The Spring edition of Southwark Green Party’s quarterly newsletter is back from the printers and has begun to be distributed.

“Over 8,000 copies of Southwark Green News will be distributed before the European election on June 4,” said Southwark Green Party Convenor Joseph O’Reilly.

“With the old parties reeling from the expenses scandal, public interest in viable alternatives is at an all time high. A range of recent polls indicate that more people than ever are considering voting Green.

“The latest edition of Southwark Green News demonstrates exactly what voters get when they vote Green. Progressive, dynamic representatives committed to making a real, positive difference to people lives.

“In the newsletter Councillor Jenny Jones sets out the threat to train services in South London and explains how she will be campaigning against the decision. Jenny also asks people to write to the Government and the Mayor of London calling on them to reverse the decision.

“Jenny also tells readers about her campaign for a borough wide food strategy and asks resident in South Camberwell ward, which she represents on Council, to identify places where fruit and nut trees could be grown, as part of a plan to grow more food locally.

“The newsletter also carries an article on some of Jean Lambert’s achievements in the European Parliament.

"When people vote Green they get elected representatives who are committed to making a real difference and to using their position for public service not personal gain.

"Despite being the only Green on Southwark Council Jenny has achieved a huge amount.  Similarly Jean is one of only two Green Party MEP's from the UK but has used her position incredibly effectively.

"If you're looking for a progressive, dynamic person to represent you in Brussels after June 4 , I'm confident you'll be convinced to vote Green after reading Southwark Green News.” concluded Joseph.

If you’d like to see the latest edition of Southwark Green News click here.

If you’d like a printed copy and don’t receive one in the next few days please email us and we’ll happy put one in the post to you.

Southwark Councillor and London Assembly Member Jenny Jones with Southwark Green Party activist Tom Chance and London's Green Member of the European Parliament Jean Lambert out campaiging in Peckham.

On June 4 voters across the united Kindgon will have the opportunity to vote for representatives in the European Parliament. Electors in Southwark will have the opportunity to vote for one of London's eight Members of the European Parliament.

Voting Green is a positive way of saying you value fairness, integrity, social justice and the environment.

“The fact that voters are angry with the three main parties is understandable, but that they might turn to right wing parties is a real worry,” said Joseph O’Reilly, the Convenor of Southwark Green Party.

“If you think fairness, integrity, social justice and the environment belong in politics then the answer is to vote Green,” concluded Joseph.

Voting Green in London will re-elect Jean Lambert. In her most recent term Jean has made a real difference to Londoners lives including by:

• getting dangerous chemicals banned from children’s toys;
• campaigning for an end to poverty pay;
• preventing health services being opened up to free market competition;
• making sure there are tough new rules to improve London’s polluted air.

“Under the voting system used to elect Members of the European Parliament, every single vote counts. Voting Green will send a clear message to the old parties, reject the extremism of the far right and re-elect Jean so that she can continue to be a progressive voice for you in Europe,” said Southwark Green Party Councillor and London Assembly Member Jenny Jones.

Southwark resident dr Joseph Healy is one of the Green Party's candidates for London in the forthcoming European electsions.

Joseph is an active member of the trade union UNITE and is a delegate to the Southwark Trades Council. He has been campaigning for workers rights:

• he strongly supported the campaign by Southwark Greens to introduce the London Living Wage of £7.50 per hour for all council employees and contractors

• he strongly supports the right of migrant workers to a fair wage and to work legally.

Joseph is also a long standing campaigner on health issues. He has fought for meaningful patient involvement in the NHS and for accessible Patient Transport Services in London's hospitals. He was a member of the Southwark Community Health Council and played a major part in getting Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital to restore Patient Transport Services to disabled/ older people with a London Taxicard.

Joseph also fought passionately to save the emergency mental health clinic at the Maudsley Hospital in Camberwell. He is the Vice Chair of the Ambulance Service Patients' Forum (London).eph also campaigns for LGBT rights internationally.

He has been using his candidacy to highlight these issues, especially in Southwark.

"Southwark Green Party is proud to have one of its active members standing for the Party in London and are backing Joseph all the way to Brussels," said Southwark Councillor and London Assembly Member Jenny Jones.

You can read more about Joseph Healy by clicking here.

