The London Greens look set for a historic first-ever full slate. The South West will field the largest number of candidates of any region outside the capital, contesting about 70 per cent of the constituencies.

This year, the Green Party is pursuing the same targeting strategy that has seen the party treble its number of council seats in a decade. The three target seats, selected as having the best prospects of a breakthrough, are:

* Brighton Pavilion - Caroline Lucas, the party leader and the area's MEP since 1999, was favoured by 35% in an ICM poll in December 2009 by voters in the constituency, 8 points ahead of the Conservatives, with Labour trailing a poor third. The YouGov/PoliticsHome survey of marginal constituencies in October last year also predicted a Green win in Brighton Pavilion, where the Greens hold a majority of the local council seats and have outpolled all other parties in every election since 2005

* Norwich South - Adrian Ramsay, the party's deputy leader, has built his local party into a powerful electoral machine (2). From 7 councillors in Norwich in 2005, they now have 20 councillors (13 on the city council, where they are the only Green Party group to be in official opposition; 7 on the county council). The Greens have outpolled all other parties in the last three rounds of elections in the whole city of Norwich, and finished 3,000 votes ahead of second-placed Labour in last year's Euro-elections - increasing their number of county council seats in Norwich on the same day from 2 to 7.

* Lewisham Deptford - Darren Johnson, the party's trade and industry spokesperson, is the current chair of the London Assembly. Johnson has been elected to the London Assembly three times in a row. He has twice been elected to Lewisham Borough Council, securing the highest vote of all 54 Lewisham councillors. Lewisham is the strongest local party in London for the Greens, who now hold 6 local council seats where in 2005 they held 1.

A party spokesperson commented today:

"There's a greater need for the Green Party challenge than ever before, with the big three parties increasingly similar in their policies and none of them offering the requisite action on issues like jobs, the NHS, public transport and pensions."

Notes to editors:

1. The Green Party of England and Wales has selected 279 candidates already but a number of selection processes are yet to be completed. The Scottish Green Party has selected 19 candidates, and the Northern Ireland Greens have so far selected two candidates and expect to contest a third constituency.

2. See (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU88pRJwiQA).

The Greens pointed out: 

• British women working full-time on average earn 17% less than men working full-time; for part-time workers the gap is 36% an hour
• Retired women's incomes are on average 40% less than men's
• Fewer than 20% of Westminster MPs are female; less than 11% of board members on major British companies are female
• Women still carry out the majority of unpaid work in the home, and in total on average work considerably more hours than men
• One in four women is subjected to domestic violence in her lifetime, and rape and sexual assault are a societal blight, with significant under-reporting of cases, and only six out of 100 cases that are reported to police resulting in a conviction. Violence against women costs our society £40bn a year, and the psychological and personal costs are enormous

The Green Party's proposals for the general election will include:

• Women (and men) who take time out of paid work for family or caring responsibilities make an essential contribution to our society, and they should not be penalised for this.
• All jobs should be arranged, so every worker maintains a decent work-life balance and has time for family, social and community life. Full-time UK employees work the longest average hours in Europe, 43.5 hours as against 38.2 in France, and 39.9 in Germany. The Green Party wants a 35-hour working week, to help improve people’s work/life balance and help to share out work.
• A non-means-tested citizen’s pension set at 60% of the median national income, currently £170 a week, which would immediately lift pensioners, particularly women, out of poverty.
• Major improvements in maternity services. A full range of birth options must be available to all women, and all women should be entitled to the care of a single midwife throughout their maternity experience and post-natally.
• Breastfeeding rates in the UK are currently well below WHO recommendations, with just 42% of babies being breastfed at 6 weeks, 29% at 4 months and just 22% at 6 months of age. Greens would insist on excellent support for all mothers who choose to breastfeed, and significant penalties to ensure they are not harassed when feeding their children in public, similar to the law already in effect in Scotland.
• Supporting and enhancing Sure Start centres, which help many women and men with parenting. Our proposed citizens' income scheme would replace the current child benefit, but in the meantime Greens argue for a higher rate of child benefit, to more closely reflect the cost of rearing a child.

A Green Party spokeperson said today that: "The Green Party have the policies to make changes happen that will mean a real and positive difference for women everywhere. Greens have long supported boardroom quotas to improve the representation of women, and to address the discriminatory and insulting pay gap that still exists in 2010. Along with improved child care facilities, and access to these, we will recognizing the input of both parents from a child's birth. Today is International Women's Day. 70% of the world's poor are women, and 75% of the civilians killed in war are women and children. Greens recognize that we've got work to do."

