The Culture, Welsh Language and Communications committee are holding an inquiry into increasing non-public funding of arts in Wales. The committee has said the funding would include earned income, philanthropy and investment.

 The public consultation is seeking examples of innovative approaches to raising non-public funding of the arts in Wales and is due to close this Friday (25^th).

The Culture, Welsh Language and Communications committee inquiry aims to seek ways to reduce public funding of institutions such as the Arts Council and local authorities, as well as individual artists and arts organisations. Currently, £31.2 million out of £31.7 million allocated to arts in Wales goes to the Arts Council of Wales, but there is a fear that with Brexit European funding for the arts will not be replaced. 

Young Greens of England & Wales Co-Chair Sam Murray, said:

“The Culture, Welsh Language and Communications committee are looking to reduce public funding of the arts but at what cost? The Green Party are increasingly concerned that fossil fuel companies will seek to fill the funding gap for good PR whilst they continue to damage our planet.

BP have recently committed to a five-year investment programme of £17.5 million in for a range of projects at the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Opera House and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Big oil companies such as BP use arts funding as a big PR stunt. It is extremely important to avoid investment from fossil fuel companies in our efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Yet there is a very real possibility that fossil fuel companies will make a move to sponsor Welsh arts and the Welsh Government would accept this solution of investment in their desperation to reduce public funding of arts.”

 “At a time when Wales is considering mass investment in renewable infrastructure there is no doubt fossil fuel companies will be planning to benefit from investing into the arts in Wales in order to push the Welsh Government to drop their plans to invest in renewable energy. As the divestment movement has had growing success and the Swansea tidal lagoon is set to approved, fossil fuel companies need to find their political feet and a sponsorship scheme offers an excellent way for them to do this.”

“The Welsh Government would be well to remember that the reason the big oil companies have kept a relatively low profile of their sponsorship of various institutions across the UK is that the public are not incredibly keen to have British arts funded by fossil fuel firms. For example, following the successful Liberate the Tate campaign against their sponsorship, BP has been forced to drop their sponsorship of Tate which they will do this year.”

“It is extremely important that the public are aware of the possibility of the Welsh arts being sponsored by fossil fuel companies. This would be detrimental to our democracy and would open a way for fossil fuel companies to lobby the Welsh Government.”

Grenville Ham, leader of the Wales Green Party said: “The Wales Green Party will be submitting to the inquiry fossil-fuel-free solutions to funding the arts in Wales. For a nation that has so much potential to create a new, fossil fuel free economy, it would not be right to tie our arts in the past.”  

The Wales Green Party welcome the news that a Gender Identity Clinic is set to open in Cardiff. Currently Welsh trans people have to travel up to five hours to get to the nearest Gender Identity Clinic in London.

Having a Gender Identity Clinic in Wales is not only extremely important but also a great step towards improving the waiting times trans individuals have while waiting for appointments at a Gender Identity Clinic. The general health needs of trans and nonbinary people are the same as everyone else’s. On top of this they may have specific health needs that relate to gender dysphoria, gender reassignment or confirmation. NHS recognises this and it is about time that action is taken to ensure the health of trans people is safeguarded in Wales.

Ash Jones, spokesperson for Welsh Green Pride (the LGBTIQA+ wing of Wales Green Party) said:

“It is amazing news to see a GIC opening in Wales. With waiting times sometimes exceeding one year, the capacity of the clinic in London is extremely stretched. This will not only take pressure of London but also the patients as we can now treat them closer to their homes.”

“With Pride Cymru taking place this weekend, the news of the new Gender Identity Clinic in Cardiff has given us yet another great reason to celebrate.”

Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party Deputy leader said, “It’s not just another hurricane. It’s not just another flood. Harvey is the third 500 year flood to hit Houston in the past 5 years.

“And that’s why we should be worried.  All around Wales, just as in Houston, we have been building on flood plains. Heavy rain is only ever just a day or so away. In Newport they are building a school on flood plains. In Llannelli a new housing estate sits just behind a sea wall.

“We have known events like Huston would happen for years, and the water there is still rising. Only the Green Parties of the world cared, protested, lobbied, marched. What happens next is very important. Whilst they clear up Harvey, we should be clearing out bad planning decisions. Building on flood plains should never be an option.”

For more information, please email press@walesgreenparty.com

The Wales Green Party welcomes the debate on personal carbon accounts in the Senedd today.

Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party deputy leader said, “With new studies showing that rainforests are now so stressed that they have become net carbon emitters, the window for cutting carbon consumption is closing more quickly than we thought. It is therefore absolutely vital that the Welsh Government not only debates measures to cut carbon, but quickly puts in place measures which will see a quantifiable reduction in the shortest possible time.”

