A Tearful End To The Bus Tour

From Manor House, we turned on the bus microphone, and began announcements -- "this bus is run on cooking oil" ... "re-elect Jean Lambert as London MEP" ... "if you are disillusioned by the main three parties, there is a clean and green alternative, vote for Jean Lambert on the 4th of June" -- up through Green Lanes, Turnpike Lane, Muswell Hill, and then to Crouch End.

At Crouch End Broadway, we made our final stop, at a stall run by the Haringey Green Party. Expect great things from the Haringey team in the 2010 local elections. Their council, on paper, is pregnant with Green possibility.

Following her Channel 4 interview, Jean rejoined the bus for its final event. We engaged with late afternoon passersby, and posed for photos for the local paper in Haringey.

We then offloaded our leaflets, t-shirts, laptops, tasty homemade cakes, cameras and video equipment, and thanked Joe, our driver, profusely. He set off for the motorway north to Crewe, as the North West campaign has the bus for the next few days.

Over the two day tour, we had eight nationalities helping on the bus (from Irish to Spanish to Canadian to Polish). Our wonderful photographer was Lorenzo Tugnoli. And the bus tour couldn't have come together without Remco van der Stoep, who co-ordinated all the logistics.

We hope the North West enjoys the bus as much as we did.

The Bus Team

Navigating

Photos - Hackney Bike Escort

Hackney Bike Escort

The bus made quite a sight ... slowly passing over Tower Bridge into Aldgate. At Whitechapel, we picked up Chris, a filmmaker who lives in Tower Hamlets, and we dropped Jean off!

Jean needed to go off to Channel 4 News, who wanted to interview her about a new poll in the Times that showed the Greens leading UKIP.

With Ute Michel, our #2 candidate, we proceeded up into Hackney, and met up with twenty cyclists from the Hackney Green Party. With the cyclists leading us as an honour guard, we slowly drove past Hackney Town Hall, through Lower and Upper Clapton, before cutting across to Stoke Newington High Street.

We received lots of friendly waves as we passed patios and pubs on Stoke Newington Church Street. The cyclists then led us down to Newington Green.

Coming northward again, we said our goodbyes to our cycling breathern at Clissold Park, before heading up towards Green Lanes.

Saturday in New Cross

After leaving Brixton, we travelled through the streets of East Dulwich and Peckham, notably passing Peckham Library, to arrive in New Cross.

There, just beside Goldsmiths, Jean was met by volunteers and ward councillors with the Lewisham Green Party. Lewisham is one of our target constituencies for the next general election (along with Norwich South and Brighton Pavilion).

At a street stall, we handed out leaflets to passersby. We were even serenaded with a song by one of them, about pollution!

Ute Michel, #2 on the Green Party's list of candidates for London, joined the bus at this point, as we departed for Tower Bridge and beyond (Whitechapel, Hackney and Haringey).

Jean In Lambeth

Leafleting in Lambeth - In Front of Ritzy Cinema

Peter Tatchell and Jean At Uptown Oil

Uptown Oil / Brixton

10am -- After gathering at Jubilee Gardens, next to the London Eye, we took the bus to Southwark, for a fascinating meeting at Uptown Oil. Uptown oil was the company supplying the recycled biodiesel, made from used chip oil, that powered the bus.

We were given a quick tour of the processing plant. Uptown Oil supplies many local restaurants with cooking oil, and then collects it from them after use, to be recycled into fuel. This is used by many London taxis.

This is an inspirational business!

Peter Tatchell, one of the most determined human rights campaigners, caught up with us in Southwark, to give his backing to Jean's re-election campaign. Peter had just returned from the Moscow Gay Pride events, where he was supporting LGBT campaigners who were fighting persecution and homophobia.

He spoke to Jean about her work in the European Parliament -- to improve legislation, to enshrine in law equal rights for all, and also to ensure that all EU countries implement those laws in practice.

Peter came with us to Elephant and Castle. After dropping him off, we continued on to Clapham and Brixton.

