Now, just nine years on, public psyche is manipulated with the same WMD rhetoric and propaganda against Iran.   That they believe our memories are so short epitomises the contempt those in power have for the public.

In the seventies Soviet bloc controlled media was mocked, yet now there are moves toward internet censorship, while the Iranian news channel, Press TV, is forced off air.  Investigative journalism is replaced by pseudo-news sourced from agencies controlled by the Western corporate structure.  Journalists are afraid to rock the boat. Faith in integrity of national mainstream media withers.

A terrorist event to pin on the 'enemy' might suit the warmongers well to consolidate public opinion ready for war. But is Iran the threat, with no evidence of nuclear weapons despite numerous inspections, or is the threat from an imperialistic invasion force hell bent on controlling the oil? The US and allies have maimed people, poisoned swathes of land with depleted uranium weapons and provided Israel with an arsenal of weaponry including vast nuclear capability. Nuclear accidents, weapons and testing have polluted the land, sea and air contributing to soaring worldwide cancer rates yet it seems shadowy powers happily provoke nuclear conflict. Iran's Ahmadinejad is mis-quoted as saying he wishes to wipe Israel from the face of the Earth, yet hardly reported by Western media, Daniel Pipes, an advisor to Netanyahu, stated that the Israeli PM should "threaten to use nuclear weapons against Iran."

Economic sanctions, the same tactic preceding the Iraq war to weaken it for invasion, will only hurt ordinary Iranians. A 2001 study by the Red Cross states the civilian-to-soldier death ratio in war since mid-20th century is 10 to 1.

How does the East Midlands fit into the equation? Locally and nationally we suffer austerity measures and cuts yet billions materialise to fund murder, maiming and resource robbery of other nations. Our tax funds such folly and without public consent, our good name as British citizens is muddied by association with such evil.

To defend our shores is fair play, but the threat comes from within, from those who send our soldiers to fight their corporate conflicts across the globe. The trouble is the whole world pays the price as the fall-out not only metaphorically, but could quite literally bring a new dark age stealing the future from us and our children.

Shaun Walton.

East Midlands Green Party.

Plans for the pig farm have attracted thousands of objections, including several well known names such as actor Dominic West (The Wire, The Hour), citing a range of concerns including noise, odour and the effect on small-scale farms, while animal rights campaigners protested about welfare issues outside South Derbyshire District Council offices in Swadlincote.

Animal welfare group Viva commented "Have we learnt nothing from swine flu, bird flu, SARS (severe viral pneumonia) etc in the way we treat animals? Situating a massive intensive farm this close to people (the nearest house is just 20 metres away from the perimeter fence) could be asking for trouble. Not least the use of a huge anaerobic digester to process around 15 million litres of slurry a year. These digesters are designed to produce energy and reduce smell, but can actually be a source of smell, noise and - in the worst case scenario - toxic gases and even fire and explosions."

A spokesman for anti-factory farming campaigners Pig Business, said: "Intensive mega-piggeries such as the one being proposed in Foston for 25,000 pigs are not the direction in which British farming should be heading.

"There has been overwhelming local opposition, with over 13,000 objections and 10,000 people signing our online petition."

David Foster of Derby and East Midlands Green Parties, said "Pigs are intelligent and social animals that naturally enjoy routing and foraging in woodland for food. To keep these animals in concrete pens (roughly 8 ft. square) where they don't normally see the light of day in the interest of returning a greater profit is nothing short of cruel, and not the way East Midlands Green Party would like to see food production in the country to go.

"Because these animals are kept in such confined quarters and as an aid to growth and earlier maturity these animals are routinely given antibiotics. We are objecting to the development on the grounds that regular use of antibiotics creates superbugs such as MRSA and reduces the NHS's arsenal against bacteria.

"Although a petition against the piggery is already in existence we intend to assist the established campaigners by carrying out a local survey in Foston and neighbouring Scropton and we will be collecting signatures in Derby City centre, provisionally on the 3rd December 2011.  If you would be interested in helping with this please contact me by email or telephone 0791 453 7589."

Please object to Derbyshire County Council online by using this webform, email planningcontrol@derbyshire.gov.uk or write to the Strategic Director of Environmental Services at Derbyshire County Council, Shand House, Dale Road South, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3RY

We are holding a Joint Say Yes to AV and promotional

event for the Derby Green Party candidates.

http://www.yestofairervotes.org/page/event/detail/4v7bf

10:00 am Tea or coffee for a 10:30 start.

