Latest news from Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP

Co-operative response to climate threat

Jean Lambert — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

- Jean Lambert brings Euro dimension to Co-operatives 2009

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, will attend Co-operatives 2009 to discuss how the co-operative movement can drive the response to the climate threat.

This Saturday [27 June] Jean will join the panel for a workshop at the annual congress of the UK co-operative movement called ‘Climate threat - the co-operative response'. The discussion is deliberately centred on the climate threat, rather than climate change, to stress the urgency of the issue and the major international conference in Copenhagen this December.

Jean will bring a European perspective to the debate, highlighting the European strategy on climate and the work of the Green Group in the European Parliament on these issues to help delegates consider the action that local co-operatives can take.

Jean Lambert MEP said:

"The need for decisive action to deal with the threats of climate change is clear. The inclusive and practical principles on which the co-operative movement is built make it a potentially powerful force in helping our society to make the changes necessary. Whether that is changing the way we produce food and energy, creating energy efficient housing or transforming our work and work places, the co-operative movement has a role to play. It can show how we can work together to create a different, more equitable future."

Co-operatives 2009, the annual UK Co-op congress, takes place at Beaumont House Hotel and Conference Venue in Old Windsor, Berkshire, from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 June. The ‘Climate threat - the co-operative response' workshop runs from 11.15 am to 12.30 pm on Saturday 27 June.

For more details and the full programme of events visit http://www.cooperatives-uk.coop/live/welcome.asp?id=2701&scheme_name=COOPSUK&scheme_category_id=0.

Notes

Jean Lambert is one of eight MEPs representing London and one of two UK Green representatives in the European Parliament. Jean was first elected in the 1999 European elections and was re-elected in 2004 and 2009.

Teenagers tackle human rights issues with Green MEP

Jean Lambert — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, joined young people from Camden and Abu Dis this weekend at a human rights workshop in central London.

Jean opened the workshop on Saturday [20 June], which was organised by the Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association (CADFA) as part of a youth visit from the Palestinian town. [1]

The workshop came at the end of a week-long visit to the UK by eight teenagers from Abu Dis. [2] Alongside Camden secondary school students they took part in a project focusing on human rights, supported with a grant from Europe's Youth in Action fund.

Jean spoke on the European Union and human rights, and sometimes controversial trade agreements, such as that between the EU and Israel. [3] Jean also emphasised the importance of listening to young people. She answered questions on refugee rights, Palestinian prisoners, and the work of the European Parliament on human rights.

Speaking after the event, she said:

"It's vital that politicians and policymakers everywhere listen to the voices of young people and take their perspectives and concerns into account. This is one of the conditions of the EU's Strategy for the Rights of the Child and, as I said on Saturday, I believe strongly that all young people, and not just those from the EU, should be protected and empowered by this important legislation.

"It's easy to base our perception of the Middle East solely on the terrible news reports we are so used to hearing from the region, rather than thinking of the individuals who live there. That's why this project is so important. Though the young people who took part come from very different backgrounds, they will have shared experiences common to teenagers all over the world. They also share an inspiring commitment to human rights and justice, and I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to discuss these issues with them."

Notes

[1] The Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association (CADFA) works in Camden to raise awareness of the human rights situation in Abu Dis, building links between individuals and groups and supporting projects in Camden and Abu Dis.

[2] Abu Dis is one of three small towns in the suburb of East Jerusalem divided from Jerusalem by the Israeli Separation Wall

[3] Jean has made consistent calls for an end to arms trading between Israel and the EU. http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/news_detail.php?id=466
In January this year, following the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, Jean Lambert called for existing agreements between Israel and the EU to be re-examined. See http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/news_detail.php?id=397 for more information. She also joined fellow MEP and Green Party leader Caroline Lucas in calling on Israel to repay the EU funding allocated to Gaza after the region's infrastructure was devastated by the attacks. See http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/news_detail.php?id=408.