1130am - We received a lively reception in Brixton from Joseph Healy, the #4 candidate on the European elections list, and several other candidates from Lambeth Green Party.

Despite roadworks in front of the Ritzy Cinema being against us -- congratulations to Joe, our driver, for navigating the busy streets -- we engaged with many residents on the street who told us they would be voting Green.

We then departed to New Cross -- playing our party election broadcast to the people of Lambeth. As it says: if you believe that fairness, integrity and the environment belong at the heart of politics, then you think exactly like us.

One World, One Chance

Cyclists and The Bus

South Bank / Critical Mass at Waterloo Bridge

From Westminster, we passed the over the river several times before making our final stop on the South Bank, next to the BFI.

It's a beautiful Friday afternoon. Cyclists are slowly gathering for the critical mass event, and hundreds of people are lying on the lawns by the river.

We're broadcasting our message to an interested audience -- that there is an alternative to the three main parties: vote Green for a better future, for peace, human riughts and the environment.

There's a carnival atmosphere as we unleash our upbeat, soulful music through the speakers. We become surrounded by the hundreds of bikes setting off for their evening ride around the city to reclaim the streets for cyclists and pedestrians.

It's a great end to an exhilarating day aboard Jean's battle bio-bus.

Next stop: Uptown Oil tomorrow morning at 10am. We're going to stock up on recycled biodiesel, made from used cooking oil. This bus might look red, but it is, without doubt, Green!

Stall In Westminster

We parked up in Westminster for a while and leafletted the crowds. The paper windmills whizzing round on the stall were testament to the ambundant, untapped, clean, renewable energy we have in the UK.

Jean Traveling Through London

Photos From The Conference On Nigeria

Laps of Parliament Square

En route to stopping at Tothill Hill street, just near Westminster Abbey, we passed by the Tamils protest on Parliament Square. Jean gave a message of support (below) to them through our amplified mic, and expressed her disgust at the UN's decision not to investigate alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka, given the horrendous human rights violations that have taken place during the conflict.

--

Jean Lambert's message of support to Tamil protesters and Brian Haw:

“This is the Green Party supporting the Tamil people in their struggle for autonomy, condemning the United Nations for not supporting the calls for an inquiry into the violence which has been happening in the north of Sri Lanka. This is the Green Party calling for a full inquiry into what war crimes have been committed, what weapons have been used, and how many of the Tamil people have died in this appalling conflict."

“This is the Green Party supporting those who have lost family, who know nothing of what has happened to their friends or relations in the north of Sri Lanka."

“This is the Green Party in support of Brian Haw and his ongoing support for all those suffering from war and deprivation. Brian should be allowed to stay in Parliament Square as long as he wants to but we want to see our troops home, we want to see an end to the violence.”

"State of Nigerian Nation" Summit, Holloway

The sun is shining, and we've finally arrived in Holloway, having taken a slow route past Heathrow airport and through Chiswick, Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush.

We're receiving lots of encouraging smiles and thumbs up as we go! This beautiful original 1968 Routemaster is causing quite a stir.

Past Euston and a very busy Kings Cross station, we've been along some of the most congested routes in London and the worst affected by poor air quality; a real issue in London and one that causes severe problem serious health problems for many Londoners. Jean has been fighting both here and at the EU level for tough action to reduce emissions and traffic.

Jean is now giving a speech to the Nigeria Liberty Forum on democracy and human rights in Nigeria. As a Green, she has long been concerned about the role of oil companies in the Ogoni region. 90% of Nigeria's population live on less than $2 per day. The detrimental impact of some western oil companies, Shell in particular, on the environment and local communities, is devastating the region.

In 2007, elections in Nigeria broke down. Violence, corruption and criminality have become all too common in the society, and have come to characterise Nigeria's politics.

Jean has written to the European Commission to press for EU action to tackle corruption in Nigeria. She will continue to demand that oil companies be forced to operate at the same high environmental standards that would be expected if they were here in the EU.

Before leaving home this morning, Jean spoke to Colourful Radio about the meeting today, which marks 10 years since the return of democracy to the African state - an anniversary whose sentiment is rather hollow given the current failings of the political system.

