Pledges: Travel, Refugees, Education
#15 in my Pledges series
I ran out of time to post everything people contacted me about. If I’d won the election I’d now be an MP and too busy to share it, but since so many people wrote to me, and I took the time to reply to them, I’d like to at least include a few of the topics that were discussed with potential constituents. Yes, even this post is just a small selection!
So I will cover a few topics here, and more in the next post. Hopefully some of my thoughts might prove interesting.
Travel
Cycling was a common topic, such as this email:
“I’m writing to ask whether, if elected, you’ll support policies to improve public health, cut carbon emissions from transport, boost the local economy and reduce transport poverty? Cycling UK’s members and supporters in Dwyfor Meirionnydd and many voters will want to know the answer, so we’ve written to every candidate asking whether they’ll support our ‘Freedom to move’ manifesto including policies to:
Increase investment in active travel, ramping up to 10% of the transport budget within five years.
Produce an integrated transport strategy designed to give people more transport choices.
Improve the planning system by ensuring all new homes are required to have excellent cycling and walking networks.
Giving people better transport choices means more people have the option to walk or cycle. The benefits are huge, including a healthier nation with more people building movement into their daily lives.”
I don't own a car and never have. I have always used public transport, run, walked, cycled or kayaked. Even when I supported all the FE colleges in Wales, I did so without ever driving a car! I like to walk to work, but take running shoes and run home. Here are two pages from our manifesto:
And in the homes section we state “New developments need to ensure that residents are not car dependent.” They'll be connected to excellent active travel networks (if we get enough Green MPs in to keep challenging Labour to do better!)
I was also asked to protect out inland waterways. Of course I agree. :-) I often end up removing fly-tipped rubbish from the river:
Green Party Manifesto policies included:
End the scandal of sewage pouring into our rivers and seas by taking the water companies back into public ownership.
Extend people’s access to green space and waterways close to where they live with a new English Right to Roam Act.
Refugees
The timing was appropriate because 20th June was World Refugee Day.
Care4Calais raised some good points:
“Britain’s asylum system is broken – but as our next MP you can help fix it. I am backing Care4Calais’ ‘Five point ‘journey’ to fix Britain’s broken asylum system’. Before I decide how to vote in the General Election I want to know whether you will back the plan too?
Safe routes – the only way to save lives and stop Channel crossings is to offer safe routes for refugees to claim asylum in the UK. Safe passage worked for Ukrainians fleeing war - will you support offering safe routes to other refugees fleeing similar horrors from countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan and Eritrea?
Process the claims – not processing asylum claims resulted in a record backlog and saw the cost of asylum accommodation soar to £8 million per day. Will you support investing in asylum decision-making, reduce accommodation costs and give refugees their lives back?
No Rwanda, no offshoring – the Rwanda plan won’t work – but it is inflicting misery on refugees affected by it. Will you say no to Rwanda and the offshoring of refugees?
Communities not camps and barges – refugees should be housed in communities, not camps and barges like the Bibby Stockholm. Will you pledge to close down military camps and barges?
Right to work and move-on support, not homelessness – the ban on people seeking asylum being allowed to work has been counterproductive. The ban, coupled with a 28 day move-on / eviction period that is out of sync with the rights of every other citizen set out in the Homelessness Act, has led to a sharp rise in homelessness amongst people granted refugee status. Will you offer support, not homelessness, to new refugees in the UK?
You can read more of the details behind Care4Calais’ plan here.”
I signed the Care4Calais pledge. We need a system of asylum and humanitarian protection that treats people fairly, humanely and without discrimination. Elected Greens will push for:
The United Kingdom to work with other countries to establish safe routes by which those fleeing persecution, war, or climate disaster may arrive in the country of their choice to make their case without having to risk their lives.
A fast and fair process to assess asylum applications.
Those seeking asylum and protection to be permitted to work while their application is being decided.
