Green Party Leader on LBC

[Camicus]

She was indeed... but to be fair the party lets itself down. It's essentially a feminist/environmentalist/pacifist party - and some of its feminist policies in particular are genuinely sexist- eg Stop women from going to prison. Another bizarre policy made the headlines lately was to make it legal to join a terrorist organisation.

They have been a fantastic local council for Brighton, by far the best in living memory, but they cannot be taken seriously on a national level.

In all fairness they state you cannot legislate for peoples thoughts and that membership of any organisation shouldn't be illegal. However there are some batshit crazy policies

 

[Lincoln Imp]

I totally agree. Of course people make mistakes. This wasn't brainfreeze though - this was straight-up lack of preparation. I'd be livid if I was a green.

I also find her unlikeable and inept - but I do wonder how much of that is a Moyesian result of having to follow the competent and likeable Lucas.

You're too kind. It wasn't just brain freeze OR lack of preparation - it was mainly an unsuccessful attempt to get away with lying.

(Re Caroline Lucas, one of her election strategies will be to distance herself from the local party as much as possible. Sounds reasonable. Trouble is, it looks as though she needs to distance herself from the national one too.)

 

[Westdene Seagull]

You're too kind. It wasn't just brain freeze OR lack of preparation - it was mainly an unsuccessful attempt to get away with lying.

(Re Caroline Lucas, one of her election strategies will be to distance herself from the local party as much as possible. Sounds reasonable. Trouble is, it looks as though she needs to distance herself from the national one too.)

She would be far better off standing as an independent really.

 

[Chicken Run]

She was indeed... but to be fair the party lets itself down. It's essentially a feminist/environmentalist/pacifist party - and some of its feminist policies in particular are genuinely sexist- eg Stop women from going to prison. Another bizarre policy made the headlines lately was to make it legal to join a terrorist organisation.

They have been a fantastic local council for Brighton, by far the best in living memory, but they cannot be taken seriously on a national level.

You must be joking, do you actually pay council tax in Brighton & Hove?

 

[Common as Mook]

A certain NSC poster has been very quiet on the two Bennett threads

Not that quiet. I got a thumbs down from him.

 

[portslade seagull]

She can join the idiots we have in charge down here as most of them seem comparable

 

[Gwylan]

I think the reason nobody is discussing housing is the fact that nobody could build the number of properties needed. If we have a shortage now, and our population is increasing by 250000 every year, what chance has anybody got?

Surely that's exactly why it should be being discussed? We have a bizarre situation where house prices in the north are stable (or falling) and prices in the south-east (especially London) are rising at several times the inflation rate.

We're not building houses to keep up with the rising population as it is. Throw in the number of foreign millionaires who use London housing as a safe investment and we're heading for big problems. If we're building about 100,000/150,000 fewer properties per year than we need, in 20 years time we could have a shortfall approaching 4 million.

 

[Bold Seagull]

You must be joking, do you actually pay council tax in Brighton & Hove?

I do. It is a Green led council, not a Green overall majority. Not sure they've done any worse than the Labour run, or Tory run councils preceding this current one. Professionally I've been impressed recently with the Green chair of the planning committee Councillor Phelim Mac Cafferty. He's been taking a pro-development stance, especially on housing and pulling the other councillors to task.

Make no mistake though, anyone who blames just the Greens for recent administrative issues across the City needs to take a greater interest in local politics. Petty political point scoring, strategic voting etc. between the other parties have made governing the council through this period extremely difficult. All in all, while excepting it's been far from perfect, they've not done a bad job running the council for the first time.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Surely that's exactly why it should be being discussed? We have a bizarre situation where house prices in the north are stable (or falling) and prices in the south-east (especially London) are rising at several times the inflation rate.

We're not building houses to keep up with the rising population as it is. Throw in the number of foreign millionaires who use London housing as a safe investment and we're heading for big problems. If we're building about 100,000/150,000 fewer properties per year than we need, in 20 years time we could have a shortfall approaching 4 million.

Did anyone see that programme, it may have been dispatches on c4 which showed three blocks of flats in docklands area where they were marketed only to far eastern people as buy to keep empty to make money on the value going up.

There were around 100 flats all lying empty, but they have to furnish them and have someone come in and stay in the flat for a period of 10 days in a calendar year to qualify ...... Which the managing agents supply a staff member to go in for that period.

With thatchers idea of flogging off council houses and not replacing social housing, this situation has been coming for a long time.