Further refreshments will be available from the bar.

For directions please follow this link: http://www.thehind.co.uk/contact.htm

The Hind
Sheep Street
Wellingborough
Northamptonshire
NN8 1BY 

If anyone has any items they would like to add to the Agenda please email them to chair@derbyshiregreenparty.org.uk

Also anyone wishing to help with the East Midlands administration but is unable to attend please inform David Foster at the above email address

The Green Party has reacted strongly to proposals to construct a 3,770-cow dairy in Lincolnshire.

Nocton Dairies last month submitted proposals for a "mega-dairy" on Nocton Heath, sparking protest from animal rights and sustainability campaigners. The 38 Degrees petition opposing the plans has so far gained over 50,000 signatures.

North Kesteven District Councillors are due to vote on the proposals in January, after the public consultation period closes on 11th January 2011.

Adrian Ramsay, deputy leader of the Green Party, said in response to the plans:

"This industrial scale dairy would be a bad move for agriculture, for animal welfare and for the environment. It will lead to the demise of smaller and more environmentally sustainable farms at a time when many farmers are already struggling to make ends meet. The Green Party has been calling for a reform of supermarket buying practices for many years so that farmers receive a fair price for their produce."

Mr. Ramsay, who is a Green councillor in Norwich, continued:

"Grazing is natural for cows. A large number of scientific studies have shown that cows kept on pasture are healthier. With Nocton's cows eating no fresh grass, there are major animal welfare concerns about this proposal. There are also major environmental concerns because the cows will instead be eating food grown on land that could have been used for food production for people."

Adrian Ramsay concluded: 

"The Green Party believes that cows belong in fields and will therefore campaign to ensure that this proposed 'super' dairy does not go ahead. We also need wider reforms of our agriculture to ensure better animal welfare and protect rural livelihoods and the countryside."

Against a background of wind turbines, the portrait of Helmer is accompanied by the slogan: "Green climate change policies: Probably unnecessary, Certainly ineffectual, Ruinously expensive."

"Probably Unnecessary" might be a somewhat less than convincing phrase for a politician to use when trying to win over potential voters, but what is, perhaps, more striking about the two-week poster campaign is that it has been launched outside of an election cycle. Roger Helmer, a prominent climate sceptic politician, has decided to launch the highly unusual campaign to coincide with the Cancún climate talks, an event which he is currently attending. Here's a sample of the campaign press release:

An East Midlands MEP has launched a campaign to challenge what he calls "Climate Hysteria". Conservative Roger Helmer MEP believes that current changes in climate are entirely driven by natural forces, and that policies designed to mitigate climate change by cutting CO2 emissions, although hugely expensive, will achieve nothing. He explains his thinking on his web-site at http://www.rogerhelmer.com/.
He will be unveiling billboards in major cities across the region...as soon as the sub zero temperatures currently affecting the United Kingdom subside. The poster campaign is backed by electronic media, including a banner on the popular Conservative Home website. The icy temperatures, which prevented the billboards being erected on time, highlight the claim that the green policies are probably unnecessary...
He notes that recent opinion polls show that a majority of citizens in the UK and the USA no longer believe the hype on climate, and the public are increasingly tired of being blamed by politicians and the media for a non-problem. They are especially reluctant to pay green taxes and higher power bills "to combat climate change". Helmer notes that increasing numbers of scientists are also challenging the climate orthodoxy. A recent reader poll in the prestigious journal Scientific American showed 77% no longer believe that human activity causes climate change.

Anyone familiar with the climate sceptic's oeuvre will recognise such statements, which tend to delight in the picking of cherries and revel in the promotion of half-truths. (For example, the Scientific American online poll was aggressively targeted by climate sceptics blogs to warp the result - a point conveniently not noted by Helmer.)

For those that enjoy a good session of climate sceptic bingo, head over to the full statement on Helmer's website. (Tip: for extra enjoyment, see how many statements you can find that tally with Skeptical Science's list of climate sceptic canards.) Helmer even modestly lists his own book (published by the anti-EU Bruges Group) first in the list of recommended further reading, a list which, itself, says more about Helmer's political predilections than it does climate science. (But isn't that ever the case with climate sceptics and their sources of supporting evidence?)

That Helmer has opted to push his own brand of climate scepticism on his East Midlands constituents is not entirely surprising. But poster campaigns don't come cheap. So one obvious question is how is the campaign being funded?

