation, or to reintroduce services."
16 January 2012
Leaving Labour
So the disappointment has begun. Ed Balls and Ed Miliband, both in this together. We've been here before, or more specifically I have.
I was a member of the Greens from 1989 to 1991, but didn't renew my membership. Back then there was a lack of organisation or actual politics in what appeared to be a friendly, but slightly disorganised social club. It was my natural political home in terms of the global issues that faced us, but in the 1992 election, I reverted to the party I had been brought up to support, Labour.
In Scotland, supporting Celtic and Labour was seen as a constant. They were your team. Celtic represented your heritage, Irish Catholic. Labour represented you, as a member of the working class. Ignoring the fact that my mother was in fact, English and Protestant, I was pretty much expected to follow this tradition, and my membership of the Greens was a "youthful error".
Like most people, I went to bed on the 9th April 1992 expecting to wake up with a Labour government, the party I'd voted for. Like many others, I was stunned by the result. When John Smith became leader, I joined Labour. While my uncle disagreed profoundly with John Smith's politics, he essentially said he was a decent man. After the death of someone I believe would have made a good Labour leader, I didn't vote for Blair, but I stayed in the party.
As a young activist, working in a marginal constituency in London in the run up to the 1997 election, I met Blair and Brown. I listened as they explained how it would be different this time. While they pledged that they would match Tory spending plans in opposition, I convinced myself that when Labour did win the 1997 election they would look at the needs of everyday folk around the country and realise that we needed to transform our society. Once elected, with an overwhelming mandate, the timidity and the fear of change quickly left me disillusioned. I didn't renew my membership and I'm glad that I was not still in the Labour Party when a Labour leader decided to side with the most right wing American president in history to invade Iraq.
2010 was the closest election since 1992 and for me there are similarities. Many people who had left Labour in the previous 13 years, for a variety of reasons, were angry and frustrated by the return of a Conservative to 10 Downing Street. Some rejoined Labour, quickly forgeting the mistakes and the anguish of seeing what was once the party for working people. Just like in 1997, those good people are trying hard to ignore that the Labour Party increasingly takes for granted the very many good Labour activists, supporters and voters who still try to hold true to Labour's roots.
I rejoined the Greens in 1999 after returning from a year of travelling and seeing Greens elected in Scotland and to the European Parliament. It is the best decision I ever made. I became an activist after George Bush became US President. Since then I've put whatever I could into the party, in terms of my personal efforts in Liverpool, the North West and our national party, and I am proud of the progress we've made across the country.
While I recognise my party is far from perfect (nor am I), there is not a week that passes by that I don't look at the work done by our local Green councillors in Liverpool, the North West Green Party, our leader and first MP Caroline Lucas and by the very many Greens doing great things around the country.
The Greens are a party that is making progress. We stand for something different. We are the last party standing against the cuts and the last party that advocates radical redistribution of wealth in a country that grew increasingly unequal during 13 years of Labour government.
A few ex-Labour people are joining us. For now it is just a trickle, but there will be many more to come in the next decade. Leaving Labour is not an easy thing to do for people. There are feelings that you betraying your side or your corner, but for many people in Labour, it the party leadership that has left them as a residue from a previous era, taken for granted but no longer respected.
Leaving Labour is also hard because people who you have worked alongside and socialised with stop being your friends. If your whole life and your whole social network is tied to a political party, that makes it very hard. But it can be done and in fact, life after Labour can be even better. The Greens are the redistributionist social democratic party Labour used to be. We still have a way to go in finance and campaigning capability, but each additional activist makes our work easier.
Thinking of Leaving Labour? Then think about Going Green.
I was a member of the Greens from 1989 to 1991, but didn't renew my membership. Back then there was a lack of organisation or actual politics in what appeared to be a friendly, but slightly disorganised social club. It was my natural political home in terms of the global issues that faced us, but in the 1992 election, I reverted to the party I had been brought up to support, Labour.
In Scotland, supporting Celtic and Labour was seen as a constant. They were your team. Celtic represented your heritage, Irish Catholic. Labour represented you, as a member of the working class. Ignoring the fact that my mother was in fact, English and Protestant, I was pretty much expected to follow this tradition, and my membership of the Greens was a "youthful error".
Like most people, I went to bed on the 9th April 1992 expecting to wake up with a Labour government, the party I'd voted for. Like many others, I was stunned by the result. When John Smith became leader, I joined Labour. While my uncle disagreed profoundly with John Smith's politics, he essentially said he was a decent man. After the death of someone I believe would have made a good Labour leader, I didn't vote for Blair, but I stayed in the party.
As a young activist, working in a marginal constituency in London in the run up to the 1997 election, I met Blair and Brown. I listened as they explained how it would be different this time. While they pledged that they would match Tory spending plans in opposition, I convinced myself that when Labour did win the 1997 election they would look at the needs of everyday folk around the country and realise that we needed to transform our society. Once elected, with an overwhelming mandate, the timidity and the fear of change quickly left me disillusioned. I didn't renew my membership and I'm glad that I was not still in the Labour Party when a Labour leader decided to side with the most right wing American president in history to invade Iraq.
