Daily Archives: 7 September 2011

The thieving Tory bastards are campaigning on only one issue in Brighton & Hove: the Travellers. The fact is that when in power they had no clear policies for what to do with them and they still have no proposals – check out their website. I can’t bring myself to even link to it but it’s easy to find; it’s the political website without a policy section at all. Compare and contrast to Brighton & Hove Green Party or Brighton & Hove Labour Party. Brighton & Hove Liberal Democrats don’t trouble themselves with listing policies either. It must be a strategic decision by the thieving Tory bastards and the Liberal Democrats to decline to share their policies with us. It’s a cynical abuse of the political process. With no policies to promote, these people have to fall back on negative campaigning.

Unsurprisingly, that’s exactly what’s happening in Brighton & Hove. The Liberal Democrats are a spent force in the City, with no councillors left at all. The thieving Tory bastards have been campaigning on only one issue: the Travellers. They have mounted a racist campaign on this front. Think that’s too strong?

It’s well recognised that the Travellers are a distinct social group in the country. This is recognised by every organisation and group that has an interest in the matter. I was going to list them but that would take forever because it would include everyone who has ever considered the matter. For years this social group has been hounded by our society, our media and our leading politicians. I’m not suggesting that there is an easy answer to the problem caused by the fact that every available piece of land is apparently being legitimately used and they now have nowhere to go. Life on the roadside has been killed off. The Travellers have been vilified in the press and by people who should know better. Have a look at Jewify.org, which substitutes the word Jew for the words Gypsy and Traveller, and ask yourself, are you comfortable with what you’re actually reading? If you are, you’re probably a racist… That site has been created to make a point, admittedly, but it makes it very well.

The thieving Tory bastards have been focussing on this issue because they have nothing left to campaign about. They lost the general election (but got their grubby hands on power anyway) and they lost our local election here in Brighton & Hove. Now they write letters to the Evening Anus only about this issue. Their members are being encouraged to do likewise. Their campaign is reminiscent of the campaign their party led in Smethwick in 1964 but without a catchy slogan. Smethwick was a safe Labour seat which the thieving Tory bastards won with the slogan, “If you want a nigger for a neighbour, vote Labour”. Our local thieving Tory bastards have been writing letters predicated on the idea that the forthcoming eviction of Dale Farm in Essex will lead to hundreds more Travellers coming to Brighton & Hove. Simon Kirby, the MP for Kemptown, said:

“We shall see who is right, when a large group of travellers leaves Essex in the near future. Where will they go? “To a council that is not sympathetic, or one, by the statements of its senior figures, that appears to be?”

Source

He should apologise for this scare-mongering. They’re not going to come here. They’re a clan based in Essex and Ireland. They’re not going to tread on our local Traveller’s turf. Incidentally, the Travellers who bought Dale Farm were advised to do so by Basildon Council, who then changed their policy towards them immediately after purchase. They’re not planning on going anywhere as it happens. They’re planning to resist what will be the largest eviction Europe has ever seen: it’s going to be a major battle unfortunately. They’ve offered a last minute compromise which will avoid them becoming homeless. Since the eviction will cost between £8 million and £18 million to prosecute, they’ve offered to leave for £6 million. Their offer has been turned down flat but I digress…

The Green Party & the Labour Party on the other hand are arguing about a wide range of policies for Brighton & Hove. The Labour Party’s social justice policies are remarkably similar to the Green Party but on the council they’ve been voting with the thieving Tory bastards whenever they can. Why? You’d have to ask them, it’s beyond me.

Phelim (left) Mac Cafferty sporting an unusual metal hat

Recognising that there are limits on the City Council’s powers, Green Party activists have been out campaigning on fronts over which they have no political control. They led protests this week at Brighton, Hove and Preston Park train stations early in the morning. The issue was the planned increase in rail fares. Another one! The average proposed rise is 8%. Brighton Pavilion Green Party MP Caroline Lucas was interviewed on television and even the Evening Anus paused in its support for the thieving Tory bastard’s racist campaign, to report the protests.

Pete West's famously quiet voice has been heard

The Green cabinet on Brighton & Hove Council has decided to bring the estate management of the Downland owned by the Council around Brighton & Hove back in house. There is a debate about whether this will cost more money or save money. Brighton’s first Green councillor is now the cabinet member for environment and sustainability. He justified the decision on the grounds that the council could build a stronger relationship with farmers and generate a new income, although I’m unclear where this new income will come from.

The ground floor of the Council buildings at Bartholomew House, Bartholomew Square have been refurbished to provide a modern customer service centre. Can’t bear the way in which our culture has converted citizens into customers but there it is. I guess if it was called a citizens’ care centre, it would appear to mean something else. State of the art customer care facilities have been introduced, including meeters and greeters. It features energy saving measures in heating and lighting as well as low maintenance finishes, is also designed to be flexible to adapt to future changes.

Caroline Lucas MP opened a eco-retrofit home in Lover’s Walk, near Preston Park on Monday 5th September. An eco-retrofit is a simple idea: take an old draughty house and do it up with energy conservation in mind. The Nook in Lover’s Walk, which has six tenants, is part of a national pilot project launched by the Technology Strategy Board, to improve energy efficiency in social housing across the UK. With Lewes architects BBM Sustainable Design on board, the work carried out to the property could reduce the house’s annual heating bills from £1450 to £750. There is super insulation on all external walls, treble glazed windows and a ventilation unit which redirects warm air from the kitchen and bathrooms to other parts of the house. These features, together with roof solar panels and a high efficiency gas boiler, give this old property a more sustainable future. The Energy Saving Trust will monitor the property for two years. If it is deemed a success, the redesign techniques will be rolled out across the country. The upgrade was overseen and built by the Brighton company Earthwise Construction, taking seven months to complete and costing £142,000. You can arrange a tour of the house through Eco Open House but you’ll have to be fast – tours are limited to the next four days!