VOTE! By Martin Deane, Green Party Candidate for Avenues Ward

"If you don't vote you are pissing on the graves of your ancestors." Those aren't my words; they are the words of former Euro-MP for this area, Peter Crampton (Labour, in those days). The BBC wouldn't air his words then but maybe now they are more pressing than ever. Fewer people are voting - especially in Hull. But YOU are losing out. If there were no voting systems - if we were a dictatorship - guess what would be the number one item on the political agenda? Democracy. Do you think Britain gave the people the vote? No. It was won. After hundreds of years of struggle. First men. Then women.

Now all adults aged 18 and over (The Green Party favours lowering it to 16). Battled and struggled for, with many barriers to overcome and deaths along the way. Now in addition to Blair taking YOUR democracy away from YOU by giving you no "Left" to vote for, we seem to be giving up the fight, with not even a whimper. There is so little to choose now between the major parties.

New Labour means ID cards are on their way; passports have chips in them; driving licences are now photo ids. And the Conservative Party is not about to disagree because it knows it means more power for centralising government. But IF you want a different society, IF hunger in a world of plenty means something to you, IF you don't want more illegal wars with Britain actually BUILDING weapons of mass destruction (like Trident and new Battlefield nukes), IF you want somewhere to shop other than Tesco's, IF you want local food rather than that which regularly travels thousands of miles, IF you want recycling to be central - or whatever you favour - then those battles begin here, on our doorsteps.

You know it's free to stand for Council!? You can set up any party you like a few months before (see how many there are here: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/regulatory-issues/regpoliticalparties.cfm - check the drop down menu). You can campaign. Get about 1000 people to vote for you in one area and YOU GET A Council SEAT. People aren't voting - make it something attractive, inspire them and they could vote for you.

That's what we're trying to do locally in the Green Party and standing in 6 areas of Hull on May 3rd 2007. The Green Party has a number of great policies which rarely get heard. We want to appreciate the good things Hull City Council gets up to but we also oppose a great deal of what Hull City Council is taking for granted: a new casino, Quaywest, possible Castle St tunnel, previous closure of schools, approval of the incinerator - it's a big list.

So if you really can't be arsed - at least give us your vote. It's a cross in a box, what will it cost you?

You can learn more about us locally here www.sokuto12.karoo.net/index.htm

Published and Promoted by ThisisUll Ltd, Suite 2, 161 High Street, Hull, HU1 1NQ, on behalf of Martin Deane and Hull Green Party, 106 Belvoir Street, Hull, HU5 3LR.

Current Affairs - Local Elections - Martin Deane, Green Party Candidate for Avenue Ward

	We need people on Hull City Council, who have a global vision and not just a parochial one. Yes we have to do the best for our area, but this should be as sustainable as possible for a world threatened by climate change and with the end of oil. Nobody else is talking about this as a time of transistion. The Green Party is. The Green Party is right. Vote for it. Read more...

Current Affairs - Saturday 23rd September 06 - Manchester Stop the War March By Mo with 7 page Photo Gallery.

	After two nights in a row taking pictures at the Adelphi Club; Monkey Boy, Stop it your killing me, Freaks Union on Thursday night and Afterglow, Tonik and The Shine on Friday, I wasn't looking forward to a long day of photos at the Manchester Stop the War protest on Saturday. It's Sunday morning now and my first memory is dropping off to sleep in the Read more...

Current Affairs - Lunch Reimbursements For Volunteers On State Benefits - Please Act

	The Department for Work and Pensions' new guidance, issued in May 2006, says that lunch reimbursements count as earnings for volunteers on state benefits, and thus could affect their benefits. The letter below (see link) was written by Kate Bowgett from Off the Streets And Into Work (OSW) to make it easier for volunteer-using Read more...

Current Affairs - 18th March 2006 Stop The War protest in London - 16 page Photo gallery by Mo

	The protest organized by Stop The War Coalition and the Muslim Association of Britain attracted over 100,000 people and I was one of them. Along with 8 other good folk from Hull we had a great day despite being clamped. I'm posting all my photos and look forward to publishing your views of the event coming soon. Enjoy! Read more...

Current Affairs - In Reply to Charles Clarke Email- Your views on fighting terrorism By Sean Atkinson

Dear Mr Clarke, I am terribly upset with laws you are trying and thankfully failing, to enshrine. If you give in and remove our hard won freedoms then those who oppose democracy will have won. In an ironic twist where you try to bring order and peace, you will bring strangulation and insurgence. Where you try to bring safety and security you will bring needless imprisonment and suffering. The actions to Read more...

Current Affairs - ID Cards - A Goldrush For Some By Martin Fuller

	David Blunkett's latest resignation has highlighted an aspect of government plans to introduce ID cards and create a data base to back them up. They will be worth a fortune to those who invest in the companies who win the contracts to have us all bar coded, logged and registered. Blunkett invested and took a directorship in a company that specialises in DNA Read more...