We also commit to ending all immigration detention for all migrants unless they are a danger to public safety, on the basis that migration is not a criminal offence under any circumstances. That means no floating prisons like the Bibby Stockholm and no requisitioning of military camps.
On Rwanda, I and the Green Party know the plan won’t work. Former Green MP, Caroline Lucas, literally tore up the Rwanda Bill when it came before the House of Commons. I would ditch this legislation.
Green MPs would campaign to offer proper support, abolishing the No Recourse to Public Funds condition that exacerbates social, economic, and racial inequalities. We would also campaign to abolish the ten-year route to settlement which unfairly traps people in poverty and hardship.
It was similar to this email:
“I am writing to you as one of my parliamentary candidates in the upcoming General Election. As your constituent, I am asking you to show your support for refugees and champion routes to safety for people seeking protection here in the UK – will you sign the pledge below?
Right now, men, women and children have no choice but to take a dangerous journey to the UK to ask for protection here. They have fled war, persecution and human rights abuses, and are simply trying to reunite with family and rebuild their lives.
Most of us believe that if we were forced to flee our homes, we should be able to seek protection safely – I certainly do. The reality is, however, that most refugees have no safe route open to them. The few safe routes to the UK that do exist are defective and dysfunctional. I fear that the failure of governments to open safe routes is leaving smugglers and traffickers to fill the gap.
The best way to save lives and put smugglers out of business is for the next Government to urgently open safe routes for refugees. The success of the UK's response to the Ukraine crisis shows that safe routes work, and can drastically reduce the need for dangerous journeys.
Ahead of the election, will you show your support for safe routes for refugees by signing this pledge?
“I pledge to advocate for safe routes for refugees in Parliament, if I am elected. Refugees urgently need #RoutesToSafety, routes to family, routes to hope.”
To sign the pledge or to ask any questions, please email pledge@safepassage.org.uk.
As a voter, I want to see political parties put compassion before political point-scoring and make welcoming refugees a priority. Instead of hostile policies, I want the future government to focus on routes to safety. You can read more about the solutions in Safe Passage’s general election manifesto.”
We’re all refugees. We've all had ancestors move around. And the planet belongs to all that live upon it, not just the privileged.
The Green Party acknowledge this. Have a look at our Manifesto section "A Fairer, Greener Welcome" says:
"We welcome the contributions that migrants and refugees make to British society. We want to be welcoming, promote social cohesion and support migrants to put down roots.
Green MPs will push for:
An end to the hostile environment.
An end to the minimum income requirements for spouses of those holding work visas.
Safe routes to sanctuary for those fleeing persecution.
The dysfunctional Home Office to be replaced with a new Department of Migration, separating this function from the criminal justice system.
An end to immigration detention for all migrants unless they are a danger to public safety.
Abolition of the ‘no recourse to public funds’ condition that exacerbates social, economic, and racial inequalities.
Those seeking asylum and protection to be permitted to work while their application is being decided."
I don't have any truck with bigots on this or any other topic. As I put in my statement:
"Karl is proud to be detested by racists, bigots, megarich tax dodgers, fascists, sexists, apartheid defenders, homophobes, people who are cruel to animals, colonialists, regressives, those who adore inherited privilege, imperialists, and warmongers. He can’t be bought or bribed. He is respected and loved by those who want peace, equality, justice, and cooperation."
I wrote a post about tolerance and said this:
"In many cases people seeking asylum have suffered due to Western colonialism, militarism, resource theft and disruption. So we absolutely should help, but even more than that, we should change our foreign policy to one of cooperation, not conflict. US and British imperialism often create the awful conditions that lead people to need asylum."
Some politicians aim at the bigot vote and stir up xenophobia. The enemy isn't refugees, it is the ultra-rich and those in power for their own interests, but they like to point to scapegoats and create division to cover up their own crimes and wealth acquisition. I had separate emails about that, such as this one:
“An Open Letter Calling on MP Candidates to Use Humanising and Respectful language When Talking about Migrants and Refugees.