Some leafletting, a snadwich, then we'll be on our way to Westminster for 3pm!

On The Bus / Jean Meeting Voters

Report From Sipson Stop - Heathrow Expansion

In Sipson, Jean met John Stewart from HACAN ClearSkies (top photo, above left) and a number of local residents from Sipson, Harlington and Harmondsworth. The main residents group was NoTRAG.

Jean spoke with a residents who were particularly concerned about the threat to Harlington and Harmondsworth and were worried about the focus on Sipson. They were keen to point out that other villages are under threat, and many more people will be affected than just the residents of Sipson.

The residents gave Jean and the bus a very warm welcome.

They expressed that the Greens were the only Party that they could trust, because we have such a strong record on opposing Heathrow expansion, on environmental issues and planning. The Greens won't put big business before the concerns and welfare of local communities.

There was a general feeling of anger, particularly against the main parties. They have spoken good words against airport expansion, but haven't stuck to that position when it's come to taking political action.

John Hunt (#7 on our London list for the European elections) introduced John Stewart and Jean, then both speakers delivered speeches. Jean then gave an interview to BBC London TV.

The bus then departed for Harmondsworth, and on to Chiswick!

Route of Bus on Friday and Saturday

After Sipson, the schedule for the bus -- you can smell it coming, the biofuel makes it smell like chips (not teen spirit) -- is as follows:

11am to 1245pm - driving from Sipson to London Metropolitan University, Holloway Road, via Southall, Acton, Ealing, etc.

1245pm - London Metropolitan University, for the "State of the Nigerian Nation" Summit, Holloway Road

3pm - outside the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, Millbank

530pm - East Side, Waterloo Bridge, Critical Mass cycle event

On Saturday, there will be a refueling of the bus first thing in the morning (at Uptown Oil, King James St, Southwark) at 10am, then Brixton Market (11am), New Cross Gate (1230pm), then Whitechapel High Street, a bike escort through Hackney, a drive up through Green Lanes, finishing at Green Party stalls at Crouch End Broadway, Haringey.

I wish we had a GPS tracking/London Marathon chip thing to track the bus for you, but there you go.

Bus Tour of London - Sipson, 10am

Jean's bus tour of London (two days, in a Routemaster, powered by used cooking oil) is beginning right now!

It starts at 10am, in Sipson, near Heathrow, which is threatened by the proposed new runway at Heathrow.

John Stewart, from HACAN ClearSkies, is going to meet Jean there, to support her opposition to aviation expansion.

If you see her, ring your cycle bell, honk your horn, pull out your phone and twitter that you've seen her (#GreenPartyBus), wave madly, just go wild.

Jean Supports Nigerian Pro-Democracy Activists

Jean will join campaigners in London tomorrow, including the Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka (the first African to be awarded the Nobel prize for literature), for the State of the Nigerian Nation, a major symposium on democracy and corruption in Nigeria.

Jean will deliver the opening speech at the afternoon session of the symposium, organised by the Nigeria Liberty Forum and taking place at the Holloway Road campus of London Metropolitan University. She will speak on ‘Poverty and corruption in Nigeria: what can the European Union do?’

The summit has been organised to counter ‘Democracy Day’, organised by the Nigerian government to mark 10 years since the return of democracy, but controversial among anti-corruption campaigners who are deeply concerned about the political situation in Nigeria.

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the former Executive Chairman of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria, who was dismissed from his post on 22 December 2008 by the Nigerian Police Service Commission, will speak after Jean. Many believe his dismissal was politically motivated.

Jean recently submitted a written question to the European Commission, raising her concerns for Nuhu Ribadu and asking what progress the Commission had made in fighting corruption in Nigeria. She hopes to be able to report the reply to the symposium on Friday.

Jean, an active supporter of Nigerian pro-democracy campaigns in London, said:

“I’m honoured to be a guest at this symposium, and to be sharing the platform with both Wole Soyinka, whose distinguished career as a writer is matched by decades of brave political campaigning, and Nuhu Ribadu, whose dedication to fighting corruption is an inspiration to all those seeking a fairer future.

