UNISON Vote to ban BNP nurses

Below is the statement of the Green Party's Health Spokesperson, Stuart Jeffreys, on the UNISON vote to ban BNP members from nursing. I wholeheartedly support it. I have also stated that as a candidate for the European election in June I will not share a platform with any representative of the BNP.


BNP nurses should be banned from nursing

Police officer are banned from being members of the BNP or promoting the BNP and yesterday UNISON voted unanimously to call for BNP members to be banned from nursing.I find it hard to imagine how a profession that has been built on caring and compassion can be compatible with racism. As a registered nurse myself, I would find it very difficult to understand how an openly racist nurse could provide care to without discrimination.Well done to Unison (which I have recently rejoined after the debacle of the Unite elections), and I hope the NMC take heed of this call.

Another absentee councillor

It would appear that some Labour councillors are not receiving sufficient public subsidy - poor things! Some of them are forced to go AWOL (Absent Without Official Leave). The latest case of this is in Prince's Ward in Lambeth (in the parliamentary constituency of Vauxhall). It would appear that Cllr Townend moved some time ago to Henleave in Bristol in order to get the nomination to become a parliamentary candidate there. Clle Townend was successful in his ambition and continued to live in Bristol while drawing on his councillor's allowance of £10,212 per annum.

According to today's South London Press: "Townend continued to draw on his allowance as a Lambeth councillor, claiming that he was able to represent the ward despite living elsewhere." When it came to light, however, that he had only attended two meetings over the last year, his claim was called into question. On Friday Cllr Townend resigned and had the audacity to do so on a Bristol radio station! Lambeth Council has confirmed that he has resigned and says that a by election date will be set soon. And they wonder why politics has fallen into disrepute? I hope he serves his new constituents better in Bristol that his old ones in Lambeth, if elected that is. Somehow I expect that there will be a dramatic fall in Labour MPs elected next time.

Witchunt against Jeremy Bowen and the cowardly BBC

Jeremy Bowen, the BBC's Middle East Correspondent, has recently been condemned by the BBC Trust for a piece which he wrote last June about the Israel - Palestine conflict. Today I sent a message of support to Jeremy Bowen as a European Parliamentary Candidate for London and received the following message in response:

"Dear Joseph

Thanks very much for your support, which I appreciate greatly. Thanks too for taking the time to write.

Yours

Jeremy Bowen."

This is the same BBC which would not run by charity appeal for Gaza several months ago. It really is becoming a disgrace in terms of fairness and honest reporting of the Middle East.

Here is an article by Robert Fisk, the well known Middle East correspondent of The Independent, about Bowen and the BBC.

The BBC Trust is now a mouthpiece for the Israeli lobby which abused Bowen.
It’s report on Jeremy Bowen’s dispatches from the Middle East is pusillanimous, cowardly, outrageous, factually wrong and ethically dishonest.
But I am mincing my words.
The trust – how I love that word which so dishonours everything about the BBC – has collapsed, in the most shameful way, against the usual Israeli lobbyists who have claimed – against all the facts – that Bowen was wrong to tell the truth.

Let’s go step by step through this pitiful business. Zionism does indeed instinctively "push out" the frontier. The new Israeli wall – longer and taller than the Berlin Wall although the BBC management cowards still insist its reporters call it a "security barrier" (the translation of the East German phrase for the Berlin Wall) – has gobbled up another 10 per cent of the 22 per cent of "Palestine" that Arafat/Mahmoud Abbas were supposed to negotiate. Bowen’s own brilliant book on the 1967 war, Six Days, makes this land-grab perfectly clear.
Anyone who has read the history of Zionism will be aware that its aim was to dispossess the Arabs and take over Palestine. Why else are Zionists continuing to steal Arab land for Jews, and Jews only, against all international law? Who for a moment can contradict that this defies everyone’s interpretation of international law except its own?

Even when the International Court in The Hague stated that the Israeli wall was illegal – the BBC, at this point, was calling it a "fence"! – Israel simply claimed that the court was wrong.
UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 called upon Israel to withdraw its forces from territories that it occupied in the 1967 war – and it refused to do so. The Americans stated for more than 30 years that Israel’s actions were illegal – until the gutless George Bush accepted Israel had the right to keep these illegally held territories. Thus the BBC Trust – how cruel that word "trust" now becomes – has gone along with the Bush definition of Israel’s new boundaries (inside Arab land, of course).