A call to his office reveals that the two-week campaign has cost £9,000. And the source of the funding? I'm told that the "information fund" of the European Conservative and Reformist Group, of which all the Conservative MEPs are members, has covered the costs. Indeed, each poster carries the ECR logo, as the rules of the funding allocation demands. Another call to the ECR's office in Brussels confirms that the group - as is the case with all seven of the EU parliament's political groups - is entirely funded by the parliament. (A noteworthy aside: during the televised leaders debates before the general election in May, Nick Clegg described the Conservatives' allies in Europe as containing "nutters, anti-semites, people who deny climate change exists, homophobes". Helmer, of course, has his own interpretation of what the term "homophobia" really means.)

So, what we appear to have is a Conservative MEP who, as a TaxPayers' Alliance supporter, likes nothing more than complaining about how the EU loves wasting taxpayers money, using just such a source of funding to buy prime advertising space to promote his own pet beliefs and theories. After all, Roger Helmer's stance on climate change does not represent the views of either the Conservative Party, the ECR, or even the grouping of Conservative MEPs who call themselves "Conservative in the European Parliament". We know this because they all say so.

A spokesman for the Conservative Party who studied Helmer's poster and press release said: "This does not represent the view of the Conservative Party."

A spokesman for the ECR said: "Mr Helmer does not represent the ECR Group on environmental issues." (As you might expect, the ECR certainly has some gripes about proposed EU climate policy, but doesn't seem to question the science that underpins our understanding of climate change, or the basic principle that a 'business as usual' approach is not sensible.)

And the Conservatives in the European Parliament website is currently heavily trailing a link to a page which states: "Conservative MEPs are committed to tackling climate change and enhancing the quality of the environment in the UK, Europe and the wider world. We are working towards a truly low carbon economy and are committed to increasing energy efficiency and improving our energy security."

It would appear, therefore, that Helmer is speaking for no one other than himself when he talks about climate change. The poster campaign, which has been funded with the same EU taxpayers' money he is otherwise so eager to see not wasted, represents not the views of a political party or grouping, but that of one man. Imagine if each and everyone of the taxpayers he evidently wishes to see protected from the EU's largesse had £9,000 of EU funds to spend on a poster campaign to promote their own personal views.

The ECR says that the funding for the poster campaign was signed off by the ECR's UK national delegation treasurer, who is currently the Conservative MEP for London, Syed Kamall. The ECR also says that it does not vet or stipulate the message being promoted in any campaign reliant on its "information fund".

Award-winning bus services, a European-style embrace of the tram and a bias against out-of-town shopping centres were cited as powerful incentives for residents of Nottingham to leave their cars at home, according to a report by the Campaign for Better Transport. By contrast, Milton Keynes, trumpeted as the epitome of modern urban dwelling in the 1980s, is criticised for a reliance on the motor vehicle to get people from A to B.

Nottingham's investment in 30 miles of cycle tracks, a nine-mile tram network and 230,000 miles of bus journeys per week made it the top ranking city overall. "It ranked highly for factors such as bus patronage, satisfaction with bus services and low car use for the school run. As well as having an efficient bus service, the new expanding tram system is now used by 10 million passengers a year," said CBT.

The green lobbying group judged 19 English cities by three criteria: accessibility and planning; quality and uptake of public transport; walking and cycling.

Nottingham's Labour-dominated city council has thrown resources at transport over the past decade, with its bus services winning national bus operator of the year twice since 1999.

Its innovative ethos has drawn criticism from local businesses who have complained about plans to introduce a workplace parking levy that will charge companies £300 per year to park a car outside a company office - with the proceeds reinvested in public transport. Another award-winner in Nottingham is the city councillor in charge of transport, Jane Urquhart, who was rewarded for her contribution to local transport in the National Transport Awards this year. Urquhart said the key to Nottingham's success was offering motorists an alternative rather than haranguing them out of their cars.

Four out of 10 journeys in and out of central Nottingham were made by car at the beginning of the decade but the opening of a tram service and increased investment in buses has tipped the balance in favour of public transport, according to Urquhart.

"People in Nottingham have a real choice about whether or not they need a car for their journey, because they have an excellent alternative," she said.

Nottingham topped the survey ahead of London despite a multi-billion pound taxpayer investment in the capital's tube and bus services that is the envy of sister cities across the UK. Brighton came third, reflecting its much-admired bus network, its umbilical rail links with London and a size perfectly pitched for commuting cyclists and walkers. Manchester won fourth place despite tarnishing its progressive transport credentials two years ago by rejecting a congestion charge scheme.

