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Green View
April 2015
Skerton East Ward - Election Special
Help us to turn Skerton East Green!
On Thursday 7th May, voters will have 2 ballot papers. One is for the General
Election, to elect an MP to represent Morecambe & Lunesdale in Parliament.
The other is to elect 3 Councillors to represent Skerton East Ward on
Lancaster City Council for the next 4 years.
The Green Party is standing candidates in
both elections – you can find out more
about them in this newsletter.
You don’t have to vote for the same party
in both elections, and you can vote for
candidates from different parties in the
City Council election if you wish to.
Register to vote
The deadline for voter
registration is 5pm on
Monday 20th April. Go to:
www.gov.uk/register-tovote or tel: 01524 582905.
Cleaning up Skerton
Skerton East Green Party candidate
David Fleet (pictured sitting at the
front) has been organising and
helping with litter picks in different
parts of Skerton. David said “On one
recent litter pick we filled 22 bin bags
in a couple of hours!”
Which party has the best policies?
Not sure who to vote for? An independent website could help you to decide.
At www.voteforpolicies.org.uk you can compare policies on the national
issues that are most important to you, then find out which party you most
agree with. As Green View went to print, the Green Party was neck-and-neck
with Labour as the two most popular parties in Morecambe & Lunesdale.
Green MP candidate against NHS privatisation
Green Parliamentary candidate Phil
Chandler (pictured) joined local NHS
campaigners in Morecambe last month.
The group called ‘38 Degrees’ was
collecting signatures for a petition to
give to all parliamentary candidates, to
stop further privatisation of the NHS.
Phil says “Clearly people feel very
strongly about this issue. Almost
everyone wanted to sign the petition,
and many people came over and
brought their friends and family over
specially to sign it.
We all know that the NHS isn't perfect, but a well-funded health service
for the common good represents how we want our society to work.
There is no place for the profit motive in the NHS.”
Meanwhile Caroline Lucas, the Green MP for Brighton, has been
leading the fight in Parliament to stop the break-up of the NHS.
Supporting Skerton Community Centre
Skerton Community Centre is a valuable resource for local people,
offering a range of activities for young and older people which help to
foster wellbeing and pride in the community. Find out more at
www.skertoncommunitycentre.co.uk, tel: 01524 380818 or email:
skertoncc@aol.com.
Green Party candidate David Fleet says: “We need to ensure that
funding for Skerton Community Centre is secured so that all local
people can continue to benefit from the fantastic work they do for
people of all ages”.
How to save money and stay warm
LESS is a local not-for-profit organisation that offers free home energy
surveys. Skerton resident Brian said “the people from LESS were very
helpful and gave us excellent advice on how to save money and make
the house warmer.” Find out more at www.lessuk.org, tel: 01524 66100
or email: energy@lessuk.org.
Greens on the City Council …
For the past 4 years, the Green Party has had 2 of the 8 members of
the City Council’s cabinet, in a shared administration with Labour.
Despite not been in overall control of the Council, Greens have been
able to get lots done!
… Our track record of achievement
Council Tax support for those in need. We argued
successfully to not charge Council Tax to the poorest households.
Living wage for Council employees. Greens successfully
pushed for the Council to pay its workers a wage they can live on.
Income from renewable energy. Greens pushed for solar
panels on Council buildings, earning the Council £55,000 per year.
Bus services protected. Greens successfully campaigned with
residents’ groups to keep evening and weekend bus services.
Maintaining funding for the arts and voluntary sector.
We worked hard to save vital grant funding for local organisations.
New allotments. Cinder Lane allotments opened in Scotforth in
2014, prompted by a Green-led review of allotments provision.
A thriving city centre. We lobbied strongly to keep Lancaster’s
outdoor market in its present location.
Get involved in Ryelands Park
The Green Party fully supports the Friends of Ryelands Park, which has
been doing excellent work to create a community garden and involve
local people in shaping the park's future. For more details on how to
get involved, contact Helen Ryan on 01524 582822 or email:
ryelandspark@lancaster.gov.uk
For more about our local achievements and policies:
Website:
www.northlancs.greenparty.org.uk
Facebook: North Lancashire Green Party
Twitter:
@NorthLancsGreen
YOUR GREEN CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES
Feel free to contact us about any local issues.
More info at: www.facebook.com/skertoneastgreencandidates/
David Fleet (lead candidate)
realhan1@hotmail.co.uk 07954 625 494
David has lived in Lancaster for 20 years and
served two PTA governor terms at Skerton High
School, which his daughter attended. He has worked
as a website designer, and is currently self-employed
teaching martial arts. David says "I want to help
strengthen pride in the area, and develop the social
infrastructure that makes Skerton thrive."
Stephen Riley
stephen.c.riley@gmail.com 07877 024 992
Stephen grew up in Lancaster, attending St. Luke's
Primary in Skerton before Ripley High. For the last 10
years Stephen has been a carer for his disabled
mother. He also does voluntary work with a local
not-for-profit organisation called XEED, supporting
people with long term health conditions. He says “I
want to ensure that people with disabilities and their
carers have their voices heard in the City Council.”
Jean O'Neill
jean_oneil69@outlook.com 01524 382 488
Skerton resident Jean has recently retired, after 20
years as a head teacher in Greater Manchester. She
has worked across Lancashire as an adviser and school
governor, and has been a volunteer and trustee for
projects promoting environmental and citizenship
education. Jean says “I am keen to improve facilities
for young people, and determined to ensure that
decisions on the future of the Skerton High School site are made in full
consultation with local residents.”
Promoted by Andrew Brennand on behalf of North Lancashire Green Party, both of
49 Wingate-Saul Road, Lancaster LA1 5DW. Printed on recycled paper by
Pagefast Print & Publishing Ltd, 4-6 Lansil Way, Caton Road, Lancaster LA1 3QY.