Welsh Green Pride and the Wales Green Party have succeeded in securing a review of the blood donation ban which currently affects gay and bisexual men, and women with bisexual partners. Wales Green Party Leader Pippa Bartolotti and Welsh Green Pride Organiser Adam Smith met with Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Chris Jones, and policy leads for All Blood Service Wales and Organ Donation Service in Wales last Friday 4^th September.

The meeting invitation came from Mark Drakeford, Minister for Health and Social Services, following an online petition from Welsh Greens. Bartolotti and Smith asked for a review on the current ban which excludes any LGBTIQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex & Queer) people who have had sexual relations in the past 12 months from donating blood.

Adam Smith, Welsh Green Pride Organiser, has been strongly campaigning to reduce or remove the discriminatory blood ban.

Smith said, “During the campaign we received a clear message. Almost everyone we spoke to confirmed that there was an urgent need to review this blood ban. There has been a massive 40% decline in blood donations, and every drop counts.

“We attended this meeting with the hope of a review, especially now with advances in technology and research. New medical research has found us a cure for Hepatitis C, and new HIV test kits can show up infection in only 4 weeks. So far these tests are only available in Scotland and England. “

Dr Chris Jones welcomed the following recommendations that were put forward by Welsh Green Pride: 

1) That gay, bisexual men or women with bisexual partners who wish to donate blood are tested for HIV and Hepatitis C. The results will decide if they can or cannot donate blood.

2) Making these tests available to potential donors will allow for more timely treatment for those affected.

3) That every case is dealt with individually, taking into account that most gay and bisexual men have protected sex.

4) That the ban is reduced to three months, in line with National Aids Trust recommendations. This will confirm that the Welsh Government is listening to the LGBTIQ+ community, while still putting health first.

The Deputy Chief Medical Officer agreed to a review of the blood ban and will ask the Committee for the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) to consider the Welsh Green Pride recommendations, which will also be put to the Health Minister.

The Minister stated in a letter: “I want to ensure that as many people as possible are able to donate blood to meet the demand from patients. As I have said in correspondence with Assembly Members I, personally, share the belief that the current blood donation rules may be out of date and in need of revision. I certainly agree that the system must be free of judgemental and discriminatory decision making.”

Members of the Green Party were yesterday shown around Solcer House near Bridgend, the new energy positive dwelling built to create more energy than it uses.

Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party leader said, “This is not the house of the future, this is the house for right now. People still think that minimal energy houses are unattainable, or expensive, or impossible, but this building proves that all new houses can be built from local materials, can be beautifully insulated little power plants, and be as affordable as social housing homes.

The components of the house are built almost entirely from readily available technologies, utilizing Welsh manufacturers, Welsh materials, and Welsh installers. These low carbon systems have been designed to be affordable and can readily be built by local developers.

Prof Phil Jones, Welsh School of Architecture, said “I am very happy to welcome the Green Party to this new development which will, when rolled out across the country, make a big impact on reducing our C02 emissions as well as taking many people out of fuel poverty. 

“Universities in Wales are working very hard to bring on stream carbon reduction technologies, and this house brings together a diverse range of low carbon energy research – all quite literally under one roof. We are very happy that the Greens in Wales are helping to promote home grown, low energy construction.”

The Wales Green Party leader added, “We have the power to raise building standards in Wales, and we urgently need the Welsh Government to use this power to both keep in line with our pledge to reduce carbon emissions, and to take a massive stride in taking people out of fuel poverty. 

“ Most people think they have to stomach ever increasing fuel bills in order to be comfortable and warm, but that is no longer the case. There is a choice. Zero fuel bills are possible, now.

“I ask the First Minister to urgently take on board carbon positive housebuilding and house renovation. Wales has the chance to break away from the broken promises of the Westminster regime and embrace low energy construction so that we can reduce our energy usage and our bills.”

With Prof Phil Jones were Martyn Popham and Neil Tapper from Cenin Renewables Ltd, producers of low carbon cement; Anthony Slaughter, Gareth Brenton and John Rimmington from Wales Green Party.

Our congratulations to Jeremy Corbyn for his historic win in the Labour leadership elections. We are glad to see that Labour finally has an authentic person to carry them forward.

However, Corbyn isn’t Green, he may be ‘old’ Labour, but times have moved on, and the future is not well represented by the past.