The attributes that make Nottingham one of the greenest transport cities in the UK were found lacking in Luton, Peterborough and Milton Keynes. In an indictment of the planners tasked with turning Milton Keynes into a new town in the 1960s, CBT said the area was built with one mode of transport in mind.

"Milton Keynes was designed for the car. Those with cars can get to work in under 10 minutes, but those without a car struggle to get around." CBT added: "Travelling by public transport is a poor alternative." Peterborough is commended for improving its public transport in recent years, but CBT adds that the Cambridgeshire city is building on a "very low starting point." The presence of the M1 has contributed to traffic problems in densely-built Luton, according to the report.

Milton Keynes council said transport links were improving, including 270km of cycling and walking routes as well as 8.2m bus journeys per year.

CBT said the survey was a warning to the government that cutting regional transport spending - £309m has already been slashed from local budgets by the Department for Transport this year - would be a further blow to the unemployed, who may not own a car or be able to afford the cost of driving to work or job interviews.

A further £1.6bn of local transport schemes are on hold as the DfT awaits the outcome of next month's comprehensive spending review. Stephen Joseph, CBT's executive director, said the survey was a warning to Eric Pickles, the secretary of state for communities and local government, whose department is responsible for planning. "If you make it impossible for people to get to places without using cars, it will make it more difficult for people to get out of welfare and into work. This report is as much a message for Eric Pickles as it is for Philip Hammond [secretary of state for transport]," said Joseph.

The East Midlands Green Party is supporting Protecting Animals in Democracy (PAD) who are fighting to save the hunt ban, which is under threat from the Conservative-led Coalition Government. Please join with us in the East Midlands to defend this landmark piece of animal protection legislation.

The vast majority of people in Britain are appalled by gratuitous cruelty to animals and believe that the hunting of foxes, stags, hares and other wildlife should remain consigned to history. However, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the House of Commons will be offered the opportunity to ‘express its view' on repeal of the Hunting Act, through a vote on a parliamentary motion. It is imperative that a majority of MPs vote against any such motion to return to cruelty. Repeal of the Hunting Act would mark a barbaric and backward step for our society.

Contrary to pro-hunt propaganda the Hunting Act is an important, historic piece of legislation which protects animals, and which - with over 130 convictions - is workable and enforceable. Indeed, the Hunting Act has already been used to obtain more convictions than other wildlife legislation such as the Badgers Act or the Deer Act.

This law is a significant step forward in terms of reducing society's indifference to animal cruelty. The historic importance of the hunt ban is shown by the urgency with which groups such as PAD, Animal Aid, VIVA! and the Hunt Saboteurs Association have come together under Brian May's SAVE-ME banner to campaign to save the Hunting Act 2004. They are also in contact with and are complementing the work of the League, the RSPCA and IFAW who led the parliamentary campaign that banned hunting with hounds.

It is impossible to tell when the Government will start the process to repeal the Hunting Act. Therefore the SAVE-ME ‘federation' has decided we need to get active as soon as possible and are sponsoring an urgent National Day of Action on Saturday 18th September.

It was the constant pressure of public opinion over many years that finally defeated the small but highly influential and ‘well-connected' blood sports lobby. Now, we need your help on September 18th to alert the public to the looming danger and empower them to speak out, especially to their MPs who will take the final decision over the future of Britain's foxes, hares and deer.

43 MPs completely supported PADs VOTE4ANIMALS 2010 manifesto during the General Election, including Caroline Lucas, and many Green prospective parliamentarians also did and were backed by PAD because of their commitment to helping save animals from cruelty; including Marcus Rock and Jonathan Hornett in the East Midlands.  The Green Party have by far and away the strongest animal protection policy according to PAD.

Can you hold a street campaign stall on 18th September? The SAVE-ME federation is producing campaign postcards and posters for the 18th September Day of Action. You can order them from PAD by emailing dan@vote4animals.org.uk

Please also contact us to let us know what you have planned by emailing jonathan.hornett@greenparty.org.uk

The new coalition Government is planning to find more than £6 billion of savings over the course of the next year.

New figures released by the Department of Communities and Local Government show Northamptonshire County will see a reduction in its grants of £4.1 million, Derbyshire will lose £4.1 million, Nottinghamshire will receive £4.75 million less and Lincolnshire County Council has been told it will receive £4.2 million less from the government this financial year.