You can read the entire report - "Fairness, equity and opportunity: Green Party policies of particular concern to women" - here.

They will meet with the Young Mayor of Lewisham, Jacob Sakil, at the Civic Suite at Lewisham Town Hall.

Jean and Emilie will then travel to Deptford, where there will be joined by Darren Johnson, the Green parliamentary candidate for Lewisham Deptford, to discuss youth unemployment, with representatives from The Albany arts venue.

Finally, they will travel to Westminster to discuss Emilie's draft report on youth unemployment in the EU with a group of experts on the issue.

Over 5.5 million young people in the EU under 25 were unemployed in December 2009, the equivalent to 21.4% of all young people.

Turunen's draft report calls for a promotion of youth access to the labour market and a strengthening of trainee, internship and apprenticeship status.

Jean Lambert said: "Youth unemployment is one of the most acute problems facing Europe today, and Lewisham has one of the highest rates of unemployed under 25s in inner London. I welcome the opportunity to draw attention to this worrying trend by backing Emilie's comprehensive draft report."

"This chronic problem has far-reaching consequences, from the increase in welfare costs to the erosion of the tax system, with young victims of the recession more at risk of long-term social exclusion and health problems."

"In response to this challenge, I strongly support Emilie's call for Member States to work together to produce a coherent strategy of educational, financial, and social policies."

Turunen, 25, who represents the Danish Socialist People's Party (Socialistisk Folkeparti, SF) in the European Parliament, added: "Let's put youth at the top of the political agenda. Let's take up this challenge. Let's turn Generation Lost to Generation Hope."

Lucas, who is currently MEP for the South East Region including Brighton and Hove, said: "The evening represents an excellent opportunity to gain first hand experience of the kinds of challenges Brighton and Hove police have to deal with, especially at the weekend. Brighton and Hove has great nightlife and fantastic community pubs. But West Street can be chaotic on a Friday night, and residents across the city suffer noise and disturbance every night of the week. I believe licensing regulation in the city is to blame."

"Regulation on licensing continues to be a controversial matter in the city. Brighton has one off license per every 84 households, many believe that this high ratio contributes heavily to the problems of late night noise and drink related violence."

Lucas continued:

"The current government must take responsibility for causing some of these problems. Their Licensing Act of 2003 has not reduced alcohol related problems, including violence, as promised but has contributed largely to the proliferation of off licenses throughout our city. Binge drinking places an unnecessary burden on local police and health services. Excessive alcohol consumption, leads to over 2,000 hospital admissions per year in Brighton and Hove."

"It's clear if we want a healthier, safer city, we need to wise up when it comes to licensing and put the regulation in place that encourages people to drink responsibly."

Councillor Rachel Fryer, who recently proposed a successful council motion on licensing had these further words:

"We know that 50% of all domestic violence is committed under the influence of alcohol. In 2008, Sussex police were called out 44 times a day - 10 times a day in Brighton and Hove alone."

"Green councillors are working closely with Sussex Police to find a solution to the licensing situation."

"Plus, the ease with which under 18's are able to get hold of alcohol (through adults buying alcohol for children) is concerning, especially as recent figures tell us that five children a week, on average, are hospitalized in Brighton and Hove owing to alcohol abuse."

"I've strongly urged the Licensing Committee to look into ways of publicly recognising and rewarding responsible licensees who follow a code of 'best practice', thereby damaging the reputation and commercial viability of irresponsible traders who perpetuate the problems of underage alcohol consumption and drink related violence."

The Greens are committed to the founding principles of the NHS - including free dental healthcare, which they say could be provided for an extra £1.8 billion a year.

A party spokesperson said, "£1.8 billion a year is a trifling sum for a huge improvement in Britain's dental health service. Everyone who wants one should have access to an NHS dentist, and we must end the scandal of British children in the twenty-first century suffering the pain and misery that come with poor teeth."

The Greens dismiss water fluoridation as a "cheap, tacky, sticking plaster solution with side-effects." They say that "mass medication of doubtful efficacy and potential side-effects is no substitute for a proper dental healthcare strategy. We need to be teaching new parents how to look after their toddlers' teeth, and teaching young children from nursery onwards all about how to look after their own teeth properly.