In an era when the security that citizens need should come simply from being citizens, not from their jobs, the Green Party works for the fundamentally egalitarian measure of introducing an unconditional Citizens Income, which we would set at a level sufficient to ensure that the poorest benefitted. Greens stand for the security of every citizen, not a return to the old days of heavy labour, polluting coal mines, dirty energy and terrible health. No-one in Wales wants to see the return of dirty jobs and disability. What we do want to see is a return of strong communities, and only the Green party is working to protect and enhance our rural communities, and value them for the goods and services they provide for us all.

Unlike a Corbyn led Labour party, the Green Party does not see an environmentally costly building programme as the solution to our needs. We would ensure that people are removed from fuel poverty, and the existing housing stock better used, properly insulated and retro fitted so that as many houses as possible create more energy than they use. We would control rents and discourage the purchase of housing primarily as an investment; and provide affordable homes built to the highest low energy standards.

 ‘Corbynomics’ is an economics based on labour and capital. Greens underline that such outdated approaches have not come to terms with the fundamental planetary boundaries we are facing, and completely ignore the centrality of land and its fundamental importance as a provider of food and biodiversity. We are at a turning point in human history, and Corbyn’s lack of ecological joined-up thinking is not going to help us overcome the challenges of climate change and rising seas already being experienced in Wales

We acknowledge Jeremy Corbyn has many virtues, and we look forward to working together with him on issues of common ground such as the abolition of Trident, bringing essential services back into public ownership, and scrapping the bedroom tax. However, like Tony Blair and George Osborne and many more he is thoroughly in hock to the outdated fetish for economic growth based on debt.

Greens need to press forward with the debate on Monetary Reform, Land Value tax and Proportional Representation. Greens need to fight harder than ever to end polluting energy supplies and the depletion of our soils. To leave our society and our planet fit for future generations is our goal, and Corbyn, sadly, will bring us no nearer that goal.

The case for the Green Party is stronger than ever.

Swansea’s campaign to welcome 20 Syrian refugee families has gained huge momentum over recent weeks. This Saturday, representatives from diverse communities will show their support for Syrian refugees fleeing war. The rally will take place on Saturday 19th September, Castle Square, Swansea Centre at 1.30 pm. The rally follows more than three months lobbying by the Swansea Citizens Group and the Group leader Dr Nada Najar who is originally from Syria, has herself been affected by the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

The Swansea Citizens Group works across political parties and organisations for the common good of this country and for humanitarian causes. The rally will welcome speakers including Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party;  Peter Black AM, Liberal Democrat; Edwina Hart AM, Labour; Bethan Jenkins AM, Plaid Cymru; and Christine Richard, deputy leader of Swansea Council.

Pippa Bartolotti said: “When I stayed in Syria in 2010 it was a thriving self-sufficient country of well educated people and a huge middle class. No-one wanted to leave then. Now, men, women and children, the disabled, the rich, and the poor are leaving in their hundreds of thousands. These are refugees from the most savage of civil wars.  In Wales we can offer safety, security and kindness. Supporting Nada’s campaign to have 20 Syrian families brought to Swansea may look like a tiny gesture, but for those 20 families it will mean everything. I urge Local Authorities across Wales to open their arms to those in their greatest hour of need.”

The Green Party are helping to spread the campaign across Wales. Other local organisations supporting the event including 38 degrees, Regional Equality council, Unity and Diversity Asylum Seekers support Groups, Oxfam, Global Justice, Swansea City of Sanctuary, Stand Up to Racism amongst others.

This rally is a reaction to the central government response to the humanitarian crisis of the Syrian refugees. The conflicts in Syria have created an unprecedented refugee crisis in the Middle East. There are now more than 4 million refugees from Syria – greater than the total population of Wales!

Swansea has been a designated ‘City of Sanctuary’ since 2010, with 170 organisations including the Local Authority and ABMU Health Board signed up to ensure that Swansea is a welcoming place for people fleeing persecution and war. 

In response to the Westminster Government cancelling the introduction of the Zero Carbon Homes policy, Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party Leader, has called on Councils around Wales to specify ‘Carbon Positive’ design standards for all homes built on all Council owned land, and as a condition of sale of any Council land sold for housebuilding.

