| 1. London and UK Gaza. The end of 2008 was heavily marred by Israel's attacks on Gaza. I received many hundreds of emails from London residents opposed to the attacks and urging politicians to do something to bring about a ceasefire. I marched at the demonstration in London on 3 January and spoke at the rally as part of the demonstration held the following Saturday in central London. With Green Party colleagues in the European Parliament, we have been raising the issue and pressed for a debate and vote in Parliament to bring about a ceasefire. See my statement here.
Heathrow and Air Quality. The Government's decision to proceed with a third runaway at Heathrow and the Commons vote endorsing it, supported by many London MPs, is a disastrous outcome for climate change and the environment, but also for local residents' quality of life, and for London's air quality and health. The campaign against Heathrow expansion will continue to grow and grow. More information is available here.
The impact of Heathrow expansion particularly relates to London's air quality, because London is already failing to meet EU air quality standards. I have raised this directly in questions to the European Commission, and it has now become clear that the UK Government is having a case brought against it for failing to meet EU air quality minimum standards. These failings relate to tiny airborne particles (PM10) which can cause and irritate conditions such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and lead to premature death. More information is available here. Guantanamo Bay. The second Sunday of January marked the seventh anniversary of Guantanamo Bay. I spoke at the demonstration outside the US Embassy marking this anniversary, organised by the London Guantanamo Campaign. I called for 'no more anniversaries', and urged Barack Obama to close it down when he becomes US President. More information is available at here. Holocaust Memorial Day. In previous years I have commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day at various events across London and Brussels. It is important that we continue to mark this memorial. You can read my statement here. LGBT film screening. A new film has been produced about LGBT protests across Europe. Jean attended the launch event in Covent Garden, organised by ILGA Europe. She spoke on a panel discussing issues raised by the film. Bangladeshi Achievement Awards. I was proud to be a guest of honour at this event in Kensington, where I presented awards to high achieving British Bangladeshi students. More information is available here. Young people's Speak Out Challenge, Barnet. I joined secondary school pupils in north London for a regional final of the world's biggest youth speaking event. I was a judge at the Barnet final of the Speak Out Challenge, a programme that has helped young people across London and Essex develop confidence in public speaking and encouraged them to speak out on issues they feel strongly about. More information is available here. Croydon Teachers' Protest. I was in Croydon supporting the Croydon Save Our Schools campaign, along with local Greens. The protests oppose Croydon Council's controversial plans for the future of schools in the borough. The National Union of Teachers went on strike in five schools on 27 January, the first day of consultation on controversial plans which could see community schools turned into academies or trust schools. As a former teacher, I sympathise and support the concerns of Croydon teachers and the NUT. More information is available here. Green workplace representatives. My European Parliament written declaration (88/2008) on green workplace reps lapsed on 22 January. It received a total of 106 signatures. I'd like to thank all those trade union activists who called on their MEPs to sign the declaration. However, it is regrettable that six of the other eight London MEPs refused to sign it and that the UK government is still refusing to grant relevant rights to green reps in UK workplaces. Along with Green and trade union colleagues, I will continue to work for progress on this issue. Progressive London conference. I spoke on a cross-party panel on 'The emerging world of the 21st Century' alongside experts on Venezuela and Ken Livingstone. I focused on the challenges of global justice and protecting human and social rights. Sri Lanka. The humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka has recently deteriorated and is now grave, with Government attacks on the LTTE leading to an increase in widespread human rights abuses, displacement and people fleeing their homes. I have frequently raised these issues, and, given these recent developments, am urging the UK Government to do more, both in terms of diplomatic pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to uphold human rights and provide access for humanitarian aid and the safe movement of those needing medical treatment or wishing to leave the area: and to make practical provisions for people seeking asylum via the British High Commission in Sri Lanka. I will be meeting London Tamils in the coming days to hear their perspective on the situation, and will also continue to work on the issue via the South Asia Delegation of the European Parliament, of which I am a member. The Parliament should be debating the issue on Thursday 5 February. |