Post-growth: a green republican economy

Post-growth: a green republican economy

Bursting Labour bubbles.

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Following this sloppily thrown together conjecture by English Labours Adam Cickett perhaps its time to remind Eltham's Adam of a couple of things:

1) Labour are not a socialist party. They are not even social democrats. The best we can say about them is that they are social liberals. Take for example this:  Praising Tony Blair and criticising Ralph Miliband, the Labour leader said the choice was not between socialism and capitalism but "responsible" and "irresponsible" capitalism. 

2) If what Adam considers to be cooperation between Mebyon Kernow and the Tories is enough to discredit MK and cast them as a right-wing party then, following this revelation, I wait with anticipation Adams resignations from Labour. Oh yes Adam; your irreproachable left-wing - snigger - Labour is in coalition with UKIP. That's right Ad's - people like this! Adam claims to be a Gay Rights campaigner, and good on him for that, but what does he think of his party being in coalition then with the outright homophobes of Ukip? 

But is any of this a surprise we can ask ourselves when we see the kind of people Labour will accept into its ranks.

Regional language campaigners denounce France to UNESCO

Regional language campaigners denounce France - Features - Al Jazeera English: Basque, Catalan, Alsatian and Corsican speakers deliver petition to UNESCO in Paris asking for "cultural asylum".

It's worth noting that Frances Jean-luc Mélenchon - the darling of the alternative left in the UK - is as hostile to these linguistic minorities as is Frances far-right Marine le Pen.

The attacks by Mélenchon on projects to protect minority languages and his misrepresentations of language campaigners, and even the languages themselves, leave nothing to be envied by the far-right. A very small selection of his nonsense can be found here on 7 Seizh (French).

More here: France a 'rogue state' on regional languages. 

To give you an example of the intolerance within the French state towards its regional languages I've included a map that was published in 2003 in a Geography manual destined for French colleges. The map marks the regions where there is a risk of 'repli identitaire', in other words xenophobia and cultural isolationism.

Petition the government to make tax avoidence illegal

Legislate to make Tax Avoidance ILLEGAL - e-petitions

We ask government to introduce Tax Avoidance legislation to make the practice unlawful. We want parliament to ensure everyone pays their fair share and make tax avoidance a crime. Many tax avoidance schemes exist which cost our country BILLIONS. From wealthy overpaid millionaire professional footballers to large corporations should pay up to help our country in difficult times. Save our country BILLIONS and make tax avoidance illegal

But what about economic benefit and growth for the rest of us?!

It should be noted that whilst Scotland and Wales have their own parliaments to fight their corners, and the North of England has the UK Labour party, Cornwall has nothing. Strangely it was the Labour government of the time that decided to deny us a Cornish assembly. I wonder why?

Far-right confusion

1) The English Defence League - Cornwall Division (Kernow), committed to protecting Cornish communities and not at all racist or English supremacist, is run in part by Dorsets Tim Ablitt who also happens to be a member of the extreme-right British Freedom party. The other EDL organisers for Cornwall being Kieron Hallet and Jennie Maynard. So not really very Cornish, English or British then - just racist.

2) Recently Brittany's administrative capital Rennes a member of the extreme-right  Jeune Bretagne was seen keeping company - engaging in acts of vandalism and violence - with members of Jeunesse Nationaliste, a French neo-nazi organisation hostile to all forms of regionalism and 'regional' languages. Amazingly Jeune Bretagne claim to want to defend Breton culture and obtain regional autonomy.  So, Breton or French then? See above for the appropriate response.

The Ascent of Autonomous Nations

Petition - Money collected from Cornwall's dead should stay here

Petition | Duchy of Cornwall: Money collected from Cornwall's dead should stay here | Change.org

Being different

I'm sure that in the days to come we will have some more detailed analysis of the Cornish elections, but that's not what this short post is about. 

Politically speaking, the varying numbers of Lib Dem, Labour, Conservative, Ukip or Independent councillors in Kernow don't go to make us stand out from the crowd of English counties. What makes Cornish political life different - and therefore infinity more interesting - is Mebyon Kernow, and today we have one more Cornwall councillor. 

I know for a fact that many a Cornwall councillor will be secretly pleased that MK has maintained its presence, and grown, even if they, personally, have made the choice to pursue their own political careers in one of the mainstream UK parties. They are fully aware of what makes the Cornish political scene different even if they themselves don't have the stomach to take risks. 