Chancellor George Osborne announced in July that he will be withdrawing a commitment to improve the energy efficiency standards of new homes by cancelling a scheduled improvement in Building Regulations.  This has received widespread condemnation from both businesses and consumer groups, who have asked the Chancellor to reverse his decision.

Speaking for Wales Green Party, Pippa Bartolotti condemned the dropping of these proposed higher energy efficiency standards and urged the Welsh Government to grasp the controls of Building Regulations and take as many people out of fuel poverty as possible.

Bartolotti said, “Local Councils have the responsibility to build houses to the highest standards, and they can do that right now for the same budget as is currently used for social housing.

“The high fuel bills people in Wales are facing are once again being ignored.

“For people on low incomes moving into new Social Housing, abandoning the Zero Carbon Homes policy will mean they are now more likely to suffer fuel poverty and be faced with the difficult choice of whether to eat or heat their homes.

“We are being locked into energy wasteful building standards for many years to come.  Nearly 10 years of highly skilled work by building professionals preparing for the new Zero Carbon Homes standards has been wasted by George Osborne’s back-tracking on what was believed to be a firm Government commitment”.

Wales Green Party is now calling for local Councils to specify ‘Carbon Positive’ standards on all new homes and buildings.

On a visit last week to the Solcer House near Bridgend, the first carbon positive house in Wales,  built under the supervision of Prof. Phil Jones of Cardiff University School of Architecture, The Wales leader said;

“This simple and cost-effective solution to both Fuel Poverty and Climate Change really needs to be adopted by Local Authorities around Wales.  Solcer House has created a new affordable building standard for Wales, and there is no reason why Councils cannot decide to specify this on their own land, instead of the depressingly predictable and unambitious standards locking yet another generation into fuel poverty.

All local councillors are committed to ending Fuel Poverty and to strengthening Local Government, Wales Green Party is calling for a cross-party campaign to introduce ‘Carbon Positive’ standards by all Local Authorities in Wales.

Chancellor George Osborne has announced that the UK will guarantee a £2bn deal under which China will invest in the Hinkley Point nuclear power station.

This has come at the same time as he is cutting subsidies for wind and solar energy.

Wales Green Party said today that any new nuclear build would inevitably produce more toxic waste, and as yet scientists have not found a solution to stabilise the radioactive waste, some of which remains active for millions of years.

Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party leader said: “No local authority wants this waste, the government have not found a solution, and it will haunt generations to come.

“The arguments against nuclear increase with every new fact. The cost is likely to be fixed at twice the going rate for electricity, the installations will be near the sea, which is rising all the time, and the inability to design a safe reactor has held up the building of new reactors right across Europe. No one has dared to factor in the decommissioning costs, which will run into many billions of pounds for the taxpayer.

“True safety and security will only come from our own home grown energy. Job creation in the renewable energy sector far outweighs the jobs in nuclear. In Germany already 370,000 jobs have been created in the renewable sector. The University of Massachusetts estimates that the green economy creates 300 percent more jobs than fossil fuels.”

The Green Party periodically reviews its position on nuclear energy, and remains emphatically against using nuclear build. 

Chancellor George Osborne has announced that the UK will guarantee a £2bn deal under which China will invest in the Hinkley Point nuclear power station.

This has come at the same time as he is cutting subsidies for wind and solar energy.

Wales Green Party said today that any new nuclear build would inevitably produce more toxic waste, and as yet scientists have not found a solution to stabilise the radioactive waste, some of which remains active for millions of years.

Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party leader said: “No local authority wants this waste, the government have not found a solution, and it will haunt generations to come.

“The arguments against nuclear increase with every new fact. The cost is likely to be fixed at twice the going rate for electricity, the installations will be near the sea, which is rising all the time, and the inability to design a safe reactor has held up the building of new reactors right across Europe. No one has dared to factor in the decommissioning costs, which will run into many billions of pounds for the taxpayer.

“True safety and security will only come from our own home grown energy. Job creation in the renewable energy sector far outweighs the jobs in nuclear. In Germany already 370,000 jobs have been created in the renewable sector. The University of Massachusetts estimates that the green economy creates 300 percent more jobs than fossil fuels.”

The Green Party periodically reviews its position on nuclear energy, and remains emphatically against using nuclear build. 

