Luciana Berger's Response on Strikes

I'll be trying again if we are out on strike on 30th November, but here is Luciana Berger's reply in full about the strikes.

"Thank you for taking the time to email me about this important issue.



I did speak in the House on 30th June, in order to defend the jobs of my constituents who work in the Identity and Passport Service. I felt this was a very important issue for my constituents, and I felt I needed to represent their views in Parliament. This is a matter I am continuing to work on.



I know how strongly many teachers and other public sector workers feel about the Government’s proposed pension reforms. The average public sector pension is currently only £7,800 per year and almost half of public sector pensions receive less than £5,600 per year so I appreciate how important these changes are for teachers and workers across the public sector.



Strike action, of course, should always be a last resort and it is absolutely vital that the Government work closely and openly with trade unions and teachers in order to find a solution that rewards the hard work, skill and dedication of teachers while remaining affordable for the taxpayer. I believe it is unhelpful and unacceptable for the Government to announce the likely result of pension reforms, while negotiations remain ongoing.



I voted against the Government’s plans to increase the State Pension Age to 66 by 2020 – which will lead to significant losses for many people, including predominately women in the 50s – and I also agree that it is unfair for the Government to permanently switch the up-rating of pensions and benefits from the Retail Price Index (RPI) to the, normally lower, Consumer Price Index. I raised the issue in Parliament last year, asking the Chancellor, George Osborne, about how the government will protect people from the loss in value. You can read the question here.



I know that teachers and public sector workers do not want to take industrial action and I know that parents and the public do not want to see their services disrupted. While I cannot support strike action while negotiations are ongoing, I believe these strikes could have been avoided if the Government had been prepared to engage constructively with the concerns of those affected.



Thank you once again for writing to me on this important issue. If you feel there is anything I can do to assist you in future, please do not hesitate to contact me"

Nothing about the reasons for supporting the NUJ strike, and absolutely on message, parroting Ed Miliband's comments at the time of the strike. A polite reply though, and I'll be corresponding with my MP more in the coming months I'm sure.

Leaving the Liberal Democrats?

As Green Party Conference starts, I’m of course disappointed not to be attending, but enjoying the outside perspective, as the BBC and Guardian cover our pitch to disaffected Lib Dem voters and activists.

One point raised by the media is that our opinion poll ratings have ranged from 2 to 6%, while the Lib Dems are tracking around 9 to 15%. That point ignores the fact that when the question is asked about who you would like to vote for, Green isn’t ever given as an option. The pollsters ask if you would like to vote red, blue or yellow (or for some “other” party). It’s an important point, because you have to compare like with like.

So disaffected Liberal Democrats, what does the future hold for you? Do you stay or do you join us on principle (or Labour for convenience)? This earlier post outlines the successes we’ve had when former Lib Dem councillors have joined us. Here in Liverpool, John Coyne, a Lib Dem until 2006, was re-elected as a Green again this year with over 50% of the vote, in an election where all but 2 Lib Dem councillors lost their seats.

Choking Canary

Take a look at the current extent of Arctic Ice Melt. Maximum ice melt will see a near repeat of the record low extent of Arctic ice in 2007 - it could be just above or below the record set four years ago.

However, the bigger concern is that Arctic Ice Volume, at 3 million cubed kilometres of ice, is the lowest ever. In 1979 it was 17 million cubed kilometres at this time of year.