Green MEP hails victory in milestone SOAS campaign

Jean Lambert — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

- MEP backs call for urgent action for two women still detained

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, has welcomed news of the successful end to the occupation of SOAS by students and activists in support of cleaning staff arrested last week.

Students and activists occupied the School of Oriental and African Studies in Bloomsbury after a dawn raid by immigration officers last Friday [12 June], when nine cleaning staff were arrested and six removed from the UK. The circumstances of the raid were highly controversial. [1]

On Monday [15 June] students occupied the Principal's office in the university and they were threatened with a court injunction the following day. However, after several rounds of negotiation, they called an end to the occupation yesterday [Wednesday] after securing agreement to their demands from SOAS management.

Jean Lambert MEP, along with the London Federation of Green Parties, has been actively supporting this campaign since news of the raid emerged on Friday. [2] Today, she said:

"This is brilliant news. Just days ago we were appalled at the disgraceful behaviour of immigration officers in the corridors of SOAS. These students and activists took a dedicated and principled stand in those same corridors, and within a week they have won a victory which stands as a significant milestone in the campaigns for the London Living Wage and the amnesty for irregular migrants. This victory comes as a study out this week found that an earned amnesty for migrants would bring £3 billion to the UK economy. We know the humanitarian arguments for an amnesty; let's hope this economic aspect will further strengthen the case. [3]"

SOAS management have agreed to five key demands from campaigners, including a commitment to write to the Home Secretary requesting exceptional leave to remain those still being detained and for those forced into hiding, and calling for the immediate return of those who were removed from the UK. The Governing Body will review the outsourcing of cleaning services at the university, and there will be an open discussion of last Friday's events with all those involved. [4]

Two of the cleaners arrested on Friday, Marina Silva, who has claimed asylum, and Rosa de Perez, are still being held in Yarl's Wood detention centre, and Marina faces imminent removal. She is 63 and in poor health. Campaigners are urging people to write immediately to Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, on their behalf. [5]

Jean continued:

"I join the campaigners in urging people to continue to their efforts in support of Marina Silva and Rosa de Perez, and to write to the Home Secretary to ensure these hard-working, poorly paid and vulnerable women are allowed to continue their lives in the UK.

"We must also ensure that the management of SOAS honour the agreement, but I am heartened to hear that campaigners are confident that these events reached a constructive conclusion. It's a sound achievement, and a positive step forward."

SOAS Unison has organised a public meeting to celebrate and discuss future campaigning tomorrow, Friday 19 June at 6pm in the SOAS Junior Common Room. On Saturday, the Campaign Against Immigration Controls at SOAS will meet to discuss how to build the wider campaign for migrant workers, from 2pm to 5pm in room G50. [6]

ENDS

Notes

[1] See http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/news_detail.php?id=477 for more details of the raid on Friday.

[2] See http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/news_detail.php?id=479.

[3] The report, Economic impact on the London and the UK economy of an earned regularisation of irregular migrants to the UK, was commissioned by the Mayor of London and carried out by the London School of Economics. For the full report, see http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/economic_unit/docs/irregular-migrants-report.pdf.

[4] The full list of demands and a summary of the agreement between campaigners and SOAS management can be found at http://freesoascleaners.blogspot.com/2009/06/joint-statement-from-soas-and-students.html.

[5] For a template letter to the Home Secretary, visit http://freesoascleaners.blogspot.com/2009/06/send-this-letter-to-home-office-now.html.

[6] For details of these meetings and news and updates on the campaign, visit http://freesoascleaners.blogspot.com/.

Green MEP demands answers after SOAS removals

Jean Lambert — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Jean Lambert MEP has written to the Home Office after it emerged that six of the SOAS cleaners arrested on Friday 12 June were removed from the UK over the weekend.

Jean has asked the Home Office to clarify the procedures that immigration officers are expected to follow, after details of the detention and arrest of the staff emerged.