Natalie Bennett announces candidate expected to be the first Green Assembly Member

Green Party Leader, Natalie Bennett, has today announced the lead list candidate for the Mid & West Wales National Assembly for Wales elections. Speaking at an anti-austerity event in Aberystwyth, Bennett revealed Alice Hooker-Stroud as the candidate who will be leading a prominent campaign for the Green Party in Mid & West Wales.

Bennett said: “Next year's Welsh elections are a great chance to elect our first Assembly members. Wales needs Greens to offer a fresh approach to the stale old politics that is failing to deliver for the common good. Our combined economic, social and economic crises need green solutions such as warm, comfortable, affordable to heat homes that end fuel poverty and reduce illness, create jobs and cut carbon emissions. We need an energy supply built on community-owned renewables, not the 20th-century dinosaur of expensive, foreign-owned nuclear. And we want affordable, reliable, convenient public transport serving rural and urban areas - publicly owned trains and publicly controlled buses, run for the good of passengers not shareholders."

Hooker-Stroud, lead candidate for Mid & West Wales, works for the campaigning organisation Global Justice Now, and previously co-ordinated the Zero Carbon Britain project Centre for Alternative Technology, campaigning for a radical zero-emissions economy for the UK.

Hooker-Stroud said: “The Green Party is a voice for a better future. I think people are tired of unnecessary cuts and of politicians not taking environmental issues seriously. We stand a very real chance of winning Assembly seats and I think voters are ready to hear people speaking out with fair and real solutions.”

"The Green Party has answers to many of the problems faced by Mid and West Wales. We can create secure jobs, and can build affordable sustainable homes. We can save the NHS and local schools. These are all things I will fight for in the Assembly."

Wales Green Party Leader, Pippa Bartolotti said: “We hope to win three seats in next year’s election, to give Greens the voice in the Assembly that Wales so desperately needs. Now that Alice will be leading our campaign in Mid & West, I have no doubt that our hope will be fulfilled there.”

The three other list candidates in Mid & West Wales are: Grenville Ham, Pippa Pemberton and Frances Bryant. The Green Party has also announced Lisa Rapado as lead list candidate for South Wales West. South Wales Central, South Wales East and North Wales lists will be announced shortly. It also aims to stand a full slate across constituencies. The Green Party will be campaigning on its core messages of protecting the environment and fighting inequality, using the strapline ‘For People, For Planet, For Wales’.

The Green Party has launched a Crowdfunder campaign to raise funds to support its activities: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/greens-for-wales

2016 promises to be the year for Wales Green Party. We have the people, the supporters and the potential. Can you help us win seats in the Assembly elections by donating £25, or whatever you can afford, to fund candidate deposits and leaflets across Wales?

Mae’n debygol mai 2016 fydd y flwyddyn i Blaid Werdd Cymru. Mae’r bobl gennym, mae’r cefnogwyr gennym, ynghyd â’r potensial. Allwch chi ein helpu i ennill seddau yn etholiadau’r Cynulliad trwy gyfrannu £25, neu beth bynnag y gallwch ei fforddio, i ariannu blaendaliadau i’r ymgeiswyr a thaflenni ledled Cymru?

Yesterday the UN’s chief scientist gave a damning report on the UK’s current energy policies of abandoning clean energy in favour of fossil fuels.

Prof Jacquie McGlade said the UK appeared to have abandoned its leadership on climate change, while 150 other nations, including Scotland, were making unprecedented pledges to shift towards clean energy.

Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party leader said “Wales does not have to follow the UK government in this perverse move away from renewable energy. In fact Wales could lead the way. With our incredible renewable energy resources, Wales could and should be harnessing clean energy. We can cut fuel bills and reduce illness caused from pollution. It is time for immediate action”

The Wales Green Party is urging the Welsh Government to put a clear line of clean green energy between Wales and England. In the run up to the Paris climate change talks Wales can demonstrate real independence by building to low carbon standards, and by supporting our green industries.

The Wales leader added “It is very sad that the Westminster government is not listening to the experts, but Wales does not have to follow. We did not follow England on badger culls, and the results have shown that vaccination is the better way forward. We should not follow on fossil fuels. The way forward for Wales is renewables.”

Wales Green Party Leader, Pippa Bartolotti, expressed concerns over the move by UK Government to reserve consent granting on nuclear power generation and onshore wind farms, amongst other issues.