The Green Party has been working to reduce carbon levels for some decades and has argued for a Contraction and Convergence policy through a system of tradeable carbon quotas. This system would cover all emissions of carbon dioxide produced by burning of fossil fuels in the UK. Carbon quotas would be needed for all purchases of electricity and gas from non-renewable sources. Air flights and direct purchase of fossil fuels including gas, coal, petrol, diesel and fuel oil.

A system for buying and selling quotas would be established. A proportion of the total quota would be distributed free of charge to all eligible individuals in the UK, with all adults receiving an equal amount. The remaining quota would be sold to organisations (public, private and voluntary) by a system set up by the government.

Pippa Bartolotti added, “It now seems quite fashionable to talk about climate change, pollution and limiting carbon emissions. I wait for the day when it becomes fashionable to actually do something about it. Carbon budgeting on its own is not enough. Greens look forward to a convincing programme of investment in energy conservation and waste minimisation – such as raising technical standards, building regulations and standards for energy efficiency in consumer products so that everyone can live well within their carbon budgets.”

Speech in full:

Bore da, dwi'n Grenville Ham, Leader of the Wales Green Party.

What have we been up to in Wales? It has been a busy year. We had our county council elections in May and we fielded the most candidates ever. In Powys, where I’m from, we fielded more candidates than Plaid or Labour, and we broke through with our first county councillor, giving the outstanding Emily Durrant a platform to show how much we can bring to the table in local politics. And also in Powys we had a half dozen second places too, proving that we’re not far away from connected, active Greens in our communities being voted in.

But in the same way that Our Welsh Assembly election campaign from last year became dominated by the referendum (and resulted in 7 UKIP assembly members and their toxic brand of politics) the local elections took a back seat in the media’s eyes when the general election was called, and despite there being a much more crowded political landscape in Wales, the dialogue became all about Labour and the Conservatives.

Within a thirteen-month period we had Welsh assembly elections, community councils, town councils, county councils, the snap general election, and a referendum thrown into the mix. It has been relentless. I’ve personally stood in five elections. I did win one, so it’s not all bad.

So we’ve had a very busy period, and even though we started from a low level, we have made clear gains. I’m so proud of all of our candidates and members across Wales for the huge effort they've put in. But we are acutely aware that this is only the beginning and that the challenge ahead is huge. It may mean that in the coming years, us in the Wales Green Party will need to take ourselves to new and exciting directions.  

And we have to keep going, because, honestly, it seems that Wales is going nowhere at the moment.

Westminster, as ever, serves Wales poorly – it is insulting in fact. Cancelling the long-promised electrification of trains is just one recent example, but the continuing saga of the Tidal lagoon sums it up well. Tories are still refusing to give it the go ahead, which I personally find very strange, because they always seem to love seeing investments located offshore.

We see Hinkley, Nuclear Power, Trident, HS2 as massive expenses, massive public liabilities, that can never help Wales, they only drain the financial resources from our communities that need schools, hospitals and the other essentials for life. 

Labour are in power here, and Carwyn Jones, is not Jeremy Corbyn.  I know many have been enthused by the moves in Labour over the last couple of years, but Labour have run Wales for almost generation, and I’m not seeing the step in the right direction that many outside Wales do.  With Welsh Labour we haven’t seen any particularly big steps, and it’s not necessarily in the right direction.

We’ve seen no inroads in poverty, education, health or housing. Those in power in Wales have no ideas. Just this week the Welsh government announced a new funding package for mental health support for young people to much fanfare, but beyond the spin, you have the real story, like found out when I met a support worker for children with mental health issues earlier this week, who had found out that their entire team have been made redundant. We have a mental health crisis in Wales, but all that our elected representatives seem to do is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

No party in Wales is addressing seriously the problems of climate change, inequality and an economy propped up by personal debt. Welsh policies still push for more growth, encouraging people to spend money they haven’t got, on things they don’t need, to impress people they probably don’t even like.

And this ineptitude in Welsh politics is made even worse by the fact that we have some of the most forward-looking legislation in the world, such as the Wellbeing and Future Generations Act. This groundbreaking legislation can deliver a truly sustainable society, but instead we see efforts focused on spending a billion pounds on a new motorway through the Gwent levels, an area of outstanding ecological value. Or the decision to allow 300,000 tonnes of sediment from the grounds of Hinkley to be dumped in Cardiff Bay.  These decisions are as frustrating as they are insulting.

Which is why for us, our eyes are fixed firmly on 2021, our next Welsh Assembly elections. With the expanded powers of the Welsh Assembly, we can start to have serious discussions about tax, the nature of work and how our economy should function.

And we really need to get people to be serious about abating the impacts of climate change and the opportunities this brings.

For Wales this means working hand in hand with our agricultural sector. As I say to our farmers all the time – “we can't nail climate change, green tech or our food system without you”.

