After revelation that only 42 responses received on UTC closure Brent residents are told, 'The Green Party will never cease speaking up in defence of NHS patients in the face of austerity and disdain from the current authorities'

When London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust issued a press release the day AFTER they reduced the hours of the Central Middlesex Hospital  Urgent Treatment Centre they said:

We gave local people an opportunity to share their views on the new opening hours through online and in-person public events and an online questionnaire. These did not result in any substantial or widespread objections. 

Therefore, to optimise the service the opening times have now changed from 8am to midnight, to 8am to 9pm

The highlighted claim without any detail interested me, after all 570 Brent residents has signed a petition calling for Brent Scrutiny Committee to examine the proposal - a scrutiny that had never taken place except for an item tagged onto the end of a meeting without any public notice on the agenda or any papers attached - just a chat by the Trust CEO. When the petition was presented Cllr Ketan Sheth, Chair of the Committee, merely said the hours reduction was 'on their radar'. 

The reduction in hours was then implemented.

Give the claim above. I submitted an FOI asking for more details of the result of the consultation. Such consultations are normally published with tables of results, publication of comments received and an anaylsis.

The FOI revealed the following:

1. Only 42 responses were received

2.  70% of responses came from Brent (other boroughs were Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow)

3.  41%  of respondents said the reduction in hours would have a significant impact on them

4.  Only two people turned up to the in-person events. 

5. The Chair of Scrutiny had been informed of the proposal. 

I am sure it will be claimed that the low response rate meant that people were not bothered by the proposal, but that is challenged by the number of people (570 against 42) who signed the online petition on the Brent Council website. Unlike a paper petition there is a several stage process to sign on-line - you HAVE to be concerned to bother to sign.

Such a low response rate on a proposal that will affect hundreds of people, now and in the future, must mean that the consultation itself was inadequate. The petition was advertised on Wembley Matters, Next Door and social media and appears to have reached more than 10 times the number that the Trust engaged.

You will notice below that the response does not fully answer the request. Were there really no comments from NW London ICB or Brent Healthwatch?

 

THE TRUST'S FOI RESPONSE 

1. Please supply full results from the consultation on the reduction in hours of the Urgent Treatment Centre at Central Middlesex Hospital. This to include reports, statistics and comments made by organisations or individuals (latter names redacted) - https://www.lnwh.nhs.uk/news/new-opening-hours-at-urgent-treatment-centre-12430 

A structured public engagement exercise was carried out to gather views on the proposed change to the opening hours of the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) at Central Middlesex Hospital. As part of this process, a questionnaire was utilised to obtain public opinion, alongside opportunities for involvement through online events and stakeholder communications. 

 

Questionnaire responses

 

The questionnaire received 42 responses

 

Respondents’ borough	Brent	Ealing	Harrow	Hillingdon	Hounslow
Percentage	70%	20%	3%	2%	3%

 

Understanding the impact of proposed change: If the UTC  were to close earlier at 9pm, how would this affect you or those you care for?
	No impact	Minor impact	Significant impact	Unsure
Percentage	15%	21%	41%	23%

 

For those who felt it would have a significant impact on them, the reason given in most cases was the perceived lack of nearby alternative provision or the time it would take to travel to another site. However, most of these respondents had attended the UTC in the previous six months for a minor illness or infection that would have been more appropriately seen by a pharmacist or GP. This aligns with a recent review of the Trust’s urgent care services that found that many patients who visit our urgent treatment centres out of hours would be more appropriately seen in a primary care or pharmacy setting.

Several respondents noted that the lack of radiology services after 8pm meant that they had not been able to access care at the UTC after this time. This reflects the case for change and optimising the service to match the provision of X-ray services at Central Middlesex Hospital.

Nearly all respondents said clear information and direction to alternative services, such as pharmacies and out-of-hours services, would help them access the right care.

Public involvement events

Despite extensive promotion* our involvement events only attracted two people, who asked several questions but did not express any particular views on the proposal.

* Promotional activity

• Trust website and social media channels
• Trust’s stakeholder bulletin (350 recipients)
• Posters at the UTC.
• Press release generated coverage in My London, EALING.NEWS and Wembley Matters blog
• The North West London ICB and Brent Healthwatch also promoted opportunities to be involved.
• Letters to key stakeholders (MPs, scrutiny leads, Healthwatches)

Amandine Alexandre, a Green Party candidate for the Harlesden and Kensal ward whose resident are likely to be impacted by the earlier  closure, said:

 

The London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust probably knew right from the start that closing the Urgent Treatment Centre at 9pm rather than midnight every day was unlikely to be a decision approved by patients and deliberately failed to engage a large number of them in the consultation. However, trying to bypass patients is not an acceptable way to treat people. 

