Women's Views on News |
| Another Europe is Possible meeting Posted: 04 Apr 2016 04:29 AM PDT
The Green Party of England and Wales has formally affiliated itself to the ‘Another Europe is Possible’ campaign, 'to strengthen progressive voices in the EU referendum campaign'. While leading Green Party members Amelia Womack and Caroline Lucas MP were already backing the campaign, now it enjoys the formal support of the party as a whole. Another Europe is Possible was founded by a group of grassroots activists and campaigners who share a passion for building a Europe of democracy, human rights, environmental protection and social justice Amelia Womack, the Green Party's deputy leader, helped to found Another Europe after seeing how the social and environmental impacts a British exit weren't being given a voice. She said: "We know the EU isn't perfect – neither is Westminster. That's why Greens are determined to be the loudest voice in the campaign for staying in and reforming the EU. "And now, with our affiliation to Another Europe is Possible, the movement to stay in Europe to change Europe is growing ever stronger." Lucas, who is also a board member of the ‘Stronger In‘ campaign, has argued that despite the dangers of trade deals like TTIP the UK would, in fact, be worse off if it left the EU and that the environmental crisis we face is much better tackled by working with our neighbours in Europe. The Greens are the second political party to join Another Europe, following the affiliation of Left Unity, the socialist, feminist, environmentalist and anti-racist party set up by film director Ken Loach in 2013. Kate Hudson, national secretary of Left Unity, said: "We support Another Europe is Possible, working in solidarity across Europe for a social Europe – extending people's rights and improving living standards. There are no national solutions to Europe's crisis." Another Europe is Possible's founding statement was posted in the Guardian in February, and among the signatories then were Amelia Womack, Caroline Lucas MP and Kate Hudson; Cat Smith MP Labour shadow minister for women; Lucy Anderson MEP, Labour; Molly Scott Cato MEP, Green party; economist Ann Pettifor; comedian Kate Smurthwaite; journalist Zoe Williams; author and columnist Owen Jones; and human rights activist Peter Tatchell. Another Europe is Possible said the progressive case for staying in the EU is that a British exit from the EU would have a seriously detrimental impact on the free movement of people; trade union and human rights; environmental protection; international cooperation; and a host of other vital issues. While, at the very least, the EU is in desperate need of a democratic overhaul, an exit at the current time would boost right-wing movements and parties and hurt ordinary people in the UK. European politics has been dominated by neoliberal thinking for far too long – as recent events in Greece brutally demonstrate. But changing this means working to strengthen anti-austerity movements across all of Europe – not walking away. Another Europe is Possible is a campaign for a radical "in" vote, and puts the case for staying in the EU independently of Cameron and big business, and opposes any part of a "renegotiation" that attacks workers', migrants' or human rights. It will combine campaigning for an in vote with arguing for an alternative economic model, maintaining European citizens' rights to live and work throughout the EU, and for far-reaching democratic reforms of European institutions. Green MP Caroline Lucas said: "Another Europe Is Possible provides a vital hub for debate and dialogue on what a socially just and environmentally sustainable EU looks like and how we get there. "That's what Greens and others are fighting for – before and after the referendum. "The public debate on Europe desperately needs this injection of alternative, progressive voices." Another Europe is Possible is hosting a "national gathering" on 9 April 2016, where there will be opportunities to learn about and discuss "the major issues at stake for progressives in the EU referendum". For details of the gathering, click here.  |
| Tweet campaign after Ministers ‘don’t know’ Posted: 04 Apr 2016 04:03 AM PDT
The current UK government is struggling to answer important questions on mental health, despite claims that it wants to parity between mental health and physical health. That is why, every day this month, Luciana Berger, Labour & Cooperative MP for Liverpool Wavertree, is going to be tweeting the questions she has asked the government in her role as Shadow Cabinet Minister for Mental Health and that it has failed to answer. The questions included waiting times for mental health treatment, the number of specialist doctors and nurses and the number of patients who have died in inpatient mental health care. Shockingly, in the answers to all 30 of her questions, Ministers reported that the government does not collect the information. But if no one knows what is happening in mental health, how can the government claim that it is meeting any of its promises? These alarming revelations followed a speech by David Cameron in which he claimed to be leading a 'revolution in mental health treatment in Britain' after a report by a taskforce set up by NHS England said around three-quarters of people with mental health problems received no help at all. And Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has even talked about a supposed 'transparency revolution' going on in the NHS. The government's failure to answer Berger's questions, she says, underlines the gap between what Conservative Ministers say about mental health and what they actually do. It is not even collecting basic data. It is absolutely appalling, for exampe, as Berger pointed out, that Ministers have no idea how many new mums have taken their own lives because of mental health problems, how many people diagnosed with mental illness go to prison, or how many children have died in NHS mental health units. How, she asked, can ministers claim to be focussing on mental health when they don't have an accurate picture of what is actually happening on the ground? These findings cast further doubt over the current government's ability to deliver what they have promised and make mental health the real priority it deserves to be. Follow her questions each day this month by clicking here or following #mentalhealthmatters To read the report, The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, click here.  |
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