GREENSheffield Green Party Newspaper February / March 2015

Broomhill, Central, Manor Castle, Nether Edge & Walkley wards

THE SHEFFIELD

Votes cast in the 5 constituency wards in the May 2014 council elections(average vote in Walkley where there were 2 vacancies)

CREASY CAN WIN CENTRAL

MP candidate Jillian Creasy says:“Tackling inequality and helpingthe environment go hand in hand.The Green Party wants to shareresources fairly so that everyonecan live healthy, enjoyable lives.”

The Green Party will close the gap between richand poor. The UK is one of the richest countries inthe world, but also one of the most unequal.People go hungry, live in overcrowded conditionsand struggle to pay fuel bills. Many are in low paidjobs or seeking work and caught out by harshbenefit sanctions. Citizen’s Advice Bureaux report abig increase in financial problems. Meanwhile, therich have got richer and consume far more than isneeded for a healthy, happy life.

Jillian Creasy says: “We must create decently paid,worthwhile jobs in industries that benefit us allsuch as food production, energy efficiency andrenewable energy. And in public services such ashealth, education and public transport.”

Jillian’s top 3 Green pledges on inequality:

• A Financial Transaction Tax on the bankingsector. It could raise billions to fight poverty andreduce speculative and risky stock market deals.

• More jobs in Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs.To track down billions lost in tax avoidance andevasion.

• A non means-tested Basic Income for everyperson. This would remove the 'poverty trap' andbe a more efficient way of paying benefits andhelping people to work.

GREEN FOR FAIRNESS

www.sheffieldgreenparty.org.ukSheffield Green Party, c/o 73 Eskdale Rd, Sheffield, S6 1SL

@sheffieldgreens Sheffield Green Party

Promoted by Eamonn Ward on behalf of Sheffield Green Party (same address) Printed by Newsquest Printing ltd, Hampshire Rd, Weymouth, DT4 9XD

ANNE BARR -CENTRAL WARD

Anne lives on the ward border in Nether Edge.She taught at King Ecgbert School for 27 yearsand now volunteers at Save The Children andKids Around The World charity shops. She’s amember of Abbeydale Corridor Clean Air Groupand helps out in Sharrow Green Spaces.

Anne says “The New Retail Quarter (NRQ)remains stalled 7 years after Green Councillorsfirst called for a ‘Plan B’. City centres arechanging and we’ve campaigned hard for analternative to big shopping centres. We want amix of leisure and businesses, with betterservices for residents and more support forindependent traders, whose profits stay in thelocal economy. I would be interested to hear yourviews on this issue.”

Anne Barr near John Lewis on Cambridge St - manysmall businesses were forced to move out of the

NRQ area by compulsory purchase orders

OUR GREEN CANDIDATES

Jillian Creasy with Green candidates for council wards in Sheffield Central

AODAN MARKEN –BROOMHILL

Aodan Marken works in Estates and FacilitiesManagement at the University of Sheffield, andis the Chair of Sheffield Young Greens.

Aodan says “Knowledge is power. The Green Partybelieves that an informed public is essential toproper governance. We have campaigned to openup the details behind long-term Councilcontracts with private companies. The big onesare Veolia (waste), Kier (buildings and repairs),Amey (street maintenance) and Capita (welfarebenefits and IT). These contracts can only bechanged if the companies agree so other councilservices are bearing the brunt of austerity cuts.

Over 60% of the Council’s spending is nowprivatised. This takes money - including profitsfor the shareholders - out of Sheffield.”

Aodan Marken on Ecclesall Rd - the council’scontract with Veolia is set to last until 2036

TAKE THE TESTIn the 2010 General Election, independentwebsite Vote for Policies asked people tochoose their preferred policies withoutsaying which party manifesto they werefrom. Green Party policies were by far themost popular among the nearly 500,000people who took the test. We are confidentthat our manifesto offers what this countryneeds - a positive alternative to all the otherparties. Vote for Policies will soon go live forthis election – take the test yourself atvoteforpolicies.org.uk

The Young Greens, our 30 and under group,played a key role in organising the FreeEducation demonstration in London lastNovember. They continue to campaign forfree higher education and the reversal oftuition fees debts.

Their current campaign encourages tradeunion membership among young people.Sheffield Young Greens Chair AodanMarken says “Access to high quality freeeducation and representation in theworkplace helps young people to findrewarding jobs.” Find out more at:http://younggreens.org.uk/campaigns/getorganised

JOIN ATRADE UNION

GRAHAM WROE –MANOR CASTLE

Graham has lived in the ward for 35 years.He’s a lecturer at Sheffield College and thepress officer of Residents Against StationClosure, the campaign that’s kept publicaccess through the train station.

Graham says “Rail privatisation has meanthigh ticket prices, overcrowded trains andhundreds of millions of pounds lost tooperator profits. I support Green MP CarolineLucas' call in parliament for public ownershipof the rail network. The Green Party wouldspend £1.7 billion more on the railwaysincluding a 10% cut to all fares.”

Graham Wroe at Sheffield station - Greens wantto return the railways to public ownership

CALVIN PAYNE -NETHER EDGE

Calvin lives in Nether Edge. He has experienceas a support worker working with vulnerablepeople and is now a conductor onSupertram. He is a presenter of CommunitiesLive on Sheffield Live radio.

Calvin says “Average wages in Sheffield havedropped by a staggering 27% since 2008 afteradjusting for inflation – the 3rd biggest dropin the country. Our manifesto calls for theminimum wage to be increased immediatelyto “Living Wage” levels and to £10 an hour by2020. Greens will act to stop companiesusing zero hours contracts to exploit labourand cut costs.”

SUE MORTON -WALKLEY

Sue has lived in Walkley ward since 1978. Shewas a founder member and Chair of WalkleyCommunity Forum and a Governor atWalkley Primary School for 12 years. Suevolunteers at Walkley library, ASSIST, andthe Northern Refugee Centre.

Sue says “I’m right behind our proposal tobring 6000 new green jobs to the SheffieldCity Region by 2022 – a £300 million boost tothe economy. Investing in energy efficiencycould reduce UK demand by 40%, saving onbills, cutting air pollution and helping fightclimate change. Better insulation would alsomean warmer homes, especially in olderhousing stock like the many terraces inWalkley.“

Sue Morton near The Ponderosa - Better insulationhelps families struggling to pay rising fuel bills

Calvin Payne on Abbeydale Rd - most supermarketworkers earn just above the minimum wage of

£6.50 an hour

PERMIT PARKINGPROBLEMS

Greens support permit parking schemesbecause they discourage commuters andhelp residents. But you’ve told us how hard itis to renew or change permits and buy themfor visitors. Cllr Jillian Creasy says “We’veheld a public meeting and are now pushingthe Council for an improvement plan. It’s nowonder that people are upset that theCouncil is making £1.1 million annual profitfrom schemes, especially when they get suchpoor service from them”.

Central ward councillors Jillian Creasy and RobMurphy (right) with Green campaigner Rob Unwin

Air pollution causes 500 premature deaths ayear in Sheffield, mainly due to private cars.Cllr Brian Webster got this back on theCouncil’s agenda, proposing a decisiveapproach to improve health and save lives.Labour watered down the proposal.

In January South Yorkshire's CouncilLeaders voted through excessive 10% cuts tothe local public transport budget. Thismeans the closure of travel centres and nomore paper bus timetables. These cuts hitthe most vulnerable hardest.

AIR QUALITY ANDTRANSPORT

Cllr Rob Murphy on London Rd

To vote in the general election you must be 18 years old onpolling day and be a British or Irish citizen or a qualifyingCommonwealth citizen. The deadline to register to vote ismidnight on April 20th and the system is now IndividualVoter Registration. To register and find information go towww.sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/elections

J I LLI AN ’S CAMPAIGN TAKES OFFDr Jillian Creasy has been appointed as the Green Party’s Healthspokesperson. You may have heard her on Radio 4’s Any Questionsor the Channel 5 debate on the NHS.

“With this governmentmaking an unprecedented

attack on the country'smost vulnerable people, we

need Green voices inParliament more than

ever.”Green MP Caroline Lucas

Jillian says:“My campaign is really taking offas we surge forward in bothopinion polls and membership. Thepublic overwhelmingly said yes toincluding Greens in the TVdebates.”

“The privatisation of public services by Labourand coalition governments is an expensive anddamaging failure. The Green Party offers apositive alternative to the “business as usual”approach to politics. Sheffield Central is clearlybetween Labour and the Greens. I’m workinghard to win your support.”

CAN YOU VOTE ON MAY 7TH?

Vote share in Council elections in Sheffield Central constituency

Jillian can win Central

Printed on recycled paper

Delivered by local volunteers

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

• Register to vote via www.gov.uk/register-to-vote• Display a window poster at election time• Deliver leaflets in your area• Make a donation or join the Green Party.

Go to:e-mail:Telephone:Young Greens:Write to:

www.sheffieldgreenparty.org.uk/get-involvedjillian4mp@sheffieldgreenparty.org.uk0740 279 5870Sheffield@younggreens.org.ukSheffield Green Party, 73 Eskdale Rd, S6 1SL

@greenjillian jilliancreasy4MP

Cllr Brian Webster07583 015928brian.webster@sheffield.gov.uk

CONTACTS

Please use the contact points on the right for Manor Castle, Nether Edge &Walkley enquiries

Cllr Jillian Creasy07791 614904Jillian.creasy@sheffield.gov.uk

Cllr Sarah Jane Smalley07583 015986sarahjane.smalley@sheffield.gov.uk

Cllr Rob Murphy07875 015354robert.murphy@sheffield.gov.uk

Broomhill ward:

Central ward: