It Begins Again
The story continues
My first newsletter post, back in March, was It Begins. Well, the work of the new Green MPs also begins today. I may not be one of them but – as I am recovering from flu – I am glad I don’t have to make my way down to London! I’m not a city person anyway, let alone England’s biggest cancerous grey sprawl. And why would I want to leave my garden, my partner, my cat, my home? (Not in order of priority, I hasten to add.) Yes, I would have done it out of duty, to life, to the planet, to the people, and to justice, but I would have been reticent.
That’s what duty is, I suppose. Doing things because they are just and important, not because you want to. Not looking at a situation and weighing up how you can use it to best advantage for wealth and power, but what you can do to make the world a better place.
This was from my Green Party morning briefing:
Good morning, WE DID IT! There are now four Green MPs! Not only that, but we also came second in 40 constituencies and at just under 2 million votes, achieved our largest ever number of votes and doubled our 2019 vote share to nearly 7%. The press release from the early hours of Friday can be found here. Today, our four MPs head for Westminster for an induction session before the new Parliament opens on Tuesday. Expect more Greens on a TV, radio and in a newspaper near you soon.
There’s no rest for these four new MPs! They have hit the ground running by laying down 10 steps the new Labour government’s must take in their first 100 days to show they’re serious about changing Britain. These are easily achievable reforms. Adrian Ramsay said: “These first actions will act as a litmus test for the direction this government plans to travel.”
Here’s the full list:
Settle a pay deal with the Junior Doctors that properly values their work
Remove the two-child benefit cap
Bring criminal charges against Southern Water, Northumbrian Water, South West Water, United Utilities, Thames Water, Wessex Water Anglian Water, Severn Trent and Yorkshire Water for persistent discharge of sewage into our rivers and seas.
Make solar panels compulsory on all new suitable homes and reverse the de-facto ban on onshore wind.
Produce a plan for local rail links that could be reopened
Call an emergency dentistry summit
Restore the right to strike to public-sector workers
Recognise the state of Palestine and end arms sales to all countries where there’s a serious risk of them being used in breach of international law
Introduce a natural history GCSE
End no fault evictions and strengthen renters rights, including new powers to local authorities to control rents
Where Next For Karl?
I have a few more topics I’d like to cover on this site, which I ran out of time to do before the election. After that, my life will return to normal, which is a mix of campaigning, writing, and appreciating all the good in my life, and the blessings we receive from nature and the divine.
I will continue to be an author. Follow me on my writing newsletter. Listen to yesterday’s interview. Maybe support my new Kickstarter. Maybe even read one of my books, if you have enjoyed my words. I wish you the best, and am grateful to those who followed me, believed in me, voted for me. I’m not always easy to get along with, so appreciate the patience of those who give me the benefit of the doubt.
And, to counter the sombre image of me in the first photo, here’s an awful pic of me playing in the garden with my cat Dolly. I can’t remember what was so funny.
Promoted by Harriet King on behalf of the Green Party both at The Gate, Keppoch Street, Cardiff CF24 3JW.
Good for you, Karl. Thanks for running, and I hope you're feeling better soon.