 

The fact that Brent Scrutiny Committee appeared intensely relaxed about residents getting reduced access to the Urgent Care Treatment is also a serious cause of concern for anyone living in Brent. I would like to reassure fellow residents : the Green Party will never cease speaking up in defence of NHS patients in the face of austerity and disdain from the current authorities.

Contracts with Trump-supporting Palantir must be suspended immediately, say Greens

Green MPs have written to the Cabinet Secretary to demand that the government scrap its NHS and MoD contracts with spy tech firm Palantir. The MPs have also called for an independent inquiry into Peter Mandelson’s involvement in contracts between the UK Government and Palantir, and to review the extent of UK dependence on private contractors such as Palantir to secure the UK’s digital sovereignty.

Green MP, Sian Berry, said:

Palantir’s vice-like grip on our Government, and the role played by disgraced Peter Mandelson in brokering it, must be investigated urgently and, meanwhile, all government contracts with this Trump-supporting spy tech company suspended immediately.

The Prime Minister has questions to answer about how this military surveillance outfit, with clear ties to Mandelson’s own lobbying firm, has been handed record-breaking multi million pound contracts from public money without competition.

It would be unbelievably inappropriate for any member of this Government to attend  Wednesday’s red carpet party for this company. It already was, given how much we know about how Palantir has facilitated genocide in Gaza and been complicit in fascist deportations in the USA. But in the light of these contract revelations, these social contacts become even more unacceptable.

The letter states: Palantir technology has reportedly been used by U.S. immigration authorities to profile and target migrants and has been used by the Israeli military in Gaza – it has no place in our NHS or any of our public services… Palantir is now deeply embedded in the NHS and Ministry of Defence – and the longer they are in place, the harder and more expensive it becomes to remove them and the more the risk of poor value for money increases.

Green MPS are calling on the government to:

• Conduct an internal and independent inquiry into Mandelson’s involvement in contracts between the UK Government and Palantir and publish the findings, including whether Mandelson shared privileged information with Palantir and the extent to which he used his role in Government for personal gain
• Scrap its NHS and MoD contracts with Palantir at the earliest opportunity 
• Review UK dependence on contractors such as Palantir to secure the UK’s digital sovereignty

Green Party offer real hope and change for the NHS

The Green Party launched their policy on the NHS yesterday, an issue important to hundreds of people in Brent faced with problems with getting GP appointments, long hospital waiting lists and finding an NHS dentist willing to take on them and their children.

 
To offer Real Hope and Real Change for the NHS, Greens would:

Invest £50 billion per year by 2030 into health and social care - more than any other
major party - and would use the money to:

o Dramatically reduce waiting lists;
o Offer everyone access to an NHS dentist;
o Guarantee urgent access to a GP and same day access for those in urgent need;
o Invest £5bn per year to boost NHS salaries and keep our wonderful nurses and
doctors in the UK;
o Invest £20 billion per year into adult social care to ensure dignity for those in
need of care and take pressure off the NHS;
o Restore public health budgets with a £1.5bn uplift in spending
 

 Invest £20bn in a capital investment to bring our crumbling hospitals and old equipment
up to standard.

We estimate that to meet these commitments, the NHS in England would require an additional
annual expenditure of £30bn a year by 2030 while adult social would require an additional £20
billion per year.

How will we fund this? By Taxing Wealth Fairly

 Our wealth tax will tax the wealth of individual taxpayers with assets above £10 million
at 1% and assets above £1bn at 2% annually.
 Our reform Capital Gains Tax will align the rates paid by taxpayers on income and
taxable gains. This would affect less than 2% of all income-tax payers.
 Align tax rates on investment income with the tax and NIC rates on employment
income.
 Remove the NI Upper Earnings Limit that restricts the amount of National Insurance
paid by high earners. Tax rates should not fall as income increases.
 Equate the rate of pension tax relief with the basic rate of income tax to help fund the
social care that will allow elderly and disabled people on low incomes to live in dignity.

We estimate that by the end of the next parliament these tax changes could add raise between
£50 and £70bn pounds per year in 2024 prices.

A Green Plan to reduce hospital waiting lists and restore pay

The long-term under funding of the NHS has left nearly 8 million of us on hospital waiting lists.
Greens would bring down hospital waiting lists by giving Hospital Trusts clear, long-term,
funding commitments, so that they can better plan to deliver better care for us all.

NHS staff have taken unprecedented strike action to raise the alarm about the crisis in our
health service. We will prioritise supporting NHS workers, including by providing an immediate
one-off budget increase to cover fair wage settlements. This will address staff shortages and
encourage our valuable health workers to stick with the NHS.