2010 was the closest election since 1992 and for me there are similarities. Many people who had left Labour in the previous 13 years, for a variety of reasons, were angry and frustrated by the return of a Conservative to 10 Downing Street. Some rejoined Labour, quickly forgeting the mistakes and the anguish of seeing what was once the party for working people. Just like in 1997, those good people are trying hard to ignore that the Labour Party increasingly takes for granted the very many good Labour activists, supporters and voters who still try to hold true to Labour's roots.
I rejoined the Greens in 1999 after returning from a year of travelling and seeing Greens elected in Scotland and to the European Parliament. It is the best decision I ever made. I became an activist after George Bush became US President. Since then I've put whatever I could into the party, in terms of my personal efforts in Liverpool, the North West and our national party, and I am proud of the progress we've made across the country.
While I recognise my party is far from perfect (nor am I), there is not a week that passes by that I don't look at the work done by our local Green councillors in Liverpool, the North West Green Party, our leader and first MP Caroline Lucas and by the very many Greens doing great things around the country.
The Greens are a party that is making progress. We stand for something different. We are the last party standing against the cuts and the last party that advocates radical redistribution of wealth in a country that grew increasingly unequal during 13 years of Labour government.
A few ex-Labour people are joining us. For now it is just a trickle, but there will be many more to come in the next decade. Leaving Labour is not an easy thing to do for people. There are feelings that you betraying your side or your corner, but for many people in Labour, it the party leadership that has left them as a residue from a previous era, taken for granted but no longer respected.
Leaving Labour is also hard because people who you have worked alongside and socialised with stop being your friends. If your whole life and your whole social network is tied to a political party, that makes it very hard. But it can be done and in fact, life after Labour can be even better. The Greens are the redistributionist social democratic party Labour used to be. We still have a way to go in finance and campaigning capability, but each additional activist makes our work easier.
Thinking of Leaving Labour? Then think about Going Green.
11 January 2012
Local Issues
Two very quick points to this post. Brilliantly, our local Sure Start Centre is set to remain open for another year, despite the big budget cuts. This is likely to be with a reduced service, but for any new parent, a local centre like this is invaluable.
Next up. If you live in Liverpool, and you haven't already done it. Switch to receiving your bill by email to save money (and local services) by visiting http://http://liverpool.gov.uk/council-tax/paperless-billing/
That's it for now!
Next up. If you live in Liverpool, and you haven't already done it. Switch to receiving your bill by email to save money (and local services) by visiting http://http://liverpool.gov.uk/council-tax/paperless-billing/
That's it for now!
9 January 2012
Salmond Fishing
So David Cameron has seen fit to try and influence the Scottish vote on independence. Probably not his smartest move, but it is still by no means certain how Scotland will vote, whenever a referendum is held.
My own feeling (as an Anglo-Scot now settled in Liverpool) is that it nudges Scotland a little closer to independence, but that the SNP and Alex Salmond in particular, won't take kindly to Tory and Lib Dem attempts to overrule them from Westminster. So as Cameron tries to catch Salmond, he might find that his rod will be used to beat him.
I've speculated before about what would happen in the event that the UK was to hold a straight yes/no referendum on membership of the EU. In the current climate, England would certainly vote to leave, but I doubt Scotland would. So if the First Minister wants to wreak havok south of the border, he could do worse that ignore Cameron's deadline but in the run up to the Euro Election in 2014 announce that not only will the SNP hold a referendum on independence, but that he will include a question or questions about whether an independent Scotland should remain in the EU.
Cameron might look Prime Ministerial at the moment, but as many Scottish politicians have discovered, catching Alex Salmond out isn't easy. I look forward to seeing what he and the SNP will do in response.
My own feeling (as an Anglo-Scot now settled in Liverpool) is that it nudges Scotland a little closer to independence, but that the SNP and Alex Salmond in particular, won't take kindly to Tory and Lib Dem attempts to overrule them from Westminster. So as Cameron tries to catch Salmond, he might find that his rod will be used to beat him.
I've speculated before about what would happen in the event that the UK was to hold a straight yes/no referendum on membership of the EU. In the current climate, England would certainly vote to leave, but I doubt Scotland would. So if the First Minister wants to wreak havok south of the border, he could do worse that ignore Cameron's deadline but in the run up to the Euro Election in 2014 announce that not only will the SNP hold a referendum on independence, but that he will include a question or questions about whether an independent Scotland should remain in the EU.
Cameron might look Prime Ministerial at the moment, but as many Scottish politicians have discovered, catching Alex Salmond out isn't easy. I look forward to seeing what he and the SNP will do in response.
4 January 2012
Ballot Paper
We've received our ballot papers for the selection of the lead candidate in the North West for the next Euro Elections and for our regional GPRC reps.
Can I urge all North West members to take the time to read all the statements and vote. There are five very good candidates (yours truly included). A high turnout will show whoever wins the ballot that the regional party is really going to get behind us in what will be a crucial election, not just for our party in the North West, but for the Green Party nationally.
Can I urge all North West members to take the time to read all the statements and vote. There are five very good candidates (yours truly included). A high turnout will show whoever wins the ballot that the regional party is really going to get behind us in what will be a crucial election, not just for our party in the North West, but for the Green Party nationally.
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