In Wales, we need a Green new deal to deliver serious spending on infrastructure, social housing of highest standards, 21^st century green energy networks, massive improvements to public transport. All of this comes under the remit of the Welsh government and we need to be at that table.  

How?

• Our plan starts at the local level, embedding our candidates in their communities. People like me on our local town council, showing that good ideas can flourish. Our plan is to convince the electorate that we are more than nice people who care for the environment. We are trying to show people that we have the policies that cut to the root of the problem - the Welsh economy, agriculture and finance.
• Rather than get criticised for being activists, we’re going to show what activists actually achieve for our local communities.
• It’s pretty simple really. Get Greens in at the lowest levels of elected government all across wales and demonstrate in every community that Greens are the only party that will not walk away from people with problems. 

We see the biggest opportunity for Wales being the effort to combat climate change.

With our abundant natural resources Wales really should offer the blueprint for a clean energy future. With a network of tidal lagoons in the South and the North, supplemented with utilising redundant deep mines as the pumped storage technology to bridge the energy gap each day, Wales could be laying down a blueprint for tech to be exported across the world. And the fact this storage tech would be located in former coal mining communities will also create significant employment in our areas of highest social deprivation and joblessness, helping to solve an intergenerational poverty issue.

Energy is going to be central to the future economy in Wales. With abundant, cheap and clean energy we can solve a lot of our other problems. Without it, were not going to be able to solve many problems at all.

We have the resources and technologies to build this new economy, we have many of the legislative tools already here in Wales, and you can see glimmers of this new economy beginning to emerge. The challenge for Wales is to build that economy in the time that we have available, and I don't think we have a lot of time.

We want to show how the Next Industrial Revolution is supposed to look – And showing that when this all comes on line huge follies like Hinckley C are going to look as redundant as a canal when the railways came to town.

For Wales, these are not technical issues, these are leadership issues.

Diolch yn Fawr, thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoy the rest of conference.

On Saturday October 28th members of Radnor Green Party joined the newly formed “The Court Community Club” to plant a range of spring flowering bulbs for 2018, in order to increase biodiversity and create an enhanced living space for residents and wildlife.

‘The Court’ is a small residential area of sheltered housing for the elderly and infirm, which surrounds an open grassy square.

Toby Veall, a resident and permanent wheelchair user, following a spinal cord injury in 2010, has led the project to create an informal and naturalistic planting scheme to improve and enhance the quality of life of both the residents and the local community who walk through and share the space. It is also designed to support insects, butterflies, moths and birds all of who need so much support and help in our increasingly urbanised environment.

The project recognises the increased financial pressures facing Powys CC and hopes to help cut costs while creating a more vibrant, engaged and cohesive community in a sustainable and productive manner.

Toby researched the views of the residents and was met with strong support for using the grassed area more imaginatively. Many residents are no longer able to physically garden but supported the project with donations to buy bulbs, raising over £240.

Toby won Best Council Garden in Radnorshire in 2016 for his creative planting design and attention to detail, with assistance from Dr Rob Luxton, an ecologist and Newbridge on Wye resident.

Toby Veall said, “ We are delighted to see the community space moving forward. Any project like this needs a lot of consultation but also passion, which can grow over time with the garden itself. The enthusiasm of residents and volunteers shows the level of commitment that can be found here”

Chris Carmichael, Radnor Green Party spokesperson, said, “ Small scale manageable projects like this are invaluable for bringing communities together, bridging age gaps, enhancing living spaces while helping wildlife at a time when it needs most.

It completely complies with and supports the “Well being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 , which says “It will make the public bodies listed (i.e. local authority) think more about the long-term, work better with people and communities and each other, look to prevent problems and take a more joined up approach".

The Court Community Club hopes that this garden will inspire many more and would like to thank the council for their vision and support.

The World Health Organisation has warned that dozens of British cities, including Cardiff and Newport in Wales, suffer from dangerously polluted air.

In response to the report, Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party deputy leader said:

“It is looking bad for Wales. Air pollution is inexorably linked to the burning of fossil fuels which need to be urgently phased out. When put together with the record levels of C02 in the atmosphere and an alarming increase in methane, it becomes very clear that acting on air pollution and climate change is more than overdue. Tomorrow is a day too late if we are to avoid increased suffering across the globe and at home.

“We cannot further the aspirations of limiting planet warming to 1.5 degrees if all we do is talk about it. The Wales Green Party calls upon the Welsh Government to play its part by putting a halt to all new roadbuilding, investing in renewable energy and public transport, and shutting down all dirty power stations.

“The WHO report says that it is dangerous to breath in Cardiff, Chepstow, Port Talbot, Swansea and Newport. These towns and cities are facing a lifetime threat to human health. It’s a big bill for NHS Wales and an unnecessary one. The Welsh Government must act now.”