Dear Karl Drinkwater, in the run up to the 2024 General Election, immigration and the treatment of migrants, refugees, and people seeking asylum and sanctuary have become focal points in our political discourse. As human rights and migrant rights and justice organisations, we call on all parliamentary candidates to stop using migrants as scapegoats for the challenges the UK faces, and to refrain from propagating hateful and inflammatory rhetoric against some of the most vulnerable people in the UK.
Whatever our background, everyone deserves to feel safe and have our dignity upheld in public, at home and in the workplace. We should all have access to health and support services, know that our personal data will be kept safe, and that our privacy will be respected. We should all be able to pursue justice, defend our rights and hold the government to account. We urge candidates to commit to upholding these rights and ensure safety for those seeking sanctuary in the UK
Our rights in the digital spaces are just as important, especially for those whose safety depends on keeping data secure from the authoritarian regimes they have fled. We, call on all candidates to protect and support the concept of "Digital Sanctuary" for migrants to the UK, which includes ending the hostile digital environment, establishing robust privacy protections for migrants’ data and promoting inclusive digital policies.
As candidates for public office, your words and policies carry significant weight in shaping our collective future. We urge you to lead with compassion, empathy, and a commitment to our collective and individual human rights. We hope that you recognise your duty of care and responsibility for the language you use, to not further sow fear and division but strive for a society where everyone is valued and afforded the dignity and belonging they deserve.
If you want to pledge your support then please sign up here.”
Britain has exported more than its fair share of people to other countries, and at a true cost to the natives (US, Australia, Palestine, Africa etc) - it truly is hypocritical for the British to even raise immigration as an issue. We owe it to the world to make up for our many past crimes.
Safe passage, support, welcome and dignity should be prerequisites for how any civilised society deals with migration.
Education
“NAHT Cymru has today launched its manifesto 'For Their Future' - The union is calling on all parties in Wales and across the UK to pledge to restore education to its rightful place as a national priority.
In preparation for the General Election on 4 July, NAHT has put forward its election manifesto based on what we want the next UK Government to do for schools in England. Here in Wales, we must ask a different question to our prospective MPs – what can you do to ensure Wales gets the funding it needs to allow the Welsh Government to meet our demands in education?
While school leaders across England will be challenging the candidates on the key issues – workload and well-being, inspection and accountability, terms, and conditions – for Wales, our focus must be on funding. Our resounding question to prospective candidates standing for election in Wales is – will you use your influence to support a greater devolved settlement for Wales?”
Education is indeed a key topic, and one that I care about hugely. It transformed my life! I was a problem student at school and the environment and culture there just didn't fit my needs. I thought I must be stupid. As a result I left school without major qualifications (I hadn't even turned up for my maths GCSE exam - I went on holiday to Butlins with my girlfriend instead). But I was encouraged to try a different approach, so signed up for an FE college, and it turned my life around. I learnt to love studying, and got all the GCSEs I'd missed, and then four A Levels (Psychology (A), English Literature (A), Philosophy (B), and Sociology (C)). The fact that responsibility was placed on me for doing work and organising my life brought out the best in me, whereas in school I had rebelled against its authoritarianism. I flourished and went on the get first class honours at university, and then an MSc.
But it could have been so different. If I'd not found an educational institution that supported my needs, I would not be where I am now, and my potential would have been lost. So I absolutely support providing high quality and appropriate education for all learners. I always say that the government shouldn't be spending so many billions on warfare and destabilising countries when that money could be better used to support the people of Wales and the UK. Cooperation, not conflict. There's no shortage of money, it is just often spent on the wrong things.
Personally, I would wish for a fully independent Wales so that it didn't have to ask England for money and take what it was given, but in the meantime I'd certainly want to make sure there was the amount of funding required.
A few other Green policies from the short version of our manifesto:
An increase in school funding of £8bn, to include £2bn for a pay uplift for teachers.
Supporting every higher education student, with the restoration of grants and the end of tuition fees.
Ending high-stakes testing at primary and secondary schools and abolishing OFSTED.