"And in addition, we need everyone to have access to the right professional support, which means guaranteeing free access to an NHS dentist for everyone who wants it."

Full copies of the briefing are now available at www.greenparty.org.uk/reports

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Summary of Fair, free and effective: Green Party proposals for the dental health service

1. Currently, only half the UK population is provided with free dental healthcare. NHS dentistry charges are a regressive tax: they hit the poor hardest and prevent many from accessing dental care.

2. Access to dentists should not depend on where you live. But getting access to an NHS dentist is difficult and there is wide variation across the country:

Between 55% and 60% of NHS practices are not taking new NHS patients. Some Primary Care Trusts have no NHS dentists taking on new patients. Most areas have around 55 dentists per 100,000 people. But some have as few as 25, while others have over 100.

3. Less than half of the UK adult population and only around two thirds of children are visiting NHS dentists. The percentage of children who have visited NHS dentists within the previous 24 months has fallen in recent years - a worrying sign.

4. Some areas have opted for the addition of fluoridation chemicals to tap water in a bid improve dental health. The Green Party says:

· The use of fluoridated water to improve dental health is not a viable solution - it's more like "sticking plaster with side effects".

· Any (slight) benefit from fluoride in drinking water has to be weighed against the increased risk of osteosarcoma and dental fluorosis.

· Mass medication may breach the European Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine - it's unethical to medicate people without their consent.

· The use of fluoridation demonstrates a failure to tackle the underlying problems of dental health provision.

5. The Green Party wants:

· Free basic dental care available to all.

· Everyone to have access to an NHS dentist if they want one.

· An end to fluoridation of our tap water.

· A comprehensive dental health strategy including proper education for children and their parents.

6. Assuming that some people will wish to remain private, to provide free dental care to 75% of the population would only cost the NHS an extra £1.8 billion a year.

The Green Party leader commented that Britain would get worse leadership than under Labour – but, ironically, that the "poisonous cocktail of Tory policies would come laced with a Blairite smile.”

Caroline Lucas said:

“Cameron’s brand of Conservatism means taking the worst of Labour and pulling it down to new depths.

“But instead of Gordon the Thug we have Nice Guy Dave to front it.

“Cameron won't be outdone in pampering the rich. That's why he's slashing inheritance tax for the richest.

“And he won't be outdone in savagely cutting services - even if he's a little quieter on it now, until after the election.

“Cameron might be able to airbrush his photograph for the billboards, but he can't airbrush our memories of the misery and waste of 18 years of Tory rule.”

Don’t make assumptions about marginal constituencies, Greens warn 

The Greens warned against any assumptions about the Conservative lead in the national opinion polls. Matt Follett, chair of Brighton and Hove Green Party, commented:

“Just because the Conservatives are favourites to form the next government doesn’t mean they will win all the marginal seats. For instance, most recent opinion polls have shown Caroline Lucas winning the Brighton Pavilion seat for the Greens.

“In fact in Brighton and Hove, the most recent council by-election saw the Greens leapfrog both Labour and the Conservatives to win. In the Pavilion constituency, where the Conservatives are holding this conference, the Greens hold a majority of the local council seats. In fact the Greens have come first in every election in Brighton and Hove since 2005.

Matt Follett added: “This is the second consecutive Tory conference to be held in a city where the Conservatives were beaten by the Greens in last year’s elections (1).”

1.    The Conservatives held their 2009 autumn conference in Manchester, one of the cities where they finished behind Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens in the 2009 European Parliament elections. And in the same elections the Greens came first in the city of Brighton and Hove.

2.    A poll by ICM* (December 2009) has predicted a Green Party win in Brighton Pavilion, with the Greens polling at 35%, the Conservatives at 27%, Labour at 25% and the Lib Dems at 11%. This follows a YouGov poll (October 2009) which predicted the Greens would take their first seat in Brighton Pavilion.

3.    In the 2009 European election, in Brighton and Hove the Greens took 31% of the vote, ahead of the Conservatives (22%) and Labour (15%).

*ICM Research interviewed a random sample of 533 adults aged 18+ by telephone on 16-21st December 2009. Interviews were conducted across the political constituency of Brighton Pavilion and the results have been weighted to the profile of all Brighton Pavilion adults. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

The Channel 4 Political Slot today (19.55, Thursday 25 February) will set out the Green Party's stall ahead of the general election.