The story can be found here: https://www.itv.com/news/2017-10-31/air-pollution-uk-who/

The World Health Organisation has warned that dozens of British cities, including Cardiff and Newport in Wales, suffer from dangerously polluted air.

In response to the report, Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party deputy leader said:

“It is looking bad for Wales. Air pollution is inexorably linked to the burning of fossil fuels which need to be urgently phased out. When put together with the record levels of C02 in the atmosphere and an alarming increase in methane, it becomes very clear that acting on air pollution and climate change is more than overdue. Tomorrow is a day too late if we are to avoid increased suffering across the globe and at home.

“We cannot further the aspirations of limiting planet warming to 1.5 degrees if all we do is talk about it. The Wales Green Party calls upon the Welsh Government to play its part by putting a halt to all new roadbuilding, investing in renewable energy and public transport, and shutting down all dirty power stations.

“The WHO report says that it is dangerous to breath in Cardiff, Chepstow, Port Talbot, Swansea and Newport. These towns and cities are facing a lifetime threat to human health. It’s a big bill for NHS Wales and an unnecessary one. The Welsh Government must act now.”

The story can be found here: https://www.itv.com/news/2017-10-31/air-pollution-uk-who/

Duncan Rees has been nominated as the Wales Green Party candidate to stand in the upcoming Welsh Assembly by-election in Alyn & Deeside.

Duncan has been a member of the Wales Green Party since 2014 and stood in multiple elections since 2015. Since joining the party, Duncan has been an active member of the NE Wales party and is currently representing the local party as a convenor. Duncan is also a member of the Wales Green Party Council, representing NE Wales, and has recently taken on further responsibility as the conferences co-ordinator for Wales Green Party Council.

Duncan previously worked for the Co-operative Group in its membership, PR and community team in Wales for 15 years, and prior to that in Merseyside. Before this, he worked as an education and campaigns officer for Oxfam in London.  He has been active in the Fairtrade movement and was Chair of Fairtrade Wales at the time of Wales achieving Fairtrade nation status in 2008.

Duncan is active locally in a range of voluntary organisations – including membership of the support group for the Wrexham – Bidston railway line, involvement in local community work supporting country parks in Wrexham, and as a volunteer on the Llangollen railway. Duncan has lived in Wrexham county borough for the past 23 years (currently in Ruabon) and takes an active interest in issues affecting people across North Wales.

Duncan said: "I am standing as the Wales Green Party candidate at this by-election, because I firmly believe that Green party policies and our agenda for a sustainable and fair future for the people and communities of Wales need to be at the heart of this election campaign. If elected, I will: 

·      Campaign for the North Wales main train line to be included in the rail electrification programme, and for new trains, improved services and stations on the Wrexham to Bidston rail line. This rail line is vital to many local commuters and businesses in Alyn and Deeside constituency. I will also work to improve the provision for pedestrians, cyclists & bus passengers;

·      Work to bring jobs to the local community: renewable energy will provide safe, clean energy and sustainable local jobs with a decent wage;

·      Campaign for an environmental policy which works for the community, and which also delivers a major reduction in non-recyclable waste – e.g. plastics;

·      Oppose austerity policies and the impact that they are having on the ability of local government to provide the facilities and services that are needed in the local communities where we live;

     ·      Work to achieve more democratic accountability in Wales: we need better links between the members of the National Assembly of Wales and their constituents, and improved information about the role of the Assembly and Welsh government in delivering local and national services in Wales.”

Emily Durrant, Wales Green Party’s County Councillor and a member of the Plaid-Cymru Green Group in Llangorse, Powys, is challenging her own Council to ditch single-use plastic within the local authority’s premises and in the local community.

• Emily will present a motion to Powys County Council on 25^th January 2018, asking the council to promote Powys as a major plastic reducer and device a strategy to encourage staff and residents to reduce their use of throwaway plastic drastically.

• Emily has also started a campaign ‘Plastic-Free Powys’ to end single-use plastic and challenge the amount of plastic packaging being used. The campaign continues its journey across the county, arriving at Llandrindod Wells Tesco on the 18th January at 2pm and Tesco in Newtown on 10th February at 11am. Shoppers will be removing their plastic at the till and handing it back to the duty manager. 

Locals across the county have joined the campaign and are starting to take action in supermarkets near them. 

The campaign comes at a time when the Government is setting targets for plastic reduction, but campaigners say the plans are not ambitious enough. Emily said: 

"Why wait until 2042 to eliminate 'avoidable' plastic waste? And what does that even mean?  It's too vague and will be too little, too late. There is a lot we can be doing locally to make a difference.  That's why I am proposing a motion* at the next meeting of Full Council, that asks Members to support two major actions:  that we promote Powys as a major plastic reducing council and; put a strategy together that will ensure a significant reduction in plastic usage."

