Oxfordshire Green Party

Those naughty LibDems...

2 May 2012

Exposé of misleading LibDem leaflet being circulated – in various forms – around the City.

LibDems say: “Think Green Vote Liberal Democrat”

Almost every environmental policy introduced to the City Council has been initiated by the Greens.

Most recently (April 2012), thanks to a motion proposed by the Greens, Oxford City Council became the first local authority in the country to support the inclusion of Ecocide as the 5th crime against peace in the International Criminal Court.

LibDems say: “Lib Dems Put the Breaks on Labour”

No one who has attended a City Council meeting or reviewed the agenda for Full Council can be in any doubt that it is the Greens who provide the most vigorous opposition to Labour on the City Council.

Though the Greens are a smaller group, they have put more motions to Council than the Liberal Democrats and been at the forefront of most opposition campaigns. For example, this article suggests that the Lib Dems moved a motion to protect ‘Scrutiny Committees’.

If you look on the order paper for the last Council it was the Green Party that moved the motion to try to stop the weakening of the Scrutiny Committee not the Lib Dems. In fact when the constitutional changes centralising power were proposed by Labour, the LibDems actually seconded the Labour motion (See the recorded video of the 13th Dec 2010 Council Meeting).

Far from ‘speaking out’ they in fact voted these anti democratic changes through. Only very recently. Have the LibDems realised the error of their ways by backing a Green motion opposing the centralisation of power.

LibDems show: A graph showing the political make-up of the City Council - followed by a caption claiming the Green Party is powerless.

Whilst it is true that the Greens can’t outvote Labour – neither can the LibDems as Labour have an overall majority on the Council. However, it is not just about absolute numbers. The Greens punch well above their weight in terms of influencing the Council’s agenda.

Also, the Greens are more likely to hold the balance of power on the Council than the LibDems (as they have did between 2004-2008).

LibDems say: “Nuala regrets little influence”.

To support the incorrect LibDem assertion that the Greens have little influence they quote something that appeared in the Oxford Mail attributed to Green Cllr Nuala Young. As they were no doubt aware, Nuala had already complained to the Oxford Mail that her comments were taken out of context. She was, in fact, referring to the undemocratic changes to the Council’s constitution that has affected ‘backbench’ councillors from all parties, Green, Lib Dem and even Labour. These changes were voted through by the Lib Dems and Labour.

LibDems say: “Green Budget failed the Test.”

This is untrue. Every year the Greens work closely with officers preparing the budget and ensuring that it all adds up and balances. The Green Budget was accepted for inclusion on the Council Agenda and voted on at Council on 20th February 2012. The video of this meeting can found on here. http://www.oxford.gov.uk/PageRender/decCD/FullCouncilMeetingVideo20February2012.htm

LibDems say: “Labour are Desperate to Win Here.”

It is certainly true that Labour are desperate, partly because of the backlash over their planned closure of Temple Cowley Pool. And official Lib Dem policy also supports the closure of the existing facilities. Green councillors have moved 6 motions to save Temple Cowley in Full Council over the last 2 years . The other reason that Labour are unpopular is because they are simply not listening to the wishes of local people - largely a consequence of the centralisation of power referred to above (and supported by the LibDems).

LibDems say: “Don’t Split the Vote”

All the polls show that the Lib Dem vote is collapsing in a spectacular fashion leaving it as a Green v Labour fight in those wards where the Greens are strong.

Promoted by Sid Phelps, 85 East Ave on behalf of Oxfordshrie Green Party.



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