Nigel Quinton

I’ve recently started attending the Green Drinks meetings in Hitchin - held at the Millstream pub on Cambridge Road the first Tuesday of every month from 8.30pm.  A small but dedicated crowd of people interested in improving our environment and a chance to discuss what is happening and spread ideas.

This month it was the news that the climate change bill had successfully passed its third reading - and more importantly that several key amendments had been included, notably the agreement that we should strive for an 80% cut in emissions by 2050, that all greenhouse gases would be included in this, and that aviation and shipping would be included.  I was also able to update others about the strides being taken in Brussels, where one of our LibDem MEP’s Chris Davies - has managed to lead legislation which should lead to a massive funding of research and development of Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS).  See his account of the process for an intriguing insight into the workings of the EU and how strong a role we are taking there.

www.winwithchris.org.uk/articles/2008/notes_from_brussels_9_october_2008.htm

Anyone interested in going along to Green Drinks can email Lynne Ceeley at greendrinksherts@btinternet.com or just turn up!

If you had purchased £1000 of Northern Rock shares one year ago it would now be worth £4.95; With HBOS, earlier this week your £1000 would have been worth £16.50 and £1000 invested in XL Leisure would now be worth less than £5.  But, if you bought £1000 worth of Tennents Lager one year ago, drank it all, then took the empty cans to an aluminium recycling plant, you would get £214. So based on the above statistics the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle.

(Now if I had written this it would not refer to Tennents Lager…)

Am writing this as we wait for our speaker to arrive.

The fringe meeting I am attending is about The Green New Deal. Watch this space as this is something you will be hearing more about and not just from me.
This is an idea whose time has come. It puts forward the premise that to address the linked triple crunches of credit, energy and climate change, we need a new deal on the scale of that in the thirties.

More later I hope, our speaker has arrived.

I’m at the party conference and enjoying the chance to catch up with friends from around the country and to participate in some real debate on future policy, something no other UK party seems to include any more.

Personal highlights so far have been making my first conference sppech - even if it was only a 1 minute intervention - in the debate on Global Security Saturday afternoon. I just wanted to hughlight the looming threat of reducing energy supply, particularly in respect of oil resources, and the impact that will have on geopolitical pressures.

More later, but being thrown out of the conference area as its nearly 6pm.

Following the well attended public meeting on 23rd July, a “Campaign Committee” has been established with representatives from across Harpenden’s political spectrum. Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate Nigel Quinton and colleagues Jeff Phillips and Cllr Alison Steer have joined with local Conservative councillors Mike Wakely and Julie Bell and put aside party differences to work together to try to save Station Road North Post Office (as the Post Office call it) from closure.

Other members of the committee are Chris Grey, of Batford Community Action Group, and Chris Canfield, chair of governors at Manland School.

The group had their first meeting last Friday evening, and their objective is to make sure that as many people as possible contribute letters to the Post Office consultation and that the more technical submissions being prepared by the district and town councils are well argued and that all the necessary facts have been researched.

The Town Council will be kept fully informed of the group’s actions and the town council website will be used to keep the public informed. A list of key points for inclusion in letters to the post office has already been posted there. These are, briefly: (1) the impact on local residents and businesses, (2) the lack of parking close to the main Post Office and the inadequacy of bus services, (3) the disproportionate impact on the less well off or infirm in our community, and (4) disabled access, which is good at Station Road North, contrary to the Post Office’s Access Report, but - due to parking difficulties - very bad at the main office.

Nigel Quinton had this to say: “Very few Post Offices have been saved across the country, but where they have it has been the result of community-wide action. It is important for the well-being of Harpenden residents that the Post Office network is preserved. Closing this particular branch will disadvantage several thousand local people, not to mention local businesses. It is vital that everyone writes to the consultation team before the deadline of 26th August.”

The address for people to write to express their concerns about the propose closure is:

Laura Tarling, Network Development Manager, c/o National Consultation Team, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM, or email consultation@postoffice.co.uk

Sign our petition at:

http://hitch-harp-libdems.org.uk/petitions/