Veolia Problems not all Bad News

(Letter to the South Wales Evening Post)

The potential loss of Veolia bus services in Gower (‘Depot doubts spark concerns for bus firm’; page 13, Wednesday 30 March) is not all bad news. There are some positive aspects.

This crisis seems to have been sparked by Veolia loosing the National Express contract, which has now been awarded to Edwards Coaches. The transfer of this important service from a French owned company to a local Welsh business should be a cause for celebration in these difficult times for the Welsh economy.

And I understand there is talk among Veolia drivers at the Treforest depot of forming a workers’ co-operative to take over the local bus service. With support from the local community, perhaps in the form of a Community Enterprise Company, I’m sure they could provide a better service more tailored to the needs of local people – particularly if Swansea Council were to continue its subsidy.

A local bus service, owned and operated by local people, would be another plus for the local economy.

Isn’t that what the ‘Big Society’ is all about?

Yours,

Keith M Ross
Green Party Assembly Candidate
South Wales West Region

A budget for bankers

Green Party Leader, Caroline Lucas MP today branded the Chancellor’s statement “a budget for bankers,” saying it put the interests of international finance and big business above those of ordinary people or the environment.

“George Osborne has made cutting the deficit his one and only goal. This may please City bankers and international investors, but it means more unemployment, greater poverty, and decimated public services.

“It is also a huge missed opportunity to turn our environmental and energy crisis into an engine for a sustainable future. Investing in energy efficiency and renewables now would stabilise the economy, help people reduce their bills, help end fuel poverty and make us less dependent on oil and gas from overseas.

“Instead, the Government is cutting support for UK companies trying to lead this energy revolution, even though it has found £5 billion in tax cuts for biggest companies.(1)

“It has also turned the much-hyped Green Investment Bank into a PR stunt by preventing it from raising funds.” (2)

Greens March Against Cuts

Green Party members from Swansea and across Wales will be heading for Hyde Park in London on Saturday (26th March) to join with hundreds of thousands of others to protest against the cutbacks by the coalition government.

Organised by the TUC, the ‘March for Alternatives’ is expected to draw together trade unionists, students and political activists, workers and individuals from all walks of life to protest against the governments planned cuts.

Keith M Ross, Green Party Assembly Candidate for the South Wales West Region said, “I’m joining the March for Alternatives because I believe the planned cuts are wrongheaded and unnecessary.

Endorsement and Embellishment

(Letter to the South Wales Evening Post)

Peter Black, AM (Have Your Say, Monday 7 March) fails to grasp that my use of the word “endorsement” in my letter thanking his Lib Dem colleague for mentioning the Green Party was ironic.

When it comes to “talking up” their vote, the Lib Dems are, of course, the masters with their creative use of statistics from one set of elections to exaggerate their chances of success in a different set. But as Lib Dems in Barnsley discovered last week, the only statistic that really matters is the final result.

Mr Black should not be so ready to dismiss the prospect of the Green share of the vote more than doubling at this year’s Assembly election. Stranger things have happened and much has changed since 2007 not least the Lib Dem standing in the opinion polls.

The most significant happening was the election of the first Green MP in May last year. Since then our membership has increased significantly. It appears that the electorate is still interested in green issues and has begun to see through the greenwash of the other parties.

With her strenuous opposition to cuts and tuition fees, and her strong support of Royal Mail and real reform of our parliamentary system, Green MP Caroline Lucas has shown in just 10 short months that elected Greens can be relied upon to keep their pre-election promises. Unlike others I could mention.

Yours,

Keith M Ross
Green Party Assembly Candidate
South Wales West

Wales Green Party Leader in Swansea on Friday 11th March

Jake Griffiths, Leader of Wales Green Party and hotly tipped to become our first Green Assembly Member in May, will be a member of the panel for the Friends of the Earth Cymru Green Question Time in the Lord Mayor’s Reception Room, Brangwyn Hall, Swansea on Friday 11th March.

Other panellists will be Dr Dai Lloyd (Plaid Cymru), Kirsty Williams (Welsh Liberal Democrats), Mark Drakeford (Welsh Labour) and Owen Meredith (Welsh Conservatives).

Entry is free; doors open at 7:00pm; event starts at 7:30pm.

Post Office loses Government contract for Pension and Benefit payments

“Another broken promise”, say Greens

The Green Party has joined a chorus of trade unions and customer groups to condemn the decision to remove the contract for benefit and pension pay outs from the Post Office and award it instead to the private sector company PayPoint, a subsidiary of Citibank.

Keith M Ross, Green Party Assembly Candidate for South Wales West said, “Following hard on the heels of the privatisation of Royal Mail, this is a bitter blow for our hard pressed local post offices.”

In 2008 the previous Labour government put the contract to pay benefit ‘giros’ out to tender for the first time, and invited bids from the private sector. The Post Office made an unsuccessful bid to retain the contract, and it was announced this week that the contract has been awarded to PayPoint.

This means that in future benefit claimants and pensioners who receive their payments by girocheque will have to go to one of the 22,000 PayPoint outlets around the country, which include off-licences, convenience stores and petrol stations.

Wales Green Party YouTube Channel

Wales Green Party now has a YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/walesgreenparty. At the moment there are just a few clips of Jake Griffiths speaking at recent conferences – but there is more to come.