The BBC’s preposterous committee claims that Bowen’s article "breached the rules [sic] on impartiality" because "readers might come away from the article thinking that the interpretation offered was the only sensible view of the war".
Well, yes of course. Because I suppose the BBC believes that Israel’s claim to own land which in fact belongs to other people is another "sensible" view of the war. The BBC Trust – and I now find this word nauseous each time I tap it on my laptop – says that Bowen didn’t give evidence to prove the Jewish settlement at Har Homa was illegal. But the US authorities said so, right from the start. Our own late foreign secretary, Robin Cook – under screamed abuse from Zionists when he visited the settlement– said the same thing. The fact that the BBC Trust uses the Hebrew name for Har Homa – not the original Arab name, Jebel Abu Ghoneim – shows just how far it is now a mouthpiece for the Israeli lobby which so diligently abused Bowen.
Haaretz gave considerable space to the BBC’s findings yesterday. I’m not surprised. But why is it that Haaretz’s top correspondents – Amira Hass and Gideon Levy – write so much more courageously about the human rights abuses of Israeli troops (and war crimes) than the BBC has ever dared to do? Whenever I’m asked by lecture audiences around the world if they should trust the BBC, I tell them to trust Amira and Gideon more than they should ever believe in the wretched broadcasting station. I’m afraid it’s the same old story. If you allow yourself to bow down before those who wish you to deviate from the truth, you will stay on your knees forever.
And this, remember, is the same institution which said that to broadcast an appeal for medicines for wounded Palestinians in Gaza might upset its "neutrality". Legless Palestinian children clearly don’t count as much as the BBC’s pompous executives.

How do we solve this problem? Well I can certainly advise viewers to turn to Sky TV’s infinitely tougher coverage of the Middle East and – I admit I contribute to this particular station – I can recommend the courage with which Al-Jazeera English covers Gaza and the rest of the Palestinian-Israeli war.

I can well see how BBC executives will say that this article of mine today is "over the top". Jeremy Bowen may indeed think the same. But the First World War metaphor would be correct. For Bowen and his colleagues are truly lions led by BBC management donkeys.

Robert Fisk
Robert Fisk is an English journalist and author. He is the Middle East correspondent of the UK newspaper The Independent, has spent more than 30 years living in and reporting from the region, and won awards for his work. He lives in Beirut, Lebanon. His 2005 book, "The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East" with its criticism of Western and Israeli approaches to the Middle East, was well-received by critics and students of international affairs, and is perhaps his best-known work.This author's articles
Source: The Independent
Control of the "Great Middle East" Hamas and Fatah reach 'historic accord' 'We Are Neither Obstinate nor Gullible' Secret US-Iran meetings held in Geneva U.S. shipped 989 munitions containers to Israel week before (...) Gen. Odierno: US May Ignore Iraq Deadline Because of (...) Iraqi protesters call for US exit World Depression: Regional Wars and the Decline of the US (...) Israel’s War Crimes The Persistence of Cynicism Israel Asserting Middle East Supremacy: From Gaza to (...) + + +
Resistance in Palestine Behind the U.S. gov’t boycott Palestinian Civil Society Launches “Israel Review Conference” (...) Israel will not cooperate with UN Gaza inquiry Israeli exports hit by European boycotts after attacks on (...) Israel seizes Hamas political leaders CIA report: Israel will fall in 20 years "Color Purple" author tours Gaza Russell Tribunal on Palestine World Court scrutinizes Israeli wall despite opposition War and Natural Gas: The Israeli Invasion and Gaza's (...) + + +

Bolivian Imbroglio

I recently watched John Pilger's documentary about US influence in the world and particularly its role in Latin America entitled 'The War on Democracy'. Pilger outlines numerous attempts by the US and the CIA to destabilise and overthrow regimes in Latin America which were not to its liking.

Now it would appear that there has been an attempt on the life on President Morales on Bolivia. Obama has claimed at the Americas Summit at the weekend that the US was not invovled in any way and that coup attempts such as this were to be condemned. But the Bolivians continue to assert that the US was involved.

There is also an Irish connection in that one of the alleged mercenaries who was involved in the plot and killed by Bolivian police was an Irishman and this has produced a great deal of interest in Ireland. Some years ago we had the Irish training the FARC leftwing guerillas in Colombia, and now there is an Irishman involved in a Right wing plot in Bolivia. The Irish press is full of stories about this individual's background and possible motives. Some details are here http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0419/breaking41.html?via=mr

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/0420/1224245023410.html?via=mr

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0419/breaking14.html?via=mr

There has long been an Irish connection with Latin America from the days of Bernardo O'Higgins in the War of Independence against Spain.