We will tackle the crisis in staff retention through pushing for an immediate and additional
increase to the budgets for NHS staff costs, to ensure salaries are fair and reflect the essential
skills and dedication of the NHS workforce. The Green Party will act quickly to tackle the crisis
in staff retention through an immediate and additional pay rise to that offered in 2023, closer to
the rate of inflation. We will meet the junior doctor’s call for pay restoration to reflect the need to
keep them within the NHS.

Elected Greens will support the junior doctors’ call for pay restoration. It’s foolish and
irresponsible to continue to invest hundreds of thousands of pounds in training and then pay
them so poorly. It cost taxpayers around £200,000 to put a doctor through medical school.
When these talented and highly trained people graduate, we are not going to keep hold of them
if we pay them £16 an hour.

We also need to improve the quality of hospital buildings and equipment. We would make a £20
bn capital investment over the life of Parliament for hospital and primary care buildings and
facilities.

Protect our NHS from Privatisation – keep our NHS public

Green MPs will support legislation to abolish wasteful competition within the NHS, re-establish
public bodies and public accountability, and restrict the role of commercial companies.
This blueprint is designed to reverse the damage caused by previous governments that have
pursued an agenda that the market could make the NHS better. By contrast, Greens will always
stand against the marketisation and privatisation of our precious health service and will choose
instead to protect our NHS and keep it in public hands.

We Own It claim that Private healthcare providers are making £1 billion from current NHS
outsourcing contracts.New research shows 94% of health service contracts are set to expire by
July 2029. There is no reason why the services provided under these outsourced contracts
cannot be brought back in house.

Social Care

There is a crisis in social care, with over 400,000 people awaiting care, reviews, payments or
assessments. There are 150,000 staff vacancies in the care sector. In England there are
estimated to be 4.7 million unpaid carers. Greens believe that health and care services go hand
in hand. We would choose to invest in both, as part of our commitment to a country where
everybody can look forward to compassion and dignity at any stage in their lives when they
need extra support.

To address the social care crisis elected Greens will push for

 Free personal care to ensure dignity for all those who need care
 Increased pay rates and a career structure for carers to rebuild the care workforce
 Investment of £20 billion per year in adult social care and an additional £3 for children
social care.
 

The Green Party believes free social care is fundamental to a functioning welfare state. Elected
Greens will push for the introduction in England and Wales of free personal care along the lines
successfully brought in by the Scottish Government. For those still living at home, access to free
personal care will enable earlier intervention and access to help to maintain independence and
wellbeing. For those living in residential settings, the personal care elements will be fully funded,
alongside a tapered approach to other costs based on the level of their income. For those
struggling to afford the accommodation element of residential care local authorities need to be
properly funded to provide the right level of financial support.

NHS Dentistry

The crisis in our dental service means that people are pulling out their own teeth while even
children can’t get access to and NHS dentists. Tooth decay remains top reason for child hospital
admissions.

To end the scandal of dental treatment deserts, Elected Greens will push for:

 An additional investment in NHS dentistry, reaching £3bn a year by 2030
 A new contract for NHS dentists that ensures everybody who needs an NHS dentist has
access to one.

Green Plan for increased investment in primary care and public health
 

We think it’s vital to invest in primary care: General Practitioners (GPs) are key to both
prevention and early diagnosis. Choosing to invest in primary care and public health will
improve everyone’s quality of life, while also reducing the demand on the rest of the NHS.
Greens will push for:

 Increasing the allocation of funding to primary medical care, with additional annual
spending reaching £1.5bn by 2030, targeted at areas of greatest need.
 Reducing administrative burden on GPs, giving them more time face to face with
patients. Steps could include allowing hospital doctors to make onward referrals without
needing to go back to a patient’s GP.
 A £2 billion capital investment in primary care over the next five years.
Mental health

Elected Greens will ensure that the rights of those struggling with their mental health are
respected and that a legal framework supports all people to live fulfilling lives. This will include
ensuring that everyone who needs it can access evidence-based mental health therapies within
28 days.

We will ensure that tailored and specific provision is readily available for the particular needs of
communities of colour, children and adolescents, older people and Lesbian, Gay Bisexual,
Trans, Intersex, Queer and Asexual (LGBTIQA+) communities.

Putting this investment into perspective

Under our plans, spending on the NHS would increase by 1% of GDP by 2030.
Day-to-day spending on the English NHS is currently around £180bn per year, which is about
6.5% of UK GDP. If the budgets for the devolved administrations are included, this rises to 8%
of GDP.

