Green Party

Campaigns - What Adrian Stands For

Here is a summary of the issues Adrian campaigned on ahead of the General Election.

• A FAIR START FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
  • Protecting Sure Start nurseries
  • Improving our schools
  • Supporting students
• DECENT CARE AND PENSIONS FOR THE ELDERLY
  • Save our day care centres
  • Decent pensions
  • Ending fuel poverty
• MORE JOBS FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE
  • Local jobs
  • Training and apprenticeships
  • Green New Deal
• PUBLIC SERVICES, NOT PRIVATISATION
  • The NHS
  • Schools and nurseries
  • Post Offices and Royal Mail
• AN AFFORDABLE NORWICH
  • Public transport
  • Housing
  • Energy bills
• A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL
  • Climate change
  • The natural world
  • Tackling waste
• CARING FOR ANIMALS
  • Vote Cruelty Free
• INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE
  • Afghanistan and Iraq
  • Fair trade
• A STABLE ECONOMY
  • Tackling the banks
  • Economic security and public spending
• HONESTY AND OPENNESS IN POLITICS
  • The MPs’ expenses scandal
  • Reforming politics

A FAIR START FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Protecting Sure Start nurseries:

Sure Start nurseries give new parents the vital support they need with health and parenting advice. They also provide a local place for parents from all backgrounds to bring their toddlers to play, learn and socialise. When the Conservatives on Norfolk County Council tried to close down the Thorpe Hamlet Sure Start centre in Norwich, Adrian Ramsay worked with local parents to save the centre from closure.

Nationally, the Conservatives are threatening to scrap the Sure Start outreach programme, which helps the most vulnerable children and families by providing home visits from outreach workers. If elected to Parliament, Adrian will be able to campaign strongly for all Sure Start services to protected.

Improving our schools:

The Green Party believes that education should bring out the best in children. Schools should help children to thrive socially and emotionally, as well as academically. The current focus on exams, targets and league tables stifles the creative, nurturing environment that young children need to make the most of their education and to enjoy learning.

If elected to Parliament, Adrian would campaign for an end to formal SATS tests in primary schools. He would call for SATs to be replaced with a broad-based education that allows children to develop a wide range of academic and non-academic skills to give them the very best start in life. He would campaign for proper investment in state schools and smaller class sizes so that children from all backgrounds can achieve their full potential.

Supporting students:

Adrian Ramsay was at the forefront of the campaign against top-up fees when Charles Clarke first introduced them in 2004. Since the fees were introduced there has been a drop in the number of young people from poorer backgrounds applying for universities. Six years on, Charles Clarke has recently admitted that the fees system isn’t working, but refuses to accept that it is fundamentally flawed.

Young people are now facing fresh fears about their education after the Government announced a review to look at whether tuition fees should be raised above the current limit of £3,225 a year. If elected to Parliament, Adrian will campaign for an end to tuition fees so that young people can access higher education regardless of their background and without being plunged into debt. Students who earn more as a result of their degree will pay more back into the system through income tax – that is the fairest way of funding education.

DECENT CARE AND PENSIONS FOR THE ELDERLY

Save our day care centres:

Adrian Ramsay is playing a leading role in the campaign to save two Norwich day care centres from closure. The ruling Conservatives at Norfolk County Council are proposing to close the Essex Rooms and Silver Rooms in Norwich, which provide vital company and care for elderly people. Adrian has met with many of the local people who use the day care centres. They have told him that visiting the centres helps to prevent loneliness, ill-health and depression.

If elected to Parliament, Adrian would campaign to save and improve day services for the elderly in Norwich and across the country. He would work to ensure that older people have their say over the type of services they would like. Such services are vital for providing basic human needs such as friendship and company, preventing mental and physical illness, and giving time off for relatives and carers.

Decent pensions:

The Green Party believes that the current state pension of £95.25 is too low to meet basic needs. Many pensioners are struggling to make ends meet, and are having to choose between a decent meal or heating their home. The Green Party is calling for a state pension of £170, which is based on the real costs of living. There would be no means testing and the pension would be linked to the rise in average earnings.

If elected to Parliament, Adrian Ramsay would campaign for an increase in the state pension to a level that is calculated to meet actual living costs. He would call for an end to the complicated and costly process of means testing. Greens believe that older people deserve a decent standard of living without having to jump through the hoops of demeaning means tests.

Ending fuel poverty:

An estimated 4 million homes in England are affected by fuel poverty (where more than 10% of income is spent on fuel). Pensioners are particularly at risk from fuel poverty, accounting for more than half of people affected. According to Age Concern, the number of pensioners living in fuel poverty has more than doubled since 2004. Tens of thousands of pensioners die from cold-related causes every year.