Those close to the situation have explained that cleaners were summoned at 6.30am on Friday to attend what they were told was an ‘emergency staff meeting' - instead they found themselves in a closed space where over 40 immigration officers in full riot gear were waiting to arrest them. At the detention centre, they were denied access to legal or union representation and no interpreter was provided, so that many of them, as native Spanish speakers, were unable to communicate. It is believed that immigration officers were called in by ISS, the cleaning contractor, even though it has employed many of these staff for years.

It has emerged that six cleaners have been removed and others could face removal within days.

There are grave concerns about the health and wellbeing of those arrested: it has emerged that one of the cleaners is six months pregnant, and another is believed to have suffered a heart attack brought on by the ordeal. Many of their families are unaware of their whereabouts.

On Friday Jean joined fellow Green Jenny Jones, member of the London Assembly, in condemning the raid at SOAS [1]. Last night, the London Federation of Green Parties passed an emergency motion in support of the workers. Today, [Tuesday 16 June] Jean said:

"This dawn raid was utterly deplorable - a sly, underhand action which seems to have been calculated to cause maximum intimidation and distress. The draconian scare tactics are all the more shameful now we learn of the particular vulnerability of some of those arrested.

"Such raids raise fundamental questions about the status of migrant workers and their right to dignified treatment which in this case was forcefully denied. We need to know why and how this particular sequence of events came about. That's why I have written to the Home Office seeking clarification of the procedures immigration officers are supposed to follow. I will ask ISS and SOAS to clarify their role in this targeting of workers, many of whom have been employed by the contractor for years. It is also imperative that the families of those involved are told where their relatives are being held, and remain fully informed as to their welfare and status."

Jean also expressed solidarity with the students and activists currently occupying SOAS in protest at the treatment the staff received from immigration officers.

"It is heartening to see the display of support from students and activists at SOAS who are prepared to speak up for the rights of these workers and I support their campaign.

"We cannot allow this raid to leave other migrant workers in London too afraid to demand the basic employment and civil rights to which they are entitled. We must redouble our support for those, like these workers, who have campaigned for the rights of workers and the living wage across London. [2]"

Notes

[1] See http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/news_detail.php?id=477

[2] The workers who were arrested and detained on Friday had been active in the "Justice for Cleaners" campaign, also championed by student activists, to win the London Living Wage and trade union representation.

For updates on the situation at SOAS, visit http://freesoascleaners.blogspot.com/

Green MEP joins Western Sahara Downing Street delegation

Jean Lambert — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, joined a high-profile delegation of campaigners today [Friday 12 June] to deliver a letter to Downing Street urging Gordon Brown to take immediate action to end the crisis in Western Sahara, now in its 33rd year.

The delivery of the letter, from President Mohamed Abdelaziz, leader of the Saharan African Democratic Republic, will be followed by a meeting in the House of Commons to launch a major campaign to raise awareness of the crisis and the plight of the Saharawi people.

Jean Lambert MEP said:

"The international community can no longer be allowed to look away from the crisis which has divided Western Sahara for the past three decades. Morocco's occupation of the region, in defiance of the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice, has left 165,000 Saharawi people in refugee camps, while successive peace talks have ended in failure.

"The UK has the opportunity to effect real and positive change for this region and its people, and along with this delegation I call upon the Prime Minister today to use British influence on the Security Council to ensure that the referendum on self-determination for the Saharawi people, agreed in 1991, finally takes place.

"I will be using my voice in London and Europe to support the campaign to raise awareness of the plight of the Saharawi people, the human rights abuses they have suffered, and the illegal plundering of the rich natural resources of this region. As the letter from President Mohamed Abdelaziz states, immediate action is needed. In neglecting this conflict and the suffering and destruction it has caused the international community has prolonged the crisis. Peace and progress in Western Sahara are long overdue."

Notes

For more information visit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jun/12/letter-western-sahara-crisis

Elected Greens condemn arrest of SOAS workers

Jean Lambert — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Jean Lambert MEP and Jenny Jones AM have condemned the arrest of nine cleaning workers at SOAS this morning [Friday 12 June].

