News and Views

Global Green Congress Reportback

Global Greens Congress - Report back
Green Party members gathered in person and on Zoom, at Camberwell Library last Wednesday 9 August to hear reports from the recent Global Greens Congress in Seoul, South Korea. 
Attendees
Speakers and attendees at Camberwell Library for the panel event
Catherine opened the session with a report on how she was selected as the representative of the Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW), the arrangements for her travel and accommodation and the modules she attended in the three-day congress. She also gave a flavour of
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Members Business Meeting - July

Members Business Meeting - July
Southwark Green Party held its second new style Members Business Meeting on Saturday 22 July in the splendid Dulwich Library. Members discussed a number of topics including:
- On-going campaigning activity and the 2024 London Assembly Elections
- Newington by-election 
- Candidate selection for the General Election
- Party finances
Sadly the weather put paid to our plans for a picnic in Dulwich Park so discussions were continued informally over lunch at "The Plough".
Our next quarterly Business Meeting will be in October in the North East of the Borough - check the Events page for detail on this in the coming weeks and to keep up to date with our activities.
If you'd like to get more involved supporting the work of the Southwark Green Party get in touch - [email protected]
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Newington By-Election Result

Newington By-Election Result
Labour held its seat at the recent by-election with the Lib Dems increasing their share to come second. The Green Party candidate Ruben Buendia, aged just nineteen, who finished his A-level exams days earlier, finished third with 9 per cent of the vote. He said: “I was quite happy with the result – we got a warm and positive response.”
LAB: 57.6% (-5.3)
LDM: 27.9% (+15.4)
GRN: 9.0% (-6.2)
CON: 5.6% (-3.9)
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Newington By-Election

Newington By-Election
A By-Election has been called for Newington Ward due to the resignation of a Labour councillor. The poll takes place on Thursday 29 June and we're really pleased that local Green Party member and activist Ruben Gonzalez Buendia has been selected to fight the seat. The Green Party came second in the 2022 Council Elections with 15% of the vote and we hope Ruben can do even better this time round.
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Global Greens Congress

We are excited to announce that our local activist Catherine Dawkins has been selected as the sole delegate for the Green Party of England and Wales at the upcoming Global Greens Congress in Korea this June 2023. Attending such an important event requires significant financial resources, including travel, carbon offsetting and accommodation - so we have launched a crowdfunder and ask for your support in spreading the word and contributing with some cash, if you are able.

Why Global Greens Congress matters

As a long-time member and passionate advocate for the Green Party, Catherine understands that the Global Greens Congress is a crucial opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals from around the world, share best practices, and develop new strategies to fight climate change, promote social justice, and

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Say No to Bus Cuts

Southwark Green Party stands against Transport for London and Sadiq Khan's proposed cuts to buses in Southwark.

If these cuts go ahead, it will harm many residents of Southwark who can least afford to lose these services. Many of us will find it harder to get to work, see family and friends, or attend essential services. During a climate emergency we need to encourage and expand these vital public transport options, not cut them and at the same time support and promote active travel options.

Local campaigner in Nunhead & Queens Road, Richard Taylor says "The loss of the 12 and 78 services would have a particularly bad impact on

 

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Show your support

On Thursday May 5, elections take place for Southwark Council.

Show your support for the Green Party by displaying a poster in your window.

 

Downloand and print in colour or print the black & white version onto your brightest green paper!

 

If you want to learn more about the Green Party's vision for London, see the most recent London-wide manifesto here and statements on some key topics from local candidates here. For a national perspective, the Political Programme truly is a vision of a better world.

Find a full list of Green Party candidates standing across Southwark here. And if you want your community represented by councillors that will work tirelessly for your community - Vote Green on May 5th.

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Social Care

All adults should have access to free social care, say Southwark Greens

The Green Party in Southwark has pledged to push for fully funded social care for all adults, which would put social care on a par with the NHS.

In the run up to the local elections

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Homes & Energy

Greens pledge to tackle cost of living crisis with a retrofit revolution

Southwark Green Party candidates have pledged to tackle growing levels of fuel poverty and the cost-of-living crisis

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Wellbeing Economy for Southwark

Green Party calls for health and wellbeing to be top of the agenda in Southwark decision-making 

Southwark Green Party is calling for a shift from traditional thinking to the embracing of “a wellbeing economy”. 

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Supporting Southwark's Small Businesses

Greens commit support for small business in Southwark

Southwark Green Party calls for measures to support small businesses green their operations, improve employee welfare and make it easier

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Safe Streets for Southwark

Greens commit to Safe Streets for Southwark

Green Party councillors in Southwark will prioritise funding public transport as well as cycling and walking infrastructure if elected in the local elections next month.

As voters prepare to go to the ballot box on 5 May,

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2022 Candidates for Southwark Council

The election for new councillors for Southwark takes place on Thursday 5 May.

Our communities and our environment can be better served with Greens elected to the council chamber.

We have seen the positive impact Green councillors have had in other parts of London and across the country - and it’s time to see the same here in Southwark. See a full list of Green Party candidates listed below.

Vote Green Party for Fairer, Greener Communities.

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Camberwell hustings 2022

Eleanor Margolies and Brian Symons are the Green Party candidates for St Giles ward in Camberwell, with Valerie Remy in Camberwell Green and Mike Millar in Champion Hill.

