Blog
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Cost of living crisis is hammering families in Stroud District, we need an emergency budget
The cost of living crisis is hammering families in Stroud District, we need an emergency budget. Inflation is now at 9% – a 40 year high https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61483175 Families in Stroud District are being hammered by the cost of living crisis – but this Conservative government is not just standing by, it’s making things worse with […]
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Statues and monuments: a reflection on our history
I began yesterday early with an interview on Radio Gloucestershire on the publication of our council report into the review of statues and monuments in our district, most notably the Blackboy clock and statue in Stroud. I am very proud of the community-led process we put in place to review the street names and the […]
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Challenging the Government’s hot air over climate change
Today we hold our final district council meeting before the local elections, and I’m supporting a motion backing the Climate and Ecology Emergency Bill, which asks our MP to support the bill through parliament. The measures proposed in this bill, if passed into law, would give us a real chance of averting catastrophic climate change […]
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“We condemn all racism in our district”
A statement read by myself at the June Strategy and Resources Committee. On the 9th June Stroud District Council issued a statement signed by all four party leaders. In it we – Labour, Green, Liberal Democrat and Conservative – we said that the council, and I quote: “condemns all forms of racism across the world […]
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Getting ready for the pandemic: Amplify Stroud interview
Amplify Stroud interviewed me on 30 March 2020 as the pandemic just started to hit us, about preparations the District Council was making. “The priority is to keep essential services running …. everyone is coming together now to work collectively on what is needed…. We all need to work together … Key is that our […]
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Declaring a climate emergency: My speech to council
Here is my speech to council supporting the following: To ask Stroud District Council to endorse the ‘Climate Emergency’ announced by the administration on 16 November 2018 and pledge to do everything within the Council’s power to make Stroud District carbon neutral by 2030. In 1976 aged nine years old I sailed across the Atlantic […]
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Arguing for remaining in the EU
Four local politicians from four different parties were invited to make the case for and against leaving the EU. As leader of the Stroud Labour referendum campaign I wrote the following, as reported in the SNJ: http://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/14572469.eu-debate-four-stroud-politicians-make-their-final-arguments-to-voters/ Seventy years ago Europe lay in ruins and the people and politicians who fought and lived through that […]
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All talk and no action on energy
AS a member of Gloucestershire Climate Action Network I met Neil Carmichael twice this year to discuss measures to combat climate change, locally and nationally. He told us he supported renewable energy, and mentioned developing carbon capture and community energy schemes as good things. Within months the government had axed support for both of these. […]