Easter weekend reading

There's so little going on this weekend that the media has resorted to making up 4th-hand accounts of conversations. Here's some articles actually worth reading:

Opinion:

Politics was once about beliefs and society. Now it’s a worship of money - Armando Iannucci
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/08/armando-iannucci-money-at-heart-of-politics-general-election-2015?CMP=share_btn_fb

If parties are funded by big business instead of average people, who are they going to act in the interests of? (Not a problem the Green Party has..)

It’s a great time to push for change in politics - Armando Iannucci 
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/18/2015-general-election-enough-fatalism-push-for-change?CMP=share_btn_tw

'...now is the best time in a generation to go out and vote. With such a fragmented system on offer, nothing is inevitable....
No politician voted into office is going to take the number of people who didn’t vote into account; what they will do is heed the number who voted, but not for them, if that number is overwhelming.
This time round, the day after the election, party leaders are going to look at the numbers – how many voted and how many didn’t vote for them. If both those figures breach certain tipping points then, irrespective of the number of seats won, and regardless of the make-up of the new House of Commons, the political agenda will have changed utterly.'

I didn’t leave the Labour party – it left me - Jack Monroe
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/19/leave-labour-party-green-party

'In fact, I had quietly left some weeks beforehand, and run away to look for the living wage, the social housing, the repurposing of abandoned buildings, free education and the NHS. I had left the Labour party to find the values that I thought that it once stood for, and I found them, in the Greens.

Like greeting old friends, I embraced the importance placed on a national health service, on public transport, on sustainable energy, on fair pay for fair work. Here you were, all the time.'

Enough of the dry politics of numbers. We need to discuss values and vision -Will Hutton
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/22/britains-economic-recovery-end-obsession-with-debt-reduction?CMP=share_btn_fb

'Britain’s national debt is comfortably affordable today – even moderate, by historical standards. To present it as economic enemy number one is just wrong.'

Local news:

Library of Birmingham cuts weekend opening to six hours
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-32146016?SThisFB&fb_ref=Default

Spend almost £200m on building the biggest public library in Europe and less than 2 years later run out of money to run it, meaning halving of opening hours and staff. How has this been allowed to happen?

News:

Lords accuse Tories of ‘burying’ review that cleared EU of interference
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/28/lords-accuse-tories-burying-eu-powers-review?CMP=share_btn_fb

Government spend millions on investigating how far Brussels' powers really go into British life. Find out that they're not a problem. Try to hide the evidence.

The rise of DIY dentistry: Britons doing their own fillings to avoid NHS bill
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/03/rise-of-diy-dentistry-britons-doing-own-fillings-to-avoid-nhs-bill?CMP=share_btn_tw

There's still NHS dentists around?

Costa Rica goes 75 days powering itself using only renewable energy
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/costa-rica-goes-75-days-powering-itself-using-only-renewable-energy-10126127.html

Proof of what's possible if you put the effort in.

France decrees new rooftops must be covered in plants or solar panels
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/20/france-decrees-new-rooftops-must-be-covered-in-plants-or-solar-panels?CMP=share_btn_fb

A fellow European country doing something sensible while we sit around in denial? Yep, sounds about right. Go France!

Virgin Care among firms with lucrative NHS deals and a tax haven status
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/mar/21/ow-lucrative--deals-go-to-firms-that-use-tax-havens?CMP=share_btn_fb

The biggest privatisation in NHS history: why we had to blow the whistle - Kate Godfrey
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/16/nhs-privatisation-biggest-history-staffordshire-cancer?CMP=share_btn_fb

Just depressing. And why the Tories must be stopped and Labour kept a very close eye on. Screw 5%, there should be no profit made from cancer or end-of-life care.

Nigel Farage would axe 'much of' race discrimination law
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31846453?fb_ref=Default

UKIP - not racist, they just want the option...

'Defend your happiness, organise your rage'

Morning reading today:

'Defend your happiness, organise your rage'

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/31/podemos-revolution-radical-academics-changed-european-politics?CMP=share_btn_tw

The rise of Podemos in Spain shows the potential of the left if it can get people energised about change. In Spain and Greece people sick of corrupt politicians get angry and try to do something about it, in Britain too many have already given up on change, not helped by the Lib Dems failing to get a vote on Proportional Representation when they had the chance. AV was a poor second best, but with around 20% of this year's vote likely to be represented by 1% of MPs, it surely can't go on.

Science spending should be 1% of GDP, say Greens

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-32086204

While the other parties argue about committing 2% of GDP to defence, the Greens go a much more worthwhile route. The recent fuss over the Meningitis B vaccine deal shows the problem with leaving research to the private sector. Science is expensive. If you don't fund it, pharma companies are going to charge for it, if you want a good deal, do it yourself. We spend less than the EU average on Research and Design, despite party leaders frequently saying how important science and technology is they won't commit to funding it.
Quite how this would fit in with the Greens Party's aim to end all animal experiments remains to be seen. If reliable alternatives to animals are available, they are already used. Scientists would love to be able stop using animals, it would be easier, quicker and cheaper, but the technology is still simply not there yet.

A second Green MP?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/election-2015-opportunity-knocks-or-call-my-bluff-green-candidate-darren-hall-thinks-he-can-win-in-bristol-west-10141438.html

Despite the massive surge in support for the Green Party, it's going to be tough for them to get any extra MPs, thanks to First Past The Post. The most likely place seems to be in Bristol, The Independent takes a look. He's even more straight talking than Cameron: “People here are so pissed off they are willing to think about something new, they think the system is completely fucked up, and [want] leadership that’s actually going to take us in a different direction.” Good luck Darren Hall.

Birmingham Green Party

https://fabrily.com/bgp-rotunda-view

Quick plug for the local party's latest fundraising effort, a green Birmingham t shirt, no anti-immigration slogans here.

Election Playlist song 2: