Welcome!!

Welcome to my shiny new Green blog!!


Firstly let me introduce myself, I’m Leo, and I live in the Calder Valley, check out my profile to find out more about me, or even better email me!!

I’m going to be using this blog to talk about my new journey getting totally involved in the Green Party. I’ve been a member of the Green Party now for just over two years, but I’ve not really done much since I’ve never seemed to have the time. Now I’m finally self-employed, I’m going to put some effort into getting involved, hopefully meeting some fantastic people and doing something that is going to help save the environment and our societies.

I’ve been involved in politics for ages. Even back at high school. One of the first things we did at high school was to set up a charity that helped local youths challenge stereotypes, and also challenge MPs, councillors, and councils to provide young people with things to do that was constructive and would bring people off the streets. Then at university I got involved in my Students Union and NUS. I was elected as the LGBT Officer for the Students Union, and represented my university on a National Level. Although I never held a national position in NUS, I was heavily involved on a national level also.

Being a student officer bought many challenges, we had to fight stereotypes, fight against the rise in fees, fight to be taken seriously, and indeed I felt fight to actually be a student. Every day we would be faced with an assault of obstacles and negative media that did not represent students truthfully. And then people wondered why we had an apathetic student body, and why young people don’t go out to vote. I say its because people don’t give them a break!! Anyway I am pleased to say that by the time I left my post the students union was beginning to turn around and more people were getting involved and taking it seriously.

So why Greens? I mean everyone knows student politics is full of Labour students!! I’m happy to say I’m not one of them. Student politics seems to have many different factions, Labour students, Students who are labour but not part of labour students, The Alliance for Workers Liberties, Conservative, Student Respect, Students Broad Left, and then we have CFE (The Campaign for Free Educations) and ENS (Education Not for Sale), and most recently Alex Kemp, the disabilities officer has become a paid up member of the Liberal Democrats. At the time of being a Student Officer I wasn’t very aware of a Greens presence in NUS, but of course it was there in the form of Joe Rooney.
When I first went into Student Politics some of my closest friends at that time also were in student politics, and they were part of the Students who were Labour, but not Labour Students group, and it was just assumed I would fall into line with them. Which is just about what I did. It’s an example of what’s wrong with student politics, people join groups more because they have a thirst for debate, or an argument, rather than because they firmly believe in the politics of their chosen alliance.
So there I was, a quazi-labour student, though not a paid up member, and I never really thought about the politics of it all. I was too involved in my own agenda, which was around equality for all and LGBT issues.

But I was never really in totally agreement with Labour politics, and I realised that it should make a stand for what I believed in, after all that what I was there for. So I flirted around with the different political parties, each time thinking right that’s it, I’ve found what I’m looking for, but getting disillusioned rather quickly. No political party offered the answers to what I believed in, some indeed didn’t even ask the right questions, and when I asked them, I would get looks of bewilderment, and a stony silence.

So I looked at what I believed in, and what I wanted from a political party:

• Free education, for all. I took a while deciding what I wanted to do, and yet we expect 18 year olds who are just discovering who they are to decide on a degree and career path, and then we ask them to pay a small fortune for it. People should be allowed free education, and allowed to move in and out of education as they wish.
• LGBT Issues, whilst it is true to say the LGBT people have become more equal whilst under a labour government, the repeal of section 28, civil partnerships, equal adoption rights, I’ve always felt we could go further, we need complete equality, not a half-hearted attempt that uses language to distinguish between homosexuals and heterosexuals, that sort of behaviour breeds contempt and homophobia. And we need to stand on a world stage campaigning for LGBT issues, and not ignore the fact that some countries still believe it punishable by death.
• Students and Youths. Often this group is over looked, or stereotyped or not taken seriously, how often do we hear the word “oh you’re too you, you don’t understand”, or “well their only children”. I hate it that we treat the younger generation like this. There is a whole wealth of enthusiasm, innovation, imagination, that we can use and encourage rather than ignore and beat out of them.
• The environment. The big shadow looming that most political parties would either rather ignore, or spend a fortune of money and time discussing and researching. The answers are already out there. Political parties have to start taking the environment seriously, and helping the public do the same.
• Family support. I don’t understand why the government are so mean when paying carers allowance, the harsh reality is that many families would be heartbroken to see their elderly or disabled relatives moved into care because they are unable to care for them at home, and that’s one of the main reasons that people don’t move relatives into care. Care homes cost a resident about £400 a week and yet the government pay out a wage replacement to carers of just over £170 a month. Where’s the logic in that?
• War. I oppose it full stop. I believe that wars are wrong in all instances, I think there are always non-violent approaches to solve conflicts that would be much more beneficial but governments don’t use them because they cannot be used to instil fear.
• Nuclear weapons. History tells us that defence mechanisms, and deterrents are often used in an offence as opposed to a defence. This is because in the end governments have to justify the cost, and eventually we’ll be asked to carry out the threats. I believe we can avoid that. There bravest thing we could do is destroy nuclear weapons and show that we do not need them.
• Life Quality. I believe in working to live, not living to work, and I believe in family values, I think its important that we bring our children with unshakeable morals and knowledge of right and wrong. We must teach the next generation how to do it better than we did. An d we must focus on what is most important to us, our family, friends, health, leisure, homes.
• And finally, I wanted a political that allowed space for free thinking. I wanted somewhere that did not have an “Old Boys Club”. Politics has to come back to the people.

And so I found the Green Party. It ticked all of my boxes, and many more. And I instantly joined up. And I’m really looking forward to getting involved…leafleting anyone????