Cliate March Saturday 5th December London The Wave

Reading Station on the way to the March


Reading Students, dressed up for the Wave (wear blue)


The much photographed Jim Jepps with me (with a blue nose)


Best Dressed

March In London



Yesterday's Wave climate change protest attracted between 20,000 (police estimate) or more than 50,000 (according to the organisers). It was probably somewhere in between. Many organisations were involved, from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Unions, many Green groups and the Cooperative Bank. I kept running into people I knew from different organisations, and lots of Greens.

Green Blogs on the march; Kevin, Derek Wall, Climate Camp Pics, Third Estate, JimJay, greenladywell, Green Left, Stuart, Camden Green Party, my video
Indymedia.

Green Party Visit Maidenhead School

"Back in October, an enterprising pupil at a school in Maidenhead emailed Caroline Lucas and asked her to come to his school to address the pupils on green issues during an assembly. Caroline was unavailable for several months, so the request filtered down to local activists in Berkshire, and as no-one else was available, I decided that I couldn't leave these children uninformed about vital green issues. After all, they are the future. This was in spite of me never having addressed a group of children in my life.

So after many emails, I turned up at the school bright and early on Thursday 26th November, accompanied by Adrian for moral support. Things started off badly, with the school office closed and no-one seeming to know anything about our visit. But then two girls arrived to escort us to the assembly hall, and when we arrived we met two teachers, including the deputy head, who were expecting us. We only met the pupil who had invited us a few minutes before I started talking. He is a Green Party supporter.

I spoke about one issue only - global warming - and I steered anyway from any overtly political stuff. I had been asked to talk for about 15 minutes. I had my talk on paper, because I didn't have the confidence to talk off the cuff. I covered what it is, why it's happening, what we can do about it, what governments should do about it, why there are deniers and how to counteract them.

The 250 pupils aged mainly between 13 and 15, with a few sixth-formers, listened attentively. I had hoped to take a few questions, but we ran out of time. The deputy head told the pupils they would have the opportunity to discuss what I had said in the school council and any questions would be fed back to me.

Then it was all over - phew! I was relieved, with a real sense of achievement. I received the following email from that evening:
"I'd just like to thank you again for coming into my school today, and let you know that numerous peers of mine came to me for the rest of the day to tell me how interesting your talk was. I'm sure you've not only encouraged many people to look to the Green Party for answers to the problems we're faced with, but also to what they can do."

So it looks like I've done some good!"

Guest Post from Marjory Bisset, Green Party Candiade from Wokingham

Class War Labour Vs Tories

While it is true that a few of the shadow cabinet are very wealthy and went to good schools, much the same can said for Labour! Many are saying the attack is hypocritical.

A few examples:
Harriet Harman: Niece of the Earl of Longford, educated St Paul's;
Peter Mandelson St Catherine's Oxford (and Prince of Darkness);
Alastair Darling Privately educated;
David Miliband: Corpus Christi, Oxford;
Hilary Benn: Private prep school;
Ed Balls: Privately educated, Keble College Oxford;
Ed Miliband: Corpus Christi, Oxford;
Andrew Burnham: Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge;
Shaun Woodward; Harvard;
Tessa Jowell: Privately educated;
Yvette Cooper: Balliol, Oxford;
Peter Hain; Privately educated;
Andrew Adonis; Keble, Oxford

The exception is Alan Johnson, who had been the first former union leader in four decades to become a Cabinet minister when he was given the post of work and pensions secretary in 2004


More importantly the Joseph Rowntree Foundation reported only yesterday that poverty has actually got worse since 2004 and, overall, hasn't improved since 2000. Thursday’s report shows that poverty, unemployment and home repossessions started rising again in 2004, well before the recession. The study, by the New Policy Institute on behalf of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, shows that 13.4m people live in low-income households earning less than 60 per cent of the national average – the same level as 2000. The number of very poor households earning less than 40 per cent of the average is at its highest level for 25 years, at 5.7m.

The number of people unemployed and wanting work is at its highest since Labour came to power. The report reinforces the view of a “lost generation” of young British workers. Unemployment among 16 to 24-year-olds is higher than at any time since the foundation started publishing its yearly studies in 1993. On the core subjects of low income and employment the picture is bleak," said Peter Kenway, the report's co-author.

If Labour hate the Tory inheritance tax policy, then why did they copy it? I think its prejudice to think that somones school should disqualify them from a job. But then I have learned not to expect much from Labour.

They tried this at the Crewe and Nantwich by election last year, but it didnt work. Partly as the Labour candiate seemed as privileged as the Tory. The party had branded Edward Timpson, the Tory opponent, a “Toff” and Mr Cameron was been followed by the party's activists in top-hats and tails on his visits. Embarrassment was added to Labour unease yesterday when it emerged that one of those mocking Mr Cameron's class had himself attended a fee-paying school.