By 2029/30 we expect day-to-day spending on the NHS across the UK to rise to 8.9% of GDP
(from 8.0%) under current government plans, our costings add £30 bn to English HNS budget in 2029/30. This would increase the revenue budget for that year by about 12%. Including the devolved administrations, our plans would increase revenue spending on health in 2029/30 to 9.9%, an increase of 1 percentage point.

Note: On devolved nations, the headline figures here are for England and our costed manifesto
will include funding to cover the parallel increases in spending in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland.

The Green Party has never had any truck with the profit motive in health care

 

Responding to comments by the Shadow Heath Secretary saying that under a Labour government investment in the NHS would be dependent on reform and that there would be an increased role for the private sector [1], co-leader of the Green Party, Carla Denyer, said: 

Wes Streeting says that if the NHS doesn’t change, it will die. But it is inadequate funding that has left our NHS in a poor state of health, not lack of reform.  

Between 2010 and 2019 the UK had a lower level of capital investment in health care and 18% lower average health spending than 14 EU countries [2]. 

So to say that the public is paying a heavy price for failure is an insult to hard-working NHS staff, who are doing their level best despite being overworked and underpaid. It is the failure to invest adequately and pay staff properly that is at the root of dissatisfaction with the NHS. 

The public agrees. They don’t want endless reforms; neither do they share the Conservative or Labour appetite for creeping privatisation. They want the current model to work and to see the NHS available to everyone free of charge and primarily funded through taxes [3]. A tax on the super-rich billionaires and multi-millionaires can provide the funds needed to fix our cherished NHS.    

The Green Party has never had any truck with the profit motive in health care and will continue to push for a fully publicly funded NHS.

Notes 

[1] Wes Streeting warns NHS that there'll be no additional funding without 'major surgery' under Labour | The Sun 

[2] How does UK health spending compare across Europe over the past decade? - The Health Foundation  

[3] Public satisfaction with the NHS and social care in 2023 | Nuffield Trust 

Let's get behind this campaign for OUR NHS! July 3rd demonstration at Willesden Centre for Health and Care 11am

 

Next Saturday, July 3rd there will be local demonstrations across the country in support of the NHS and its workers.  The Brent demonstration will be a static demonstration outside the Willesden Centre for Health and Care.

There is also a Central London demonstration outside UCL Hospital on the Euston Road starting at 11.45am.

 

Ahead of the demonstration there will be a meeting on July 1st to relaunch the Brent branch of Keep our NHS Public with Cllr Janice Long and Dr Jonathan Fluxman speaking.

Brent KONP Time: 1^st Jul 2021  17:30h Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84178644772?pwd=bExBR1VVak1zZFlzb1plUmdUYTlmQT09

Meeting ID: 841 7864 4772  Passcode: 923609

The Green Party at its most recent conference passed a motion in support of the NHS pay claim for a 15% restorative pay award and the Green Party Trade Union Group  held a useful  briefing on how to support the #NHSPay15 campaign and the background to the threat to the NHS.

Emma Wallace selected as Green Party candidate for Brent & Harrow GLA Constituency

Emma Wallace

The Green Party has selected local activist Emma Wallace to be their Brent and Harrow Constituency candidate for the postponed GLA election that will now be held in May 2021.

Emma, a librarian, has lived in Harrow for over 10 years and during her six year membership of the Green Party has been involved in both local and national politics and campaigns. She has actively campaigned to defend green spaces from development, such as the expansion of Harrow School’s sports hall on Metropolitan Open Land and the expansion of Heathrow Airport.  She has also fought to protect public services from closure including local libraries and NHS Walk-in centres as well as vital mental health services such as The Bridge Café in Harrow.

Emma said:

"I am very happy to be selected as the Green Party's Brent and Harrow GLA candidate for the May 2021 London elections.   I look forward to standing in this most multicultural and diverse of joint constituencies, representing the concerns and needs of its residents in my campaign. As a local activist, I believe I have a good understanding of the wide range of issues facing residents, from lack of affordable housing, to long NHS waiting times and encroaching developments on green land.  I will work hard to make sure Brent and Harrow residents get their voices heard, whilst ensuring they benefit from the best of Green policies, from Universal Basic Income to the Green New Deal." 

Brent Council's Climate Emergency - Was it a PR stunt?

PB: The opinions expressed within this article may not reflect the views of the Brent Green Party, and reflect the view and opinions of the author (Rishi S)


In recent weeks we have seen a number of environmental emergencies emerging from the raging fires in the Brazilian Rain forest to the extreme heat in the UK, where we experienced the hottest day  recorded.
Each of these items have extreme effects, during the same time period Brent Council have declared a Climate Emergency, since doing so the council outlined some particular points found here, each of which are completely valid.