Of course this is only the start. Pronouncements from the coalition government indicate that there will be massive cuts in public spending over the next few years. Not just local councils, but other public services, many of whom are already being squeezed, will be squeezed further and further. This week one national personnel body - hardly a home of left-wing agitation - predicted that 750,000 public service jobs will be lost over the next five years.

These savage public sector cuts will have a devastating effect on local economies. For example, Lincolnshire County Council spends the majority of its budget on purchasing, so as that spend reduces so does the income of its contractors. Allied to that, it is the county's largest employer, so a shrinking workforce means less personal spending on local goods and services. And so the vicious circle goes on, taking us back into the recession from which we are said to be emerging.

Northamptonshire County Council leader Jim Harker said: "We will be looking at how we will deal with this, this week. It's too early to be specific about any cuts but inevitably some service areas will be affected.  The biggest loss is to our education support service which is losing about £3 million and there is also a reduction for our highways department."

On top of this borough councils are facing cuts too, for example Corby Council will lose £64,000 in grants but last week its chief executive said the authority it is facing a cut of £1.1 million as a result of the abolition of the reward system for fast growing areas.

There is no way in which members of the public will not be hit hard by public spending cuts. Services that today we take for granted as part of the fabric of our society will disappear.  The budget deficit is another excuse for yet more Tory cuts in public services that follows on from many other cuts made over the past few years locally due to bad management.  The Conservative/Lib Dem Coalition will only stop destroying public services when we have nothing left or they are voted out.

* The Liberal Democrats have abandoned their election promise to introduce a special tax on properties costing more than £2 million (Mr Cameron was personally worried about that one).

* The Liberal Democrats have abandoned their opposition to the Tory's £6 billion in public spending cuts this year.

* The Liberal Democrats have agreed to support the scrapping of part of next year's one percent National Insurance tax rise.

* The Liberal Democrats have abandoned their opposition to renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent.

* The Liberal Democrats have agreed that no further powers should be given the EU without a referendum.

* The Liberal Democrats have abandoned their demand that Britain join the euro currency.

* The Liberal Democrats have thrown away their commitment to Proportional Representation.

* The Conservative Party has abandoned its election promise to raise the threshold to £1 million.

* The Conservative Party has agreed to Lib Dem plans to raise the point at which people start paying tax to £10,000, although this will be phased in.

Greens in the East Midlands were celebrating this morning as the news was announced that party leader Caroline Lucas had won the Brighton Pavilion seat.

The election of the first ever Green to Parliament represents a truly historic moment. Hundreds of thousands of Green voters across the country now have, for the first time, a voice in Parliament, and genuinely progressive views on issues such as the economy, health, and the environment will now be heard.

After the result was declared, Caroline Lucas said: "The emphatic support of voters in Brighton Pavilion show that they do want to support a party whose values represent fairness, social justice and environmental well-being. They have shown that they are prepared to put their trust in the Greens, despite the overwhelming national media focus on the three largest parties and a voting system that is fundamentally undemocratic. I feel humbled by their trust in me, and I am excited by this vote of confidence and I'm looking forward to the challenging task of fully representing the voters of Brighton.

"This victory is no accident: it is the result of the hard work and commitment of thousands of Green Party members and supporters not only in Brighton but from right across the country over the past months and years. It is their work and support that has helped deliver this win, and the victory is as much theirs as it is mine.

"Thanks to the confidence that the voters of Brighton Pavilion have shown, Green principles and policies will now have a voice in Parliament. Policies such as responding to climate change with a million new ‘green' jobs in low-carbon industries, fair pensions and care for older people, and stronger regulation of the banks will be heard in the House of Commons. I will also use my influence as an MP in the city of Brighton & Hove to push for affordable housing for the city, a new secondary school for the city, and greater backing for the city's creative industries.

"Finally, as this election shows, the first-past-the post voting system used for general elections is utterly discredited. I will be strongly backing calls for a referendum to replace it with a form of proportional representation that properly reflects the needs and views of 21st century voters. If a form of proportional representation is introduced, the Green Party is confident that its true level of support nationally can be represented properly."

1.       Stabilising the economy

Regulate the financial sector, permanently tax bankers' bonuses and introduce the Robin Hood tax on international financial transactions, while reducing corporation tax for small firms.

