It was a cold and rainy night, a week after the victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election – not the best backdrop for Southwark Green Party's 2016 AGM. But with around 40 people present, and Green candidate for London mayor Sian Berry as our guest speaker, the meeting turned out to be an uplifting occasion, showing how Green policies and politicians offer hope in dark times.

Southwark Green Party (SGP) stands in solidarity with Sisters Uncut, a feminist group taking direct action to defend services for victims of domestic violence. As a political party that campaigns for equal rights and better public services, SGP believes that Southwark Council has it within its power to prioritise a sufficient number of its empty council homes to provide refuge for all survivors of domestic abuse. We also call on the council to reinstate Black and Minority Ethnic domestic violence services, which have been cut.

On 9 November, less than 24 hours after the election of climate change denier Donald Trump, Green Party members from Southwark and Lambeth attended the annual Dulwich and West Norwood (DaWN) Speak Up for the Climate meeting, organised by DaWN MP Helen Hayes.

In October 2016, Southwark Green Party responded to Southwark Council's revised plans for the 'old nursery' site in Camberwell New Cemetery.

We are very glad that the council has taken public concerns on board after the previous consultation.The new plans offer good compromise solutions by combining burial spaces with much needed areas of meadow or woodland.

Writer and North Walworth resident Guy Mannes Abbott writes in The Architecture Review...

Typically, the RIBA’s Stirling Prize shortlist leavens starry spectacles with a socially minded gesture or two. In a thin year for the former, the list still obliged with the flawed spectacularity of Herzog & de Meuron’s Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford. In contrast, the ‘housing crisis’ generated a lot of noise but few homes again, so a ‘flagship’ housing scheme designed by dRMM for the Elephant and Castle’s ‘regeneration’ ticked a misleading box.

[Read full article on The Architecture Review website...]

About 20 people attended Southwark Green Party’s monthly meet-up on 7 September, which this month was held at John the Unicorn, Peckham Rye. Eleanor Margolies organised an informal quiz on the subject of air pollution – an urgent issue in Southwark, which has the highest rate of premature deaths attributable to air pollution of any London borough. We learnt

The decision this week by the Government to reject Southwark Council’s application for a Compulsory Purchase Order laid bare how the Council has ignored community objections and prioritised the interests of developers.

Colin Boyle, Chair of Southwark Green Party, responded: “The Aylesbury Estate does need to be regenerated, but this needs to be done in a way that preserves the community, increases the level of social housing, and minimises the environmental impact.” 

The Green Party's new co-leaders, Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley, speak to conference after the announcement of their election

Around 15 of us from Southwark Green Party joined more than 1,000 party members from all over England and Wales for the 2016 autumn conference, held at Birmingham University.

The rich cultural mix in Southwark is one of its strengths. Many Londoners are linked by family, history or love to other parts of the world, whether they were born in London or have moved here.

A new secondary school for our area has been approved by the government after two years of hard campaigning by local parents, with over 1500 choosing the Charter School to be the provider as opposed to national academy chains. But the shortage of school places continues to be a major concern for local parents.

In January much-loved local toy shop, Just Williams, was forced to close after its landlord, the Dulwich Estate, raised rents by 70%. It is clear that the Dulwich Estate does not need to raise rents - the only reason for doing so is, in its own words, to "maximise revenues for the beneficiaries". In its last annual report the Dulwich Estate boasted record profits of £6.78 million (up from £6.26 million for 2013/2014). About 85% of its profits go to the three large local private schools while the four non-fee paying schools it also benefits receive only 15% of the charity's income.

Profit-driven developers continue to take their toll on Rotherhithe's pubs. with recent local victims including the Clipper, the Ship York and the Three Compasses. All now face replacement with yet more flats, reducing our area's character, heritage and amenities.

The latest Canada Water Masterplan has confirmed local residents' worst fears. Colin Boyle, Southwark Green Party Chair and local resident, stated that: "The Rotherhithe we know will be lost, and in its place we will have a high-rise, densely packed urban landscape. We need to develop Canada Water, but this proposal is entirely out of keeping with the area and ignores the feedback that local residents provided in previous consultations."