Thursday 17th June 2010

Voting reform for York

On 24th June there is another meeting of the York for Voting Reform Group at Space 109 in Walmgate. With an opinion poll last week showing 80% of the British public wanting proportional representation to elect our MPs, we must work together to deliver it. The referendum on the Alternative Vote, when it comes, will be better than nothing, but it is in no way a voting system that can deliver the change the British people say we want.

At our last meeting of the Voting Reform Group I explained the working of the Single Transferable Vote [STV] We also ran a mock election using STV to see how it worked in practice. With the software to run STV elections available for free on the interent, I am happy to demonstrate how this system works to organisations in York. If you are electing two or more people from a list STV is a fair and representative system that is easy to use. It also allows voters to make more sophisticated choices than the system currently in use in UK elections.

The mounting crisis is the gulf of Mexico confirms how pressing it is for us to move away from the age of oil. With rumours circulating that the seabed above the well might collapse we could see the biggest environmental disaster of the modern era. This is not just about BP and UK pensions, it is about our capacity to transform our economy. The coalition government has committed itself to creating a low carbon economy - now it has to deliver. In my view, we should not spend any money bailing out BP if things become worse, we should invest our energies and skills in creating a green economy - insulation of all buildings, investing in renewables to transform every building into a power station, transforming the national grid into a smart grid, investing in public transport and developing new battery or fuel cell technologies. The oil companies are not our futre - they are the millstone around our neck.

Friday 14th May 2010

Successful rally yesterday

A good rally yesterday. Support from the Greens and the Quakers means that we really do have an opportunity to create a cross-party platform for electoral and constitutional reform in York. Shame we had no Labour or Tory support but we do know there are many councillors and MPs of both those parties who do support voting reform. Excellent media coverage on BBC Radio York all afternoon yesterday, and Press coverage today. The new website is www.york4democracy.org.uk

To ensure that everyone has confidence that this is a cross-party platform we will actively be seeking members of other parties and none to participate in the discussions and format of the organisation. For information on constitutional and voting reform I would also direct you to the unlock democracy website www.unlockdemocracy.org.uk

Wednesday 12th May 2010 9.30am

Where now British politics?

Who would have thought we would end up here? A minority of Labour MPs apparently prefer opposition to making a rainbow coalition to transform British politics for good. The Tories apparently showing a capacity to compromise. The Lib Dems in a coalition with Europhobes. Where are we headed? I don't know as yet. The devil will be in the detail. It is a tragedy that the electorate apparently lost our nerve and voted negatively to block the party we didn't want instead of positively to enable real change to happen. This will haunt us all for years to come, I suspect. On the other hand, we have a coalition for the first time in over 70 years, and economic and environmental challenges that will force this nation to confront many truths it has been avoiding.

Having been in politics for seven years I have seen for myself, as all politicians do, the reality that the obstacles to action and change are more usually within parties rather than between parties. Political parties are often defined by the tribal loyalties that override any desire to cooperate or achieve, which is, of course, why the voting system needs changing. In the days ahead when we can see more clearly what has been agreed between Lib Dems and Tories we will have a better idea of what can be achieved in the coming months.

In the meantime we must hold our rally for voting reform and ensure the pressure for change is maintained.

Saturday 8th May 2010 10.30pm

Fair Votes Rally - Thursday 13th May, 1pm

We will be holding a rally in central York at 1pm this Thursday. I am contacting as many organisations and political parties as I can to ensure that this is cross-party and demonstrates the broadest support for changing our rotten voting system for good. The police have been notified, and we will give details of the venue as soon as matters are finalised. The intention is to meet in Parliament Street.

Friday 7th May 2010 10.30pm

What now?

So we have the hung parliament that the months have promised and now the tough negotiations begin. It has been suggested to me that maybe we could organise a York event in the coming days to highlight the issue of voting reform and the huge cross section of people, interest groups and political parties who want action now to introduce a fair voting system. Let me know what you think.

Thursday 6th May 2010 8.20pm

Our Only Hype

One hour 40 min to go before polls close. I have just been sent this great link to posters spoofing the Sun's ridiculous front page. How anyone could have the temerity to compare Cameron with Obama is beyond me. And I imagine Murdoch was doing all he could to stop Obama becoming president.

Wednesday 5th May 2010 11pm

52,000 leaflets delivered

A massive thank you to everyone who has helped deliver leafets across York Central the past few weeks - around 52,000 leaflets in all. We spent this evening canvassing in Acomb, and Holgate, with a last minute delivery in the Leeman road area. Loads of Lib Dem voters everywhere.

A special thank you to Holly Johnson too for his fantastic personal endorsement. Can't remember when I was last described as 'a good egg' - the York Press loved the story!

