30 January 2015

Green Party Deputy Leader Visits North Lincolnshire

From L to R: Martin Dwyer, Natalie Hurst, Neil Jacques, Amelia Womack, Vicky Dunn, Carol Thornton.

 

Amelia Womack, deputy leader of the Green Party, led the launch of the general election campaign for North and North East Lincolnshire. All four Green Party prospective Parliamentary candidates were in attendance. Natalie Hurst candidate for Brigg & Goole, Dr Martin Dwyer for Scunthorpe, Carol Thornton for Cleethorpes, and Dr Vicky Dunn for Great Grimsby. 

At an election campaign launch and press conference in North Lincolnshire on 30th January 2015, Miss Womack said:

“In this area it’s very clear that a Green economy can boost the local economy, for example with production for the renewable energy industry and its trade with Europe a Green economy can really boost the future for the local area. I’m excited that these candidates can make a real difference to fight for a fairer future and a future that works for everyone for the common good.”

Each of the candidates at the press conference spoke passionately about how Green policies can support the local area.

Natalie Hurst pointed to how the Green Party’s stance on social justice was really important to ensuring that all people get a fair deal, balancing the needs of people and planet. She also said she would continue to oppose the introduction of fracking, saying: “Fracking for and adding shale gas to the large amount of fossil fuel we already use will be massively bad for climate change. Locally we are experiencing more floods and this has damaged a lot of people’s homes in recent years. To frack is just completely insane. So I would like to see more support for research and investment in renewable energy. This is more likely to be of long term benefit to the local economy, helping the steel industry and creating lots more jobs to support renewable energy.”

Dr Martin Dwyer added that “Working at many levels we intend to improve the living circumstances of people locally and nationally. Social justice needs to be restored and the wealth gap reduced. It is an obscenity that the elite 1% in this world now owns half of its wealth. This must change! “

In terms of the Green Party’s approach to the economy Dr Vicky Dunn explained that “Greens have been criticised for wanting a “permanent recession.” We say that GDP is the wrong measurement for progress. For example, if there’s a multi-vehicle pile-up on the motorway injuries, damage and compensation add to GDP. But life has taken a turn for the worse! There are plenty of other ways to measure progress – health, people feeling secure in their lives, and materials going around the economy instead of a straight line from the mine, to factory, then shop to landfill. The Green Party are the only party who understand the issues and offer real, fair solutions. Vote for us to change the course of the economy towards real progress before it’s too late.”

Carol Thornton focused on the importance of the NHS. She expressed her concern that two decades of policies aimed at bringing the private sector into running parts of the NHS had resulted in “diverting public money and resources into the pockets of those that hold shares in the private companies contracted to provide services, resulting in poorer services for the public.”

During her visit Miss Womack visited a number of locations around the area to learn more about key issues for local people, took to the streets of Cleethorpes and Grimsby to talk with local people and attended a training event and fundraiser for local party activists. She also attended an event at Café Indie in Scunthorpe aimed at encouraging young people to get more involved in politics. 

 

From L to R: Neil Jacques, Carol Thornton, Amelia Womack, Paul Thornton.

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