To book your place at the SE5 Forum hustings on 20 April: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/local-election-hustings-camberwell-tickets-310503473247

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Greens working hard all year round

Take a look at what three local Green activists have been doing in just one area of Southwark. Catherine Dawkins, Claire Sheppard and Richard Taylor are standing for election to Southwark Council as Green Party candidates in Nunhead and Queen's Road.

Catherine, Claire and Richard surveyed voters in the area to understand local issues and took action. The top issues included: fly-tipping, littering, safer streets, and support for local businesses.

In response to this, they have:

  • participated in regular litter picks
  • installed dog poo bag dispensers
  • reported fly-tipping to Southwark Council and got the mess cleared up
  • organised a regular speed watch on Queens Road Peckham and Consort Road
  • helped local traders find out about support from the council

Greens are standing in the local elections right across Southwark. Vote for hardworking local Greens on Thursday 5 May.

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Nunhead and Queens Road candidates May 2022

Catherine Dawkins, Claire Sheppard and Richard Taylor are the Green Party candidates in Nunhead and Queen's Road Peckham for the local elections in May.

 

Find out about what they have been doing locally...

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Greens speak at hustings organised by Black and Latin American communities

Peter Baffoe, Green candidate for North Walworth, and Lina Usma, Green candidate for Newington, represented Southwark Green Party at local election hustings held at Peckham Levels.

Green candidates Peter Baffoe, Liba Hoskins, Lina Usma

The event was organized by Southwark Latin American Network and Southwark's Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (R.E.A.C.H) Alliance, organisations campaigning for Latin American and black communities in Southwark.

Peter spoke about the Green Party’s long-standing and continuing support for the traders at Elephant and Castle. Southwark Green Party supports the efforts of the Latin American community to develop an official Latin Quarter at Elephant and Castle as a cultural hub for the community, and support the official recognition of Latin Americans as a separate ethnic group. It is estimated that more than 8,000 Latin Americans live in Southwark. It is a young community (two thirds are under 40) with many “highly skilled individuals with large numbers in work, but unable to obtain jobs in line with their professional skills” (Trust for London, Towards Visibility report).

Peter said the Green Party would actively involve minoritised communities in the design of council programmes and policies, and use council resources to support the work of local 'by and for' Black, minority ethnic and Latin American organisations.

His responses to questions from the public were very well received, not least a commitment to reinstate the Carnaval Del Pueblo, a Latin-American festival held in Burgess Park. Peter said: “We will do everything we can do to ensure the celebration can continue.”

Discussion after the formal part of the evening continued in both Spanish and English. Lina emphasised the Green Party's progressive policies, such as the universal basic income, four-day week and protection for tenants, and its commitment to work hard for and with local communities. 

Hear from Lina at the Peckham Levels hustings in this lively video en Español.

 

Peter Baffoe, a Black man in his thirties, wearing a green rosette, speaking into a microphone at a public meeting

Peter Baffoe grew up, and lives in Southwark. He is currently the Interim Director of South London Mission, providing strategic leadership and vision for the charity which provides support to those who are in extreme poverty or are marginalised and vulnerable in other ways. Prior to his work in community development, Peter managed a patient complaints and liaison service in the NHS. He has been a school governor and is now a non-executive director of Peabody Housing Association, a trustee of the Peabody Community Foundation, and trustee of the Maudsley Charity.

Lina Usma was born in Colombia and moved to London with her husband and young daughter in 1996. She runs Extra International, the largest largest newspaper in London for the Spanish-speaking Latin American community. Lina studied business management in Colombia and then Media and Journalism at the University of East London.

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Southwark Soapbox

Clare Wood from Southwark Greens is taking part in a Southwark News experiment to debate local issues ahead of the elections for Southwark Council on 5 May. The filmed debates are then shown to local people in a Gogglebox-style programme to hear their reactions.

The Greens and Liberal Democrats asked why the Labour-led Southwark Council hasn't held developers to their commitment to build 35% social housing. Clare mentioned that there are some 16,000 people on the housing waiting list in Southwark and said, 'Labour does have a very bad track record on making sure that new developments have space for social housing and local residents... and how affordable is it really for the local people?'

Clare pointed out that council consultation is too often about the Southwark Council telling local people what is happening, rather than responding to residents' concerns and needs.

Watch the film and make up your own mind:

https www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjCkueq0xXo&t=197s

 

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Don't Infill... Retrofit!

Residents of the Kingston estate in Walworth are among groups across Southwark campaigning against the council’s plans for new infill housing on their estate. Development here would lead to overcrowding and loss of light for existing residents, the loss of a communal garden (including veg-growing and children’s play areas) and the “relocation” of trees. The council wants to build a four-storey block with eight new homes on the site. 
Southwark has a housing crisis, with 16,000 people on its waiting list. But is infilling the answer? What other steps could the council take to find much-needed homes?
Empty homes on the Aylesbury estate in Walworth, awaiting demolition
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Is infilling the answer to Southwark's housing problem?

Southwark has more than 14,000 households on the waiting list for a council home and 3,000 in temporary accommodation.(1) The Labour-led council’s plan to tackle its housing crisis includes building new homes on green spaces and other communal areas on its council estates, a practice known as “infilling”.

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