"As Nuhu Ribadu’s experience has shown, it takes courage to stand up and act against corruption, and that is why it is vital that the international community unites to support campaigners for change, and recognises its responsibility to support democracy and challenge injustice.”

Separately, this week also sees the opening of a landmark court case in New York in which Royal Dutch Shell, the oil giant, stands accused of complicity in the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Nigerian environmental activist, in 1995.

Jean said:

“We must welcome the fact that Shell’s role in the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others is to be reconsidered, and we can only hope that, after nearly 15 years, the truth will, at last, be heard. Since Ken Saro-Wiwa’s death in 1995 his predictions of ecological and humanitarian disaster in the Niger Delta have been proved right. The area, so rich in natural resources, is both a wasteland and a war zone.

“The international community must pay attention to this court case as it could shine a light on the human and environmental costs of western companies working with corrupt governments. We have a political and moral responsibility to the communities whose lives have been destroyed.”

The State of the Nigerian Nation symposium is a day-long event taking place this Friday 29 May at Stapleton House, on the Holloway Road campus of London Metropolitan University. The summit begins at 9am, with the morning session, ‘Citizen Power and Democratic Change’, commencing at 9.30am. Jean will introduce the afternoon session, from 1pm to 1.45pm.

For more information about the event, you can visit http://www.nigerialibertyforum.org.uk/

Jean - or J P Floru?

The online D'Hondt voting system calculator is a marvellous thing, for electoral geeks. Like the ones who might, for example, spend their evenings writing a blog in support of a political candidate....

One of the things that feeding different percentages into the D'Hondt calculator quickly reveals is that, given current polling data, the most likely competitor with Jean for the last seat in London is the fourth Conservative candidate. Given this, I thought it might be an idea to look him up.

I was expecting a fairly bland Cameronista, without too much to overtly object to. Instead, I found Cllr J P Floru.

Wow. A more vivid and obvious contrast to the politics of social justice, ecological sustainability and community that Jean Lambert represents, you could not hope to find. For example, check out Cllr Floru's rather worrying Conservative Party profile. Apparently, he is the candidate on the Conservative party list most likely to say "The government must do nothing. The free-market will solve this". Quite.

A brief look at his Wikipedia entry reveals more fun facts. For example, 'in 2005 he founded the Freedom Alliance, an organisation promoting libertarianism and free market capitalism through Freedom Week, an annual week-long seminar for students at Cambridge University'. He 'is a committed free marketeer and the author of numerous articles on economics. His stated political heroes are Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, and is a follower of the philosophy of Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman. He is close to the Taxpayers' Alliance, the Institute of Economic Affairs and the Adam Smith Institute.'

For a more in depth look at the philosophy that inspires Cllr Floru's political outlook, take a look at this article for the Taxpayer's Alliance, which contains such gems as:

"In this time of economic downturn we need tax cuts to make the pie grow again. A substantial cut in corporation tax would do the trick....Whereas in the medium term the Laffer effect would ensure a larger tax take as a result of GDP growth, in the short term the tax cuts could only be afforded by cuts in public spending. The Conservative Party is far too timid on the subject."

It is actually rather heartening that Cllr Floru is so earnest and honest a free-marketeer. After all, democracy is meant to be about choice, and this makes the choice facing Londoners even more stark, and more pressing. You can have Jean Lambert, with her belief in a publicly owned government safety net, in government intervention to create jobs and stimulate green industries, in regulation to shut down the most polluting and unethical parts of the private sector - or you can have Cllr Floru, and the rule of the economic jungle.

Londoners, the choice is yours!

Re-elect Jean for action on human rights

Jean speaks about why she thinks that the European elections are important, and why Londoners should vote for her on June 4th:



And if that wasn't enough, then just look through the archive of this blog to see how hard Jean works for all the diverse communities that she represents in London. Today, her human rights work has led her to the AGM of the Kurdish Federation - and another strong, outspoken statement on human rights for all people. The kind of statement that, with your help, she will continue to make in the European Parliament!