Current Affairs - In Reply to Charles Clarke Email- Your views on fighting terrorism By Paul Whitlow and B E Robinson

Dear Mr. Clarke. Of course I think our laws should be updated when necessary, with due regard for civil liberties, after full debate in the House. If people cannot be brought to trial because laws have not kept pace with modern technology, for example, the law must be updated. However, the creation of new offences should be undertaken with great care. Religious tolerance allows for criticism and has an Read more...

Current Affairs - In Reply to Charles Clarke Email- Your views on fighting terrorism By Martin Deane

I am emailing you today to find out your views on the action the Government is proposing to take to challenge the new terrorist threats that face all of us. Since the London bombings of 7 July, we all know that the UK faces a terrorist threat of a different level of seriousness and complexity from anything Britain has faced before. We are confronting extremists whose aims are to kill and Read more...

Current Affairs - Reply to Lee Cassanell's Election Wars 2: Enter The Candidates By Lydia Rivlin

I happened upon your page devoted to the last election only yesterday and even though the time is past, felt moved to protest that possibly Lee Cassanell was being a tad of a particle of a sliver of a shadow of a teensy weensy bit unfair to me. Most importantly, I am not a pensioner. That's really too awful. Calculating a woman's age upwards is an ungentlemanly act, uncharacteristic of Read more...

Current Affairs - No To Identity Cards! By Martin Fuller

	The Government is preparing to push through legislation to introduce national identity cards with a bill on 28th June. Speculation is that they hope to bulldoze the whole thing through before public opposition can mobilise. That is, before the public come to realise the full implications Read more...

Current Affairs - Hull Primary Schools By Rob Rooney

	Self-proclaimed socialist councillor Daren Hale washes his hands of Hull primary schools in their looming financial crisis and even goes so far as to suggest ways of schools balancing their books i.e. making redundancies, leaving vacancies empty etc. Statements like this give socialists a bad name, Daren! It's only a few weeks Read more...

Current Affairs - Why Make Poverty History By Martin Deane

	A coach from Hull to Edinburgh will be on for the Make Poverty History demonstration, Saturday July 2nd 2005. Martin Deane and Rich Mills are organising. Prices are £22 and £18 concessions, phone Martin on 471467 for a seat. Book NOW and bring your wrist bands, placards, fancy dresses and tell them - "ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE". Read more...

Current Affairs - Learn Before You Burn !- or why incineration will always be a problem By Martin J Deane 26th May 2005

	Hedon, Monday night, to a 100-packed community hall, Dr Paul Connett gave a brilliant talk on the dangers of incinerators and incineration. (I advertised this via my 200-strong email list - which YOU are welcome to join!) In a passionate presentation, New York chemistry professor Paul Connett said of incineration: "We shouldn't be doing this anyway! Read more...

Current Affairs - The Election 2005 - Another One Crossed Off The List by Rich Mills with 7 page photo gallery by Mo

	The Election 2005 was a colourful and amazing spectacle, especially closer than most to the action. Not for me the putting of an X against the name of some stranger, who is then supposed to represent your interest in Parliament. No I was much more involved in our democratic process. Acting as a Polling Agent for Martin Deane of the Green Party, I spent the day at the very Read more...

Current Affairs - The Hell-ection - King Rats Common Sense Guide to The Bastards in Charge

	Hear ye, hear ye, election time is upon us again. Inspiring speeches thought provoking debates, radical policies for the good of mankind, or who the hell do I vote for? 2pence on lesbians 1pence on fags, wasn't that Dalek episode good! Yes citizens I am as bemused as you, so let's delve into the partisan tribes that inhabit Westminster Read more...

Current Affairs - Election Wars 2: Enter the Candidates by Lee Cassanell

	Starring: Diana Johnson as - The Red Baron Dennis Healy as - The Yellow Peril Martin Dean as - Captain Planet Lydia Rivlin as - The Blue Oyster Co Starring: Mo as - Jimmy Olsen Lee Cassanell as - Ronald McDonald The Chanterlands Avenue Baptist Church Mafia as - Themselves The Story so far.... Emperor Tony Blair declared war on Read more...

Current Affairs - War and Terror ... The Green Party by Martin J Deane.

	Brave hero, George W Bush, commander in chief of the world, oops, sorry, America, wants to liberate all peoples from oppression wherever they may be, and is set on bringing democracy to the Middle East. Let's see how well he has done so far - and, of course, the Republicans' "junior partner" in all this, New Labour. Read more...

Current Affairs - Green Party to fight Hull North

	The Green Party would like to announce their intention to contest the next general election in Hull. Martin Deane, 42, was selected as the party's prospective Parliamentary candidate at Wednesday's meeting of the Hull and East Riding Green Party. The group will focus on Hull North and build on the green vote Read more...

Current Affairs - Neasden PS, under threat - "Education is not a cost. It's an investment." Save Hull Schools by Martin J Deane, 21.2.05

	The proposed closure of 9 Hull primary schools (including the 2 for 'amalgamation') is causing great concern to communities across Hull. The Council plans to close Newland Ave, St Charles, St George's, Coleford, Constable, Midmere, and Read more...