It is believed that the staff, mainly of Ecuadorian and possibly Colombian origin, have been arrested and are being processed for deportation.

A demonstration had been organised at SOAS this morning in support of Stalin Bermudez, the SOAS Unison branch chair, who was sacked earlier this year after a highly controversial disciplinary process. A Unison representative arrived at the college, just off Russell Square, at 7am this morning to discover a number of immigration control officers who had detained and were processing cleaning staff, and interrogating them about their status. The union received no prior warning.

The Green Party has pledged its full support for the staff, and Jean Lambert MEP is already in contact with the union, who are arranging legal representation. Unison and UCU were holding an emergency meeting to decide on subsequent action.

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, said:

"The circumstances and aims of this raid are utterly deplorable. These cleaning staff have been treated like criminals, and the timing of the raid is particularly reprehensible - first thing in the morning at the end of the university term, with fewer people around to intervene. Luckily, the union has been on hand to help arrange legal assistance for those arrested, and it is also fortunate that the demonstration - ironically called to highlight existing concerns about the treatment of SOAS staff - meant that this raid was noticed and immediate steps could be taken.

"I reiterate and reinforce the support already pledged by the Green Party, and I will be monitoring this case and its outcomes closely. Today's events highlight the need to find ways for people to regularise their status so that their vital contribution to London and society in general is recognised. It also makes the Strangers Into Citizens campaign, organised by London Citizens, still more urgent."

Jenny Jones, Green Party member of the London Assembly, said:

"The effect of such ruthlessness on these workers and on their families is a cruel punishment. Workers have the right to be treated with courtesy and this raid is beneath contempt. Is this really how the Government tells them how to behave?"

Notes

Jean Lambert MEP is an expert on employment and asylum and immigration issues and is an active campaigner for the London Living Wage. On 1 May 2009 she addressed a May Day Living Wage rally at the Bloomsbury colleges in London. Stalin Bermudez also spoke at this demo.

Jenny Jones is a Green Party Member of the London Assembly. She sits on the Metropolitan Police Authority.

For more details of the London Citizens Strangers Into Citizens campaign visit http://www.strangersintocitizens.org.uk/

Jean Lambert's post election comment and thank-you to supporters

Jean Lambert — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

"I would like to say a warm thank you to everybody in London who voted Green in the European elections on 4th June and especially to those who helped achieve such a great result. With over 192,000 votes, one third more than last time, I was re-elected to represent Londoners in the European Parliament for the next five-year term and I am thrilled to have received this vote of confidence from London's citizens.

"The Green Party made the biggest gains of any of the established parties in London, as our share of the vote went up to 11 per cent, meaning one in nine voters chose Green. Across Europe more Green MEPs were elected, notably in France where we gained a further 8 members.

"I am proud that given the current political and economic climate, so many people voted for a progressive Party. There is still much work to be done to ensure higher turn-out at future elections and I will continue to call for electoral reform and support campaigns that encourage citizen engagement in politics.

"I am now looking forward to continuing to work on behalf of Londoners - tackling climate change, working to create new jobs and standing up for equality and human rights.

"The Greens will be at the heart of negotiations ahead of the crucial UN climate change conference in Copenhagen in December this year and in London I'm going to continue to support the campaign for a Living Wage, and to ensure that new air quality standards - vital for protecting health - come into effect. I'll also be championing new equalities legislation, which is even more important now given the rise of far-right parties elsewhere in the UK and across Europe.

"I am very proud to have been chosen to represent the residents of this diverse, creative and visionary city again."