2.       Creating jobs

Create one million jobs in areas such as local manufacturing and food production, public transport, renewable energy, home insulation and repairing and recycling goods. 

3.       Education

Abolish formalised SATs testing for 11 year olds and reduce the huge paperwork burden on teachers. Protect schools and universities from cuts and privatisation, and abolish university fees.

4.       Protecting public services

Protect public services from cuts and privatisation: keep the NHS public, protect Sure Start nurseries, re-open Post Offices, abolish charges for prescriptions and dentistry.

5.       Pensions and care for the elderly

Introduce free social care for the elderly as in Scotland and raise the basic state pension to £170 a week.

6.       Affordable housing

Take action to ensure that the million empty homes nationwide are brought back into use; introduce free home insulation for all homes within 5 years; and enable local councils to build new council housing again.

7.       Transport

Redirect transport funding towards public transport, regulate the buses and renationalise the railways to ensure we have affordable and reliable public transport in the future. Improve cycle routes and pedestrian safety measures.

8.       Youth facilities

Double spending on out of school services for young people to give them something to do and somewhere to go and introduce a national youth volunteering programme for the under 18s.

9.       Climate change and energy security

The UK should lead the world by example in tackling climate change: energy efficiency measures in buildings, reducing travel miles by providing services like Post Offices locally and localising the economy, investment in renewable energy rather than nuclear power.

10.     Democracy and Parliamentary reform  

Replace the House of Lords with a fully elected second chamber; decentralise power to local councils and communities; restrict the lobbying power of big business over MPs; prevent MPs from holding directorships and consultancies that stop them being full-time MPs and may result in conflicts of interest.

The Green Party has more General Election candidates than ever standing this year in the East Midlands, contesting over a 3rd of the seats available with 17 PPCs.

Broxtowe Green Party has selected David Mitchell to stand as its candidate; David says: "I am honoured to be standing for the Green Party in Broxtowe. The Green voice in our community needs official representation."

Derbyshire has four candidates with Peter Allen in the High Peak constituency; Lee Fletcher in Erewash; Josh Stockell in the Derbyshire Dales and Duncan Kerr in Chesterfield.  Peter Allen says "I am delighted that voters in Derbyshire will now have the chance to vote Green. This election will be the most important in recent times: Britain and the world face a perfect storm as we suffer the worst financial crisis in living memory, only the Green Party offers the right response, with our programme for sustainable living and social justice."

Leicester Green Party is standing three candidates.  The candidate for Leicester South is Dave Dixey, Geoff Forse is standing in Leicester West & Mo Taylor in Leicester East.

Northamptonshire Green Party has selected five candidates with Julie Hawkins standing in Northampton South, Tony Lochmuller in Northampton North, Jonathan Hornett in Wellingborough, Steve Whiffen in Daventry and Marcus Rock in South Northants.  Jonathan says "We stand for a fairer society, and making the green option the easiest and cheapest one is part of that.  We think Fair is Worth Fighting For."

Nottingham Green Party are fielding candidates in Nottingham South, Nottingham East and Ruschliffe with Matthew Butcher, Benjamin Hoare and Richard Mallender as their PPCs.  Richard says "Re-building our economy and combating climate change are our highest priorities. Only the Green Party has the policies that will let us do both."

But if you thought Gordon Brown's gaffe was bad last week - just wait till you see Richard Edmonds'.

The former National Organiser for the BNP was spotted canvassing in Dagenham last week, flooding the street with filthy lies. When a woman told him she wouldn't vote BNP, he was caught on film spewing racist filth:

"Silly ******, aren't they? Maybe she's got a black kid, you see? That, I think, is always the explanation around here. Once they go with the..." it gets worse and then it continues "Wicked, horrible, stupid. I've seen it many, many times"

We ask you 'what will happen if the BNP gets an MP?'

We would like to treat the UK population as one population, not black, white etc.  It should be like this, and of course it is not always, but we will pledge to work with everybody to make our society more equal. 

We will also abolish student tuition fees and invest much more on youth services.

However, it's clear that to achieve these and other spending commitments as well as halve the public deficit by 2013 we need to raise taxation. Our costed manifesto shows a clear path to changing Britain for the better.

The three main parties are all the same and none has explained the holes in their budget plans. At least with the Green Party you get honesty up front and not a nasty surprise on May 7th.

We are holding a Joint Say Yes to AV and promotional event for the Derby Green Party candidates.