If elected to Parliament, Adrian would press for the Government to introduce a free home insulation programme for all homes that need it, with priority for pensioners and those living in fuel poverty. This would be part-funded by a windfall tax on energy companies who have made huge profits through inflated fuel costs. Green policies to increase renewable energy would also tackle fuel poverty by reducing dependence on dwindling oil imports from overseas.

MORE JOBS FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE

Local jobs

Norfolk has the highest unemployment rate for 18-24 year olds in the whole country. It has the highest number of job losses per head of population compared to any other county. Green Party proposals would create tens of thousands of new jobs in Norfolk and would rejuvenate local manufacturing and independent businesses. These would be lasting jobs, not dependent on financial bubbles or cheap fossil fuels.

If elected as MP for Norwich South, Adrian will work to secure new jobs in Norwich and Norfolk. These jobs would be created in essential areas like home insulation schemes, renewable energy, public transport, the NHS, schools and public services. Many more jobs could be created by producing more goods locally and bringing back skilled jobs in local manufacturing, agriculture, and repair and re-use services.

Training and apprenticeships

Many skilled trades are being lost in the UK due to imports and competition from abroad. To rejuvenate our economy and create new jobs we need to revive industries and trades that are declining. We also need to lead the way with new industries and technologies that will help us to reduce energy use and shift from fossil fuels to clean energy. Skills training and apprenticeships are vital for helping people back into employment and ensuring that skilled trades are not lost from the UK.

If elected to Parliament, Adrian would work to create more apprenticeship schemes in Norwich and across the country so that people can learn skilled trades for secure employment. He would call for local and national re-skilling programmes to restore trades that are being lost due to globalisation and the throwaway society: skills like electric goods repairs, local food production, crafts and manufacturing.

Green New Deal

The Green New Deal is a package of measures that will revive and stabilise our economy, while creating jobs, reducing carbon emissions, and reducing our dependence on dwindling oil imports. As part of the Green New Deal, the Green Party would create a million new jobs across the country by investing in free home insulation schemes, renewable energy, improved public transport, repair and re-use schemes, and local food production.

If elected as MP for Norwich South, Adrian Ramsay will press for a Green New Deal to create a million jobs in areas that our country urgently needs. He will call for £45 billion to be invested in the Green New Deal – paid for by scrapping expensive and unnecessary schemes like ID cards and Trident nuclear submarines.

PUBLIC SERVICES, NOT PRIVATISATION

The NHS

The NHS is costing us more and more each year, yet many services are declining. The Government has been mortgaging our hospitals to private companies through costly PFI schemes (Private Finance Initiatives). In Norwich, the Government’s PFI scheme at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital (N&N) is costing taxpayers £19 million extra every year. That’s money that could have paid for more beds and life-saving equipment, but is instead lining the pockets of a private company.

If elected to Parliament, Adrian Ramsay will campaign for the Government to return NHS services and hospitals to public hands, not private companies. He would call for more investment in prevention as well as cure: preventing mental and physical illness saves lives and reduces NHS costs overall. Adrian would fight for health care to stay in the community, with local surgeries not distant polyclinics.

Schools and nurseries

One in five children leaves primary school without basic reading, writing or maths skills. Many of them never catch up and face a life of disadvantage. The UK has one of the highest school drop-out rates in the industrialised world. It doesn’t have to be that way – decent investment in state schools and nurseries, with smaller class sizes, would make a huge impact in improving our education system.

As Green MP for Norwich South, Adrian will campaign for smaller class sizes to ensure that all children can learn essential reading, writing and maths skills. He will call for an end to stressful formal tests for younger children and high paperwork burdens on teachers – allowing children to enjoy learning and explore a wide range of subjects. Adrian will oppose cuts to Sure Start centres and other essential services for new families.

Post Offices and Royal Mail

When the Government tried to close down many Post Offices across the country, Adrian campaigned to save Norwich Post Offices from closure. He campaigned successfully with local residents to save the Post Offices on Vauxhall Street and Norwich Road, New Costessey, but the branches on Rosary Road and in North Earlham were closed. When Peter Mandelson proposed to sell off one third of the Royal Mail to a private Dutch company, Adrian and the Green Party fought against the plans.

If elected as MP for Norwich South, Adrian will fight to keep the Royal Mail and other treasured public services in public hands. He will oppose plans to sell off the Royal Mail to private companies and will campaign for the protection and revitalisation of Post Offices, libraries, community centres and other vital community hubs.

