High Greens

Newsletter of Barnet Green party Spring 2014

Me? Vote? What for?

Because it matters! Barnet is famous - notorious - for pioneering privatisation of public services, and for getting away with treating its democratic obligation to you with contempt.
charge of enforcing parking in Barnet, the number of parking tickets went up by 30,000. Despite the huge rise in tickets, the sum collected from motorists fell by 1.4 million!

owhere in their manifesto did our Conservative councillors tell us they would rush through mass privatisation of council services. They say they are only outsourcing back office functions and the point is the cost savings that the companies have promised. Yet, all the evidence flies in the face of this. Take the parking contract. Is that a back office function? Has it saved money? Far from it: In the first year that the company NSL were in

Service deteriorates and where are the savings promised?

There are many reasons for this miserable performance. Many of them have to do with exporting the

office out of Barnet, and the lack of two vital ingredients: the public service ethos and accountability. Barnet is counting on 7.5million from the contract. The staff are hired on rotten terms. They dont care about the driver. They arent answerable to us. Companies can still cite commercial confidentiality to avoid being accountable. Its our money that goes to NSL, Capita etc. Service deteriorates, and where are the savings promised?

Whats it to you Greens?

Greens are the only party that is wholly against this privatisation: for practical reasons (the promised savings wont be made; the companies need profit) and for reasons of principle (reducing democratic accountability. Exploiting workers is not what local councils are for). The Green MP Caroline Lucas has launched a private members bill in parliament to protect public ownership. It includes an obligation to allow a realistic in-house bid whenever a service is put out to tender. Barnet council has consistently rejected that option.

Greens stand the best chance of ousting the Conservatives in High Barnet
The Greens do well in High Barnet: We beat the LibDems in every ballot in the 2012 London elections. We are fighting hard for your vote this time. Its us or the Tories.

Have you seen Labour around here asking for your vote? They know its not worth wasting their energies here.

The LibDems have sold out. No one votes for them now.

If you have a No Junk Mail note on your door, you might wonder why you received this newsletter? We value democracy, and consider party literature important to democracy. But if you would prefer not to receive any more - please let us know: info@barnetgreenparty.co.uk

Visit proves Barnets recycling is not sorted out

Phil Fletcher and Poppy togged up for the site visit

arnet Green Party tracked down mostly plastic bags. The green bin waste is shredded where Barnets recycling goes. The blue bins contents go to a huge, and composted. What gets in the way filthy and noisy is metals and you Please dont put plastic bags and guessed it plastic hangar run for Barnet by Biffa. bags! wrapping into the recycling The brown bin The co-mingled recyclates are separated on a comfood waste is rotted down and the plex of long conveyor belts with gas produced is used to generate sophisticated magnets and optical electricity. We promised to spread sensors. But also by 100 or so Polish the word: Dont put plastic bags in pickers who fish out plastic film - the recycling.

For a full account see: greenpartypoppy.wordpress.com

Greens oppose the gagging law

he end of January saw a new law passed that will, for the first time, restrict freedom of speech before elections. Under the new Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act, charities and campaigning groups are to be regulated by the Election Commission as to what they can spend and what they can say. Breaking this law will be a criminal offence. High Barnet Green candidate Phil Fletcher led opposition to the bill in High Barnet, helping organise the lobby of our MP. About 30 people came to Theresa Villiers surgery to express our horror at MPs making life more comfortable for themselves by inhibiting the pressure citizens can place on them. Ms Villiers did not vote in the division.

Contact us Phone: Andrew on 07947 402 945 Noel on 020-8340 7759 e-mail: info@barnetgreenparty.co.uk See our website: www.barnetgreenparty.co.uk
on twitter: @BarnetGreens www.facebook.com Barnet Green Party Finchleys famous naked lady and Barnet Green Party members wear masks against the air pollution that caused more than 4,000 premature deaths of Londoners last year. It will take pretty concerted efforts to cut emissions and promote natural lungs trees and other plants, we say. Save La Deliverance (as the lady is called) who stands exposed to one of the most polluted roads in London the North Circular.

Published and promoted by Noel Lynch for Barnet Green Party, at The Green Room, 192 Archway Road, London N6 5BB. Printed on recycled paper by Hillingdon Green Print, 58 Beech Avenue, Ruislip, HA4 8UQ