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP

First summer smog warning as temperature rises

Jean Lambert — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

- London Green MEP urges Mayor to cut air pollution to protect health

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, has expressed concern over the health implications, particularly for children and those with existing breathing problems, of the first predicted summer smogs.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) issued the warning yesterday that the current hot weather is likely to lead to the first summer smog episode of the year. Moderate ozone levels have been recorded across the UK, but weather conditions suggest ozone concentrations will reach high pollution levels. [1]

Jean has worked extensively to raise awareness of the air pollution crisis London faces, and has challenged the Government over its failure to act on this issue. [2] Today, she said:

"While the warning from Defra alerts us to smogs in rural areas, we must remember that air pollution in London is already at dangerously high levels.

"It's been great to see Londoners out enjoying the sunshine over the past few days, and we'd all love to see a long hot summer. But we must be alert to the health implications. The levels of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide in London have been far exceeding EU limits specifically designed to protect human health for years.

"Only a fortnight ago new figures based on EU research revealed that 4,400 Londoners die every year as a result of the terrible air quality in this city - that's more than four times previous estimates from the Mayor of London. [3] Smog should be a thing of the past: I hope Defra's warning proves stark enough for the Government to take decisive action on this issue at last."

Defra is urging the public to take measures which can help to reduce pollution and Jean is calling on the Mayor to do the same:

"I hope this warning will encourage the Mayor to heed Green calls for serious investment in infrastructure across the capital to increase walking and cycling and to take the necessary steps to reduce traffic and harmful emissions."

Notes to Editors

[1] Ground level ozone is formed when sunlight acts on nitrogen dioxide and other atmospheric substances close to the ground. The pollutants that cause ground level ozone come from a range of sources, including petrol and other fuels. Click here for the full warning from Defra.

[2] Click here for more information on Jean's work on air quality.

[3] Click here for more information.

EU must help tackle corruption and environmental destruction in Nigeria, says Green MEP

Jean Lambert — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100

- Jean Lambert shares platform with Wole Soyinka and Nuhu Ribadu to discuss action to eradicate corruption

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, received a warm welcome last week [Friday 29 May] when she joined eminent campaigners including the Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, [1] for the State of the Nigerian Nation, a major symposium on democracy and corruption in Nigeria. [2]

Jean delivered the opening speech at the afternoon session, organised by the Nigeria Liberty Forum, at the Holloway Road campus of London Metropolitan University. She spoke on ‘Poverty and corruption in Nigeria: what can the European Union do?'

Jean, who has supported Nigerian pro-democracy campaigns in London, recently submitted a written question to the European Commission asking what progress it had made in fighting corruption in Nigeria.

She also raised the case of Nuhu Ribadu, the former Executive Chairman of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria, who was dismissed from his post last year by the Nigerian Police Service Commission. [3] Many believe his dismissal was politically motivated.

Nuhu Ribadu was present on Friday and addressed the symposium after Jean.

Jean shared the Commission's answer to her question with the audience. The Commission pledged that it would "continue to insist that anti-corruption issues be included in the agenda of all EU-Nigeria political dialogue meetings to which the Commission is fully associated." Anti-corruption issues are likely to be discussed at a high-level EU-Nigeria meeting on the 8/9 June in Prague. [4]

Jean said it was crucial to examine the role of western companies in Nigeria. Last week a landmark case began in New York, to look at the involvement of Shell, the oil company, in the state execution of nine environmental campaigners, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, in 1995.

She also highlighted the environmental and human costs of the activities of the oil industry in Nigeria, and stressed the need for stable, democratic government - and Europe's obligation to support this - if these challenges are to be overcome.

Jean said:

"We know of the horrendous environmental effects of the flaring of gas and the toll it takes on human health: of the oil leaks and spills and the devastating effect on water, soil and biodiversity. We can see this colossal waste of energy, pollution, lost resources. Knowing what we do of climate change, it is essential that we use our current resources to develop the technology and opportunity for the future.

"This cannot be done without resources, a functioning state and active civil society. The EU has made a commitment to Nigeria: it is up to us as Members of the European Parliament to work with the people of Nigeria to see that that commitment is upheld."

ENDS

Notes

[1] Professor Wole Soyinka, the Nigerian writer, poet and playwright won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1986. He was the first African to be awarded the prize.