Incidentally, I went to a comprehensive, and then a polytechnic.

Small-scale green energy schemes could generate more electricity than two nuclear power stations!

Small-scale renewable electricity schemes could generate more than twice the output of Sizewell B nuclear power station by 2020 if Ministers improve the proposed Clean Energy Cash-back scheme (or feed-in tariff), due to be launched in April next year, according to figures released today (Monday, 30 November 2009) by Friends of the Earth.


The environmental campaign group used figures obtained from the Government to show that introducing a more ambitious scheme than that currently proposed would only add an average £2.37 per year on to household electricity bills over the next four years - just £1.20 a year more than the Government is already proposing to add to fund the scheme.


The figures are published as 30 organisations and businesses - including Friends of the Earth, the Renewable Energy Association, The TUC, British Retail Consortium, the Co-operative Group, Country Land and Business Association (CLA), the Federation of Small Businesses, Unison and WWF - have written to MPs urging them to support an Early Day Motion (EDM 276) tabled by Alan Simpson MP calling for a much greater level of ambition for small scale renewable electricity generation than the Government scheme currently proposes.


Friends of the Earth, which led the campaign to introduce a feed-in tariff alongside the Renewable Energy Association, has criticised the proposed scheme as lacking ambition because it only aims to generate two per cent of UK electricity from small-scale renewable technologies by 2020. The group accuses the Government of ignoring the results of research commissioned by DECC which shows that setting the scheme to deliver a 10 per cent annual return on investment (instead of the 5-8 per cent currently proposed) for communities, businesses and households that install renewable electricity technologies would:


* Deliver over 6 per cent of UK electricity generation (equivalent to the output of Drax coal-fired power station, or twice that of Sizewell B) by 2020 - three times the Government's current target;


* Reduce UK dependency on fossil fuels and increase energy security;


* Cut UK emissions by 9.9 million tons of carbon dioxide annually by 2020.


Friends of the Earth is calling for the proposed tariffs to be increased to deliver an annual 10 per cent return for all small-scale green energy schemes installed during the first three years of the scheme (the payment system is due to be reviewed in 2013). After this payments could be revised for new schemes as other measures are introduced, the UK renewable energy market grows and global fossil fuel energy prices rise - while maintaining the higher level of overall ambition.


Friends of the Earth's energy campaigner Dave Timms said:

"Small-scale green energy systems such as solar panels on homes and businesses and community-owned wind turbines could play a crucial role in cutting UK emissions and speeding us towards the development of a low carbon economy.

"But the Government's proposed Clean Energy Cash-back Scheme is far too weak - Ministers must increase payments to make it a success. A tiny addition to UK electricity bills would kick-start a world class scheme that would allow homes, businesses and communities to play their part in tackling climate change, increasing energy security and creating thousands of new green jobs. The UK's renewable energy potential is enormous. As the world prepares for crucial climate talks in Copenhagen, the Government must show that it is taking this issue seriously and improve its plans to pay people for generating their own clean, green power."

detention of five British yachtsmen by the Iranian navy has "no link with politics"?

The detention of five British yachtsmen by the Iranian navy has "no link with politics or the Iranian nuclear file" says Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Iran's ambassador to London, Rasoul Movahedian, was summoned to the Foreign Office for talks to clarify where the Britons were being held and how their "speedy release" could be obtained, a spokesman said.

Iran earlier on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of five British citizens after their racing yacht was stopped by the Iranian navy last Wednesday en route from Bahrain to Dubai. Iran's presidential chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, told the Fars news agency that the Britons had entered Iran illegally. He added that, if it was proven that they entered Iran with ill intentions, such as spying, then they would face serious and harsh legal actions.

Well seeing as they were adrift with no method of steering then yes it seems that they may have entered Iranian waters accidentally. To suggest that this group on there way to a yacht race were spying is either paranoid or they are making use of this group for political purposes. Much as they in 2007, when 15 British sailors were captured, though at least that time they were military personnel. So much for the 'no link with politics' Miliband, is seems to be precisely because of politics.

However is was foolish of these people to be anywhere near the border, after what happened last time. Very great care should have been taken by the group, and the race organisers, to brief them properly.

Keith Mutch, general manager of the Dubai offshore sailing club, the race organisers, said: "In all of our sailing instructions, skippers are briefed to stay away from Iranian waters. I've been told, although I can't confirm this, that Team Pindar had lost her propeller. We were waiting for her to come and pick one up."

In March 2007 a group of 15 British sailors were seized by Iran while in disputed waters. They were released after around two weeks, but only after a tense diplomatic standoff between London and Tehran. Relations between Tehran and the West have not improved since then and chilled further after the Islamic republic announced Sunday that it plans to build another 10 uranium enrichment plants.