However the council has completely waived its own responsibility to admit a pollution problem in their own borough, whereby Brent is listed 3 times in the top 10 of the most polluted areas/ towns in the UK, provided in a great article written by Nathalie Raffray found here.

This revelation comes as no shock to me, I predicted this back in 2011 when I wrote an email to the all the Councillors warning them of the impending issues.

I was able to forecast this, because of my career, I have previously worked as a data analyst, and was able to use complex modelling techniques (namely neural nets and artificial intelligence) to predict the future and various outcomes.

The short of it, the council moved to a council wide HMO application approval, in addition to approving almost ALL new builds in the borough. This flawed view of the 'future' of Brent only serves one purpose, and that is to gather as much council tax as possible, while completely missing solving the problems created by increasing population density.

An example for this, many HMO properties can have multiple individuals meaning each of them do not share cars like a family might, and therefore adding pressure to the ongoing parking problems throughout the borough.

In addition to this the number of giant hideous concrete blocks being built continue to lack parking spaces, the council has the thinking it is a deterrent to people driving. However the reality is these residents will just park their cars anywhere they can find space.
Some great examples below:

This is Honeypot Lane (A4140) near the Morrisons, as you see this giant development of flats clearly does not contain enough parking spaces, the residents then spill their cars onto a main road.
Although this seems quite harmful, the knock on effects are grave:

1. Cars now drive over hatched lines, if a couple drivers want to turn (Where the turn arrow is) they will cause congestion because the two lanes is effectively one.
2. During peak hours the congestion causes a backup of traffic
1. The domino effect takes places, where now idling cars sit waiting for someone to allow cars to turn
2. A queue forms behind it (Again exacerbates congestion, idling engines and increases air pollution)
3. A safety issue arises, whereby drivers now cross to a space where they should not drive unless they also want to turn. See this link
4. This in turn rewards bad driving etiquette
5. It also creates a safety issue (one the council has completely ignored)

This is only one example of this type of parking issue, another is a newly completed development near by Wembley Park station, named Mathew Close. Residents were not ALL offered parking, the owners of these flats only had the chance to buy a space if they had a 2 bed flat or a above when its value exceed a certain value.

So what do residents do when they do not have parking?

They park on the surrounding residential streets.

This alone has disenfranchised ALL residential homes on these types of streets, between the HMO applications and subsequent filling them to the brim with individuals, and the number of developments both cause a parking issue.

On top of this, Brent council is the ONLY London Borough Council to NOT make effective use of Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ) near by the TFL train stations, is there a negative effect of this?

In short a massive Yes, commuters from all areas can casually drive down to these areas, park for Free then walk to the various train stations (In this example I refer to Wembley Park, Preston Road, Northwick Park), as someone who lives local to these stations it causes chaos for residents.

Not only does it cause a parking problem, it adds to the local congestion during peak hours which in turn increases pollution massively.

If the council had the foresight to consider this issue to ALL its plans, I do not think we would have these problems, but they have continued to choose to ignore it, then claimed there is a climate emergency without acknowledging the problems in their own constituencies.

When the eventual future comes for electric cars, how will the council resolve parking issues? They clearly are not equipped to acknowledge this kind of problem, hence why someone that was a Tory has joined the Green Party.

This particular Labour lead council has seen the following (All facts):

1. The highest air pollution in its history (Proof)
2. The worst congestion experienced in its history
3. The highest population in its history
4. The most pot hole numbers in its history (Proof [for 1 road])
5. Parking issues for residents in the borough
6. Disenfranchisement of the residents who oppose new builds (proof)

As a representative of the Brent Green Party, how would I resolve these issues?

It is very simple, make the entire borough a CPZ (Controlled Parking Zone), where ONLY residents can park during certain times of the day.
Allow visitors pay and display parking for up to 3 hours with no return in 4 hours.

In addition to this, I would put a halt to ALL the developments currently in the application process, ensure they ALL have enough parking spaces for ALL residents, including making sure the buildings are ALL green.

Since 2012 the BBC has reported making sure buildings are 'living' will massively reduce road side pollution, link.

This begs the question, why the council has not made sure all these new developments have adhered to this type of thinking in an attempt to reduce pollution?

I cannot answer this unfortunately, I can speculate - the council is too embroiled with these development companies and gets caught up with making a 'quick buck'. The council has had the chance to implement such things and has chosen not to.

To me it is clear, locally Labour does not have the interest of local residents in mind, they clearly are siding with development companies because they have millions to spend.