Bartolotti said:

“The Draft Wales Bill presented today is not fooling anyone. The UK Government are not offering increased powers or clarity, and it is already clear that the debate will not end here.

“Without exaggeration, we can say that the UK Government has just given us sewage - the power to intervene in the case of 'serious adverse impact on sewerage services'. Wales can now set our own speed limits, but with this Bill the English Conservative party has decided the speed limit for Welsh devolution should be decreased.

“Welsh Greens welcomed the move to reserved powers, until we saw no fewer than 34 pages of 'Reserved Matters'.  This Bill does not give Wales parity with Scotland or Northern Ireland, and the Conservatives have yet to explain why they feel the people of Wales do not deserve this. Wales Green Party had hoped for a Bill that would have helped move the  devolution debate in the direction of a federal Britain and a fair settlement for all four of the UK's nations.

“We welcome the fact the Welsh Government will have more say in energy generation, though the Conservatives have, unsurprisingly, reserved the right to endanger our people and planet by building more heavily subsidised nuclear power stations.

“Appallingly, the Bill reserves consenting powers for onshore wind farms. This is a blatant politicisation of our energy generation mix, and a further setback to the UK renewable industry, which was already looking to Wales as a potential new home for its investment and jobs following the gleeful cuts to subsidies by the Conservatives.

“Yet Welsh Greens know that you cannot simply build a few more renewables and declare the job done on climate change. Future Welsh Governments will need real freedom to shape our homes, communities, transport, and public services around building an environmental legacy we can truly be proud of.

“Instead we have a Bill that hands the Welsh Government an excuse for five more years of poor delivery.

“Less than seven percent of the Welsh population wants to see a National Assembly for Wales with fewer powers, but the Wales Bill in its current form does exactly that. 14 of the 19 acts passed during this Assembly would not have been possible under the Bill presented today.

“With this Bill, the UK Government is tightening the leash, and only paying lip service to more local decision making.

“Welsh Greens will add our voices to those calling for a Bill which reflects the true appetite for more devolution, and for a greener future for Wales.”

The announcement today by President Xi Jinping to invest in the construction of a nuclear reactor at Hinkley Point in Somerset lacks detail.

Greens are concerned that there is no accompanying announcement defining what will be done with the radioactive waste created at the plant. The UK government had hoped to store nuclear waste underground in Cumbria, but an outcry from residents caused the Council to reject this plan. There remains no solution to the storage of nuclear waste.

Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party leader said, ”Hinkley C, on the coast of North Somerset is just 20 miles from Barry in South Wales. Volatile radioactive waste will be stored at this site indefinitely. It is a violation of natural law to create a process which produces a waste product so toxic that it remains a dangerous legacy for 50 generations and more.

“If it was not for the vile side product of nuclear weapons, this process would never have been condoned in the first place."

Last year Chinese investments in the UK totalled $8bn. This year it has been just $1.8bn. The Green Party is concerned that this nuclear deal is a blind grab at investment for investment’s sake, and has not been properly thought through.

Bartolotti added, “It is frightening enough that we are being locked into a form of energy which is not sustainable, but the emerging financial picture is almost as bad. Ordinary households are going to have to pay more than twice the market price for nuclear energy, and that’s just the beginning. No decommissioning costs have been factored into this deal. It is expected that once again the taxpayer will foot the bill for the billions of pounds needed to make the site safe at the end of its 30 year life.

“Chancellor Osborne has panicked. His track record on the economy is not good, and he is losing his nerve as Chinese investments in the UK shrink. Osborne is prepared to trade the human rights of thousands of political prisoners, and the safety of millions of Britons, for a few billion pounds.”

It has been announced this week that members of the Wales Green Party have voted in female candidates to lead four of the five Assembly election regional lists. Once again the Greens are leading the way in female representation and diversity. 

The four candidates are Lisa Rapado, Alice Hooker-Stroud, Amelia Womack and Pippa Bartolotti.

Some have predicted the Green Party could be the surprise package in next May’s election following their recent surge.

Lisa Rapado, a Welsh speaker who grew up in Skewen, Neath and currently lives in Cwmtwrch, has been selected to lead the Green Party campaign for South West Wales. Lisa was a shop steward at the Lucas SEI factory, and her most recent political success came when she led a successful campaign stop the closure of every primary school based specialist unit within the county of Powys.

