Some videos of the Climate Jobs meeting in Brum

I was closely involved with organising the Birmingham leg of the Campaign Against Climate Change ‘Million Climate Jobs Caravan’ which rolled into town last tuesday…

Despite the bad weather, the Climate Jobs Caravan set up in Northfield (with the help of our friends from the Ecocentre) and later at St Philips Cathedral in Birmingham.

The public meeting that evening attracted a diverse audience and heard an interesting and wide ranging discussion.

Videos of the event are here:

John Stewart, Chair, Campaign Against Climate Change

Hanna Thomas, Otesha Project

 

Thanks are due to Chris Creane of Friends of the Earth for expert chairing!

I think it would be good to try to hold a public meeting in Tamworth on the climate jobs theme, using the materials- a pamphlet and a couple of short videos produced by the CACC. Any takers?

Solidarity with the Greek people, for a day of action on June 16th

With the Greek election date now set for 17 June, let’s all organize a global day of solidarity with the Greek people, against austerity, and against the Troika. I propose that it be 16 June, the day before the elections to show the people of Greece that they are not alone in their struggle and to not be afraid to vote for a government of the left. This day has already been designated by the Left Bloc in Portugal as a day of struggle against austerity. To give it a global dimension, we need to propose this to the global Occupy movement and to those comrades in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Ireland who have been organizing against the Troika already, as well as the FI and the European Conference of Left Parties. Lets use Twitter, Facebook and our international publishing outlets to get this rolling. Solidarity with the Greek People! Down with Austerity and Cuts! To Hell with the Troika! All out on 16 June to Occupy our Future!

Climate Jobs Caravan

I have recently been heavily involved with organising the Birmingham leg of the Climate Jobs Caravan which rolls into town on 15th May

Read more about it here

If you happen to be in Birmingham on that day, do come and see us on Temple Row, near the Cathedral from 1pm.

Earlier that day, we will be in Northfield, as guests of the Eco-Centre people.

And, in the evening- 7pm – 9pm there will be a public meeting on the Climate Jobs theme in the Council House, Victoria Square.

Nothing short of unity…

The article below is by my friend John Lister, a veteran NHS campaigner and the director of London Health Emergency

The latest issue of Health Emergency newspaper is now available. You caqn download it from here but, if you would like a hard copy, and are in the West Midlands, just let me know and I will get one to you..

Nothing short of unity needed to defeat the new NHS act

The passage of Andrew Lansley’s Health & Social Care Bill into law is a major threat to the future of our publicly funded and provided health care system. But the Bill’s apparent success owes everything to the LibDems fearing a crisis that could trigger an election: it is not the result of Lansley winning public support, or campaigners making mistakes.

Greens thump yellow Tories into fourth place!

Well done to Tamworth Greens on their good showing in the local elections. Simon got 162 votes in Castle ward- 9%, whilst Lisa got 130 votes or 7.77% in Mercian.

It was particularly gratifying to see the Lib Dems trounced into fourth place in Mercian with just 85 votes.

They say the wages of sin is death- well, electoral oblivion is the just reward for those who get into bed with Cameron and Osborne! Yes, I am gloating- the Lib Dems are the lowest of the low and deserve everything they get.

So, whilst I am not about to join the Green Party any time soon, it is clear that they are in pole position to replace the Lib Dems as the third party in Tamworth and I wish them every success.

A detailed, national, analysis of the election results can be found here!

http://socialistresistance.org/3482/coalition-takes-election-battering

N30 Pensions Strike- a magnificent show of solidarity

The biggest strike in the public sector for decades, has been a huge success.
We are just back from Birmingham where we joined a march of around 5000 strikers and their families who turned out to tell Cameron and Osborne what they thought of their attempt to make us work longer and pay more for less. And this despite Birmingham City Councils last minute attempt to put the kibosh on us having a march!
Despite a concerted and vitriolic anti-union barrage from the Tories, both the blue variety and their yellow fags, and their hangers-on in the gutter press, support for the strike was running at 60+ %. Today’s events- over 1000 marches and rallies the length and bredth of the country, 20,000 marching in Manchester, 40,000 in London- can only increase this bedrock of support as we were able to put across our basic case for fair treatment, face to face, to a wider swathe of the public.
But, to win, this must be the start, not the end, of a campaign which needs to escalate from one-day token strikes and which needs to reach out to wider layers of those pissed off with the ConDems.

UK Uncut video- support the teachers and civil servats strikes on June 30th