The film, to be broadcast after the Channel 4 evening news, will feature party leader Caroline Lucas, the Green MEP for South East England.

The three-minute film, made by McDougall Craig North for Channel 4 and directed by Daisy Leitch, was filmed in Brighton, where Caroline Lucas has been tipped by bookmakers and opinion pollsters ICM and YouGov to be on course to win the Pavilion seat in the coming general election.

The film starts with Caroline Lucas asking the question: "What do you want your MP to fight for?" and surveys the responses of a number of members of the public, highlighting concerns about jobs, pensions and the NHS - and the Green Party's response in its general election campaign under the banner Fair is worth fighting for.

18.30, Friday 26th February The Brighton Tavern, 100 Gloucester Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 4AP 

The Green Party is to launch what it claims is the best manifesto on offer for LGBTIQ people (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer) in the coming general election (1).

The launch will be held in Brighton, which has one of Britain’s biggest LGBTIQ communities, and is where the Greens hope to win their first parliamentary seat – Brighton Pavilion, where party leader Caroline Lucas has been tipped by bookies and most opinion polls to be on course for victory.

And the launch will be held during the Conservative Party’s Brighton conference – to draw attention to the Conservatives’ poor track record on LGBT issues. 

Greens are the only party to officially support gay marriage

Phelim Mac Cafferty, national chair of the LGBTIQ Greens said today:

“Fresh from our Spring conference where the Green Party became the first and only political party to officially support gay marriage and an end to the ban on civil partnerships being conducted in places of worship, we are announcing our key campaigning policies for the General Election.

“There are 6 core areas which we view as key cornerstones of our LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans) General Election manifesto:

(1) Open up civil marriages and civil partnerships, without discrimination, to both same-sex and opposite sex couples.

(2) Require all police forces to have LGBT Liaison Officers with paid time allocated within their work schedules to tackle homophobic and transphobic hate crime.

(3) End the blanket, lifetime ban on gay and bisexual blood donors.

(4) Amend the Equality Bill/Act to provide explicit protection against harassment to LGBT people.

(5) Refuse visas and work permits to "murder music" singers and others who incite homophobic and transphobic violence.

(6) Ensure safe haven and refugee status for LGBT people fleeing persecution in violently homophobic and transphobic countries.

“Leading human rights activist, Peter Tatchell and Green Party Leader, Caroline Lucas MEP, along with local and national LGBT activists and supporters will address some of these key areas of the manifesto."

Conservatives’ "continuous failure to commit"

Phelim Mac Cafferty added:

“Our launch will coincide with the Conservatives’ Spring conference which is also in Brighton – we will highlight the Tories’ continuous failure to commit to LGBT equality, whether that’s over the Shadow Cabinet’s votes against access to fertility treatment for lesbian and bi women or David Cameron’s own vote against gay adoption. Some 85 per cent of those eligible in the Conservative Shadow Cabinet voted for the hated homophobic Section 28 while 90% voted against an equal age of consent and today Tories continue to oppose the Equalities Bill in the House of Lords.

“While the Conservatives voted against Clause 61 of the Coroners & Justice Bill, (outlawing homophobic hate speech), Greens are using the general election period and our specific LGBT manifesto to send out a clear call that homophobic and transphobic crimes need, urgently, to be dealt with on a par with racist crimes.

“On education policy, a core part of Conservative policy is to allow any group of parents who wish to set up a school to receive state funding. This despite figures from the National Secular Society who warn that there is a large rise in religious fundamentalist schools when this happens which in turn means a large increase in homophobic bullying – which is 10 per cent worse in faith schools. This stands in sharp contrast to the Green Party’s position in our manifesto to remove special treatment allowing faith schools to promote homophobia on the grounds of religion.

“The Conservative Party are distinctly quiet on what happens to the subject of law and order and LGBT people - despite a large increase of attacks on LGBTs in the last year. The Greens are using the general election period to call for all police forces to have equality and diversity liaison officers whose remit is to tackle, and take preventive action on crimes against LGBT people.

Peter Tatchell and Caroline Lucas

Leading campaigner and Green Party spokesperson on human rights Peter Tatchell commented on the launch:

“The Green Party will go into the general election as the only party campaigning for marriage and partnership equality. We are calling for civil marriages and civil partnerships to be open to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples, without discrimination. We reaffirm our opposition to the blanket, lifetime ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood. Our manifesto commitments show up the shortcomings of the other parties.”