Monday 3rd May 2010 10pm

Good canvass returns across the city

We spent a good day knocking on doors across Tang Hall, Fishergate and Lawrence Street. In every street 45% of those opening their doors are voting Lib Dem or have already voted for us by postal vote! Posters going up all around the city. Reasons for voting: we real change and not just the tired old Labour>Tory>Labour>Tory game that goes nowhere; we're fed up with Labour/Bayley; we want the voting system changing; we want politics with ideas and vision; we want to see our economic problems/climate change tackled.

Also did an interview with University of York radio. Lib Dem posters up all over campus.

Monday 3rd May 2010

Reasons not to vote Tory

Been sent a link to this video about the Tories and gently helping us to remember where our allegiances lie. Should warn the faint-hearted that there are a couple of words that the blurb on DVD covers refer to as 'some language'. Thanks to Ruth Wilkes - keep them coming.

Sunday 2nd May 2010

What's wrong with a hung parliament?

With the Tories foaming about the 'dangers' of a 'hung parliament' it is worth looking at a few facts. First of all the term 'hung' parliament gives the game away, using a loaded word to describe the result of almost every election right across Europe and the wider world [including many nations in the Commonwealth] suggests that nothing happens if one party isn't a clear winner. If that were true then the whole of Europe, including Wales and Scotland, would be stuck in limboland. They're not.

Germany, Iceland, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and dozens of other nations have PR [proportional representation] voting systems and, after each election, have a 'hung' parliament where the various parties have to sit down together and reach a consensus.

Not that unusual or that scary then, is it?

Saturday 1st May 2010

Special offer on wet leaflets

Another positive day on Parliament Street with many good discussions about all sorts of issues and several hundred leaflets/balloons/posters handed out. Ended up with a right soaking, however, as the rain swept in. We carried on bravely and kept the public interested with our fantastic special offer - take one wet leaflet get another one FREE!

Friday 30th April 2010

MP goes missing

Two great hustings on Friday - Millthorpe School in afternoon and York against the War in the evening. Hugh Bayley didn't bother to show up to either of them. Apparently, the public don't agree with him!

Around 500 young people at Millthorpe wanting answers on all sorts of issues. They've got posters up all round the school and really engaging with the election that will shape all their futures.

York against the War hustings also very lively with many interesting questions. While a few people were focused on what was wrong with eveything, the majority were more engaged in solutions and how war fits into the big picture.

Thursday 29th April 2010

BBC Radio York hustings gets noisy

It started very pleasantly with a good discussion about voting reform and the need for vision and leadership in politics, but by the end things became a little raucous. Hugh Bayley declined to answer why it is that his leaflets tell residents that he lives in York but his parliamentary declaration of interests states that his main home is in London.

To add insult to injury he told me that I don't live in York, even though I pay City of York Council tax, have a York Address, and serve as a City of York Councillor. But don't worry. He wasn't only insulting me. There are tens of thousands of us who are mistakenly under the same delusion that we live in York.

I'm on Radio York again tomorrow morning at 8am to comment on the final leader's debate.

Wednesday 28th April 2010

Amazing hustings at York Cellege!

A game is afoot. At the end of yesterdays hustings a straw poll showed 80% support for the Lib Dems, with 10% for Labour and the remaining 10% split between Tory/UKIP/Green!

It was both amazing and humbling. Students understand that this is our opportunity to let the 21st century begin. I hope they all remember to vote.

Monday 26th April 2010

A busy weekend!

Amazing meeting so many of you again last Saturday in Parliament Street. Over 850 leaflets handed out and forty or fifty conversations with groups of people on all sorts of national issues and local issues.

We also filled the city with balloons - I think around a hundred people took balloons and over sixty took posters.

This morning I obtained a blogging camcorder in readiness for the York College hustings tomorrow. Apparently around 8000 people registered to vote in York Central over the past couple of weeks. There is a real sense that this is the time for us all to change democracy in the UK by voting in a party that will deliver voting reform.

Two words for anyone thinking of voting Green in York Central - think again. The Lib Dems are close to knocking Bayley off his perch, we need your votes. My track record on the environment in York is second to none and my commitment and my party's commitment to voting reform is absolute. Once we have a fair voting system it will be possible to elect Green MPs. Please use you vote strategically to get rid of Bayley and to allow the future to begin. Every knows the Greens cannot win in York Central - a Green vote simply let's Bayley carry on.

Thursday 22nd April 2010

Dates for Hustings in York Central

Sunday 25 April - Churches Together Hustings, 8pm at Salvation Army Citadel, Gillygate. Open hustings, questions to be sent to info@coreyork.org or via 01904 619489 before Wednesday 21st April

Tuesday 27 April - York College Hustings, 12.30 - 2pm - meeting for York College students to quiz York Central parliamentary candidates.