In the 2007 incident, eight sailors and seven marines were captured on March 23. Britain insisted they were in Iraqi territorial waters, while Tehran said they were in Iranian waters.
Britain pursued quiet diplomacy for the first few days, but after then foreign minister Margaret Beckett hit a dead end in talks with Mottaki, London's patience snapped. During the 13 days they were held, the 14 men and one woman were not mistreated but were paraded on Iranian television, sparking anger from Britain and other Western governments. They also released a letter claiming to be from the kidnapped sailor, Leading Seaman Turney, calling for British troops to be withdrawn from Iraq.

World News Australia says Previous incidents involving foreigners being seized by Iranian authorities include in November 2005 when Frenchman Stephane Lherbier and German Donald Klein were arrested for entering Iranian territorial waters in a fishing boat, and were each sentenced to 18 months in jail. Both were freed after serving 14 months.

And in March 2006, two Swedish nationals, Stefan Johanssen and Jari Hjortmar, were arrested for taking pictures of military installations on Iran's southern island of Qeshm and sentenced to two years in prison. They were released after a year behind bars. The two men said they had been misled by Emirati maps showing the waters as belonging to the UAE.

Craig Murray says "Unlike military personnel boarding ships, civilian ships have every right to sail through anybody's territorial waters, including Iran's. The Right to Innocent Passage, subject to reasonable navigation safety regulations, is enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. So the Iranians had absolutely no right to arrest these yachtsmen, whether they were in Iranian territorial waters or not."

earthtimes, guardian,

Zac Goldsmith tax status, blogviews

I was looking at the bloggers covered the story of Zac Goldsmith tax status. Zac is the editor of the ecologist, the son of billionaire financier Sir James Goldsmith who founded of the Referendum Party.

I have yet to see much from Labour or the Greens on this, the Tories defend him, but its LD bloggers who are going to town on this, some in a nasty way. Perhaps because he is hoping to win the parliamentary seat currently held by Liberal Democrat Susan Kramer in Richmond Park.

Alex Wilcock ‘senior Liberal Democrat policymaker’ loveandliberty

In today’s ‘You couldn’t make it up’ news, multi-millionaire Conservative candidate tax-dodger Zac Goldsmith has furiously defended his “non-domicile” tax status… Because he gives away some of his tax-dodged wealth. As he nearly said, ‘How dare you criticise me, you plebs, just because you get taxed for working hard for a living and I dodge tax on my unearned millions! I spend all my money how I like, and if I’m bountiful enough to drop a few coppers to paupers, they should be jolly grateful, so I’m jolly cross they don’t doff their bally caps. Let them eat environmentally friendly cake!’

The CAPS loving millennium dome

You cannot have failed to notice the revelation that Conservatory golden/green poster-boy and anti-Liberal Democrat candidate Mr Zac Goldfinger, son of millionaire Bond Villain Sir Jammy Goldfinger, has been caught out avoiding tax. Meanwhile, ENTIRELY COINCIDENTALLY, Monday 30 November was the deadline (now extended to January) for UK citizens to tell Mrs the Queen's Customs and Revenue about any pots of cash that they have squirreled away in OFFSHORE TAX HAVENS.

liberalbureaucracy says Zac Goldsmith - not a fit and proper person to be an MP? Zac is guilty of a degree of hypocrisy. Proposing a range of green taxes when you are actively avoiding paying what many would see as fair levels of taxation smacks of 'one rule for you, another for me'.

LD Cllr Ian Shires says'Mr Goldsmith, who is also standing as a Tory candidate at the General Election, is avoiding paying hugs sums of tax on his estimated £200million fortune.'
If only we could all pay in hugs!

LD Andrew says 'Another week and another Tory being a complete hypocrite shock, this week it is the turn of Zac Goldsmith who has finally admitted being a 'non-dom'. George Osborne and David Cameron say one thing to the public to try and get votes and here we see how they act in private, utterly appalling and once again highlights their hypocritical approach and attitude.'

Steve Beasant says'Goldsmith’s 300-acre ecological farm in Devon and a house in Richmond are both owned by companies based in the Cayman Islands. The farm was bought in 2001 and the house in Richmond was bought in 2007 for £7.75m. A house in Fulham, west London, was bought in 2004 and is owned by an investment company based in Liverpool.'

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay, Lib Dem Treasury spokesman, said

He’s not fit to sit in Parliament when he’s claimed non-dom status all his life to keep his offshore hundreds of millions free of income, capital gains or inheritance tax.”

You would think that having a dodgy benefactor like Michael Brown who donated £2.4m (from the proceeds of crime) and LD failure to pay it back would teach them some humility.

The Tories are defending him, Ian Dale describes any attack on Zac as 'Tofftastic'.

There was lots of sanctimonious guff on Twitter from assorted lefties last night about the Sunday Times story that Zac Goldsmith is a 'non dom'. What law has he broken? Yup, that's right, none. His tax status is a matter between him and the tax authorities.