Having these measures (like CPZs) not only reduces the knock on effects of pollution, but it costs our NHS less, something I thought Labour was for, but locally they just are not :(

To answer the headline, was Brent Council's Climate Emergency a PR Stunt?

- Yes


-Rishi S

Join the Greens celebrating NHS 70th anniversary tomorrow

Message from Larry Sanders, Green Party Health Spokesperson

Tomorrow, I will be taking part in a demonstration in London celebrating the 70^thanniversary of our wonderful NHS.

The event has been organised by a range of health and campaign organisations, including Health Campaigns Together (of which the Green Party is an affiliate), the People's Assembly and the Trades Union Congress.

We assemble at 12 midday at Portland Place, London and will march together to Downing Street.

The marchers will include Greens, including Deputy Leader Amelia Womack, as well as people of all parties and none. Together we will affirm our support for a publicly owned and properly funded NHS, that is free for all, and show our appreciation of our amazing NHS workers.

JOIN ME

Yours in solidarity

Larry Sanders
Green Party Health Spokesperson

Why Greens support the Conservative Party Manchester Protest

Natalie Bennett published this message before yesetrday's demonstration at the Manchester Conservative Conference
 
On Sunday, the Conservative Party Conference starts in Manchester. And it’s the day that the People’s Assembly Against Austerity, with the TUC, is organising a protest march against the Tory government’s policies. This is a chance for the North (and people prepared to travel from the rest of the country) to deliver a message about the approach taken by the Conservative  government since its surprise election in May.

It clearly needs that message, since for a party that won the support of less than a quarter of eligible voters, or even if viewed charitably, the support of 37% of those who chose to vote, it has been tearing ahead with a range of extreme measure. Those range from the human-rights-attacking Trade Union Bill to a concerted attack on the renewable energy industry, from slashing even further already inadequate benefits for low-paid workers to softening up on the bankers even while the fraud-ridden, corrupt sector continues to present a threat to all of our economic futures.

This, while our Conservative government’s presiding over a so-called economic recovery built on consumer debt and a housing price bubble in the South East (nothing can go wrong there then, we know from experience), and failing to rebalance the economy towards making goods and growing food, the rebalancing that we desperately need.

Unsurprisingly, as I travel the country, I’ve seen anger about its approach, about a government that’s further promoting the interests of the 1% of the richest at the cost of the rest of us, while ignoring the need to act on the critical global issue of climate change – indeed actively suppressing our renewable energy industry and pulling the rug out from under small businesses and community projects while funding the interests of its friends in the oil and gas industries.

It was in Sheffield,  only 10 days after the election, that I first saw the signs of a growing resistance to the Conservative plans, a groundswell that has grown and developed in the months since.
A hastily-organised anti-austerity march then drew more than 1,000 people, and had representation from a wide range of organisations. There wasn’t just the brilliant 999 Call for the NHS, protesting the privatisation of our great national asset, and anti-eviction housing campaigns, and groups calling for a fair, humane immigration policy, but also young teachers and trainee teachers, resisting the turning of our schools into exam factories.

That’s clearly the view of more and more people around the country. The Tory government doesn’t have a mandate for its actions, it was elected through a 19^th-century electoral system that’s entirely passed its replace-by date, it is impoverishing much of the country for the benefit of the few, its economic plan isn’t working even in its own terms.

There will be a chance next May to express a view about that in fair, proportional elections in Wales and Scotland, in London, and in local council elections, but the chances of this government listening are slight.

Taking to the streets, people expressing their view about the exploitation of the many by the few, about the failures of our current politics, is an essential step towards real political change – the hunger for which was shown by the green surge that’s seen Green Party membership more than treble in a year and us win 1.1 million votes in the general election, and the comprehensive victory by a left-positioned SNP against rightwing Labour in the general election in Scotland.

Judging from the response I saw at a preparatory meeting, again in Sheffield, this week, the march in Manchester on Sunday is going to be big. It’s building on the huge anti-austerity marches  in June, on the massive outpouring of support for the Refugees Welcome marches  last month. This is a movement that’s growing fast – people are increasingly grasping that politics should be something you do, not that’s done to you.

Sunday’s part of a series of events linked to the Tory conference – I’m particularly looking forward to the People’s Post rally on Monday night – so if you can’t make it on the Sunday, please come along another day.

Keeping up the pressure is important – the government’s ideology that can be traced back in a direct line to Margaret Thatcher is clearly on its last legs. It will fall with David Cameron and his narrow majority of 12 in the Commons.

You can help make that happen before 2020. For the sake of our economy, our society and the planet it needs to happen before 2020.

I hope to see you in Manchester.

Rebecca for Hampstead and Kilburn

Rebecca Johnson is today' s featured candidate on the Green Party national website LINK

 I reproduce the post here: 

In the run up to the General Election we will be giving you the opportunity to get to know some of our candidates. Our key candidates and spokespeople can be found here.

This year we will be standing in over 90% of seats in England and Wales.

Our featured candidate for Hampstead and Kilburn: Rebecca Johnson 

Rebecca Johnson at Saturday's Save NHS Petition presentation

Why are you standing as a candidate?

I'm a feminist peace activist committed to participatory democracy. After joining the Greens I supported getting Caroline Lucas into Westminster and canvassed on behalf of other smart, committed Greens standing for local councils and the European Parliament. So when I was asked to put my name forward this time, how could I say no?

What are your top 3 priorities if elected?

1) Transforming British democracy. It makes me so sad to hear voters in Hampstead and Kilburn say after a hustings that they think I'd make the best MP, they love how I argue for the Green Party's joined-up policies across all issues, but they feel they have to vote for another candidate as it's a marginal seat and they don't want a Tory MP. British politics alienates more people than it engages, especially young people, because under the stale 'first-past-the-post' system, most of us feel that our votes don't count. So we need genuine proportional representation – constituency-based single transferable votes for the House of Commons. We should lower the voting age to 16, and of course replace the unelected House of Lords with a proportionally-elected and much more effective Second Chamber.

2) Tackling homelessness and poverty here, notably in parts of Kilburn. That means ending the scandal of empty houses, reforming Council tax banding and investing in genuinely affordable social housing, and bringing in legislation so that the private rental sector is better controlled to provide fair rents, better accommodation and more secure tenancies.

3) Scrapping Trident and putting the billions we would save into our real security needs, such as a truly world class NHS, lifelong education opportunities, and protecting our planet from the biggest security threat of all, humanity's pollution and climate change.

What made you want to get into politics?

I've been engaged in British and UN politics as a feminist peace activist for many years, promoting equality, social justice, disarmament and environmental responsibility. I lived for five years at the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp to get rid of one generation of nuclear weapons, and then for Greenpeace to ban nuclear testing. Successful in both, but we still have to scrap Trident and build security without nuclear weapons. I decided to join the Green Party in 2009, when I could no longer fool myself that Labour would transform itself into an effective socialist party with the courage to tackle climate change, nuclear disarmament, poverty and homelessness.

What are your favourite things about the constituency?

I love the community spirit here, from parishioners in South Kilburn and Queens Park determined to stop HS2 from destroying their homes and schools, to Belsize Park residents and shopkeepers campaigning to defend their local jobs and shops against Tesco and its identikit, low-pay, profit-first model. And I love cycling to Hampstead Heath and swimming in the women's pond... an oasis of bliss while busy london fades into the background!

Who is your political hero?

Sylvia Pankhurst – the socialist suffragette committed to practical activism on behalf of London's poor, especially hardworking women from British and immigrant communities in the East End. She was feminist, courageous in her commitment to peace, and worked closely with Keir Hardie, Labour's first MP, in breaking the Tory-Liberal two-party stranglehold. From Greenham onwards, I've worn the green, purple and white ribbons of the suffragettes. We must honour their struggle for the vote by refusing to throw our precious democracy away in "tactical" voting for the "least worst" of today's inadequate TweedleCon and TweedleLab parties and their short term political machines. Our votes can bring in the transformational policies this country and our planet need.

Scott Bartle selected to fight Brent North for the Green Party

Scott Bartle

Brent Green Party today announced that Scott Barttle has been selected to fight the Brent North seat for the Green Party in the 2015 General Election.
 

Scott holds registration as a positive behaviour psychologist and works within the NHS. He lives in Mapesbury Ward Brent, where he stood as Green candidate in the 2014 local elections and gained 8% - one of the highest results for an individual Green Party candidate in the constituency.

Explaining his decision to stand Scott said:

As a Cornishman raised in one of the most deprived areas of the UK and Europe I am acutely aware of the human impact that poverty can have as detailed in the ‘horror’ statistics. It was no surprise that the regional areas of Britain were increasingly turning away from the three main parties as they have experienced neglect since Thatcher, perpetuated by Blair, and continued by the coalition.

It was also no surprise that in Brent, one of the most deprived areas of London, we have people turning away from the UK government and mistakenly thinking that their values are represented by elements in Syria. When people are alienated from the society they live in, there is only so far that they can be pushed. It’s been said that the apocalypse won’t come like lightning, but gradually like a fog. Mostly, successive governments have managed to avoid the ire of the public in perpetuating the agenda of their corporate donors but the fog is starting to become visible around us.