Two of the mercenaries are still alive so a lot may yet come out at the trial. This could prove interesting for Obama's relations with both Bolivia and Venezuela and if it is proved that there was CIA involvement, may really poison the atmosphere.

Green Left Meeting

I chaired the Green Left general meeting on Saturday which was well attended and addressed a number of issues. We were joined by Ben, a speaker from Climate Camp, who told us about their G20 experiences and also about some actions in the pipeline. We agreed to keep channels of communication open. We also had an observer from Socialist Resistance, the ecosocialist group attached to Respect, who told us a little bit about what they were up to. At the tail end of the meeting we were joined by a speaker from the new Anti-Capitalist Party in France, who are currently running at 15% in the polls and expected to gain anything up to 10 seats in the European Parliament, which is an astonishing achievement, if it happens, for a party only formed in 2007. He stated that they were keen to work with some of those on the Green list in France, such as Jose Bove, but not as keen about others, such as Daniel Cohn Bendit.

There was a close vote on whether to continue taking part in the Left Unity talks, but we agreed to continue doing so, although many of us think that it is not leading anywhere and many of the groups have already pulled out. We also decided to adopt 'Workers for the World Unite' as one of our slogans, although some of us thought that it was inappropriate and too workerist. One of my colleagues went so far as to accuse me of "mad, inverse workerism" because of my oppposition to the slogan. I think it is a great slogan and clearly draws on its famous 19th century forbear, but I think it more suitable for use by the Trade Union Group, as I believe that it could alienate those who do not see themselves as 'workers' or who are excluded from the labour market.

We also discussed a new pamphlet on the economic crisis which we will be launching at Housman's radical bookshop at King's Cross in London on May 27th, with the possible involvement of a celebrity (but I am bound to secrecy on that at present as it has not yet been confirmed). We agreed to support the People's Charter, although many of us feel that it is designed to appeal to those who want to feel that the Labour Left are still capable of having an impact in the Labour Party and is not at all as radical as we would like. I also gave the example of Alice Mahon, the long term Labour Party member and ex-MP who resigned from the party in disgust over its policies at the weekend. My only surprise was that it had taken her so long to wake up.

Other issues included a report by me on Stop the War Coalition, the forthcoming Climate Change Trade Union planning meeting and an agreement to send a delegation, together with the Green Party Trade Union Group, to Levellers Day in Burford, Oxfordshire on May 16th. There will also be a Green Left stall there. I will not be going as my duties as a London European Parliamentary Candidate mean that I will need to be in London and will probably be taking part in the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign march on that day.

We also condemned the initative of the RMT/CPB/Socialist Party in backing 'No to EU. Yes to Democracy' in the European elections and regard it as a Stalinist inspired political disaster. We issued the following statement:

Green Left has been shocked and disappointed by the decision of the RMT to stand candidates in the forthcoming euro elections. We had hoped for RMT support for a coherent environmental plan, including an ecologically sustainable public and publically owned transport system.

We fear that the current RMT electoral platform does not offer this within the context of a sensible political program and may have damaging consequences such as splitting votes and allowing the election of far right racist candidates, or endangering the seats of green Euro MPs who have a very good record of promoting workers’ rights in Europe.

Inspite of this Green Left will continue to actively support the RMT’s legitimate Trade Union activities and its campaigning for an ecologically sustainable public and publically owned transport system, but we cannot currently advise a vote for RMT candidates, which would currently be a wasted and dangerous vote.

We also had news that Ian Angus will be in the UK in September and we are hoping that we can get him to speak about his new book. Ian is the editor of Climate and Capitalism and hails from Canada. More about him here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Angus

All in all it was a positive meeting and I look forward to our AGM on June 20th in London.

ILGA Pledge for European Elections 2009

I have signed up as a European Parliamentary Candidate for London to the International Gay & Lesbian Association's Pledge to promote equality and to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The Greens in the European Parliament have a record second to none and it is interesting when looking at which countries and which parties have signed up that the Greens across Europe are very much in the lead. Disappointing to see that so few candidates so far have signed up from the Eastern European states which joined the EU in 2004 or from Bulgaria and Romania. However, I can vouch for the fact that the Polish Greens and the Green parties in countries such as Romania are campaignig strongly on LGBT issues and against discrimination. They often have to operate in difficutlt circumstances and deserve all our support.





You can follow who has signed up here http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/campaigns_projects/ep2009/map

Also interesting to see who has the best record on LGBT issues in the European Parliament.

http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/campaigns_projects/ep2009/what_can_you_do/get_to_know_the_candidates_and_their_position_on_human_rights_and_lgbt_issues/summary_of_voting_records_of_members_of_the_












ILGA-Europe is calling upon candidates for the European Parliament elections 2009 to sign this pledge to promote equality and to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in their role as member of the European Parliament.