AN AFFORDABLE NORWICH

Public transport

The price of public transport in Norwich is far too high. A small number of private companies have a monopoly on the bus services, allowing them to charge fares that are unreasonably high for the journey time. These companies are unaccountable to residents and passengers and can change or drop routes without consulting residents.

Adrian has been pressing for a Quality Bus Contract for Norfolk, which would give local councils influence over bus routes and fares. If elected as MP he will call for the Government to re-regulate buses and trains, so that the Government and local councils can influence prices and routes for the benefit of the public, not just private profit. This is the only way to make public transport affordable and reliable, so that many more people are able and willing to use it.

Housing

Hundreds of people in Norwich are waiting for years to get a decent home for their family. There is a huge shortage of council housing and affordable private housing, with many families burdened with unmanageable debt to meet their basic housing needs. As a local councillor, Adrian successfully campaigned to save council housing in Norwich from being sold off. He also successfully pushed for the proportion of affordable houses in developments of 25 units or more to be increased from 30% to 40%.

If elected as MP for Norwich South, Adrian will press for the many empty and derelict buildings across Norwich to be refurbished and brought back into use as council housing and affordable homes. He will campaign for council housing to be kept in public hands and properly maintained. He will also press for the protection of gardens and green spaces, with new housing developments on brownfield sites, not green spaces.

Energy bills

While household fuel bills have rocketed, the big energy companies have been making windfall profits from high fuel prices. Fuel bills are set to rise even further, unless we reduce our dependency on oil and gas from overseas. Global oil supplies are dwindling and the UK is far too dependent on oil from abroad. We need to take real steps towards self-sufficiency in energy, which will reduce fuel bills and make energy supplies more stable in the long-term.

As your MP, Adrian will campaign for free home insulation for every household that wants it. This will be paid for by a windfall tax on the big energy companies who have made obscene profits through over-charging customers. The insulation scheme will cut people’s fuel bills and cut carbon emissions. The Green Party’s energy policies will also create new jobs and apprenticeships in home insulation, energy efficiency and renewable energy.

A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL

Climate change

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges that we face today – nationally and globally. We need strong and swift action from the Government – not just empty words. The Green Party has a positive and realistic vision for how we can bring down emissions to within the safe limits recommended by climate scientists. Our vision would benefit society in other ways too – by creating new jobs in clean energy industries, reducing our reliance on oil imports, and bringing down fuel bills.

As your MP for Norwich South, Adrian would press the Government to take real and swift action on climate change. He would press for emissions targets to be in line with the scientific recommendation of 90% by 2030 (to prevent runaway climate change). He would fight for much greater investment in renewable energy, free home insulation schemes, public transport, and local production of food and manufactured goods.

The natural world

If we care for our environment today, we give our children the best legacy they could wish for – a healthy world. But it’s not just about our children’s future, it’s about the kind of world we live in today. Natural places are vital for wildlife and for our mental and physical well-being, yet millions of animal and plant species are facing extinction as their habitats are destroyed for short-term profit.

As your MP, Adrian will campaign for the ‘polluter pays’ principle to be applied internationally, so that the full costs of environmental destruction are paid for by polluters not local communities. He would call for much stronger laws to prevent the trade in endangered species, illegal timber and palm oil from destructive plantations. He would support calls for an outright ban on whaling and hunting of endangered species like bluefin tuna.

Tackling waste

The UK is facing a waste crisis. With landfill space running out, waste is set to double by 2020 at a cost of around £3.6 billion a year. As a Norwich Councillor, Adrian has campaigned hard to get recycling services improved in Norwich – and there are still more improvements needed. Recycling is just one aspect of tackling waste and it’s vitally important that politicians make greater strides in reducing waste at its source. Much more could be done to reduce excessive packaging and to shift to a ‘care and repair’ economy instead of the throwaway society.

If elected as MP for Norwich South, Adrian will campaign for tougher laws to prevent excess packaging on food and consumer goods. He will call for Government investment in local ‘care and repair’ centres so that people can have electronic and other goods repaired or recycled rather than thrown away. Green Party policies to move to a zero-waste society would create around 50,000 new jobs and protect people’s health by stopping incineration.

CARING FOR ANIMALS

Vote Cruelty Free

The Green Party is dedicated to animal welfare and protection. Adrian has a strong record of campaigning on animal welfare issues and has signed up to the Vote Cruelty Free campaign. Vote Cruelty Free is a coalition of organisations including the BUAV, IFAW, Compassion in World Farming, and Respect for Animals. They are calling for candidates to pledge to vote in ways that will protect animal welfare.