The secret deal between the Labour Government and London’s Tory Mayor to close the South London Line which runs between Victoria and London Bridge via Battersea Park, Wandsworth Rd, Clapham High Street, Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye, Queens Rd Peckham and South Bermondsey is a disgrace according to Southwark’s Green Party Councillor and London Assembly Member Jenny Jones.

“The South London Line is a vital link for people in inner South London to neighbouring suburbs and to central London. It also serves 3 of London’s major hospitals – Kings and the Maudsley at Denmark Hill and Guys at London Bridge,” said Jenny.

“Everyone aggress that South London needs more not less public transport which makes this decision totally indefensible.

“The Greens will be campaigning hard to reverse this decision, but also for other improvements to public transport in South London, including the extension of the South London Line from London Bridge to Charing Cross, which would make it even more valuable.

“The decision to close the line is another example of how South London is taken for granted by Labour on the one hand and is of no strategic value to the Conservatives on the other.

“South London deserves better from both of them but that will only happen when they realise they can’t take the residents of South London for granted.

“The Green Party will be campaigning hard for a better deal from both of the old parties for inner South London between now and the next election.

“In the mean time I’m urging people who value the South London Line to let the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State for Transport know how they feel.

“The agreement that Transport for London and the Department of Transport have reached is reversible but this will only happen if they understand the extent of community feeling over the issue,” concluded Jenny.

Please write to:

Boris Johnson
Mayor of London
Greater London Authority
City Hall
The Queen's Walk
London SE1 2AA

Email: mayor@london.gov.uk

Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP
Secretary of State for Transport
Department for Transport
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DR

Email: geoff.hoon@dft.gsi.gov.uk

Councillor Jenny Jenny (left) and London's Green Member of the European Parliament Jean Lambert (right) at Peckham Farmers' Market where they discussed the idea of a boroough wide food strategy with stall holders.  

Jenny Jones, Southwark’s Green Councillor, last night secured the unanimous backing of Southwark Council for the development of a borough wide food strategy.

Speaking after the vote at last night’s Council Assembly Councillor Jones said she hoped the strategy will deliver more allotments, free school meals, more and better paid jobs in the local food industry and above all better quality food that’s good for both the people that eat it and our environment.

“The ways we grow, prepare, distribute and consume the food we all eat has a huge effect on our lives. However, it’s easy to take the food that’s a vital part of our lives for granted.

“An extraordinary network of farmers, factories, restaurants and retailers ensures that, every single day, the millions of people that live, work and visit Southwark are able to choose from an unprecedented variety of food and drink. But this complex system has its failings.

“From obesity on the one hand to hunger on the other, food has significant social and health impacts.

“The food system also has a huge environmental impact, being the single largest sectoral contributor to green house gases and it contributes significantly to Southwark’s waste.

“The new food strategy which Council agreed to support last night will detail how Southwark can improve health, reduce poverty, support the local economy, celebrate our diverse food cultures and ensure that our food system is sustainable.

“I’m delighted that Councillors agreed to support this initiative. There’s so much more that Southwark can do in this area. This is a really exciting initiative and I’m looking forward to working with people across Southwark on the development of the strategy.”

MOTION - A BOROUGH-WIDE FOOD STRATEGY

1. That council assembly:

a. Notes the vitality, vibrancy and diversity of Southwark’s food industries and cultures.
b. Notes that the production, processing and manufacturing, transport, storage and distribution, sale, purchasing, preparation, consumption and disposal of food within and beyond Southwark has significant implications for health, environmental, economic, social/cultural and security issues across the borough.

2. This assembly therefore invites the executive to undertake the development of a borough-wide food strategy with a view to:

a. improving the health and reduce the health inequalities of people living and working in Southwark;
b. reducing poverty and deprivation;
c. reducing the negative environmental impacts of Southwark’s food system;
d. supporting a vibrant food economy;
e. celebrating and promoting Southwark’s food culture;
f. enhancing Southwark’s food security;
g. Encouraging health eating in schools.

3. This assembly asks the executive to report back to council assembly within 6 months on progress in developing the strategy.

Southwark urgently needs to do more to ensure that a higher proportion of the borough’s waste is recycled and composted according to Green Party Councillor Jenny Jones.

“The Environment Agency’s State of London’s Environment Report which was issued today Seveals that Southwark has one of the lowest recycling and composting rates in London, ranking 31st out of all 33 boroughs,” said Cllr. Jenny Jones.

“The borough has made improvements in how it’s handling waste but it’s definitely a case of too little, too late.