Caroline Lucas, Leader of the Green Party, stated:

“We are delighted to be proudly launching a specific manifesto which will put on centre stage the Green Party’s firm commitment to LGBT equality. We will use the period up to the manifesto to promote re-writing of the Mental Health Act to remove trans people from the Psychiatric Disorder Register and lobby for training for head teachers to create safe environments for LGBT staff and students.”

The Green Party's LGBTIQ manifesto

The Green Party aims to treat everyone equally and fairly. We will work to ensure respect for everyone whatever their ethnicity, gender and gender identity, age, religious belief or non-belief, sexual orientation, class, size, disability or other status.

• Amend the Equalities Bill/Act to provide explicit protection against harassment of LGBTIQ people.
• Require all police forces to have equality and diversity liaison officers whose remit is to tackle, and take preventive action on crimes against LGBTI people, people from ethnic minorities including refugees and asylum seekers, disabled people and on the grounds of faith or belief.
• Legally target incitement of hatred on the grounds of gender identity and amend the Equality Bill/Act to provide explicit protection against harassment of LGBTI people.
• Open up civil marriages and civil partnerships, without discrimination, to both same-sex and opposite sex couples.
• End the blanket, lifetime ban on gay and bisexual blood donors.
• Campaign for homophobic, transphobic and crimes against disabled people, including people with learning difficulties, to be dealt with effectively and on a par with racist crimes.
• Ensure legal parity for parents and those wishing to become parents regardless of sexual orientation, and equality of provision of maternity services; lobby for widely available, affordable state-funded crèches.
• Push for the rewriting of the Mental Health Act to remove trans people from the Psychiatric Disorder Register.
• Campaign against any reduction in the AIDS/HIV budget and target health promotion work to prevent sexually transmitted infections.
• Ensure safe haven and refugee status for LGBTI people fleeing persecution in line with other social groups according to the Geneva Convention.
• Ensure safe haven and refugee status from women fleeing domestic violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation where there is no adequate protection by the authorities in their own country.
• Refuse visas and work permits to "murder music" singers and others who incite homophobic and transphobic violence.
• Oppose all opt-outs from equality and anti-discrimination laws by religious organisations and remove special treatment allowing faith schools to promote homophobia on the grounds of religion.
• Comprehensive training for teachers and educational staff on all diversity and inclusion issues; schools to promote equal opportunities in their anti-bullying procedures; equalities issues to be monitored in teaching recruitment.
• Implement a UK-wide strategy to tackle violence against women including domestic violence, rape and sexual abuse and trafficking. • Ensure that effective action is taken to prevent discrimination against disabled people.
• Work towards ending stigma against people with mental health problems including discrimination in employment.
• Enforce penalties against employers who continue to implement unequal pay
• Work vigorously towards ensuring that all levels of government are representative of the diversity of the populations for whom they work.
• Support human rights and democracy struggles including those of LGBTI and women's movements in oppressive states, such as Saudi Arabia, Jamaica, Iran.

A “manifesto for re-building trust in British politics” with policies chosen by the public was unveiled today, claiming to be “the largest ever campaign for political reform” in the UK – and its five policy pledges are all Green Party policies.

The POWER2010 campaign had carried out a “unique poll... which generated over 100,000 votes from the British public” and which, say the organisers, “creates a critical checklist of ordinary people’s priorities for political change.”

The “Power Pledge” includes:

1. Introduce a proportional voting system.

2. Scrap ID cards and roll back the database state. 

3. Replace the House of Lords with an elected chamber.

4. Allow only English MPs to vote on English laws.

5. Draw up a written constitution. 

A Green Party spokesperson commented today:

“All five policies in the Power Pledge have been Green Party policy for many years.

“After 4,500 submissions and 100,000 votes from members of the public, it’s encouraging to see these five classic Green Party policies given such a ringing endorsement. The people who voted for these policies are clearly far closer to the Green Party than to either Labour or the Conservatives.

“In terms of wanting a fairer, more inclusive democratic system and more transparent, more accountable government, I believe a majority of the electorate are on the Green Party’s side.”

