[Tony]

Continuing from another thread...

Originally Posted by Greenman

The Green Party does want to change the fabric of UK society as we believe that we are currently living unsustainably. We believe that Life on Earth is under immense pressure and that it is human activity, more than anything else, which is threatening the well-being of the environment on which we depend. Conventional politics has failed us because its values are fundamentally flawed. The Green Party isn't just another political party. Green politics is a new and radical kind of politics guided by core principles.

We are fighting this election on policies like

• Fair pensions
• Regulation of the banks
• Create a million new jobs to tackle climate change and Britain's social issues
• Stopping privatisation of the NHS
• Better Public transport
• Free insulation for all buildings
• A living wage for all
• Free school meals for all children
• Affordable housing for all
• Safer Streets
• Green Energy for all

We have progressive policies to tackle the problems and issues in society, rebuild the economy and tackle climate change.

I'd prefer you properly addressed the actual policies that I listed. Here they are again.
* Decriminalising drugs
* Encouraging travellers to set up " tents, tipis, benders and yurts" without requiring planning permission
* Handing over UK sovereignty to the EU.
* Removing virtually all immigration control
* A tax on land, homes, vehicles, wealth, hard work and pretty much anything that is and isn't nailed down.
* No rights to own an empty property
* Decimation of the house building industry
* Giving the police and armed forces the right to go on strike
* Dismantling the UK defence systems and the armed forces and supporting industries



Over to you Greenman and anyone else.

[Stormy]

God help us all. Hopefully the good people of Brighton Pavillion will wake up and not actually vote for this naive rabble

[shane39]

No no no...................

[sccsux]

Are the Green Party a credible alternative for Sheffield?

No.

[HJL_Shef]

Originally Posted by Tony

I'd prefer you properly addressed the actual policies that I listed. Here they are again.
* Decriminalising drugs
* Encouraging travellers to set up " tents, tipis, benders and yurts" without requiring planning permission
* Handing over UK sovereignty to the EU.
* Removing virtually all immigration control
* A tax on land, homes, vehicles, wealth, hard work and pretty much anything that is and isn't nailed down.
* No rights to own an empty property
* Decimation of the house building industry
* Giving the police and armed forces the right to go on strike
* Dismantling the UK defence systems and the armed forces and supporting industries

I am sure that if someone wished to, they could hand pick contentious policies from the policy outlines of all of the political parties. I don't know the green party policies in great detail (perhaps greenman does), however I thought I'd pick one of the above at random and have a look at the policy document regarding it. I chose 'no rights to own an empty property'. The policy document states:

"HO903 Better use of publicly owned property will be achieved by requiring public bodies either to use all such property, or to permit its use by housing associations, properly organised groups of homeless persons or similar groups.

HO904 Better use of empty privately owned property will be achieved by empowering local authorities to use Empty Property Use Orders, in appropriate cases and with proper safeguards and rights of appeal, to enable the local authority either to use such property itself or to secure its use in co-operation with those groups listed in HO903."

Now this seems to me to be suggesting that people should have 'no rights to leave a property empty'. I can see no mention of the property being removed from their ownership. When you see a boarded up house in the manor, do you think 'I'm glad someone owns that' or do you think 'it's a shame that property isn't being utilised'?

Whilst I was having a quick peruse of the website, I noticed that a number of new policy statements had been made since I last looked. They seem to be both relevant and true to the green party's core values, but also more mainstream than when I last looked (before the last general election). So, I have to ask - have you studied the policies recently? It may be that some of the supposed policies that you mention above have been removed...

[forumer]

The Green Party's Euro leader yesterday caused outrage by claiming jetting off on holiday to the Costas was the same as stabbing someone in the street.

When asked if flying to Spain was as bad as knifing a person in the street, the Green's European parliament chief said: "Yes - because they are dying from climate change."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-sto...5875-21277388/

This is their party leader, enough said.

They are typical do what we tell you to do, we know best, give us all your money, ban things that we don't agree with, Marxist nutters.

[Randy]

If the Green Party ever get elected they'll ban cars and planes, make us all become vegans and force us all to live in tents or something! Just as well they're unelectable!

[HJL_Shef]

Originally Posted by forumer

The Green Party's Euro leader yesterday caused outrage by claiming jetting off on holiday to the Costas was the same as stabbing someone in the street.

When asked if flying to Spain was as bad as knifing a person in the street, the Green's European parliament chief said: "Yes - because they are dying from climate change."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-sto...5875-21277388/

This is their party leader, enough said.

They are typical do what we tell you to do, we know best, give us all your money, ban things that we don't agree with, Marxist nutters.

You can't use a sensationalist article from the Mirror, written at the time when the mentioned UKIP prospective MEP was looking to be defamatory, to support your opinion!

You are, of course, entitled to said opinion - though I think it's somewhat out-dated

[perplexed]

Their list (in the OP post) is just a wish list, which most people would broadly agree with.

For all their ability to deliver it any better than anyone else, they may as well put in a letter and send it to Santa...