Whilst this fog may be pollution, as our government is being taken to court by the EU for London’s  poor air quality - we know only the Greens will protect our environment.

When Labour started the erosion of civil liberties and now the Tories pledge to repeal Human Rights legislation – we need the Greens to lead the resistance. 

When Labour sought to channel public money out of the NHS through Private Finance Initiatives that we are still paying now – we need a Green to look at the long term.

As studies reveal 50% of people receiving social care in Brent feel unsafe, we need to stop allowing private equity companies to funnel profits off-shore when they’re failing in their primary duty – Greens care.

When our foreign policy, rendered inconsistent by our colonial past is still causing conflict across the world and giving cause to recruit people from our own communities – we need a Green to challenge that.

When the economic policy of ‘austerity’ advocated by Conservatives and Lib-Dems is an irreconcilable failure and Labour pledge to continue it  - the fog envelopes us. 

Nobody actually wants all of this – it’s why it is vital we look for an alternative. 

As Parliamentary Candidate for Brent North I will seek to highlight that Greens can provide something for people to vote FOR, rather than against – a real choice.

Through saying YES to Human Rights, YES to a consistent foreign policy, YES to Economic Change, YES to Public Services, YES to Environmental Action, YES to Green Jobs we are saying YES to a sustainable future for people, nature and wildlife worldwide

ADMISSION TO HOSPITAL via A&E; North West London, July 2012

At about 7.30 pm on Monday 9^th July 2012, I was told by a member of the STARRS District Nurses, (based at Central Middlesex Hospital), that based on my blood tests, STARRS and my GP had decided to have me hospitalised by ambulance. I assume that this was because my mobility was very restricted at the time and that this was the quickest way to get me to hospital.

The ambulance arrived at my house in Dollis Hill at about 8pm.  I asked the ambulance crew if I would be going to Central Middlesex Hospital, as this was where I had gone when I had been hospitalised previously. I was told I could not go there as the Accident and Emergency dep’t at CMH closed at 8.30pm. It was therefore decided to take me to Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow.

The ambulance arrived at Northwick Park A&E at about 9pm. I was wheeled into the hospital lying prone on a stretcher accompanied by two ambulance men, the three of us immediately joined a queue of other potential A&E patients on stretchers or wheelchairs, each also accompanied by ambulance crews and sometimes also by friends and/or relatives. As far as I could make out in the queue in front of me consisted of about six or seven patients and others were frequently joining the queue after me.

I don’t recall any of the other patients in the queue shouting out, crying or giving any indication of being in great distress, so I have no idea if there was any procedure for emergencies to go to the front of the queue. If such procedure existed it would have made the wait of the “more routine” patients longer.

The restriction that was causing the queue seemed to be the number of available curtained –off A&E treatment areas available, until one became vacant, patients had to queue. When an earlier a patient was moved out of one of these treatment areas, a patient from the queue could be moved into it and also then be formally transferred from the care of the ambulance crew into that of the A&E dep’t.

I don’t know, but I assume that as well as arriving at Northwick Park A&E by ambulance, potential patients may have been arriving by other means.

By about 9.55pm, I was at the head of the queue, at this stage the member of A&E personnel in charge of handover ‘re-designated’ two Gynaecology rooms as being empty spaces available for A&E admissions.  I was wheeled into one of these rooms by about 9.58pm.

The ambulance crew who had had charge of me until then explained that if a patient was logged as waiting for one hour, this became logged as an “incident”, which apparently meant extra paperwork for both the ambulance crew and the A&E staff.

Within about 15 minutes I was moved from the Gynaecology room to one of the curtained –off A&E treatment areas and the use of the Gynaecology rooms seems to have been a temporary ad-hoc measure to deal with the queues of ambulance patients, but it was taking place at 9pm on a Monday night when there were no adverse conditions or unusual events adding to the number of potential A&E admissions.

After my wait in the queue, I was not fully tested and assessed in A&E and transferred to a ward until about 2am, but I think I was dealt with as promptly as possible by the A&E staff. My concern is how much of the initial wait before I was assessed by A&E was due to Northwick Park A&E having to deal with extra cases such as mine who might otherwise have gone to Central Middlesex Hospital.

It seems that the run down of A&E facilities at CMH, (let alone their total closure), may displace demand onto other facilities which may not have the capacity to deal with them promptly. Further more the reduction or closure of CMH A&E cerates a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ in regard to ambulance admissions, because ambulance patients have to go where they are taken, which may not necessarily be the nearest or best source of treatment.

If an ambulance can’t take a patient to a closed facility does this show a lack of demand for the facility that has been closed?