The Green Party opposes City Academies and Trust Schools as we believe that schools should be governed in the interests of children and their parents, not through private indviduals or businesses.  We would recruit and retain more teachers by allowing them greater freedom and, to remove one of the main reasons teachers leave teaching, ensure their paperwork is greatly reduced.

We take the views of young people seriously and champion the expansion of school councils and what they are able to do.  Jonathan Hornett, Wellingborough Parliamentary Candidate and School Governor states "Both of my schools both have very active school councils and this gives all the children a say in the direction of the schools, which helps the schools and the children to create better learning environments which benefits all that have connections to the schools."

Many local children do come from deprived backgrounds and this is why we believe that education needs to be free and why we want to provide free schools meals too.  Every young person under the age of 18, and in full time education would also be entitled to off-peak free bus fares.  All children, even those with disabilities and special educational needs, will be given the opportunity to attend their local school, which will provide diverse support for people with special needs.

We're in favour of the voting age going down to 16 - if you can drive a motor bike, marry and work, thus pay tax; why should you not have the opportunity to decide on your future.

Our position on tuition fees and student loans means that under Green Party policy, students will not have to pay tuition fees. The Green Party supports grants not loans, providing a basic income sufficient for needs while in full time education.

The banking system

The Green Party would not bail out bankers with taxpayers' money, but fight for a fair financial deal, with community banks, credit unions and mutuals, providing realistic loans.

We will fight to introduce a High Pay Commission to ensure bankers and highly paid executives are not rewarded for failure.

Health and the NHS

Over £1billion of public money is wasted on privatisation despite quality of care suffering when hospitals and surgeries are treated like profit-driven businesses rather than public services.

Greens oppose cuts, closures and privatisation and demand a full programme of locally accessible services. We will provide free social care to the elderly, abolish prescription charges, re-introduce free eye tests and ensure widely available NHS chiropody. We will also fight to restore free dental care and provide everyone with an NHS dentist.

Pensions

Under The Green Party all pensioners would receive a non-means tested pension of £170 per week. We would also provide free care and support for those living independently..

The Green Party would introduce free home insulation for all, with priority for pensioners and those living in fuel poverty. 

Housing

Britain has a shortage of affordable, good quality housing to buy or rent. 

The Green Party will make it easier for people to get on the property ladder, to protect home-owners and to eradicate homelessness by:

Building new council homes, supporting the development of housing co-ops, bringing back into use 300,000 long-term empty private sector homes, renovating 37,000 empty council homes to help cut waiting lists, giving social housing tenants greater control over the management of their homes and neighbourhoods, improving the quality of housing stock to help reduce household bills and helping people at risk of repossession keep their homes via a Right to Rent scheme.

Jobs and a living wage

Our priority is the creation of an extra million jobs and training places. A £44bn package of measures would include workforce training, investment in renewables, public transport, insulation, social housing and waste management.

To reduce inequality The Green Party will fight for a National Minimum Wage of 60% of net national average earnings, currently £8.10 per hour.

Transport

Train fares in England are some of the highest in Europe. The Green Party would re-nationalise trains to improve service and lower fares.

We would divert £30bn from road projects into public transport. We would spend £1.5bn subsidising public transport to reduce fares up to 10%. This would strengthen communities, reduce crime, improve health, reduce traffic fatalities and create 160,000 jobs. 

Already extreme weather events worldwide are causing misery, death and devastation. The World Health Organization estimates that 160,000 people die each year through disease, drought and flooding caused by climate change.

On present trends, the world's temperature is set to rise between 3º and 8ºC by 2100. Sea levels will rise, devastating deltas, island states, and putting at risk low-level mega cities like Shanghai, New York, Mumbai and London, creating up to 200 million environmental refugees by 2050. Malaria and other diseases are likely to spread dramatically. Food supplies will become erratic as rain-belts shift.

To highlight this issue and to try to bring it on to the political agenda in Derbyshire, we have organized a meeting in Buxton, to be addressed by Dr. Tom Roberts of the Manchester University Tyndall Centre for Climate Research. Dr Roberts will spell out the realities of Climate Change from a non-party political position. Peter Allen, our parliamentary candidate in the High Peak will then outline the policies we propose to counter the threat.

You are all invited, show that Climate Change matters to you by coming along and - please spread the word.

On Thursday 29th April
At: Buxton Campus, University of Derby, 1 Devonshire Road, Buxton
In: the Lecture Theatre, Room DOG01
Time: 7.30 until 9pm.