[2] The symposium was called to coincide with ‘Democracy Day', organised by the Nigerian government to mark 10 years since the return of democracy, but controversial among anti-corruption campaigners who are deeply concerned about the political situation in Nigeria.

[3] Under Nuhu Ribadu's leadership, the EFCC was seen as taking effective measures to tackle corruption, and his work was recognised with World Bank's Jit Gill Memorial Award for Outstanding Public Service in 2008.

[4] Click here for the full text of Jean Lambert MEP's question to the European Commission.

See here the Commission's answer in full online.

Green MEP to address Nigerian pro-democracy symposium

Jean Lambert — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100

- Jean Lambert to share platform with Wole Soyinka and Nuhu Ribadu
- Welcome for groundbreaking Wiwa v Shell case in New York

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, will join eminent campaigners in London tomorrow [Friday 29 May], including the Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, [1] for the State of the Nigerian Nation, a major symposium on democracy and corruption in Nigeria.

Jean will deliver the opening speech at the afternoon session of the symposium, organised by the Nigeria Liberty Forum and taking place at the Holloway Road campus of London Metropolitan University. She will speak on ‘Poverty and corruption in Nigeria: what can the European Union do?'

The symposium has been organised to counter 'Democracy Day', organised by the Nigerian government to mark 10 years since the return of democracy, but controversial among anti-corruption campaigners who are deeply concerned about the political situation in Nigeria.

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the former Executive Chairman of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria, who was dismissed from his post on 22 December 2008 by the Nigerian Police Service Commission, will speak after Jean. [2] Many believe his dismissal was politically motivated.

Jean recently submitted a written question to the European Commission, raising her concerns for Nuhu Ribadu and asking what progress the Commission had made in fighting corruption in Nigeria. She hopes to be able to report the reply to the symposium on Friday.

Jean, an active supporter of Nigerian pro-democracy campaigns in London [3], said:

"I'm honoured to be a guest at this symposium, and to be sharing the platform with both Wole Soyinka, whose distinguished career as a writer is matched by decades of brave political campaigning, and Nuhu Ribadu, whose dedication to fighting corruption is an inspiration to all those seeking a fairer future.

"As Nuhu Ribadu's experience has shown, it takes courage to stand up and act against corruption, and that is why it is vital that the international community unites to support campaigners for change, and recognises its responsibility to support democracy and challenge injustice."

Separately, this week also sees the opening of a landmark court case in New York in which Royal Dutch Shell, the oil giant, stands accused of complicity in the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Nigerian environmental activist, in 1995. [4]

Jean said:

"We must welcome the fact that Shell's role in the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others is to be reconsidered, and we can only hope that, after nearly 15 years, the truth will, at last, be heard. Since Ken Saro-Wiwa's death in 1995 his predictions of ecological and humanitarian disaster in the Niger Delta have been proved right. The area, so rich in natural resources, is both a wasteland and a war zone.

"The international community must pay attention to this court case as it could shine a light on the human and environmental costs of western companies working with corrupt governments. We have a political and moral responsibility to the communities whose lives have been destroyed."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

[1] Professor Wole Soyinka, the Nigerian writer, poet and playwright won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1986. He was the first African to be awarded the prize.

[2] Under Mallam Nuhu Ribadu's leadership, the EFCC was seen as taking effective measures to tackle corruption, and his work was recognised with World Bank's Jit Gill Memorial Award for Outstanding Public Service in 2008. Many believe his dismissal was politically motivated.

[3] Earlier this year, Jean met members of the New Nigeria Movement, a fast-growing organisation founded by Nigerians living in the UK and dedicated to combating corruption.

[4] A number of cases brought by torture victims in the oil-rich Niger Delta and by relatives of those killed at the same time as Mr Saro-Wiwa have been brought together under the umbrella of Wiwa v Shell. See http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/shell-on-trial-1690616.html