My sincere congratulations to our four elected MK councillors and the people that helped it happen. Well done to all those that aided Cornwall affirm its difference and find its voice against the London hegemony. 

To those that didn't get elected this time around, but who fought their campaigns with dignity and integrity, you have done us proud. Now build on what you have started and ensure that Cornwall's voice can be heard above those that defend the interests of the London establishment and its lackeys. Time to shout louder perhaps.

The shame of Wadebridge

BBC News - Local election 2013: 'Put disabled down' councillor re-elected in Cornwall: A Cornwall councillor who quit after saying disabled children should be "put down" has been re-elected to the unitary authority.

Axe the Bedroom Tax in Falmouth

Breizh United - promoting Breton unity

Before the French presidential elections so much was promised to Brittany. Radical decentralisation to the regions and the ratification of the charter for minority languages were clearly stated as objectives by the to-be-victorious Socialist candidate. However, following 'advice' from an obscure constitutional committee, the president has decided not to ratify the charter and his radical decentralisation has turned to farce. 

Leaving aside the small circle of loons from the far-right, Brittany has many other organisations   campaigning for its democratic, cultural and social rights.

In an effort to address the governments broken promises, by mobilising Breton civic society, the Galv Pondi (facebook) - the Call from Pontivy in Breton - has been issued. Expressly excluding the far-right, Galv Pondi is open to all individuals and organisations to sign up to and support. So far the Union Démocratique Bretonne, Parti Breton, Breizhistance, Mouvement Bretagne et progrès, Europe Ecologie les Verts, Bretagne Réunie, Ai'ta, 44=Breizh and Kevre Breizh have signed. What are the Celtic League, Celtic Congress and a whole list of others waiting for? Please visit the website of Galv Pondi, sign the manifesto, leave messages of support and then share with your friends.

The UDB has also created a petition on Avaaz.org to support the campaign. They write: Accordingly, the undersigned people urge the President François Hollande : - To ratify the European Charter for Minority Languages, as promised by the President of the French Republic, François Hollande, his campaign pledge No. 56. - To make, without delay, the necessary arrangements for the reunification of Brittany. What is possible in Alsace should also be so in Brittany - To enable and support the creation in Brittany of a bilingual public television station following the example of Stella Via Corsica, transmitting to the five Breton departments. - To give Brittany, in the context of the future decentralization law, a special status that - inspired by those of Scotland, Wales and Catalonia. If special statuses are available for major cities of Paris, Lyon and Marseille why not for Brittany? The signatories want to bring these claims to the State so that our basic democratic rights are finally met. For more information follow the link beside : www.breizh-united.net

The above Breizh United  / Galv Pondi is a continued effort at dialogue hoping to apply pressure on the government in Paris and politicians in Brittany. The campaign Yes Breizh (facebook) on the other hand is explicitly aimed at independence. Wishing to capitalise on developments in Scotland and Catalonia, Yes Breizh is a platform designed to promote public awareness and debate. They write: "Yes Breizh is an educational process that aims to unchain speech and thought on the issue of an independent Brittany. Because there are always several alternatives in the destiny of nations, it is urgent to keep the door open to other visions of the future for Brittany". Not a bad idea for Cornwall perhaps. Again you can help by signing their petition and circulating their website.
 
Both the former manage to avoid contamination by the far-right by, in the case of Galv Pondi, simply banning them from taking part or, as does Yes Breizh, only allowing people in their individual capacity to sign the petition. Unfortunately Kelc’h An Dael, (facebook) an association to promote the establishment of a Breton parliament - in itself a great idea -  has chosen neither option. KAD clearly display the support they receive from the far-right nationalist party Adsav. The result being that the vast majority of other Breton groups want nothing to do with them going as far as to exclude members of their organisations that have joined KAD.

Leaving aside the ethical arguments of giving any publicity to the far-right just imagine Mebyon Kernow openly standing beside a Cornish equivalent of the National Front or BNP and I think you'll understand the simple tactical error. Have various manifestations of the far-right brought Catalonia and Scotland to the brink of independence? Have the centre-left in Scotland or centre-right in Catalonia achieved so much by associating with racists, islamophobes, homophobes, eurosceptics and conspiracy theorists? A parliament for Brittany is such an important idea why tie a lead weight to its neck by association with fascists?