ILGA-Europe’s 2009 European Election Pledge summarises the key issues that we want to see advanced at the EU level over the next five years. These are:



1. Adopting ambitious EU legislation on equal treatmentI pledge to continue to support and to actively work towards the adoption of an EU multi-ground anti-discrimination directive as an essential step in ending the hierarchy of rights.



2. Ensuring the right to free movement in the EU for LGBT peopleI pledge to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are able to exercise their right to free movement in the EU with their families, including by closely monitoring the implementation of the Freedom of Movement Directive and by supporting measures to increase mutual recognition of partnerships.



3. Increasing explicit recognition of transgender people’s rightsI pledge to call for explicit recognition of the rights of transgender people in EU law, including by ensuring adequate coverage of transgender people in future EU gender equality legislation and policy and by closely monitoring implementation of the Gender Equality Directives with regard to their coverage of transgender people.



4. Combating homophobia and transphobia through criminal lawI pledge to call for a Framework Decision on homophobic and transphobic violence, hate crime and hate speech following the recommendation issued in the legal study on homophobia of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency.



5. Promoting an inclusive definition of familyI pledge to promote a definition of family which recognises the diversity of family relationships, and to ensure that the needs of LGBT families are increasingly reflected in EU policy and legislation (e.g. the Parental Leave Directive).



6. Acting as the EU’s fundamental rights watchdog, including on LGBT rightsI pledge to hold EU Member States accountable to their human rights commitments and to be a voice against human rights violations targeting LGBT people in the EU (e.g. freedom of assembly, asylum of people at risk of persecution).



7. Protecting LGBT rights in Europe beyond the EUI pledge to promote the human rights of LGBT people within the European Neighbourhood Policy, the EU Central Asia indicative programmes and Enlargement through political dialogue and recommending adoption of inclusive anti-discrimination laws.



8. Protecting LGBT rights in the worldI pledge to support Parliament resolutions and actions condemning human rights violations against LGBT people outside the EU and calling for the end of criminalisation of homosexuality.



9. Calling for an explicit commitment to fundamental rights from the new EU CommissionI pledge to prioritise the commitment to fundamental rights and equality in the approval of the new European Commission and to call for an explicit expression of this commitment by all the members of the EU Commission.



10. Ongoing commitment to the EU agenda in the area of non-discrimination and equalityI pledge to support programmes that ensure continued EU funding for effective and necessary action to combat discrimination and promote equality on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

Here is the statement of the Green Party Trade Union Group on the decision by the RMT to back the 'No to EU. Yes to Democracy' campaign in the European elections on June 4th. The sheer political myopia of the Communist Party of Britain and the Socialist Party in backing this campaign, particularly in London, is mind boggling. And as for democracy! There has been no democratic process within the RMT about this decision whatsoever, with £40.000 of members' money from the political fund being spent on it and no democratic procedure for selecting candidates. Instead the CPB, true to its Stalinist traditions, has engaged in a backroom stitch up.

What is even worse is that the slogan appeals to the worst aspects of xenophobia and echoes the 'British Jobs for British Workers' so beloved of the Daily Star, Sun etc. It could also endanger the seat of London's Green MEP, Jean Lambert, who is one of the members of the European Parliament who has done most for trade unions and workers rights. As one colleague in Green Left said to me, it is firmly in the tradition of "the working class right or wrong" rather than a clear headed radical initiative. It is also doomed to failure, but in the process will damage the progressive cause in general. I would have thought that Bob Crowe would have had more political sense than to be lulled into this political cul de sac by the CPB and the Socialist Party.

GPTU statement re RMT and Euro elections

The GREEN PARTY TRADES UNION GROUP has been shocked and disappointed by the decision of the RMT to stand candidates in the forthcoming euro elections. We had hoped for RMT support for a coherent environmental plan, including an ecologically sustainable public and publically owned transport system.

We fear that the current RMT electoral platform does not offer this within the context of a sensible political program and may have damaging consequences such as splitting votes and allowing the election of far right racist candidates, or endangering the seats of green Euro MPs who have a very good record of promoting workers’ rights in Europe.

Inspite of this GPTU will continue to actively support the RMT’s legitimate Trade Union activities and its campaigning for an ecologically sustainable public and publically owned transport system, but we cannot currently advise a vote for RMT candidates, which would currently be a wasted and dangerous vote.P.Murry (Secretary) pp GPTU yrrumuk@yahoo.co.uk tel 07736525187