Adrian is a member of Animal Aid and has featured in Viva! magazine because of his ethical views and cruelty-free lifestyle. As a local councillor he got Norwich City Council to ban foie-gras from council services because of the cruelty involved and secured a commitment for live animals not to be given out as prizes at fairs. If elected as MP for Norwich South he will campaign for an end to animal cruelty, including bloodsports, vivisection and intensive factory farming.

INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE

Afghanistan and Iraq

The Green Party campaigned against the illegal war in Iraq from the outset, and we are calling for our troops to be brought home from Afghanistan. We believe that the lives of Afghan and Iraqi people can be improved by investing in much-needed political and social infrastructure, job creation, education and health. The continuing presence of UK troops is putting soldiers’ and civilians’ lives at risk, while increasing the risk of terrorism.

If elected as your MP, Adrian will call for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. He will press for politicians to be held accountable for their illegal decisions over the invasion of Iraq and for their deliberate attempts to mislead the public. Adrian will strongly oppose any future attempts to illegally attack another country, to put soldiers’ lives at unnecessary risk, or to mislead the public over reasons for going to war.

Fair trade

The Make Poverty History campaign brought international poverty and trade justice back up the political agenda. It made the other parties talk about the problem more - but it is only the Green Party that supports and promotes policies to make Fair Trade the norm rather than the exception. The livelihoods of farmers and producers in developing countries are being destroyed by unfair international trade rules that allow large global corporations to undermine local producers.

If elected as MP for Norwich South, Adrian Ramsay will campaign for international trade rules to be reformed to make ‘fair trade’ the norm, ensuring that all producers are given a fair deal for their products. He will also campaign for reform in global institutions like the World Trade Organisation to make them democratically accountable and responsible for fairness, social justice and environmental sustainability in world trade.

A STABLE ECONOMY

Tackling the banks

If we are to stabilise the economy, the Government must remove the incentives for bankers to take high risks. Taxpayers have bailed out the banks to the tune of £1 trillion – but the Government has so far failed to protect us from the risks of ‘casino banking’. The Green Party would break up the banks into smaller banks so they are no longer so big that the failure of one bank topples the whole economy.

As MP for Norwich South, Adrian will urge the Government to break up the part-nationalised banks into smaller banks that serve people’s real needs. He will demand an end to the culture of rewarding risk-takers with big bonuses and an end to taxpayer bail-outs for banks engaging in high-risk behaviour. He would call for ethical standards for the way that banks invest their money, including human rights and environmental standards.

Economic security and public spending

We need swift action to restore a stable economy without cutting essential public services. The Green Party believes that ordinary people should not have to pay the price of reckless risk-taking by the banks. We can get our economy back on track and protect our health services, schools and other services. The Green Party believes this is the wrong time to slash public spending – we need to make savings in ways that don’t harm people’s livelihoods and we need to generate more public money.

If elected to Parliament, Adrian will campaign for the Government to make savings by closing the tax havens and loopholes that drain around £20 billion from the UK economy every year. He will urge the Government to cut wasteful spending on unnecessary schemes like ID cards and the renewal of Trident nuclear weapons, which together will cost taxpayers more than £100 billion in the long-term. He will support calls for a Robin Hood Tax on high-risk financial transactions between the banks to bring more money into the public purse.

HONESTY AND OPENNESS IN POLITICS

The MPs’ expenses scandal

The MPs’ expenses scandal has crushed people’s faith in politicians. MPs from all of the three big parties were involved in the scandal. These are not the right people to ‘clean-up politics’ when they were all embroiled in over-claiming expenses, taking dodgy donations from wealthy businessmen, and taking up other paid jobs and directorships in addition to being a well-paid MP.

If elected as your MP, Adrian Ramsay will campaign to ensure that MPs are stopped from claiming expenses for their private benefit. He will call for tight rules on expenses and donations, to be closely monitored by an independent body and legally enforced through the criminal justice system. Adrian has personally pledged to publish full details of all expenses he claims as an MP. He will work full-time as your MP, and will not take up any other paid positions or directorships.

Reforming politics

Simply reforming the MPs’ expenses system is not enough. The lobbying power of big business over MPs needs to be regulated and contained. The House of Lords should be replaced by a fully elected second chamber. We need to bring an end to the system where people can sit in the Upper House of Parliament following a party political appointment. The public should also be given the power to ‘sack’ their MP, and trigger a by-election, through a petition signed by a certain proportion of constituents

As your MP, Adrian will demand reform to tackle the lobbying power of big business and to make the House of Lords an elected body. He will call for voters to be given the power to trigger a by-election if their MP fails to work honestly and effectively in their interests. He will also call for more decentralisation of power from Westminster to local councils, so that decisions affecting local areas can be made by local politicians and residents.