 

[pastafarian]

In all fairness they state you cannot legislate for peoples thoughts and that membership of any organisation shouldn't be illegal. However there are some batshit crazy policies[/QUOTE]

I think these are what people are looking at

 

[Camicus]

In all fairness they state you cannot legislate for peoples thoughts and that membership of any organisation shouldn't be illegal. However there are some batshit crazy policies[/QUOTE]

I think these are what people are looking at

Its what happens when you organise your manifesto using the last 30+ years of conference votes.

 

[Buzzer]

All in all, while excepting it's been far from perfect, they've not done a bad job running the council for the first time.

I disagree vehemently. For instance, their handling of the binmen's pay dispute has looked like amateur hour and I'm appalled that the recycling rates in B&H are worse than in neighbouring councils. This should be a flagship policy. The town is filthy. Some parts are squalid with rubbish, it's embarrassing.

Another is regarding public transport in the city. It now costs a few pence shy of a fiver for an all-day ticket. And let's face it most people only ever use it as a return ticket. I went with 3 others to the cinema the other week and it cost four of us £20. TWENTY POUNDS! How can this be with a Green council? In Sheffield for example, tickets start at a £1 and an all-day ticket is £3.80. And the way the councillors have conducted themselves has often been childish, petty, arrogant and narcissistic. They need a party Whip to keep them in line and on message, they've let egos get in the way of doing their job.

The handling of the council tax rebate was another. Aside from the pros and cons, the way they went about it was shambolic. They deserve to lose in the local elections and lose badly. I'll still vote for Caroline Lucas in the next election but that's because as Gwylan says she's the best constituency MP we've had since Bowden. Her party, however, are a joke both locally and nationally

 

[Gwylan]

I disagree vehemently. For instance, their handling of the binmen's pay dispute has looked like amateur hour and I'm appalled that the recycling rates in B&H are worse than in neighbouring councils. This should be a flagship policy. The town is filthy. Some parts are squalid with rubbish, it's embarrassing.

Another is regarding public transport in the city. It now costs a few pence shy of a fiver for an all-day ticket. And let's face it most people only ever use it as a return ticket. I went with 3 others to the cinema the other week and it cost four of us £20. TWENTY POUNDS! How can this be with a Green council? In Sheffield for example, tickets start at a £1 and an all-day ticket is £3.80. And the way the councillors have conducted themselves has often been childish, petty, arrogant and narcissistic. They need a party Whip to keep them in line and on message, they've let egos get in the way of doing their job.

I agree with you about the amateur handling of the bin dispute although, to be fair, the roots of that dispute were in Labour's bungling when they merged the councils. And I agree about the recycling rates and the petty squabbling.

But they're not guilty when it comes to bus prices. Thatcher privatised bus services back in the 80s: the council hasn't run bus services since 1987

 

[Buzzer]

I agree with you about the amateur handling of the bin dispute although, to be fair, the roots of that dispute were in Labour's bungling when they merged the councils. And I agree about the recycling rates and the petty squabbling.

But they're not guilty when it comes to bus prices. Thatcher privatised bus services back in the 80s: the council hasn't run bus services since 1987

They may not directly run them but the council has a big say in the buses and also provide substantial funding. This from The Argus just earlier this month:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/opinion/comment/11800765.Impact_of_bus_cuts/

Quite simply, B&H Buses should have a lot more pressure brought to bear to justify the exorbitant prices or failing that be encouraging rival bus firms to operate in B&H. It's simply not good enough for the council (and I know all councils have been guilty of this) to wash its hands of the issue of bus prices in the town. The council run the town, not the bus company. Show some scollobs and get those prices down.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I disagree vehemently. For instance, their handling of the binmen's pay dispute has looked like amateur hour and I'm appalled that the recycling rates in B&H are worse than in neighbouring councils. This should be a flagship policy. The town is filthy. Some parts are squalid with rubbish, it's embarrassing.

Another is regarding public transport in the city. It now costs a few pence shy of a fiver for an all-day ticket. And let's face it most people only ever use it as a return ticket. I went with 3 others to the cinema the other week and it cost four of us £20. TWENTY POUNDS! How can this be with a Green council? In Sheffield for example, tickets start at a £1 and an all-day ticket is £3.80. And the way the councillors have conducted themselves has often been childish, petty, arrogant and narcissistic. They need a party Whip to keep them in line and on message, they've let egos get in the way of doing their job.

The handling of the council tax rebate was another. Aside from the pros and cons, the way they went about it was shambolic. They deserve to lose in the local elections and lose badly. I'll still vote for Caroline Lucas in the next election but that's because as Gwylan says she's the best constituency MP we've had since Bowden. Her party, however, are a joke both locally and nationally

It's not like you to disagree vehemently...?