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, said:

“Theresa May’s pledge to get rid of avoidable plastic waste within 25 years doesn’t go far enough fast enough and isn’t firm enough to protect our natural world. What we really need to stop tonnes of plastic clogging our oceans is bold leadership from Government with a willingness to legislate, and schemes like a Latte Levy on disposable coffee cups and a bottle deposit scheme.”

Spokesperson for Wales Green Party, Grenville Ham, said:

“Emily’s hard work on making Powys a leading plastic reducer illustrates the practical changes Greens can make when elected to local councils in Wales.

“Wales Green Party will campaign to expand the reach of ‘Plastic-Free Powys’ across Wales. The party is encouraging members and supporters to take the issue to their local council but it is important others get involved too. Clean seas and clean streets aren’t just a green issue, they are very much a local issue too. Wales Green Party will be arranging demonstrations in local communities across Wales throughout the spring 2018. This year will see us going from Plastic-Free Powys to Plastic-Free Wales.”

-----

* Motion being presented by Cllr Emily Durrant on 25th January 2018. Seconded by Cllr Bryn Davies.

The horrors of our addiction to plastic are now common-knowledge.  Plastic has an important place in our technological development and is in many ways an ingenious and revolutionary product.  Nonetheless, it is time for another plastic revolution.  It is time to ditch single-use plastic.  On being elected to the Council in May, I was horrified by the number of single use plastic cups and single use composite cups that are used by Members, staff and visitors on a daily basis.  The response to the recent ‘Plastic-free Powys’ campaign indicates that residents would likely be just as disappointed.

Will Members join me in asking that Council;

A)   Promote Powys as a major plastic reducer

B)   Develop a strategy to:

1.    Encourage staff and residents to:

a.     Carry refillable water bottles and, longer term, consider a water fountain in town centres where they can be refilled.

b.    Carry reusable coffee cups and to refuse single use coffee cups when offered  (for example, by placing a 5p charge on single use coffee cups in council run buildings is one idea)

c.     Avoid products with micro beads and to only flush paper down their loos. Not flushing wet wipes and cotton buds and disposable contact lenses down the loo would reduce plastic in the ocean and help the sewage system.

1. Encourage food and drinks outlets across the county to:

a.     Offer a biodegradable alternative and advertise a willingness to fill people's own cups

b.    Use paper and not plastic straws

Contact press@walesgreenparty.com for more information.

Emily Durrant, Wales Green Party’s County Councillor and a member of the Plaid-Cymru Green Group in Llangorse, Powys, is challenging her own Council to ditch single-use plastic within the local authority’s premises and in the local community.

• Emily will present a motion to Powys County Council on 25^th January 2018, asking the council to promote Powys as a major plastic reducer and device a strategy to encourage staff and residents to reduce their use of throwaway plastic drastically.

• Emily has also started a campaign ‘Plastic-Free Powys’ to end single-use plastic and challenge the amount of plastic packaging being used. The campaign continues its journey across the county, arriving at Llandrindod Wells Tesco on the 18th January at 2pm and Tesco in Newtown on 10th February at 11am. Shoppers will be removing their plastic at the till and handing it back to the duty manager. 

Locals across the county have joined the campaign and are starting to take action in supermarkets near them. 

The campaign comes at a time when the Government is setting targets for plastic reduction, but campaigners say the plans are not ambitious enough. Emily said: 

"Why wait until 2042 to eliminate 'avoidable' plastic waste? And what does that even mean?  It's too vague and will be too little, too late. There is a lot we can be doing locally to make a difference.  That's why I am proposing a motion* at the next meeting of Full Council, that asks Members to support two major actions:  that we promote Powys as a major plastic reducing council and; put a strategy together that will ensure a significant reduction in plastic usage."

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, said:

“Theresa May’s pledge to get rid of avoidable plastic waste within 25 years doesn’t go far enough fast enough and isn’t firm enough to protect our natural world. What we really need to stop tonnes of plastic clogging our oceans is bold leadership from Government with a willingness to legislate, and schemes like a Latte Levy on disposable coffee cups and a bottle deposit scheme.”

Spokesperson for Wales Green Party, Grenville Ham, said:

“Emily’s hard work on making Powys a leading plastic reducer illustrates the practical changes Greens can make when elected to local councils in Wales.

“Wales Green Party will campaign to expand the reach of ‘Plastic-Free Powys’ across Wales. The party is encouraging members and supporters to take the issue to their local council but it is important others get involved too. Clean seas and clean streets aren’t just a green issue, they are very much a local issue too. Wales Green Party will be arranging demonstrations in local communities across Wales throughout the spring 2018. This year will see us going from Plastic-Free Powys to Plastic-Free Wales.”

-----

* Motion being presented by Cllr Emily Durrant on 25th January 2018. Seconded by Cllr Bryn Davies.