“More than half of all waste collected in the borough still ends up in landfill which just isn’t good enough.

“Even if you look at our recycling and composting only rates we’re still way down the list. The recycling only rate is 16.01% putting us at 28th, and the composting only rate is 4.02% putting us at 22nd.

“There’s absolutely no excuse for Southwark to be doing so badly. Southwark’s executive urgently need to up their game to ensure that more of our waste is recycled and composted and that less is sent to landfill.

“The borough needs to seize the opportunity to tackle our waste problem which if done creatively could make an important contribution to greening our local economy too.”

More information:

The Environment Agency’s Southwark Borough Environmental Summary

Southwark Green Party Councillor and London Assembly Member Jenny Jones today launched a campaign for the provision of universal free school meals in Southwark with a call on Southwark Council to apply to participate in the Government’s free school meals pilot project.

"As more and more families face financial difficulties universal free school meals would remove the social stigma attached to free school meals and would ensure every child has a healthy nutritious meal on a daily basis,” said Cllr Jones.

“On 24 September the Government announced a new £20m Free School Meals (FSM) pilot project. I have written to Councillor Lisa Rajan, Southwark’s Executive Member for Children’s Services to ask if Southwark is applying to be one of the pilot boroughs. I will also be asking this question of Councillor Rajan at the full Council meeting on January 28.

“Southwark would be a perfect pilot site for the initiative and it will be scandalous if Council decides not express interest in being part of the scheme.

“Southwark has one of the highest numbers of children living in poverty and we need to do everything we can to help them and their families.

“Hard-pressed parents already struggling to get to the end of the week cannot always afford to pay existingcharges. A recent survey by Unison found the average cost of primary school meals to be £7.40 a week. If you have several school-age children that cost soon mounts up and, sadly, an unhealthy packed lunch is all too often a cheaper alternative.

“Even among those who are eligible for free meals, one in four children do not get them. Fear of stigma and bullying, the bureaucracy involved in claiming them and lack of awareness about who is eligible mean that many children lose out.

“Calling on Council to apply to participate in the Government’s free school meals pilot is only the beginning of our campaign.

“If, for whatever reason Southwark doesn’t end up being part of the pilot programme, I will be calling on the Executive to establish an inquiry into school meals within the borough, to identify how we can ensure more children are fed properly at school.

“Our successful campaign for Southwark to become a living wage employer last year has given us the inspiration to continue to campaign for a fairer Southwark, and that’s exactly what free school meals will deliver, a fairer, healthier borough for our children.”

At Southwark Council’s meeting on January 28 Councillor Jenny Jones will ask Councillor Lisa Rajan the following question:

On 24 September Ed Balls and Alan Johnson announced a new £20m Free School Meals (FSM) pilot project. Given the recent positive results of a pilot run in Hull, has Southwark Council submitted an expression of interest to run one of the Free School Meals Pilots?

Southwark Green Councillor and London Assembly Member Jenny Jones has warned the Secretary of State for Transport Geoff Hoon that Southwark risks becoming a dead zone for public transport if funding for new transport projects is not urgently found by central government.

“Numerous government studies and reviews have all concluded the need for significant improvements to public transport infrastructure across South East London to meet both immediate and future transport needs,” said Councillor Jones.

“In an effort to meet those needs a number of projects have been agreed, including the extension of the East London Line from Surrey Keys to Clapham Junction through Peckham and Denmark Hill, along with the Cross River Tram which was to include a line connecting Peckham to Waterloo, shortening travel time and easing congestion on Southwark’s overcrowded buses.

“However due to a lack of funding from central government both of these projects are now in jeopardy.

“We also need to get the government to improve Southwark’s existing transport services. Despite being one of London’s busiest overground stations Peckham Rye hasn’t been included in the national station improvement programme, in spite of needing a lift for less mobile people, or those with prams or shopping.

“On these three issues the Government is taking the residents of Southwark for granted.

“I’ve written to the Secretary of State for Transport Geoff Hoon asking for clarification of where the Government stands on funding these projects, all which will create much needed jobs and make a real and lasting difference to the quality of life of people in Southwark.

“In the lead up to the General Election the Green Party in Southwark will mount a sustained campaign to secure an agreement to fund these projects as a matter of priority,” concluded Councillor Jones.

You can view Jenny's letter to Geoff Hoon by clicking here.