GREEN MEP’S HUMAN RIGHTS CALL AHEAD OF KURDISH FEDERATION AGM

Jean Lambert, London’s Green Party MEP, will join members of the Kurdish community in London this Sunday [24 May] to address the ninth AGM of Fed-Bir, the Kurdish Federation in the UK.

Jean, a longstanding champion of Kurdish rights in London and Europe, said:

“I am delighted to be joining Fed-Bir again for their AGM.

For years, the Federation has carried out its important work – promoting Kurdish culture and identity in London, supporting Kurds here and around the world. Fed-Bir also understands the struggle of others for justice and peace, as their expression of solidarity with the Tamil community shows.”

Last month, Jean met Leyla Zana, the leading Kurdish politician, former prisoner of conscience and European Parliament Sakharov prize winner to discuss her forthcoming court case to appeal against her recent ten year sentence. Jean signed an open letter to David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, in March, expressing concern over Ms Zana’s arrest and sentencing, and calling on the British Government to use its influence in supporting her case.

Jean added:

“I was fortunate enough to meet Leyla Zana again this year. Her courageous commitment to her cause is an inspiration to the Kurdish people, and to all those who seek justice and equality around the world. We shall be monitoring the progress of her upcoming court case as a test of justice and democratic pluralism in Turkey.

I welcome recent reports that suggest that a settlement to the conflict in Turkey, which has claimed over 40,000 lives, might at last be on the agenda. This is a small sign of hope in what has been a devastating era, but it must not be allowed to eclipse the repression which many Kurdish people in the country are still suffering. Let us hope that this might also mark progress for the Kurds in Iran and elsewhere.

“The international community must put pressure on Turkey to ensure it conforms to human rights standards. The EU has a crucial role to play since Turkey’s proposed entry to the European Union must rest on a commitment to democracy, equality and justice for all.”

London's air quality scandal

It's probably best to read the next paragraph carefully. In fact, I'm going to bold it, so that it doesn't just skipped over.

New research released yesterday revealed that the UK’s poor air quality is causing 24,000 premature deaths a year. The research found that 4,400 deaths are caused each year in London, four times as many as earlier estimates.

24. THOUSAND. DEATHS. A year.

I'm sure if such a big deal hadn't been made of all that, many readers would have assimilated it as just another environmental proclamation. The truth is, it's a massively important issue - and the Green Party is one of the few organisations that seems to take it seriously. How seriously? Well, the photograph above is of the London Green Party Euro election launch, which took place this week next to an air quality monitoring station in Marylebone, precisely to highlight this issue.

And as always, Jean is on the ball in Europe - championing the EU Directive that will hopefully finally force the UK Government (and Boris Johnson) to take this issue seriously.

UK FACES LEGAL ACTION ON AIR QUALITY DURING 2012 OLYMPICS

The UK faces an embarrassing legal wrangle during the 2012 Olympics over its failure to act on air pollution, Jean Lambert, London’s Green Party MEP, has warned.

The European Commission has already launched legal action against the UK over breaching standards on particulate matter (PM10), the tiny airborne particles emitted by industry, vehicles and domestic heating, which can cause and irritate conditions such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and lead to premature death.

In addition, hundreds of local authorities in the UK exceed EU limit values for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Traffic fumes on certain stretches of roads breach safety levels in some 95% of zones and agglomerations in the UK, and on two major stretches of road in London NO2 levels are double the limits set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). NO2 limit values come into place in 2010, and if the UK is still in breach of these it risks further action from the Commission.

Jean said:

“The Government has repeatedly shirked its responsibilities to comply with EU standards, specifically put in place to protect human health. I recently raised its non-compliance with NO2 limits with the European Commission, pointing out that unless pre-emptive action is taken now, the UK could be mired in legal action from the Commission over its non-compliance in the period leading up to the Olympics. All eyes will be on London in 2012 – how’s it going to look if the UK is in the dock for failing to reduce the levels of deadly pollutants in the air?”