Lisa Rapado said “I chose to stand for the Green Party because its policies match so many of my own personal beliefs: I believe in an NHS that is free for all and free from privatisation; free education for all; good, affordable housing for all, not just the few; transport that is accessible to all and run for the good of the people, not for profit; and that there should be no such thing as fuel poverty in a developed country like our own."

Alice Hooker-Stroud, the lead list candidate for Mid and West Wales currently works with the campaigning organisation Global Justice Now. Previously, she co-ordinated the Zero Carbon Britain project at the Centre for Alternative Technology, campaigning for a radical zero-emissions economy for the UK. Alice was born and brought up in mid Wales, and lives in Machynlleth. 

“I think people are tired of unnecessary cuts and of politicians not taking environmental issues seriously. We stand a very real chance of winning Assembly seats next year, and I think voters are ready to hear people speaking out with fair and real solutions.”

 "The Green Party has answers to many of the problems faced by Mid and West Wales. We can create secure jobs, and can build affordable sustainable homes. We can save the NHS and local schools. These are all things I will fight for in the Assembly."

Amelia Womack is Co-Deputy leader for the England and Wales Green Party, and is the youngest person in a leadership position of any UK political party.

Amelia, who has been selected to be the lead Regional List candidate for South Wales Central, said “I will be working tirelessly to tackle the growing inequalities in Wales, campaigning on issues that affect young people and ensuring we protect our environment for future generations. “

Pippa Bartolotti is Leader of the Wales Green Party, constituency candidate for Newport West and lead candidate for the Greens in the South Wales East regional list. Known as a radical political speaker, Bartolotti said, “Newport needs a change, Wales needs a change. Voting Greens into the National Assembly for Wales will shake up this tired Cardiff Bay regime and inject some fire and determination into progressive policies which will put people and planet at the top of the agenda. Our aim is to lift this country out of the languishing poverty forced upon it.” 

In terms of elected representation in Wales, gender balance has worsened since the highs of 2003. Wales now has fewer women Assembly Members, fewer women in the Cabinet, and fewer women Council Leaders than we did ten years ago. Greens, as usual are continuing to lead the way in female representation across the political board.

Chris Were has been returned as the Green Party's candidate in Monmouth for the 2016 elections to the National Assembly of Wales, as well as a list candidate in the South Wales East region.

Chris said, “Welsh politics lacks young people and new ideas. We're not short of problems here in Wales but, with my background in diagnosing problems and finding solutions in software, I intend to bring those skills to the Senedd.

The polls are predicting Greens to win seats in the next National Assembly government and by voting for, and sending Greens to represent you, we can hold other politicians to account and make sure that promises made by fellow progressives from other parties are kept.

Greens in Wales including myself unapologetically demand real action on climate change and protecting the Welsh environment. We demand the protection and restoration of our civil rights which have been, and continue to be, drastically eroded under previous governments. We demand real equality and social justice and we will make sure that the next assembly government is a government for every single person in this country.

As your Green candidate I intend my campaign to be one of honesty and respect to other candidates and to the electorate. I really don't like that in today's culture it's considered 'good politics' to dumb down political messaging, and that is something I refuse to do.”

Chris Were has enjoyed living in Monmouth for most of his life. He works as an open-source software and online video consultant, working with individuals and businesses from around the world.

The Wales Green Party has announced that Pippa Bartolotti has been selected to stand for Newport West in the forthcoming elections for the National Assembly for Wales.

Bartolotti has also been selected as the lead Regional List candidate for South East Wales. This means voters in Newport will have the chance to vote Green on both their ballot papers in the Assembly elections.

Known as a plain speaking politician, Pippa said, “I am standing for election because like so many others I am tired of politics as usual. I want a political party that actually listens, engages, and stands up for people like you and me. I will work for a sustainable, cleaner, healthier Newport, and help our small businesses to thrive. A Green vote is a vote for Newport.”

Bartolotti has been Leader of Wales Green Party since 2011 and her tenure is completed at the end of this year.

“It has been an immense honour to have led the party over this period of unprecedented growth. The Wales Green Party is almost 10 times bigger than it was 5 years ago. But now I can give all my time to Newport and South East Wales. Newport needs a change. Wales needs a change. It is time to shake up this tired Cardiff Bay regime and inject some fire and determination into politics which will put people and planet at the top of the agenda.”