[damo]

No.

End of Thread.

[duckweed]

No don't think so. They still have a long way to go as a political party. You have to have balanced arguments and consider all types of voter, not just the young fit middle class ones. The greens tried to bann Liddls on Chesterfield road arguing that we should use local shops. The local shops have been closing right left and centre so there wasn't that many left by the time Lidl received planning permission. The shops that do exist still are expensive and limited in their stock. The new Liddles means we no longer have to travel so far for our weekly shop so saving fuel (I'm disabled so can't use busses even if they were any nearby) Many local elderly use it which has meant they can eat better now. I've also seen Green Party members using it, chaining their bikes to the rails. So maybe Greens need to see the bigger picture a bit more.

[Douglas J]

Of course the Green Party’s a credible alternative! The whole point is that the Green Party approach to politics is different. It’s about people being more aware of the world around them: that means about your neighbours as much as about the climate.

The real problem is that the 3 main parties are so samey – “not a cigarette paper” between them, as Cameron said. The Green Party offers an outlet for people who want a fresher approach to things. Where Green candidates have been elected, as on Sheffield City Council, they have used their influence to moderate the other parties and find areas of consensus, as well as getting the occasional new initiative through.

[Tony]

So what about the Green Party's policies of:

* Decriminalising drugs
* Encouraging travellers to set up " tents, tipis, benders and yurts" without requiring planning permission
* Handing over UK sovereignty to the EU.
* Removing virtually all immigration control
* A tax on land, homes, vehicles, wealth, hard work and pretty much anything that is and isn't nailed down.
* No rights to own an empty property
* Decimation of the house building industry
* Giving the police and armed forces the right to go on strike
* Dismantling the UK defence systems and the armed forces and supporting industries


??

[Squiggs]

The Green Party have a place in our "democratic" sysrtem but mainly just to highlight issues, not to take full control. In my opinion as a lentil-knitting cycle-riding "do-gooder".

The problem with the GP is that they are too blinkered and influenced mainly by a need to appeal to the middle classes, they would again, like others, completely ride roughshod over the "average joe" in pursuit of some "greater good".

[Douglas J]

Originally Posted by Tony

So what about the Green Party's policies of:

* Decriminalising drugs
* Encouraging travellers to set up " tents, tipis, benders and yurts" without requiring planning permission
* Handing over UK sovereignty to the EU.
* Removing virtually all immigration control
* A tax on land, homes, vehicles, wealth, hard work and pretty much anything that is and isn't nailed down.
* No rights to own an empty property
* Decimation of the house building industry
* Giving the police and armed forces the right to go on strike
* Dismantling the UK defence systems and the armed forces and supporting industries


??

Where exactly does Green Party policy say this? As HJL noted when checking out one item at random, the actual policies say nothing like this.

[Tony]

You will come to know that I don't invent this stuff: http://policy.greenparty.org.uk

I'm guessing that you are a supporter / member. Are you aware of these policies? What do you think of the not so fluffy stuff?

[Swan_Vesta]

Originally Posted by Tony

So what about the Green Party's policies of:

* Decriminalising drugs
* Encouraging travellers to set up " tents, tipis, benders and yurts" without requiring planning permission
* Handing over UK sovereignty to the EU.
* Removing virtually all immigration control
* A tax on land, homes, vehicles, wealth, hard work and pretty much anything that is and isn't nailed down.
* No rights to own an empty property
* Decimation of the house building industry
* Giving the police and armed forces the right to go on strike
* Dismantling the UK defence systems and the armed forces and supporting industries


??

Bear in mind that these yoghurt knitters and bean fanciers are living on planet Zannusi most of the time and ocassionally break orbit long enough to deliver an ill thought out policy based on the latest proposition derived from Moonchild's talk at the sit in about why the Earth has caught syphillis from mutated wasps.

These people are cranks and were they deprived of their dole money would possibly become functioning members of society, maybe betterware catalogue deliverers perhaps, but I doubt it ...... They'll carry on wearing cardigans made from their life partner's ear wax, spouting rubbish and irritating hard working and productive members of society.

[Douglas J]

Originally Posted by Swan_Vesta

... irritating hard working and productive members of society.

Seems to be working, then!

Actually, it was only because the Green councillors were hard-working and productive that I got involved with Green politics: I'd never joined a political party before.

[Swan_Vesta]

Originally Posted by Douglas J

Seems to be working, then!

Actually, it was only because the Green councillors were hard-working and productive that I got involved with Green politics: I'd never joined a political party before.

But how do they even view their policies as remotely viable? They just defy belief and in all honesty, rationale.

I'm pleased you've found your political niche but it's anathema to me.

[Dinkey]

At least the Green Party put their neck on the line by stating something which resembles policy.
The 'main' parties are not going to risk having policies or risk being associated with any remnant of ideology or ethical code as it may severely risk their election prospects.
I'm still waiting to find out what we are actually voting for if we vote for either Labour, Conservatives or Lib Dems.