Wednesday 28 April - The Press Hustings. For more information click here.

Thursday 29 April - Environment Hustings, 7.30pm, Friends Meeting House, Friargate. Environment themed hustings event organised by York and Ryedale Friends of the Earth. All welcome.

Friday 30 April - Millthorpe School Hustings, 2pm, an opportunity for students at Millthorpe School to quiz some York Central parliamentary candidates (Hugh Bayley not attending).

Friday 30 April - York against the War Hustings, 7.30pm, Priory street Centre.

Tuesday 19th April 2010

Good hustings yesterday at Friends Meeting House

Picked up four new leaflet deliverers and half a dozen people wanting to put up posters for the Lib Dems as soon as the hustings was over. Many interesting questions raised by an enthusiastic audience of over 150 people. York Press suggested the meeting was all about the Barbican. Actually nothing could be less true. Digital Radio, Green Jobs, Trident missiles, Pensions, the NHS, climate change and many other subjects discussed. Even potholes featured!

Monday 19th April 2010

A Community Stadium for York

In 2008, as executive member for Leisure, Culture and Social Inclusion on the city council, I ensured that plans to develop a real community stadium were advanced for the city. Among the ideas I discussed with Sport England, the Universities and Yorkshire Forward [the regional development agency] was the idea of creating the country's first 'solar stadium' in York.

We won't get a new stadium unless we advance bold and ambitious plans. My plan is to bring inward investment by creating a community-owned solar power station on the roof of the new stadium, like the one in Freiberg, Germany. You can see the video where I explain my vision for a community stadium by visiting the astadiumforyork website how to bring a community stadium to York

Saturday 17th April 2010

The buzz on Parliament Street

What a fantastic day. The York Central Lib Dem team spent five hours in Parliament Street today. So many of you are full of real excitement and hope following Nick Clegg's performance in the leader's debate on Thursday night. Now millions of see that we have been sold a pup - there are not only two viewpoints to every question. We gave away over a thousand leaflets, along with many balloons and many dozens of posters. Thank you to you all for your many kind words of encouragement and support.

For the first time in my life I was approached by people wanting to discuss the voting system! The current voting system is designed to preserve the status quo. If elections in the UK were a football match they would be a match where one side could decide how many players were allowed to play in the opposing team and how large the other team's goal was. Equally dammingly, it would be a match where one side was allowed to decide when the referee could blow the final whistle! How many other democracies have such a patently unfair system, where the Prime Minister can decide when they hold an election instead of there being a fixed term for a parliament?

Friday 16th April 2010

I agree with Nick

With David Cameron and Gordon Brown falling over themselves to tell us that they agreed with Nick Clegg during last night's leaders' broadcast on ITV begs a question - if you agree with Nick, isn't it better to vote for him than to vote for the other parties who agree with him?

This John Cleese video on PR voting may not be new but it is still one of the best explanations on why we need to change our voting system as part of creating a Written Constitution. John Cleese on PR

Thursday 15th April 2010

'The Shaming' video

Just been sent a link to a video called The Shaming which aims to encourage people to see why it is important to vote. Indeed it is - even if only 20 people voted the government would still get in. With 46% of people saying they want a hung parliament [ResCom poll for the Sunday Mirror last weekend] everyone has to understand that the 21st century will not happen by itself - we have to vote it in. Thanks to Neil for sending me the link. The Shaming - Reasons to Vote

Wednesday 14th April 2010

The Betrayal of Jarvis workers

This morning I attended the march by sacked Jarvis employees and spoke with dozens of skilled workers who had come from York and across the country to protest at the way a Labour government had betrayed them.

It is mystifying how a government that claims to protect British jobs can be so disregarding of the loss of 400 hundreds jobs in York and many more jobs around the country as Jarvis were left to sink. The workers, who all have skills that are needed to build and maintain our railway network, have asked for a TUPE agreement to be put in place to transfer them to the company that now has the railway contract but Network Rail and the government are not listening. We can, apparently, lend billions to the banks but sorting out a hiccup in cashflow for a rail industry company is simply not interesting enough or important enough to worry about. It shames this government. We must put pressure on Ministers to see sense. Some cynics suggested that the collapse of Jarvis was times to coincide with the general election so that it would sink without a trace. It has happened before ...

Advance news: On Saturday we are delivering leaflets in Parliament Street. If you have any questions or wish to help, please come along.

Sunday 11th April 2010

Downloadable posters to support our campaign

Here is the promised set of posters for you to print. Now you can support the campaign and single out the issue that matters to you most. The captions on the posters reflect the issues you have said matter to you most, but feel free to contact us with new ideas.