Jean’s warning follows a report released on 1 May by the London Assembly’s Environment Committee, then chaired by Green Party AM Darren Johnson, into air quality in the capital. The report noted that health problems caused by air pollution cost the NHS £20 billion a year, and called on Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, to set out detailed projections of the costings, timings and impacts of policies contained in his forthcoming air quality strategy. It also recommended action to reduce road traffic and encourage walking and cycling, technological solutions to ensure Londoners are better informed about air pollution, and close co-operation between the Mayor, the GLA, individual boroughs and national government.

Jean stands up for LGBT rights

Many readers of this blog would no doubt have seen Green Party member and Parliamentary Candidate, Peter Tatchell, being arrested in Moscow for the "crime" of speaking out about institutionalised and widespread homophobia in Russia. Alas, the attitudes that Peter highlighted in Russia are just the tip of the iceberg across Europe - and, sadly, an indication of prejudiced attitudes that still exist here in the UK as well. Jean has been doing lots of work on equality in the Parliament, as a member of the Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights, and is joined in her activism on the issue by Joseph Healy, who is fourth on the London Green Party's European list on June 4th, and a prominent member of the Party's LGBT working group.

Below is the most recent press release from Jean on this issue. By re-electing her to the European Parliament, we will be ensuring a strong voice to speak out against prejudice in the name of Londoners.

SHAME ON HOMOPHOBIC STATES: GREEN MEP BACKS REPORT ON LGBT RIGHTS

- Renewed call for equality for LGBT people after Moscow violence
- Greens host event for London Eastern European LGBT community

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, has welcomed a report which names and shames countries around the world where state-sponsored homophobic laws exist.

Homosexuality is illegal in 80 countries around the world, and in five countries it is a crime punishable by death, according to State Sponsored Homophobia, the third annual report from ILGA, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.

Jean, who is a member of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee and the cross-party Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights, said:

"This report serves as a reminder of the terrible choice that LGBT people all over the world face: to risk persecution, imprisonment and even death because of their sexuality, or to deny their sexual or gender identity to escape unbearable discrimination. This fundamental abuse of human rights is suffered by too many people. Greens have been at the forefront of efforts to improve protection against all forms of discrimination across Europe, and we have made important progress. But there is still a long way to go.

"Last December, 66 countries signed the United Nations Statement against the criminalisation of homosexuality. It's a sad truth that these states are significantly outnumbered by those 80 countries where homosexuality is illegal. It's up to us to exert pressure on leaders at all levels to end this persecution which stems from homophobia."

The 2009 report from ILGA follows a report from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, which found in March that homophobia and discrimination against LGBT people were still widespread across Europe.

Eastern Europe is an area of particular concern, and in March the Green Party's LGBT Group pledged to work alongside Polish Greens to help tackle homophobia in the region. This Wednesday, Joseph Healy, from the Green Party's LGBT group, is hosting a meeting with members of the Eastern European LGBT community in London.

Events took place last weekend to mark IDAHO 2009, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. In Moscow, the scene of brutal attacks by far-right extremists in the past, sources reported that police used violent and oppressive tactics to break up the peaceful Slavic Pride march. Between 30 and 40 people were arrested. Peter Tatchell, the longstanding human rights campaigner and Jean's Green Party colleague, was detained but released without charges.

In Riga, the first Baltic Pride march took place in peace, after an earlier attempt by the city authorities to cancel it. Representatives from Pride London, which is twinned with the Riga event, joined the march.

The European Elections - Voting System

Many people are still confused about the D'Hondt system being used in the elections on June 4th. The North West Green Party has produced this excellent video as part of their campaign to Stop Nick Griffin of the BNP from winning a seat, which explains it all admirably!

Expenses, Transparency, and Real Change

A week is a long time in politics. Frankly, when an expenses scandal is breaking, a day can be a long time in politics. As a poll to be released on Monday has revealed, 34% of people would now consider voting Green, and in London that figure will be even higher, due to our historically significant Green vote. The most recent polling indicates that the Green Party is up to 11% nationally - a figure that would not only re-elect Jean and Caroline Lucas, but also elect Peter Cranie in the North-West and Rupert Read in Eastern region. Peter Cranie has an analysis on his own blog.

