Gordon Ross selected for Croydon South

22.01.10

Press Release (immediate):

Croydon Green Party is delighted to announce that Gordon Ross has been selected to fight the parliamentary seat of Croydon South in the forthcoming general election. Mr Ross replaces Lewisham Councillor Sue Luxton, who decided to stand down after her initial selection in 2007.

Leading spokesperson for the Croydon Green Party, Shasha Khan, commented:

“Gordon Ross is an excellent local candidate and I am delighted for him. Councillor Sue Luxton was initially selected for the Croydon South seat in 2007, around the time there was huge speculation that the Prime Minister would call an Autumn election in that year. Since then she has been working hard as the Campaign Manager for Chair of the London Assembly, Darren Johnson, as he attempts to win the seat of Lewisham Deptford, thus becoming London’s first Green Party MP. In fact, Darren’s odds have been slashed and he is now second favourite to win that constituency.”

Gordon lives in South Croydon, and works for a transport consultancy.

He is a graduate of the University of Dundee, and has worked in microbiology, design, and surveying.

Commenting on his selection, Gordon said:

"I think it is important that there is a Green Party candidate on the ballot. It gives people a chance to vote for a fairer society, and a party that’s principled on the environment.”

Gordon joins Bernice Golberg (Croydon Central) and Shasha Khan (Croydon North) as the Green Party candidates for the parliamentary seats in Croydon.

Ends:

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Andrew Pelling implores voters to support the Green Party!

taken from the Croydon Guardian

Mr Lomas also realises that the not so 'independent' MP, Andrew Pelling, appears to be leafing through the Green Party manifesto for policies.

hello! Hello! HELLO!........

VOTE GREEN, GET GREEN

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Letter that appeared in last weeks Croydon Guardian

Dear Editor,

I would like to thank each and every one of those 1200 residents who took the time to submit concerns and objections to the South London Waste Partnership regarding the proposed “waste management site”. As co-founder of the Stop The Incinerator campaign our intention was to raise awareness of the second stage consultation and draw attention to the likely outcome: a waste burner.

It appears we have had some success because your paper notes that there is a delay in the publication of the plan. The due date has been put back from February 2010 to the Autumn of 2010. One can only deduce that the sheer number of objections has put Croydon, Sutton, Merton and Kingston councils on the back foot, and cynically they have decided to hold back the proposals until after May’s local election. No doubt the location and the technology selected will provoke a backlash.

Unsurprisingly, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government – the Labour Government – is now pushing for the waste plan to be submitted in order to avoid EU fines. It is becoming clear that Labour doesn’t care if a health damaging incinerator is built to cut the waste sent to landfill, just so long as it avoids these fines.

Yours sincerely

Shasha Khan

Green Party candidate for Croydon North

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Mark Thomas - The Manifesto

Mark Thomas came to Croydon last Thursday as part of his ‘Manifesto’ tour.

The audience on each leg of his tour gets a chance to select a policy which will go into his manifesto for the forthcoming general election.

So far the Manifesto has picked up some really quirky yet rational policies such as:

1. Anyone who supports ID cards should be banned from having curtains.

2. No one should be allowed a second home until everyone has a first home...

3. A national maximum wage

4. A three day weekend

Those attending were invited to fill in the form. The Croydon Clocktower audience ended up with a shortlist of two:

1) Take down the signage at East Croydon station which says, “Welcome to Croydon, Home of Nestle”

2) Citizens have the right to stop and search PCSO’s.

My choice (below) which didn’t get a mention was :-(

The great grandchildren of climate change deniers should be forcibly required to house environmental refugees if global temperatures rise above 5 degrees this century.

Interestingly, the chosen policy was the ‘stop and search’ one – which possibly says more about life experiences in Croydon.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Green campaigner arrested in India

Thornton Heath greenie, Andy Pag was arrested in India for using a satellite phone. The latest news is that he's out on bail.

He's latest twitter update reads:

tired, emotional, hungry, bronchitis, smelly (as usual), flachilant, confused, shoeless, disorientated, out of phone credit, but FREE

His latest blog post has more detail about his situation. To be honest it's a tough read.

Andy Pag is four months into a round-the-world trip in a bus fuelled by chip fat. I met him the day he was scheduled to leave Croydon. I was taken by his determination and his mission to take the climate change message to the world. He is a one in a million.

Croydon Greens are thinking of you.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

In Peabody we trust

The first 'Feedback' page this year in the Croydon Guardian had the above letter from Bill Peabody. I am sensing that Greta Sohoye's defection to the Conservatives is not really a surprise in an era of career politicians and Mr Peabody endorses my point.

On the same page there was also an informative letter from Mrs J Thomas. She asserts that independent MP Andrew Pelling may not be so independent after all. She says: He' s, "a member of the Conservative Party, who pledged to support the party's candidates when he stood to be the chairman of the local party last year and chose to take part in the selection of the party's candidates for the Heathfield ward [his home ward] a few weeks ago."
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Tags croydon, greenparty

Passion for the Planet

Passion for the Planet is a DAB radio station that, " plays your favourite songs plus great new tunes from world music artists, and a broad range of interviews and features focused on your health and environment - issues that affect our lives every day."

I was recently interviewed by Chantal Cooke, the station's founder and director. The topic under discussion was 'incineration'. Chantal told me that Caroline Lucas, Darren Johnson and Jenny Jones had all previously appeared on the station. We like radio stations like this! Check it out:

http://www.passionfortheplanet.com/

Interviews are broadcast on rotation. You'll see what I mean when you tune in.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Thornton Heath Rec gets a share of the pot

Taken from Croydon Advertiser (8th Jan 10)

Croydon Council has done that thing again where it does something unexplainable, leaving one to try work out why its happened.

Everyone involved in the Parks to be proud of competition was told six parks (two each from the north, centre and south of the borough) were to be chosen across the borough to share the £1.5m. With one day to go before the closing date, Thornton Heath Recreation Ground, for which I am Treasurer of the 'Friends group', was behind Norbury Park in the North section. Our managing committee made a final push to ensure we came in the top two.

I stood outside Thornton Heath station in freezing temperatures urging commuters to vote for our local park. The results show that Thornton Heath Recreation Ground and Wandle Park finished in the top two spots in the North. However, the council in their wisdom have now decided to stretch the £1.5m between 9 parks, and yes Norbury Park is also going to get a share. It appears the council wanted to invest money in certain parks which didn't finish in the top two in the respective sections. So what do they do?? CHANGE THE RULES! Although I am pleased for all the parks that won a share, and commiserations to those that missed out, I for one will be watching closely how the money is allocated!!!

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Tags croydon, greenparty