Note:

1. Further information from http://www.power2010.org.uk/.

Speaking about the plans, Caroline said: "Energy efficiency in the domestic sector is vital in the fight against climate change and fuel poverty. However, seeking to withhold Housing Benefit payments (2) to those who live in energy inefficient housing will do little to drive improvement, and a lot to hurt tenants who are in receipt of benefits."

Caroline Lucas, who is tipped by bookmakers and most opinion polls to win the Brighton Pavilion seat in the coming general election, continued: "Forty-four per cent of our carbon footprint comes from domestic properties. This is a particular problem in Brighton and Hove where twenty-one per cent of residents live in the private rented sector. The solution to this is not for the Government to endanger the tenancies of our most vulnerable citizens, but instead to follow the Green Party's policy proposal of making a long-term investment commitment of £4 billion a year into energy efficiency measures until 2025. Alongside tough regulation of private landlords, this would transform our country's homes, while creating 80,000 jobs in the process."

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1. The full consultation can be found here: www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/hb-consultation.pdf 

The specific proposal reads: "We would like to consider whether the payment of Housing Benefit should be made conditional on housing meeting certain defined standards in terms of quality, energy efficiency and carbon footprint. Housing Benefit would not be payable on properties which fell below certain standards."

2. Housing Benefit statistics can be found here: research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/hbctb_arc.asp

"The job market is failing young people, and in my county, it's hitting hardest. Norfolk has the highest unemployment rate for 18-24 year olds of the whole country. It has the highest number of 18-24 year olds on Job-Seekers Allowance, and the highest number of job losses per head of population against any other county. This is the legacy of Tory and Labour governments. And this is what we need to address."

"Those people on the dole, will they be helped under Labour? Today, Labour launched their General Election slogan - ‘A Future Fair for All'. How can they be trusted to be fair when bankers are still getting bonuses, yet the recession is still putting thousands of other people out of work? The people who gambled with our money, who built the house of credit cards that now has crashed, get bailed out, but everyone else picks up the bill."

"That doesn't sound like Fair for All. That sounds like a bankers' Free For All."

"We believe in fighting for fairness - not crossing our fingers and hoping for the best. Our proposals would create a million lasting jobs - not ones dependent on cheap fossil fuels or financial bubbles. We want skilled jobs in public services, renewable energy and low carbon industries. We would nurture small to medium enterprises to encourage domestic manufacturing and local agriculture."

The full speech can be found here.

Lucas said what was most shocking of all from 12 years of Labour government was the state of the NHS:

"Here in North London, where we're meeting, Labour is seeking to close one, two or even three accident and emergency wards. And to move core services into polyclinics, which are then being tendered to the private sector. Privatisation means the prospect of the end of the NHS as a universal healthcare service, provided by public servants.

"Who is left in politics who believes that doctors and nurses, health professionals and cleaners, managers and administrators, actually work best when motivated - not by bonuses or share options - but by the sense of doing what they went into medicine to do, or the satisfaction of seeing patients benefiting from their care?

"Who still believes in public service? We do.

"Greens believe it's wrong that hospitals and health centres are treated like businesses, rather than vital public services. We want to see an end to money being wasted on botched PFI and privatisation schemes. We will oppose cuts and closures in the NHS, and protect the jobs of public sector workers.

"And that is why it is the Greens who are at the forefront of the campaign to save hospitals like these."

For a transcript of the entire speech, please click here.

The Conservatives have spurned the government's offer of advanced sight of the White Paper on the proposed High Speed Rail line between London and the Midlands. In the spirit of political cooperation for improved public transport, the Green Party has offered to step into the gap left by the Tories and review the White Paper.

Alan Francis, Green Party Transport Spokesperson said, "We support the principle of high speed rail, and would be willing to review the white paper prior to publication. The Green Party's commitment to improving public transport, including rail, is genuine. While we could not agree in advance to support the chosen route we would be willing to review it and give the government feedback."

The Green Party is calling for a major expansion of public transport - including high speed rail - as part of the Green New Deal. This would involve massive government investment to create jobs, as well as making public transport much more affordable.

The Greens would provide a £3 billion subsidy to reduce UK rail fares by one third. Currently the highest in Europe, this would bring UK fares in line with the European average.

The railway system would also be brought back into public ownership. By spending £2 billion on new track, rolling stock, and urban tram schemes, 20,000 jobs could be created. An investment of £3 billion would double the size of the bus fleet and create 70,000 jobs.