It is a shame that some voters are thinking of turning to UKIP as they react to the disgraceful revelations over MPs expenses. After all, of the 12 MEPs elected for UKIP last time, two of them were convicted for fraud, and one of them joined the neo-fascist grouping in the European Parliament. In contrast, the UK's two Green MEPs are the only UK grouping to receive a 100% rating from the pressure group Open Europe for the transparency and accountability of their finances, as this press release details.

And, of course, as well as being scrupulously honest, our Green MEPs also happen to have the most progressive politics of anyone standing for election on June 4th. Check out the newly released Green Party European Manifesto to find out exactly what they are saying on the issues that face the European Parliament!

Gaza

Jean's tireless activism continues unabated, with events across London - and tomorrow, she will be one of the speakers at the national Free Palestine demonstration. Her work in the European Parliament, calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel trade agreement, is just another reason to support her re-election on June 4th.

Full details about the march can be found here.

GREEN MEP TO REMEMBER GAZA AT FREE PALESTINE DEMO

Jean Lambert MEP will join the call to remember Gaza at a national demonstration in London tomorrow [Saturday 16 May].

Jean will be among speakers at the demonstration, organised by groups including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Stop the War Coalition, the British Muslim Initiative and CND.

Campaigners will use the Remember Gaza – Free Palestine! demonstration to call for an end to the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the arms trade.

Jean addressed thousands of protestors at a rally in Hyde Park during the national demonstration for Gaza on 10 January. Speaking ahead of Saturday’s event, she said:

“All eyes are on the Middle East this week for the Pope’s visit. I’ll be demonstrating on Saturday to ensure that, while Gaza might have slipped down the news agenda since January, the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people is not forgotten. We have seen that there is a tremendous sense of solidarity among Londoners for the people of Gaza, I hope this remains as strong now.”

With Caroline Lucas MEP, leader of the Green Party, Jean has been pushing for a suspension of the trade agreement between the EU and Israel. Jean continued:

“Determined action to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is long overdue. We must exert pressure on leaders in the UK and Europe to help lift the blockade on the movement of goods across the border, and to end arms trading with Israel.

“The Palestinian people urgently need our support to help work towards creating a safe and peaceful future based on a two state solution.”

The demonstration takes place this Saturday, 16 May. It will assemble at 12 noon in Malet Street, London WC1, nearest tubes Goodge Street and Russell Square, and will be followed by a rally in Trafalgar Square.

Party Election Broadcast Video

The Green Party European Election Broadcast aired last night - and here it is, online.



P.S. Some people are experiencing problems when viewing embedded videos on this blog (the videos aren't aligned properly, and so on). If that's the case for you, never fear...just follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIaqH84Yvzc

Green Party Election Broadcast - Tonight!

Be sure to watch the Green Party's election broadcast tonight - showing on ITV at 18.25, BBC1 at 18.55, and BBC2 at 17.55.

And, once you've been inspired to further efforts to help the campaign, you can easily contribute by:

- Emailing reelectjean@hotmail.co.uk with offers of help
- Donating financially by clicking the button to the right of this post
- Printing out and putting up a poster

European Green Party

The European Green Party consists of 32 member parties, with 35 MEPs, and in the last European elections garnered almost 7.5% of all votes across the entirety of Europe. It is the dominant partner of the EG-EFA grouping in the European Parliament (which includes the European Free Alliance of centre-left nationalist and regionalist parties) which has a total of 43 MEPs. Here is a little of what the EGP has to say about the 2009 elections:

EU Parliament Votes to End Seal Trade

Even with four weeks to go until the election, Jean is still hard at work on all of the issues that matter. Yesterday, she helped to vote through landmark legislation banning the commercial trade of seal products - while the failure of most MEPs to support tightened regulation of animal testing showed how far we have to go on issues such as these, and how vital Green MEPs are at Strasbourg.