The horrors of our addiction to plastic are now common-knowledge.  Plastic has an important place in our technological development and is in many ways an ingenious and revolutionary product.  Nonetheless, it is time for another plastic revolution.  It is time to ditch single-use plastic.  On being elected to the Council in May, I was horrified by the number of single use plastic cups and single use composite cups that are used by Members, staff and visitors on a daily basis.  The response to the recent ‘Plastic-free Powys’ campaign indicates that residents would likely be just as disappointed.

Will Members join me in asking that Council;

A)   Promote Powys as a major plastic reducer

B)   Develop a strategy to:

1.    Encourage staff and residents to:

a.     Carry refillable water bottles and, longer term, consider a water fountain in town centres where they can be refilled.

b.    Carry reusable coffee cups and to refuse single use coffee cups when offered  (for example, by placing a 5p charge on single use coffee cups in council run buildings is one idea)

c.     Avoid products with micro beads and to only flush paper down their loos. Not flushing wet wipes and cotton buds and disposable contact lenses down the loo would reduce plastic in the ocean and help the sewage system.

1. Encourage food and drinks outlets across the county to:

a.     Offer a biodegradable alternative and advertise a willingness to fill people's own cups

b.    Use paper and not plastic straws

Contact press@walesgreenparty.com for more information.

Green Party candidate calls for major investment in local rail services and cuts to local council services to be reversed

• Duncan Rees, campaigner and community activist, is Green Party’s prospective AM for Alyn and Deeside
• Duncan calls for major investment in local rail services in Alyn and Deeside and says that cuts to local services “endanger local democracy”.

Wales Green Party’s campaign for the upcoming Welsh Assembly by-election at Alyn and Deeside was launched on Friday evening (19^th January). Due to the tight schedule of the by-election, the launch was held for members and supporters of the party only.

Duncan Rees, the Green candidate for the assembly by-election on 6^th February, has previously worked for the Co-operative Group in its membership, PR and community team in Wales and prior to that in Merseyside. Before this, he worked as an education and campaigns officer for Oxfam in London. He has been active in the Fairtrade movement and was Chair of Fairtrade Wales at the time of Wales achieving Fairtrade nation status in 2008. Duncan is active locally in a range of voluntary organisations, such as the support group for Wrexham – Bidston railway line. Duncan has lived in Wrexham for 23 years and has been an active member of Wales Green Party since 2014.

Duncan’s assembly campaign highlights the need for the Wrexham – Bidston railway line to be electrified for the economic benefit of the constituency as well as questions the continuing cuts to the local council’s budget.

Duncan said:

“The Wrexham – Bidston line, which has six stations in the constituency, must be electrified. We acutely need new and faster trains, more coaches and at least doubling of the service frequency. This would provide better and vital commuting, business and leisure links to the rest of North East Wales and Merseyside. It is vital that Alyn and Deeside is well connected. Investing in the railway line now ensures that the residents are able to commute not just now but carry on doing so in the future, have more flexibility when seeking jobs and crucially, visitors can also travel to Alyn and Deeside, helping us develop tourism and other services. 

“As the National Assembly for Wales moves towards increased tax raising powers and greater responsibility for spending in Wales, its responsibility in funding local democracy will grow too. This makes the upcoming by-election very important to our community. With austerity and ongoing cuts from both Westminster and Cardiff, our parks and other leisure facilities, bus services, schools, libraries, bin collections and roads are increasing under threat. Local democracy risks becoming endangered.

“Figures obtained by the BBC from the Welsh government indicate that the main local authority in Alyn & Deeside, Flintshire county council, is due to make budget cuts of around 1% in 2018 / 19. Given rising costs, increased demand for services, and the need for investment, this means that areas like Alyn & Deeside will be hard hit. We need to act now to oppose these cuts! Should I be elected to represent Alyn and Deeside in the Welsh Assembly, I will work to ensure that the constituency gets the funding they need to future-proof the local community.” 

The leader of Wales Green Party, Grenville Ham said: “It is time for real change. Green Party elected representatives have time and again shown their practical value in getting things done in their wards and constituencies across the whole of the UK. Wales Green Party does not tell your representative how to represent you or how to vote on issues. We believe our candidates know their local community best - Duncan certainly does.” 

Wales Young Greens are thrilled to see a commitment by the Welsh Government to expand democracy here in Wales. The Welsh Government has drawn up plans that would give 16 and 17 year olds, as well as non-EU citizens residing in Wales the right to vote in the 2022 local elections.

Welsh Young Greens continues to push for the voting age to be lowered for all Welsh elections by 2021.

Andrew Creak, co-chair of Wales Young Greens said; “16 and 17 year olds can leave school, start their working lives, pay tax, join the military, get married and start a family, but they can not vote in the Welsh and UK governments' elections. It is clear to young people that our form of democracy is out of date and needs to catch up with modern society.”

