MY POLITICS - A statement of where I stand on many issues.
(Though rather hastily composed.)
"Peace, Justice, and the Integrity of Creation"
Strengthen the UN
Only the UN to interfere in a country’s internal affairs.
An end to War as an outmoded, inefficient and immoral means of settling disputes.
Trade Justice
Relieve poorest nations’ debts.
Justice for Palestinians.
Support the World Court
Reversal of Climate Change
Contraction and convergence re Carbon emissions.
Maintain diversity of species.
Conserve forest
Protect indigenous people.
BRITAIN
Britain not to go to war
except in clear self defence of Britain’s borders or with UN blue helmets.
Pull out of Iraq as quickly as possible without worsening the situation
General reduction of military machine (initially to EU average levels).
No Trident replacement
Unilateral Nuclear Disarmament: Britain a nuclear free country.
Close US military and CIA bases.
Ban CIA torture flights over Britain.
Invest at least 1% of GDP as aid in poorest countries.
Aim for increased Quality of Life not increased consumption per se.
No use of torture.
Proportional Representation in all elections
Restrict election expenditure; Fund political parties.
Free University Education (I agree with Labour’s 50% target)
(or max loan £5000)
No PFI: permit Hospitals and Local Authorities to borrow.
Lower taxes on jobs, higher on limited resources
Complete the metrication programme
Rescind Thatcher’s bus de-regulation.
Bus companies to compete for 5 year franchises.
Effectively ban all ‘sports’ which involve animal cruelty
Maintain social services: Replace complex benefits with Basic Income.
Promote rail for passengers and goods
Introduce a Carbon tax
Effective air pollution control
Reduce use of pesticides especially near schools and homes
LOCAL (Bristol area)
Buses: Introduce quicker ticketing
Make tickets valid anywhere for 1 hour
More bus lanes - (with less engineering works)
Integrated Transport Hub at Temple Meads
Enforce parking restrictions on bus routes and main roads
Stop parking where it causes obstruction
Aim of parking control should be practical objectives, not fund-raising.
Pay for improvements by congestion charging and charges for all-day parking
Several radical measures to reduce Bristol’s traffic congestion.
(See my article on "Solving Bristol’s Traffic Problem")
Vehicle emissions: pollution control. (Clean fuels especially in City Centre)
Encourage car sharing through regulation.
Set up an affordable car club.
Support anti-speeding cameras. Speed kills!
Regional Assembly should hold to its mission statement (re being for (current) inhabitants), i.e. not to attract 100,000 new homes into this already congested area)
‘Open, fair, and transparent planning’ (as promised but never delivered)
Redefine school catchment areas.
Effective action to improve Bristol’s deplorable record on schools.
Hospitals: expand Frenchay not Southmead,
Maintain local hospitals and clinics
3- or 4-box recycling. (Current Lib Dem plan costs £50 up front!)
Water metering
Renewable Energy: Local combined power and heating (esp in new estates)
Use tidal power in addition to wind turbines
Encourage roof-top solar panels; water-saving systems
Require all new buildings to be eco-friendly
Why no fruit and veg market?
Improve pavements, street-lighting and road-name signs
Devolution of some powers and budget to parochial level (e.g. ward or polling district): elected district managers.
TOTTERDOWN and Windmill Hill
Build the Totterdown community centre soon
Better footways and cycleways
(Especially those on Bath Road from Station to Three Lamps.)
Crack down on Crack. Zero Tolerance on Drugs.
Drunks. Keep a close watch on late-opening pubs.
Noise. Help residents get action from Council.
Litter. Enforce Litter Laws. More frequent street sweeping.
Make shops like Tesco pay for their negative impact on our neighbourhood
Traffic on Wells Road. Enforce speed restrictions.
Pollution: Ban lorries going up hill on Wells Road.
Publicise and support the 503 bus.
CCTV at pedestrian crossings.
Don’t build on Oxford Street car park
Reduce hazards on St Johns Lane
Help Marksbury Road area get community centre in Jubilee Hall.
20 mph speed limit under bridge on St Lukes Road.
Reduce cyclists’ hazards e.g. sunken drains.
Totterdown / Windmill Hill to be Bristol’s artists’ and crafts quarter.
OTHER
Outwith Green Party policy I support the EU and its proposed Constitution, and the Euro.
Outwith GP Policy I am all for tight regulation of our education system. Bristol is near bottom in Britain; Britain’s standards are poor wrt Europe and the developed world. We can maintain our QOL only if well educated. We must make the schools perform better. The first essential step is measurement and publication of performance.
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