Asked what the highlight of her time as leader was, Bartolotti said, “The Wales Leader Debates were the icing on the cake for me. This was our first opportunity to put a Green point of view to a Wales wide audience on TV, and the feedback has been wonderfully positive.

The Wales Green Party is now a serious contender for Assembly seats in Wales and are confident that May 2016 will see a Green presence in the Senedd for the first time.

The new Leader of the Wales Green Party will be announced shortly before Christmas.

Six Months to National Assembly Elections - Wales Green Party More Prepared Than Ever Before

With the National Assembly of Wales elections now just six months away, the Wales Green Party has said it is in a better state of preparedness than it has been for any previous election campaign.

With the appointment of a Development Officer, a Communications Officer and a Campaign Manager the party intends to run its most professional campaign to date.

For the first time ever the party plans to contest every constituency seat in Wales, while also providing five regional lists for consideration. The selection process is now about 80% complete.

In the coming weeks the Wales Green Party will be making a number of announcements that will underline the seriousness to which the party is committing to this campaign.

 The National Assembly of Wales is the last major political institution on these islands to elect a Green representative to inform its debates.


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Chwe Mis i fynd tan Etholiadau’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol – mae Plaid Werdd Cymru’n fwy parod nag erioed 

Gydag etholiadau Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru’n cael eu cynnal ymhen chwe mis, mae Plaid Werdd Cymru wedi dweud ei bod mewn sefyllfa well ac yn fwy parod nag a fu mewn unrhyw ymgyrch etholiadol flaenorol.

Yn sgil penodi Swyddog Datblygu, Swyddog Cyfathrebu a Rheolwr Ymgyrch, mae’r blaid yn bwriadu cynnal ei hymgyrch fwyaf proffesiynol hyd yma.

Am y tro cyntaf erioed mae’r blaid yn bwriadu ymgeisio ar gyfer pob etholaeth yng Nghymru, yn ogystal â darparu pum rhestr ranbarthol i’w hystyried ar gyfer yr etholiad. Mae’r broses ddethol tua 80% yn gyflawn.

Yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf bydd Plaid Werdd Cymru’n gwneud nifer o gyhoeddiadau a fydd yn pwysleisio pa mor ddifrifol y mae’r blaid wedi ymrwymo i’r ymgyrch hon.

Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru yw’r sefydliad gwleidyddol mawr olaf ar yr ynysoedd hyn i ethol cynrychiolydd o’r Blaid Werdd i gyfrannu at ei drafodaethau.

Pippa Bartolotti, Leader of Wales Green Party, is supporting a charity calling to make Wales a nation that walks more.

Living Streets Cymru and its supporters want the Welsh Government to prioritise and fund walking and launched their manifesto at the Senedd on Wednesday 4th November. The charity wants to see adequate investment and commitment made to the Welsh Active Travel Act and the ambitions set out in the Active Travel Action Plan to increase the number of children walking to school.

Pippa Bartolotti, at the launch of Living Streets Cymru Wales Manifesto, said:
“It’s way past time for making our streets safer for children and adults alike. I would like to see the Welsh Government making a bold statement and putting up road signs in residential areas saying “Children can play anywhere”. If they can do it in Germany, we can do it in Wales. The dominance of the car has decimated our communities for too long.”

Living Streets supporters in Wales say that the Welsh Government should fund walking as a priority (over 70 per cent) and pavement parking is the number one concern for Welsh pedestrians, with 89 per cent of respondents in a Living Streets survey demanding the laws on pavement parking be clarified in Wales. 

Rachel Maycock, Living Streets Director (Wales) said:
“It’s fantastic to receive support for our manifesto from all those who attended its launch this week. We want the Welsh Government to listen to the people of Wales and address the concerns we know they have by ending unauthorised pavement parking and making 20 mph standard in all towns and cities.

 “In Wales only 31 per cent of people are doing the recommended 30 minutes of daily physical exercise such as walking, compared to 34 per cent of people who do none at all.

“Unless something is done to reverse this decline we will have a national health crisis.”

Because of the gender pay gap, today is the day that women start working for free. From now until the end of the year our women workers are effectively working for nothing, when compared to their male counterparts. The bonuses paid to women and men are also very different, with men being paid almost double that of the average woman manager.
 
Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party leader said, “From the pages of our passports, to the faces on our banknotes, women are not treated as equals. In fact the matter is getting worse as we see the number of women in boardrooms and politics decline.
 
“More than 40% of women working part-time in Wales are paid less than the living wage, which to my mind is intolerable. Women are bearing the brunt of in-work poverty, and the Conservative cuts to tax credits will reduce the income of many even more. The time has come for positive action.”
 
Dwyfor Meironnydd has the highest proportion of low-paid female part-time workers in the whole of the UK, with as many as 79% not earning the Living Wage of £7.85 an hour. Alyn and Deeside (71.4%) and Gower (58.7%) are the next worst affected areas in Wales.
 
An entire generation has now worked its way through from school leaver to retirement since the first equal pay legislation came into effect in 1970, yet the gender pay gap persists
 
Bartolotti added “When a full time working woman is valued in 2015 at only 67p for every £1 that a man earns, something is very wrong with the way we value each other.
 
“Greens in Wales have consistently led the way in politics. Our first female leader was elected in 2005, our second in 2007 and our third in 2011.
 
“Women are not morally, intellectually, or physically inferior to men. The levels of gender discrimination we see in the workplace today are holding this country back. We need balanced representation at every level of society. For over a thousand years there has been positive discrimination in favour of men, it is now time to turn the tables.

Because of the gender pay gap, today is the day that women start working for free. From now until the end of the year our women workers are effectively working for nothing, when compared to their male counterparts.

The bonuses paid to women and men are also very different, with men being paid almost double that of the average woman manager.

Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party leader said, “From the pages of our passports, to the faces on our banknotes, women are not treated as equals. In fact the matter is getting worse as we see the number of women in boardrooms and politics decline.

“More than 40% of women working part-time in Wales are paid less than the living wage, which to my mind is intolerable. Women are bearing the brunt of in-work poverty, and the Conservative cuts to tax credits will reduce the income of many even more. The time has come for positive action.”

Dwyfor Meironnydd has the highest proportion of low-paid female part-time workers in the whole of the UK, with as many as 79% not earning the Living Wage of £7.85 an hour. Alyn and Deeside (71.4%) and Gower (58.7%) are the next worst affected areas in Wales.

An entire generation has now worked its way through from school leaver to retirement since the first equal pay legislation came into effect in 1970, yet the gender pay gap persists

Bartolotti added “When a full time working woman is valued in 2015 at only 67p for every £1 that a man earns, something is very wrong with the way we value each other.

“Greens in Wales have consistently led the way in politics. Our first female leader was elected in 2005, our second in 2007 and our third in 2011.

“Women are not morally, intellectually, or physically inferior to men. The levels of gender discrimination we see in the workplace today are holding this country back. We need balanced representation at every level of society. For over a thousand years there has been positive discrimination in favour of men, it is now time to turn the tables."

Notes: The Chartered Management Institute says women working in equivalent full-time roles in Wales earn 13% less than men. In Wales the gender pay gap now stands at £3,188. This is compared to a national gender pay gap of 22%. The average man’s bonus of £4,898 is almost that of the average woman’s bonus of £2,531.

The Wales Green Party is very happy to announce the contenders for the position of Leader, known internally as the Principal Spokesperson.

Nominations for Leader are Alice Hooker-Stroud, lead regional list Assembly candidate for Mid and West Wales; Anthony Slaughter, the current deputy leader and Assembly candidate for Cardiff South & Penarth; and Ashley Wakeling, Swansea West Assembly candidate .

Pippa Bartolotti, current Leader of the Wales Green Party said, ”It’s lovely to have a contest between three very able and significant members of the Wales Green Party. This shows just how far the party has come in the last few years.

Already our profile is the highest it has ever been. Voters young and old are ready to listen to our call for warmer housing, integrated low carbon transport, and home grown energy.

The National Assembly for Wales is the last major political chamber on these islands to vote a Green into place.  It’s time for a Green voice in the Assembly, and 2016 will be the year it happens.”

The ballot for leader and deputy leader opens in the next few weeks and hustings will take place at the Wales Green Party AGM on Saturday 14th November.

The nominees for Deputy Spokesperson are Grenville Ham, Alice Hooker-Stroud, Hannah Pudner and Ashley Wakeling. The position of deputy will be conducted by a separate ballot, and held by the person with the most votes of the opposite gender to the Leader choice.