Wales Young Greens support the call for the voting age to be lowered to 16, and publicly support the petition on the Welsh Assembly website calling for the voting age to be lowered.

“Plastic-Free Powys” is a campaign initiated by Wales Green Party County Councillor Emily Durrant (Llangors, Powys) which highlights the excessive packaging of food and other everyday items. The campaign encourages shoppers to leave plastic packaging at the till in supermarkets. 

Emily is a member of the Plaid Cymru-Green Group of councillors, who are working together to “paint Powys green” on a number of joined-up initiatives. 

On Saturday 10^th February the Plastic-Free Powys campaign attended Tesco in Newtown. Participating shoppers removed any plastic wrapping of the items they bought, handing it back to the duty manager. The campaign has proposed a meeting with Tesco to think of ways to reduce waste in all Tesco supermarkets in Wales together. 

Emily said: “It was encouraging to speak with the Manager on duty on Saturday. We have proposed a meeting to think of ways to push our campaign further together and reduce plastic waste in all Tesco supermarkets in Wales. The staff at Newtown Tesco were very sympathetic and we would like to thank them for their assistance. It has also been encouraging to see that Plastic-Free Powys is a campaign so many people are willing to support with their time by coming along to our action days.”

“As a member of the Plaid-Cymru Green coalition at Powys County Council, I am working together with Plaid Cymru councillors to make Powys a major plastic reducer. It is important to work together to get things done. Together we will paint Powys green!”

Emily is bringing a motion to make Powys a major plastic reducer to the Full Council on 8^th March.

I am very happy to be here today on behalf of the Wales Green Party, continuing the strong tradition we have speaking against racism and inequality. 

You may ask why a white European girl is on this platform at an anti-racism demonstration. I was asking that myself. Then I remembered – Brexit happened. I thought I had to say something.

There has been A LOT OF TALK about Brexit lately.

And hate crime.

And too many migrants.

But it really is a discussion about how some are seen not as deserving or not as valuable as others.

Myself - I can barely have a constructive discussion about Brexit – because I feel that people who are younger than me are going to suffer from the whole thing so much more than others, and I worry that they will grow up into a world that isn’t as inclusive and progressive as mine was.

That we are potentially giving up rights that benefit us all is a huge cause of concern. That is what Freedom of Movement is, it is a right.

The Green Party demand a ratification referendum on Brexit. The first referendum was the start, not the end, of the democratic process and it is right that people should have a say on the final deal. It is a chance for you to hold on to your right to participate in the democratic process.

And, migration benefits economies and people, migrants boost our economies across Europe including Britain. We create jobs and we start businesses, we work for our communities. Being made a scapegoat of everything that is wrong, there are migrants who have suffered not just verbal abuse, but physical. Those who suffer from structural inequalities (eg. Not getting a job because their name sounds foreign) are not as visible, but this is equally important.

I could say a thing or two about the Green Party policy on migration, why it is important to have all sorts of different migrants with different skill sets from different places and not just the ones that attract a high salary but I do have a limited time and what I really want to say is this:

We can make this conversation about Brexit count. Fight against what is happening, but as importantly, use your voice to challenge the racist and inflammatory sentiments that have always been there, that have now become more visible. We can only fight against something that we can actually see.

So, whilst it looks like Brexit is taking us backwards -and that is a real danger - it is up to us – if we can expand this movement against racism and intolerance - the chances are that we will end up going forward.

It is up to us, me, you, your friends and maybe even your neighbours to make this country a better place for all.  

Do we want a divided society? 

Do we want a divide between people who voted for Brexit and the people who didn’t ?
Do we want a divide between people who feel they are European and those who don’t?

And Do we want a divide between people who ARE European, those who are from other places, and those who are British?

If that is a no, then we need to start talking.

We can all educate each other. About why migration is important, why racism does not stand a ground, why no one is better than the other. And it is a job that will never be finished.  

The Greens will continue to work with Stand Up to Racism to say no to racism in all its forms and speak for the benefits of a multicultural society!

Thank you! 

Powys County Council has reported new figures, which reveal the organisation pays men 10.72% more than it pays women. Green Party County Councillor Emily Durrant said;

“This is a depressing statistic that reveals the truth behind the state of gender equality. Progress towards equality is far too slow. It upsets me to think of all the hard working women in our Council who are being short-changed every day of their work lives. It is equivalent to a woman putting her hand in her own pocket and paying the men in her team at the end of every day for doing the same job.”

Cllr. Emily Durrant
Tel. 07976 928 077

The Wales Green Party are extremely concerned that the majority of the AMs appeared unmoved by the concerns of thousands of people regarding the dumping of mud from a nuclear site into waters close to Cardiff Bay yesterday. 