I want to choose and print my own campaign poster

Saturday 10th April 2010

We can win this

Delivering in Westfield today and had a number of interesting conversations with a wide range of residents, young parents, older people, young people ... a great deal of concern about jobs and opportunities for young people, anger at banks and the way the government thinks that banking is the only industry that matters in this country.

I am preparing for an interview with Calendar News on Monday. I passionately believe that unlocking the potential of the York Central development site is key to this city's future success. Creating the greenest development site in the UK will not only create a plan that has the capacity to attract inward investment, it will also create thousands of construction jobs, affordable homes, a decent and innovative public transportation system, reduce CO2 emissions and create a new tourism focus for this beautiful city.

I see no reason why we cannot create a vibrant and contemporary new York to sit next to our fantastic historic city and I know that investment money will only come to exciting and bold plans. Our politicians have wasted too much time advancing mediocre ideas that have failed to excite anyone.

Tomorrow I will be making a variety of posters available on the website for people to print for themselves. Hundreds of people have raised a wide variety of different issues [see below]. The posters will enable people to support my campaign and indicate the issue that most reflects their concerns for the next parliament.

I will also be making available copies of the various leaflets that are being distributed around the city for people who have missed one or more of the leaflets.

I know the media class this seat as a safe Labour seat and suggest that it is pointless voting in York Central but that assumes that the world can never change and that, as voters, we are incapable of making our own minds up about the need for this next parliament to address the challenges of the 21st century instead of allowing the same bunch of yesmen and yeswomen to carrying on trousering their expenses while doing very little to move this nation forwards. Let's prove them wrong!

Friday 9th April 2010

Opinions sought and given

As well as rushing about delivering leaflets I have been responding to your questions on a variety of issues, including:

Should we end Cuba's isolation - yes, I think we should

Should replace the Trident missile system - no, we should not

Should we put a levy on major financial transactions by banks (the so-called Robin Hood tax) - yes, if it can be formulated in such a way that bank cannot simply pass the levy on to ordinary high street banking customers

Do I support a report being produced for Parliament comparing the results of animal testing with human biology-based tests, to see which is the most effective means to protect the safety of medicines for patients - Yes, I do

I have signed up to support, if elected as your MP, ECPAT's campaigns to end the exploitation and trafficking of children, and the NSPCC campaign for protecting children.

I am supporting the Refugee's Council's election pledge to ensure that this nation remains a safe haven for refugees escaping persecution

I am supporting the Royal College of Nursing's six priorities for supporting nurses and patient care.

I am supporting the End Global Poverty campaign. I believe we have a duty to assist developing nations to tackle climate change by enabling them to leapfrog our older technologies and go straight to renewable and sustainable technologies.

I am supporting the Youth Parliament's priorities for young people, except the request to lower the voting age to 16. To be clear, this is because I believe that there are more fundamental changes needed to our electoral system that must happen first - a fair voting system must be adopted. Simply lowering the voting age to allow more young people to choose not to vote because the electoral system is so poor does not seem to me to be the top priority.

I have raised with the Chief Executive of the North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust my concerns about the possible threat to mental health care and front line services from the government's required 30% management cuts. I have asked for reassurances that proper public consultation will take place before any cuts are made.

Lastly, to be clear on animal testing, I have made it clear to the Safer Medicines campaign that, in my view, the law on animal testing needs changing so that all information from experiements done on animals must be in the public domain and not subject to commercial confidentiality. It is unacceptable that the same tests can be done again and again. Once a test has been done and the results produced that should be it. It is immoral to repeat the same experiment on different animals simply to protect commercial interests.

Saturday 27th March 2010

A good week's campaigning

This week has seen over 6,000 leaflets distributed across the city, including 400 leaflets distributed this morning at Acomb shopping centre.

On Friday Christian learned that Hugh Bayley is currently refusing to participate at a hustings on environmental issues, having previously agreed to attend.

'"It is easy to criticise," said Christian, " but people need to appreciate that while attending a meeting in York is straightforward for me, for Hugh Bayley it involves a 400 mile round trip from his family home in Pimlico."

“While it is inevitable that all public services must tighten their belts in this economic crisis great care must be taken to avoid a negative impact on vital front line services.” Read more

Since the launch of Christian's smart meter library initiative at the beginning of 2009, dozens of local authorities up and down the country have copied it. Housing associations too see it as a cheap and effective way of improving their record on sustainability and helping their customers save money on their energy bills.

"I believe in keeping things practical," says Christian. 'I am appalled that the government is preaching that it gets it on reducing energy waste but does not intend to put a smart meter in every home until 2018."

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Challenging Hilary Benn on climate change Christian launches carbon offset scheme