Save Manchester Sure Start

Yesterday I attended a public meeting of 'Save Manchester Sure Start', a campaign launched when the council threatened to privatise Manchester's 36 SureStart Centres (including our local Chorlton centre at the Library) as part of 'The Cuts'. A number of women spoke eloquently and sometimes movingly of how much Sure Start had helped them in difficult times; how it was so much more than a basic service for young children. A key point raised time and again was that the early intervention provided by and through Sure Start Centres prevented situations where social services would have had to get involved, saving grief for parents and children - and saving money for the authorities including the council.

Another key topic was an alleged campaign of intimidation by the council against staff working in Sure Start Centres. There is plenty of evidence that staff and users have been discouraged from campaigning on this issue since it first arose earlier in the year. Council Leader Sir Richard Leese, who attended the meeting, claimed that this was because of the 'Purdah' which prevents local councils from expressing political views during election campaigns. However the problems precede that and include a leaked email instructing Children's Services staff to block out parents campaigning to protect their Sure Start centres (as reported in 'The Mule').

The campaign produced the following draft statement which was agreed overwhelmingly at the meeting (with the addition of a deadline of Tues 3rd May for the council to agree - just before polling day...). As Green Party candidate for Chorlton I agree totally with the statement.

"This forum believes that the children of Manchester are the City's future and as such they should be regarded as its major asset. We are committed to work tirelessly to ensure that all the public services in the city are providing the best public services to our children's futures and the resources needed should be regarded as a long term investment not just for our children but also for our communities and Manchester as a city.

This forum believes that the first stage of this investment begins at birth. We believe that all children are equal and should be guaranteed equality of opportunity regardless of race, gender, disability or social economic status. All public services should be inclusive not exclusive. It is the view of the Forum what these criteria are currently being delivered through Manchester City Council's Sure Start Childrens Centres.

This Forum agrees that despite the City Council's finances, Manchester's Sure Start Childrens Centres should remain publicly funded and run as a public service which in our view will ensure better quality standards and greater accountability with parents, users and our communities.

This Forum believes Manchester City Council should agree to holding a 3 month consultation involving representatives from the Friends of Manchester Sure Starts Forum and the Trade Unions to discuss in detail all the options regarding the financing and future of Manchester Sure Start Childrens Centres. The outcome of that consultation shall be produced in a report with options for Manchester City Council to consider.

In conclusion, until that process has been completed this Forum calls on Manchester City Council to suspend with immediate effect all outsourcing related work on its Sure Start Childrens Centres"

As well as being thanked for attending the meeting Leese was given a tough time. Under pressure he did appear to put on the table a '4th Option' of keeping the Sure Start Centres under Council control. We will see.

The Other Vote on May 5th

As well as the local council vote, there is the Alternative Vote (AV) referendum happening on 5th May - voting for this will be at the same time at the same polling stations as for the Council (or via post in the same way if you are a postal voter).

I shall be voting Yes to AV and I would urge others to do the same. I'll say at the outside that I don't think AV is the best system for electing members of Parliament, but with the choice we've been given it's definitely an improvement and a step in the right direction to more democracy.

What we should have been offered was a proper choice of systems (as was offered in the referendum in New Zealand around 20 years ago when they moved away from first-past-the-post). Green MP Caroline Lucas tried to obtain a similar choice for this referendum, but was given little support in that by the other Parties (including the Liberal Democrats). But there we are.

Here's an example of the difference between the 2 systems:
Alternative Vote:
"I'd like an ice cream please - I'd like Chocolate, but if you haven't got that I'll have strawberry and if you haven't got that I'll have vanilla.
Shopkeeper: "We're out of chocolate I'm afraid, but we have strawberry - here you are".

First Past the Post:
"I'd like a Chocolate ice cream please.
Shopkeeper "We're out of chocolate I'm afraid. Goodbye"

Note that even with AV I never receive more than one ice cream. The idea that some people get more than one vote is just one of the many pieces of mis-information peddled by the 'No' campaign.

Other pieces of mis-information include:
"It will let in the BNP" - In fact as the winning candidate has to reach 50% support either from first preference or from transferred second, third etc preference it is less likely that an extreme candidate would get elected (The BNP are campaigning for a No Vote).

"It's a strange and complicated system" - in fact it's the system used to elect the Leaders of the Conservative and Labour Parties - I don't hear Cameron complaining about it there.

"It means we spend £130 million on voting machines" - a total lie - there is no intention of introducing any voting machines; countries which currently use AV don't use them.

"It will mean more coalitions and coalitions are a bad thing". Analysis of elections over recent decades has shown that coalitions would have been no more frequent under AV. And if the 2010 election had been fought under AV it would probably have enabled a Labour / Lib Dem coalition.

The No campaign has the backing of some powerful corporate vested interests (bank-rolling it to the tune of millions of pounds), the Tory Party and the Murdoch press; people should ask themselves what vested interests these groups are seeking to protect. Those who want to give Nick Clegg a kicking by voting No (he's very prominent on the No to AV leaflet), will be playing into the hands of the real villains.