Mr Francis is a transport consultant and inter alia chairs the Milton Keynes Central Station Travel Plan group. He has responded on behalf of the Green Party to many consultations by the government and Network Rail.

Green Party Conference today voted to support the British Medical Association's campaign against NHS privatisation.  

Conference warmly welcomed the Look after our NHS campaign. The conference was told that the BMA campaign "closely accords with Green Party policy and ... explicitly challenges Labour, the Conservatives, and the Lib Dems: 'to move away from market-based policies and adopt a more constructive and cooperative approach to the delivery of healthcare rather than one based on competition and fragmentation'."

Delegates heard that like the Green Party, the BMA is warning against changes to the NHS being made as part of a programme of privatisation. The BMA's campaign theme is that "Commercialising the NHS is damaging our health service."

A party spokesperson commented after the unanimous vote: "Both the Greens and the BMA are opposed to PFI schemes, where private companies bid to supply patient care on behalf of the NHS. As well as costing the country money it can’t afford, these changes are not always in the best interests of patients. As profit-making companies, their primary commitment is to increasing profit for their shareholders, not to benefiting NHS patients.

"Profits made by these companies from providing NHS patient care may not always be invested back into the NHS. Private companies who run treatment centres are also allowed to ‘cherry-pick’ the clinical services they provide. This means they concentrate on those that are most profitable for them - not necessarily those that are most needed by patients."

The BMA is calling for an NHS which:

1. Provides high quality, comprehensive healthcare for all, free at the point of use
2. Is publicly funded through central taxes, publicly provided and publicly accountable
3. Significantly reduces commercial involvement
4. Uses public money for quality healthcare, not profits for shareholders
5. Cares for patients through co-operation, not competition
6. Is led by medical professionals working in partnership with patients and the public
7. Seeks value for money but puts the care of patients before financial targets
8. Is fully committed to training future generations of medical professionals.

For more details on the BMA's campaign, see www.lookafterournhs.uk.

The panelists will be

- Darren Johnson, Green PPC for Lewisham Deptford,

- Neil Jameson, London Citizens, and,

- Rys Farthing, Child Poverty Action Group

The keynote address to conference by the Green Party leader, Caroline Lucas, will be on Friday morning, at 10am. Other panels taking place later in the four day conference will address inequality and civil liberties.

The panel on low wages will take place at 6pm, at the Arts Depot, in Finchley, London, N12 0GA, www.artsdepot.co.uk (Nearest tube, West Finchley, then a 12-minute walk)

It's the life of Norwich baby Martha McGuire, born just eight months ago. The man talking about her future in the world will be the Green Party's Deputy Leader and General Election candidate for Norwich South, Adrian Ramsay.

Adrian recently met Martha and her mother, who live on Britannia Road in Norwich, when he visited the Sure Start centre in Thorpe Hamlet. Adrian was inspired to focus his keynote speech to the conference on Saturday on the ways in which Green Party policies could influence the life of Martha and other children in the years ahead.

Speaking about the Green Party's General Election slogan "Fair is Worth Fighting For", Adrian Ramsay will talk about Green Party policies to ensure that all young people have a good start in life with access to high quality local services by:

* protecting the NHS from further expensive PFI schemes, like the one paying for the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital where there's a shortage of midwives to deliver future "Marthas", where lack of sufficient beds led to the maternity unit being closed on 22 occasions last year and where only this week the family of an elderly woman was upset at finding her bed in what appeared to be a store-cupboard. If the hospital were funded by conventional means more money would be going into improved healthcare rather than to profit private finance companies.

* maintaining funding for nursery care and outreach workers for children like Martha, whose own Sure Start centre at Wolfe Road in Norwich was only saved after the Greens worked with parents on petitions and demonstrations against Norfolk County Council plans to close it.

* seeing SATS replaced with a less formalised system of testing for younger children by the time Martha begins her education, and to end Britain's Academies programme. Green Councillors in Norfolk have called for a moratorium on turning more schools into Academies run by private sponsors.

* finding a better system of funding higher education involving a return to grants so that Martha does not have to worry about amassing huge debts as a student. The average debt of a UEA student upon graduation is currently £23,194.

* creating jobs for Martha's generation in 21st century industries. Green Party proposals would create thousands of new jobs in Norfolk by ensuring more of our foods and goods are produced locally and by promoting the use of more renewable energy and home insulation programmes.

