The People’s Assembly – What Next For Brighton and Hove and the Fight Against Austerity?

I heard about this in the wake of the Election Results last week, and decided to head along as Ive attended other events put on by the Peoples Assembly like the Hustings on Housing and the May Day Parade.

Gathering by the size of the room for the meeting the turnout must have been at least double what was expected, which was great – nothing like the Tory Party to get people out and agitated!

We discussed the upcoming Anti-Austerity March, which is taking place at the Bank of England on June 20, and made plans about how to get up to London and what banners to make, etc. All fairly straight forward and pragmatic.

Following this however, we moved to the ‘Strategy Discussion’ which looked at what direction the movement was to follow over the coming months and years, and here the conversation became a little more complicated.

It was good to see so many student activists from ‘Free Education - Sussex’, and their enthusiasm was marvellous, but their lean towards police confrontation and high tension scenarios proved divisive with other members of the meeting.

Not that I have any experience myself, but I would say that history teaches the only way to gain public or government sympathy when faced with police aggression is to adopt a non-violent response, a la Gandhi or Martin Luther King. Scenes of vandalism and violence will not achieve anything except to solidify an impression of ‘Lefty Anarchists’ in the mind of the average Tory voter watching at home on television.

What is much more useful, as one person suggested, is to create a ‘positive narrative’, an ‘alternative to austerity’. This approach brought many excellent suggestions from the group, mostly focussed around educating people as to why austerity is bad. Suggestions included:

    Radio Free Brighton

    Stalls around town

    Outreach groups

    Leafletting

The goal is to prove to people that austerity is an ideology, not an economic strategy; that it is a way to transfer money and power from the poor to the rich. The UK is the sixth wealthiest country in the world, so why are we in the midst of massive welfare cuts to ‘eliminate the debt’?

Seems to me the best way to 'elimate the debt' is to ensure that multi-national corporations pay their fair share of tax, rather than cut services from the vulnerable, and I was wracking my brain to think of what could be done to put pressure on these companies, but, (sigh), its a conundrum.

Boycotts of Amazon, Starbucks, and Boots until they can evidence honest tax returns? A hard sell people who can't connect the dots... I need to think on this more.

As one man noted, “there’s no shortage of money in this country, its just in the wrong hands”.

Amen comrade

Beginning with BHESCo

 

Last night I had the privilege of meeting with Kayla Ente, founder and CEO of a new start-up renewable energy enterprise called BHESCo (Brighton and Hove Energy Saving Co-operative). The idea is to create a community owned business providing renewable energy to the community that owns it, keeping prices low, bills low, and emissions low.

 

Describing the project on their website, she explains: “We’re used to thinking that doing good and making money are often opposed, especially when it comes to energy, but that doesn’t apply here.  This is a win-win-win – Sussex gets more renewable energy while properties are made more efficient, cutting our carbon footprint and energy bills. Businesses and organisations we work with get cheaper energy, and the people who’s money makes it happen receive an interest rate that’s 10 times better than what they’re getting on their bank savings.”

 

Rarely has a first impression made such a, err… impression, but Kayla’s enthusiasm, knowledge, honesty, and goodwill are truly inspiring. When talking with her about the venture, I decided immediately that I’d do all I can to help make it a success, hopefully one for other cities to follow. In fact, Brighton itself would be following a similar example already established in Germany, where cities like Hamburg have bought back ownership of their electrical grid.

 

As a starting point, I was asked to deliver a big batch of share offer leaflets to Brighton’s high society, i.e. those in the big houses round upper Dyke Road with a spare few quid to invest.

It was strange to say the least to be around some of the most extravagant properties in the city, having just last week been visiting some of the poorest (as part of Caroline’s campaign), and I know where I felt more comfortable… The wealth disparity in a city so small is astonishing. But that’s a whole other conversation.

 

For anyone interested in BHESCo, there’s a presentation and Q&A on 16 May at Friends Meeting House, and 4 June at Brighthelm Centre at 6pm. 

 

Four More Years...!

Well,... I don't know how to feel really.


Delighted obviously that Caroline won, and by a ginormous margin as well, nearly 8,000 votes more than her nearest rival in Purna Sen from Labour, which is a massive achievement considering she only won by a difference of roughly 1,200 last time round. Amazing stuff, and totally deserved given her record in parliament since 2010 (best newcomer, most ethical politician, MP of the Year 2014). Victory was never certain though, and the campaign co-ordinator had us out door knocking until 9:50pm on election night to try and get every last vote - "how would we feel if she lost by five votes...?". Fortunately we'll never know...

The campaign to re-elect Caroline Lucas was a great success, I'm proud to have been part of it, and people of Brighton, I'm proud of you!

The rest of the UK however, not so much.

I was saying to a friend after the election how the Conservatives are like U2,... I don't know a single person who would confess to like them, yet they are seemingly this hugely popular tour-de- force.

The prospect of a Conservative majority government is a truly chilling one for all the reasons Ive covered on this blog previously - further privatisation of health services, prioritising business over environmental interests, turning a blind eye to corporate tax avoidance, pressing for passing of the dreaded TTIP, an in/ out EU referendum.. it goes on. Who thinks any of these things are a good thing for the country?!

One thing is for sure, Caroline will have many a fight on her hands in the Commons over the next five years, and I certainly wont be short of endeavours to sink my teeth into here on this blog. Its 7 months until the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in December, and time to start building pressure to make sure David Cameron puts the needs of the people over the needs of big business.

Thank god there's at least one sane voice in parliament


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32633718

End of the Trail...

So here we are,...



After months of hitting the campaign trail hard, the fate of the nation is finally upon us tomorrow! And not a day to soon I must say. How Caroline and the rest of the would be candidates keep it up all day, every day, I do not know, cos I am bloody knackered!

The past few months have been hectic, seeing me involved in many an interesting doorstep chat (as well as knocking on many an un-answered door), posting hundreds of leaflets and letters, handing out yet more leaflets at debates, delivering the Greenleaf newspaper, running a stall on Western Road, delivering "Re-Elect Lucas" posters, registering students to vote, and attending every local hustings I could make it to.

And still more to do, as we need to run round town tomorrow making sure that everybody who said they would vote Green actually turn up and vote Green, even if it is windy and raining!
Many around Brighton think it is a given that Caroline will get in, what with the sea of Green posters in windows, but with the students out of town Im not so sure, plus Ive a sneaking suspicion that there's a hidden mass of quietly unassuming non-poster waving life-long Labour supporters who will dutifully turn out and vote in their thousands. We shall see...

For all I know, these months of hard work could all be for naught, and I'll be gutted if Caroline doesn't get in. But... at least I'll be able to live with myself.


See you at the polls tomorrow

Don't let me down Brighton