Grenville Ham, leader of the Wales Green Party, said: 

“Wales is now a dumping ground for England’s toxic, radioactive waste from Hinkley. The valid concerns of thousands of people have been waived off as scaremongering. We are not a dumping ground for multinational corporations but are shamefully treated as such by both the Welsh Labour and the Tories. I have no doubt that the lobbyists from the big energy companies have been working away in the background, doing their best to make sure that the white elephant of the Hinkley C goes ahead at the expense of the Welsh democracy. Well, it looks like they are succeeding, and at a great cost to the Welsh public.”

He added: “The great irony is that this year is the Year of the Sea, celebrated across Wales, and all we’ll have to show for it is 300,000 tonnes of potentially toxic sludge getting dumped just off Cardiff Bay. Our Tidal Lagoons are hanging on the whim of a disinterested Westminster. What our representatives in the Senedd fail to understand is that not only is the testing on the mud insufficient, but that there is the wider cumulative issue of dumping waste in the oceans. Our oceans are dying, yet Wales continues to allow waste and excrement being pumped into our rivers from poultry factory farms, and massive amounts of plastic are being dumped into our oceans too. None of this is in line with the Wellbeing of the Future Generations Act and I am shocked and sad to see that EDF’s interests have overridden those of ours and our children’s.”

Find the story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-44223979

For further information, please contact press@walesgreenparty.com

Green Party deputy leader Amelia Womack has welcomed the decision from Tidal Lagoon Power to respond to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy with the release of a full audit of their finances [1].

Womack, who visited the proposed site of the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon yesterday [2], felt that the audit was a clear sign that the company were willing to conduct their business transparently and proof that the project made financial sense.

Womack said:

“This project makes complete financial sense, especially compared to the nuclear plant on Anglesey and it is great to see Tidal Lagoon Power making that case. It continues to baffle that the Westminster Government are seemingly fully behind the Wyfla plant despite all the questions surrounding it.

“It’s not too late to scrap the Wyfla plant and back a cleaner and cheaper solution to Wales’ energy future.”

[1] http://www.tidallagoonpower.com/news/2018/07/10/beis-statement-tidal-lagoons-designed-mislead/

[2] https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2018/07/09/womack-westminster-must-back-the-tidal-lagoon/

Some Green Party Members in Wales have gone beyond the every day activities of standing in elections and trying to win votes; they have helped to set up a Community Benefit Society, got planning permission to erect a wind turbine, bought one, yes, a wind turbine, and are now ready to share all the benefits with anyone who cares enough to invest a small sum of money (or a large one).

About Grannell Community Energy: Lindsay Thomas and Elly Foster (Ceredigion Green Party) set up Grannell Community Energy (GCE) in 2015 to promote green energy projects. GCE subsequently acquired from a local wind turbine developer, Seren Energy, the rights to a turbine site once planning permission was obtained. On the way they had enormous help from a number of organisations who are experts in this field. Amongst these is a small social enterprise in Shrewsbury called Sharenergy where Leila Kiersch and Jeremy Thorp (both from Montgomeryshire Green Party) made sure the project would be financially viable and that all the technical and administrative elements are in place. Leila has since joined Lindsay and Elly on the Board of Directors (as have Jane O'Brien, Guy Hopwood and Brian Mark), whilst Jeremy is the main contact person for the Share Offer that was launched at the end of June 2018.

Our Turbine: Due to the Westminster Government's lack of enthusiasm for wind turbines, financial help in the form of Feed in Tariffs (FiT's), our project can only go ahead with a second hand turbine. We found a brilliant one in The Netherlands. It's 9 years old, has a fantastic service record, and is in a very good condition. We have funds in our budget to refurbish it to an extremely high standard. It is an Enercon E48, 74m to tip with a 48m blade diameter. It could generate 800KW but it is to be de-rated to 500KW due to constraints on the national grid. It is currently in storage and will be transported to the site once the site is ready.

The Site: Ceredigion is one of the least known counties of Wales. It is north of Pembrokeshire and south of Snowdonia. It has hills, Cardigan Bay, two universities and farms full of sheep. Many communities are poor with much of its rural housing stock in dire need of upgrading to sustainable standards. It is in the middle of Ceredigion, on top of a flat-topped hill, on Ffrwd Farm, in the centre of a Welsh-speaking community, that we have planning permission to erect this one turbine. The family who own Ffrwd Farm are in total support. In meetings held in nearby village halls we have received warm welcomes. Many farmers regard renewable energy projects as a good way to diversify.

How to Join: This project is one that all Green Party members throughout the UK should wish to join. By becoming a member, through buying shares, not only do you support this small Welsh community and of course help to create just one more renewable energy project, you also stand to receive a fair return on your investment (projected to be 5%). Please go and find our website which is GrannellCoop.org.uk and is available on the Wales Green Party website: WalesGreenParty.com.

We look forward to welcoming you as a member.