'What we need is fewer cyclists and more people riding bikes'

The above statement, made at the showing of 'Beauty and the Bike' struck me as very profound. Before I explain, a bit of background.

'Beauty and the Bike' is a short documentary exploring differences in the cycling experience between teenage girls in Darlington and those in Bremen in Germany. It was shown as part of the build up to the Chorlton Big Green Festival, and highlighted well the difference between the hostility shown to cyclists in most of the UK by drivers and planners, and the more enlightened approach of much of continental Europe.

The groups of girls in question exchanged places (travelling by train, I noted approvingly), and were both surprised at how different conditions were in the two cultures. The lack of safe cycling provision in the UK really stood out; whilst I think provision in the Manchester (the south of Manchester at least) is probably better than in Darlington, the gap between us and cities like Bremen is huge (see following link: Bike Traffic in Bremen.

The title comment refers to the fact that those who do cycle in UK cities are often lycra-clad speed merchants on expensive machines, and that cycling needs to be seen as a natural and very useful mode of transport for anyone. Cycling provision, to the extent that is exists at all, is often geared around the lycra stereotype, rather than from the point of view of the average person who could be making far more use of this cheap, convenient and environmentally friendly transport mode.

The film was presented by a combination of Transition City Manchester, 'Envirolution' and Chorlton Big Green Festival

'20s Plenty'

Last night's film focused on safe cycle paths, but another measure which would make our roads safer, not just for cyclists, but for everyone, would be lower speeds. The '20s Plenty' campaign aims to introduce 20 mph limits in residential streets on a city-wide basis. Pioneered in Portsmouth, a number of Cities have adopted it; one of the latest is nearby Sheffield, where the city's 2 Green councillors took the lead in getting the measure through in the teeth of Liberal Democrat opposition. For more information see here. Around the country Greens have often been in the forefront of introducing this type of scheme

Of course there are plenty of 20 mph zones in Manchester, complete with speedhumps and other 'street furniture'. Two key features of the '20s Plenty campaign however are that

- 20 mph limits are introduced on a wide-area basis (i.e. not small area 'zones')

- they do not rely on speed bumps and other expensive enforcers, rather their effectiveness depends on a culture change on the part of road-users.

Early evidence from cities which have adopted this approach is positive; thus far Greater Manchester is dragging its heels.. Quite recently a North-West Health Authority Report advocated such a measure - see here.

For more information on the '20s Plenty' campaign, and the reasons for backing it - see here for a news piece from the North West Green Party, for a link to the campaign as a whole see
20s Plenty

Returning to the continent for a moment, 30km (which equates to around 18 mph) limits in residential areas are commonplace there too, including in Bremen.

Green Events Bursting Out in Chorlton !

The next 2 weeks see a range of interesting green events in Chorlton, leading up to the celebrated 'Chorlton Big Green' Festival at St Clements Church on Saturday, 16th of April.

For detailed information about this event see the link above.

The festival is now in its third year and which was visited by literally thousands of people in its two previous years. The theme of this years festival is Bike to the Future.

In keeping with this, and as part of the fringe activity for the festival Transition City Manchester www.transitioncitymanchester.wordpress.com

are hosting a film night on SATURDAY 9th APRIL from 7pm at ST CLEMENTS CHURCH, CHORLTON entitled

‘Beauty and the Bike’

Why do British girls stop cycling? When in cycling-friendly countries the bicycle is a central part of life for most young women. Beauty and the Bike aims to show why – and work with cycling advocates around the world to make urban cycling attractive.

“The filmmakers have provided a film that will not only spark conversation but make you want to go out and make its vision a reality.”

========

Also in connection with the festival, on Thurs 14th April, Chorlton Refurb are putting on:

Going Through the Roof

How to make your house more energy efficient

An evening of talks and discussion about making your home greener.

Approximately 25% of all the energy used in the UK is used in domestic housing so being green means starting at home. Chorlton has large numbers of old, big and draughty houses but many of us have not even taken basic steps to make our homes warmer, even given the bitter winters in the last 2 years, and instead end up living cold. It can be a daunting and confusing prospect for those that want to try to make their home more energy efficient, knowing where to start, how much to spend, and what will make most difference?

The evening will start with three short presentations followed by plenty of time for questions and discussion.

Rebecca Frost and Martin Quinton from Energy Savings Trust will identify the ways that energy is lost from houses, the solutions and what difference they can make.

Andrew Gill, a graduate of the Centre for Alternative Technology is in the process of eco-refurbing a small terraced house in Moss Side and will describe the progress he has made, his future plans and the problems he's faced.

David Hunt, of ECO Environments Ltd, renewable energy specialists, will focus on the main ways that local people can produce renewable energy in their homes.

Date: Thursday April 14^th

Time: 7.15pm – 9.30pm

Venue: St Clement's Church Hall, 6 Edge Lane

Manchester, M21 9JF – map

Refreshments available

Free

More information available at greenchorlton.org.uk/next.php and chorltonrefurb.wordpress.com/