When I say, they've not done a bad job, that is in comparison to previous administrations of our council - not to say they've done a good job. Bin disputes have been worse under previous regimes, and given the extreme cuts the Greens have faced for their first time leading the council, more severe than the cuts or budget restrictions either the Tories or Labour had, and with other parties voting against them to the extent that Labour and the Tories have actually been teaming up, then their job has been made all the more difficult.

Of course some of them are childish, petty, arrogant and narcissitic - I thought a few of those were requirements of being a local councillor? I've been attending our planning committees for 10 years, and believe me, these are not unique attributes to the Greens. The current chair as I said must be one of the good ones, because he is forward thinking, progressive and looking beyond party politics, a massive improvement on our previous Tory chair Lynda Hyde.

For a first stab at administering the local authority, in probably the toughest administrative period in a decade or more, in my honest opinion, they've not made a bad fist of it. Yes some of it has been shambolic, but our council changes hands each election because basically none of the other parties hardly ever cover themselves in glory either.

 

[Gwylan]

They may not directly run them but the council has a big say in the buses and also provide substantial funding. This from The Argus just earlier this month:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/opinion/comment/11800765.Impact_of_bus_cuts/

Quite simply, B&H Buses should have a lot more pressure brought to bear to justify the exorbitant prices or failing that be encouraging rival bus firms to operate in B&H. It's simply not good enough for the council (and I know all councils have been guilty of this) to wash its hands of the issue of bus prices in the town. The council run the town, not the bus company. Show some scollobs and get those prices down.

They do provide funding but this is to run buses to specific areas, provide free bus passes for pensioners (although, in theory, this should come from the government) and provide free travel to school kids going a certain distance. This last one must cost a packet: my daughter and all her friends get free travel on buses: you can multiply that by several thousand. Councils can't subsidise buses to cut fares - I think this is actually illegal, I'm sure Lord B can throw some light on it.

Councils have to pay for all this out of reduced government funding, so they're in a tricky position. There's nothing stopping other bus companies coming in and undercutting B&H buses, but as Big Lemon found out, it's not the easiest thing to do

 

[Albumen]

I do. It is a Green led council, not a Green overall majority. Not sure they've done any worse than the Labour run, or Tory run councils preceding this current one. Professionally I've been impressed recently with the Green chair of the planning committee Councillor Phelim Mac Cafferty. He's been taking a pro-development stance, especially on housing and pulling the other councillors to task.

Make no mistake though, anyone who blames just the Greens for recent administrative issues across the City needs to take a greater interest in local politics. Petty political point scoring, strategic voting etc. between the other parties have made governing the council through this period extremely difficult. All in all, while excepting it's been far from perfect, they've not done a bad job running the council for the first time.

As much as the interview yesterday was cringeworthy and difficult to listen to (shame Lucas isn't leading the party), the post above is fair.

 

[Chicken Run]

Well come May lets hope this Green "led" administration is consigned to the history books.

 

[JCL666]

I disagree vehemently. For instance, their handling of the binmen's pay dispute has looked like amateur hour and I'm appalled that the recycling rates in B&H are worse than in neighbouring councils. This should be a flagship policy. The town is filthy. Some parts are squalid with rubbish, it's embarrassing.

Another is regarding public transport in the city. It now costs a few pence shy of a fiver for an all-day ticket. And let's face it most people only ever use it as a return ticket. I went with 3 others to the cinema the other week and it cost four of us £20. TWENTY POUNDS! How can this be with a Green council? In Sheffield for example, tickets start at a £1 and an all-day ticket is £3.80. And the way the councillors have conducted themselves has often been childish, petty, arrogant and narcissistic. They need a party Whip to keep them in line and on message, they've let egos get in the way of doing their job.

The handling of the council tax rebate was another. Aside from the pros and cons, the way they went about it was shambolic. They deserve to lose in the local elections and lose badly. I'll still vote for Caroline Lucas in the next election but that's because as Gwylan says she's the best constituency MP we've had since Bowden. Her party, however, are a joke both locally and nationally

Nailed it for me.

I'm so disappointed in what has happened with the Greens on the council as it should have been a showcase for the positive things they can do.

 

[Hotchilidog]

With thatchers idea of flogging off council houses and not replacing social housing, this situation has been coming for a long time.

The beginning of the end for affordable housing in this country. One of the single most socially damaging things Thatcher ever did.