* ensuring that a bigger proportion of affordable housing is included in every new development in order to reduce local authority waiting lists. Norwich City Council recently increased the proportion it requires to 40% following pressure from Green Party Councillors.

* taking action to address climate change so that Martha in adulthood does not witness dramatic changes on Norfolk's highly vulnerable coastline with the destruction of coastal communities and the loss of agricultural land.

*making sure the basic state pension is at a realistic level when Martha reaches old age. The Greens' proposal is that it should be £170 a week right now.

Adrian Ramsay said:

"We need to fight for a better future for our children. A future where all young people have access to good quality services locally. Green MPs will press for investment in maternity services, protection of SureStart nurseries and a less formalised system for testing young school children."

"Green MPs will also press for a fairer deal for young adults, involving a university system that does not leave students saddled with debt and far more opportunities for young people to enter apprenticeships and skilled jobs in lasting industries like public transport, renewable energy and local agriculture."

"And we need action to help older people too - a much higher state pension to help take pensioners out of poverty, and action on climate change so that today's children are not suffering as a result of our behaviour when they grow old."

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The party's conference takes place at The Arts Depot, Tally Ho, North Finchley, London, N12 0GA , with Adrian Ramsay's keynote speech on Saturday at 15:30.

Adrian will also chair a discussion panel on Civil Liberties on Friday afternoon with Peter Tatchell (human rights campaigner, co-founder of gay rights group OutRage! and Green Party human rights spokesperson), Afua Hirsch (Human Rights teacher, barrister, blogger, and Guardian newspaper columnist), plus Phil Booth, (NO2ID National Co-ordinator).

The report has been compiled by the Industry Taskforce for Peak Oil and Energy Security.

This is a group of private British companies whose members include Sir Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Ian Marchant (Scottish and Southern Energy), Brian Souter (Stagecoach), and Philip Dilley (Arup).

Green Party leader Caroline Lucas MEP warmly welcomed the report. She said today:

"We shouldn't have to rely on business leaders to be ahead of the government on issues like this, because government should be well ahead of the game. But this report is very welcome, and I can guarantee that Greens who get elected in the coming general election will work very hard to make sure views like this are given the consideration they deserve in parliament."

Dr Lucas, the South East England MEP tipped by recent YouGov and ICM polls to be on course to win the Brighton Pavilion seat in the coming general election, added:

"The Green Party has been warning for decades of the need to future-proof our economy. We need a massive expansion in several sectors, not least renewable energy production and public transport, if we're to make sure our economy is stable, secure and resilient. And only the government has the capacity to organise the development of our economy on this scale.

"That's another reason why we need Green MPs at Westminster - to take the lead both in recognising the dangers posed by challenges like peak oil and in bringing forward the viable practical solutions."

Caroline Lucas said this morning: "It's frankly shocking to hear that there are seven times fewer Black or Black British Caribbeans at Oxford than there are on average at other universities.

"In order for Oxford to reach the national average, it would have to recruit 44% more students from BME backgrounds."

Elite universities outside London "must try harder," report shows

The new findings show that London-based universities belonging to the prestigious Russell Group, including the London School of Economics, Kings College London, Imperial and University College London continue to be the best-performing institutions for numbers of BME students.

But outside London, of these 20 top institutions, only Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham and Warwick are attracting good proportions of ethnic minority students.

Caroline Lucas, who is tipped by pollsters to become the first UK Green MP in the coming general election (2), continued:

"On the whole the UK is doing quite well, as the proportion of ethnic minority students is rising broadly in proportion with the growth of the 18-24-year-old ethnic minority population.

"But it's simply unacceptable that most of the more prestigious universities are recruiting too few members of ethnic minorities."

She added:

"If there is an issue with members of ethnic minorities not meeting entrance standards, then this suggests there's a problem lower down in the education system, with fewer pupils from minority backgrounds being supported to reach their potential. Here's where I think the Green Party's approach would be important, for instance making class sizes smaller and making sure pupils get the most appropriate support for their individual learning needs. This would mean more money for education, but it's absolutely essential for the future of our society that we make that investment."

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Notes

1. Analysis of the Higher Education Statistics Agency's (HESA) Student Record for 1995/96 and 2007/08 and the Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey for the same years, reported by PA 3.2.10 at 2:45:51 AM.