Well thats not quite true, his tax status if of interest, or he wouldn't be changing it. This is not unlike the staus of major Tory donor Lord Ashcroft

Green Site Earth Stream says 'he insisted no new nuclear power stations would be built under a Tory government... He also said that if a Cameron government did not make progress on environmental issues after one term in power, then the Tories' political share price would go "through the floor". he admitted that he was seen by some as a wealthy Tory green toff, but refused to take questions on his tax status with reporters afterwards. He insisted: "I find it hard to imagine how I would be corrupted by power because I have no great career path planned out." He said the reputation of politics had fallen to a new low, but that politics was changing for the good due to the expenses scandal. The controversy over his tax status did not lead Goldsmith to hold back on expressing stark views on other issues. He called for a mandatory ban on plastic bags in supermarkets, a scaling back of the BBC to its core purpose and the closure of the food standards agency.


Some say twitter is going crazy on this subject, but Ive seen little evidence. You can read tweets on this here

His campaign website states: “Zac grew up in Richmond and went to school in Richmond. He has lived in Richmond most of his life.”

I think its up to the voters of Richmond Park to decide, some of whom will dislike but others will admire his skill at dodging tax. He gives the Tories some credibility, so if he were to stand down they would suffer from it. However he doesn't make their policy, he outnumbered by 'dinotories' like Lawson/Tebbit/Redwood.

There is an interesting debate on it here also.

Russian Train Disaster 26 Dead

UGLOVKA, Russia – A powerful homemade bomb sent a high-speed Moscow-to-St. Petersburg train careening off its tracks killing at least 26 people in what seems to be an act of terrorism.

As many as 100 people were left injured by the disaster, and 18 remained missing Saturday night.

The attack on the Nevsky Express, a luxury train popular with government officials, tourists and business executives, was Russia's deadliest terrorist strike outside the volatile North Caucasus region since 2004. Among the dead were citizens of Belgium, Italy and Azerbaijan.

The force of the derailment scattered battered carriages over a remote stretch of track, trapping some of the injured for hours. By first light Saturday, luggage and pieces of metal lay in the muddy embankment in the drizzle, as survivors huddled under blankets by fires.

The injured were transported to hospitals in Moscow and St. Petersburg by bus, train and even helicopters, but some said the evacuation was agonizingly slow.

Yekaterina Ivanova, a wounded passenger, told the NTV television network that workers took at least four hours to free her from the wreck. "In the hospital, the doctors are better, the medical teams are working in harmony," she said. "The young people from the Ministry of Emergency Situations carried us out on stretchers, but other people in uniform were just standing there and staring, and no one was even helping to carry out the wounded."

Russia has been hit by a number of major terrorist attacks since the 1991 Soviet collapse, including the seizures of the Dubrovka theater in October 2002 and the taking of more than 1,000 hostages in Beslan's School Number One in September 2004 in which more than 330 people died when pro-Chechens seized a school in southern Russia.

Over the past year, the Caucasus has seen a surge in violence, including an increase in suicide bombings, assassinations and attacks by militants against police and government officials.

At the same time, rights activists say, government security services in the region have stepped up the use of kidnappings, extrajudicial killings and home-burnings against suspected militants and their relatives. The Moscow-based rights group Memorial issued a report this month accusing authorities of implementing "a policy of state terror."

President Medvedev issued a call for calm. "We need there to be no chaos, because the situation is tense as it is," he said. After previous terrorist attacks officials have sometimes jumped to conclusions about who is guilty; and terrorist attacks have sometimes been followed by mob assaults against innocent people from the Caucasus.

The same train service was attacked in 2007 when a similar bomb injured around 30 people. The authorities arrested two men from a region neighbouring Chechnya and blamed the attack on Islamist rebels. The man the authorities said masterminded that earlier attack – a former Russian soldier turned Islamist extremist – was never caught and is still on the run.

Survivor Boris Gruzd said the train driver braked severely. The passengers then spent 30 minutes unaware that the last three wagons of the 14-carriage train had flown off the rails. "The first wagon was 1.5-2kms away from the rest of the train. The second had completely flipped over. The third had come off the rails, but was near the main part of the train and was still standing vertically. As far as I know nobody from this wagon was seriously hurt." Gruzd said that the passengers immediately began collecting warm clothes and mattresses to help the injured. But he said it was extremely difficult to reach people trapped in the mangled carriages – with rescuers peering into the gloom and using flashlights.

Investigators said they had discovered a 3ft crater beneath the rails where the bomb had gone off. Reuters, however, said that its reporters at the scene had been unable to find it. Earlier, Russian news agencies had quoted transport officials as saying the cause may have been an electrical fault. Russia has a poor record of serious accidents caused by Soviet-era infrastructure.

yahoo, telegraph, guardian, times,