Only Cornwall should win here

The collated results from every division MK contested in the 2009 Cornwall Council election as a bar chart and a percentage, can we do better than third over all this time. If you want to make this happen, here's how you can help. Like and share this photo, get in to contact with us to help canvass or display a poster, tell your friends about MK, vote for change on the 2nd of May. 

You can contact MK here.

The left-of-Labour vote in Cornwall

The Left Vote is a site dedicated to highlighting the election campaigns of those to the left of the stifling Westminster consensus. It is not affiliated to any left grouping, will no doubt promote flawed or controversial candidates alongside sound and solid ones. We’re not here to judge, although we shall discuss and evaluate the success, or otherwise, of the various campaigns. Set up in time for the 2013 English County elections we hope, of course, to play a fuller role in 2014′s Euro-elections and London’s local elections, as well as 2015′s vital General Election.  

The project recognises Mebyon Kernow as the left-of-Labour vote for Cornwall.

Anti-racism spelled out in black and white

Former member of BNP Sue Bowen disowned by UKIP

Sue Bowen claims she was "duped into joing the BNP" and yet somehow still thought that she had what it took to be an elected representative for her community. Stunning! Simply stunning.

It makes depressing reading to see she passed by Mebyon Kernow before arriving in the BNP and UKIP. Can I suggest, just so that those with far-right inclinations aren't tempted to try MK in the future, the party makes a clear statement of being opposed to all forms of racism and intolerance. After reading MK's policy overview I'm sure that to be the case so why not spell it out in black and white.

Pawl Dunbar's Cornwall

Pawl Dunbar's Cornwall

The UK's ambiguous attitude towards unions

Why is Cornwall always forgotten. What are our nationalist and autonomist politicians doing wrong?

The People's Assembly

This is a call to all those millions of people in Britain who face an impoverished and uncertain year as their wages, jobs, conditions and welfare provision come under renewed attack by the government. 

With some 80% of austerity measures still to come, and with the government lengthening the time they expect cuts to last, we are calling a People’s Assembly Against Austerity to bring together campaigns against cuts and privatisation with trade unionists in a movement for social justice. We aim to develop a strategy for resistance to mobilise millions of people against the Con Dem government.

The assembly will provide a national forum for anti-austerity views which, while increasingly popular, are barely represented in parliament. A People’s Assembly can play a key role in ensuring that this uncaring government faces a movement of opposition broad enough and powerful enough to generate successful co-ordinated action, including strike action. The assembly will be ready to support co-ordinated industrial action and national demonstrations against austerity, if possible synchronising with mobilisations across Europe. The People’s Assembly Against Austerity will meet at Central Hall, Westminster, on 22 June.

 THE PEOPLES ASSEMBLY

Plenty of opportunity for Cornish organisations and campaigns to sign up and get involved. 

Labour attempts to misrepresent Mebyon Kernow

How should an election be fought? When a candidate knocks on your door do you want to hear facts or do you prefer good old mudslinging?

Of course nobody wants to stand on their doorstep and hear a long list of of facts and figures that are often of questionable origins and if you are unfortunately anything like me with a low attention span when someone starts quoting 'facts', you end up grinning like an an idiot nodding your head vigorously and hoping that you're not going to be asked any questions afterwards.

This gets more complicated when the candidate starts dropping hints and accusations about another candidate.I was contacted by a friend last week from Penzance who had a canvasser representing Tim Dwelly (Twitter) the Labour candidate for Penzance East knock at his door,during the brief conversation my friend mentioned that he was thinking of voting Mebyon Kernow but he hadn't made up his mind, he was then reliably informed by the Labour canvasser that MK were a right wing party with views closer to the EDL or BNP.

Now of course that is complete and utter nonsense and to be fair many candidates from all parties across Cornwall would complain of similar tricks by their rivals, in fact its probably one of the oldest political games ,but it does illustrate if a candidate can stand on your doorstep look you in the face and lie confidently about another candidate how do we know they won't be standing in the council chamber one day lying about the impact of a housing development or a cut in public services?

Political integrity does not start once a candidate is elected ,if a party or independents policies are strong enough they should not feel the need to resort to low tricks,most people want to hear a candidates policies and what makes them different to their rivals put as succinctly and honestly as possible.

Provided by Kernow Calling. 

Left Unity in the Duchy

The Left Unity movement, blogged about here, now has a contact point in Cornwall. They ask you to contact Lowenna Lawry: cornwall@leftunity.org. Could Mebyon Kernow find a place in such a project?