EU PARLIAMENT VOTES TO END SEAL TRADE, BUT FAILS TO PROTECT ANIMALS USED IN EXPERIMENTS

The European Parliament voted this week on two critical pieces on legislation on animals.

An overwhelming majority of Euro-MPs (550 votes in favour, 49 against, 41
abstentions) voted in favour of a ban on the commercial trade of seal products in the EU London's Green Party MEP, Jean Lambert, who voted in favour said:

"This vote is a victory for the global campaign against animal cruelty. Nearly one million seals are slaughtered annually in commercial seal hunts around the world, and the products of those slaughters - primarily fur - are legally traded in the EU. By closing the door on fur and other seal products, Parliament has taken meaningful action to reduce the scale of commercial seal killing."

However, in another development, a report on animal testing was adopted, which failed to make vital improvements for the 12 million animals that are used in experiments in the EU each year.

The London Green MEP continued:

"This vote will be a major disappointment for animal welfare supporters and presents a missed opportunity to tighten the existing regulation on the use of animals in experiments. The EU should be the world leader on research into and use of non-animal testing, but this vote has done little to make progress on this issue.

"A number of critical amendments tabled by the Greens, that could have secured major improvements for animals, were rejected by a majority of MEPs. It is particularly disappointing that MEPs did not even vote for Green proposals that would have at least ensured the phasing out of the use of primates caught in the wild. It is appalling that the Parliament has allowed this practice to continue."

Jean on Sri Lanka

As always, Jean has been up to a great deal over the last couple of months. Her latest newsletter is now available on her official MEP website, and it makes inspiring reading.

Among many other things, Jean is still working on the issue of the ongoing human rights abuses in Sri Lanka - something that has been largely ignored by many other politicians in the UK. This blog has covered her previous work on this issue, and this Saturday Jean spoke at a packed public meeting, as the excellent Green Ladywell blog explains. As well as this, she has an article in the latest New Statesman about the ongoing difficulties that journalists are experiencing in covering the story.

It's Register to Vote week as I write. Make sure you're registered, and that you vote Green on June 4th, if you want this kind of hard-working, progressive politics to last another five years in the European Parliament!

Jean supports the Living Wage on May Day

Today is May Day - International Worker's Day. You can guarantee, however, that most of the UK's elected representatives will not have done anything to mark the occasion. They are much more interested in representing the rich, the powerful and the already influential than they are ordinary people.

Luckily, London has a Green MEP - and Jean spent today supporting a march in favour of the London Living Wage campaign. This topic has been blogged about before here, but its such an important issue - and the EU is such an important link in the chain of enabling people to be paid well - that it can't really be written about enough.

Jean spent the morning with students, staff and union activists from the university colleges in Bloomsbury on a march, calling for all employees to be paid a Living Wage, currently £7.45 in London.

The march, organised by the newly-formed Bloomsbury Living Wage Campaign, stopped at each of the educational centres around Russell Square, for speeches, drama and music. Workers at some Bloomsbury universities are still being paid the minimum wage – just £5.73. Many are forced to take on several jobs simply to make ends meet.

Campaigners have won commitments to pay all staff at least the Living Wage at four London universities – Queen Mary, the London School of Economics, SOAS and most recently Birkbeck. They are hoping for similar success at UCL, the Institute of Education, King’s, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and London Met. They also want the institutions who have adopted the Living Wage to commit to all aspects of the London Living Wage package – not just the minimum salary – including union rights and decent sick and holiday pay.

Jean said:

“The Living Wage campaign is one of the most important movements in London, and I’m proud to be joining this march and taking the May Day message of ‘Low pay – no way!’ to the Bloomsbury colleges.

“London’s universities are some of the best education establishments in the world. It’s time they set a similarly high standard for treatment of their staff. The capital is blighted by long hours and low pay, but everyone deserves a decent wage for their time.

“The recession has created difficult times for businesses, but workers should still receive fair treatment. We need justice for all.”