Adrian Ramsay: Green Party

Apr 03, 2010, 08:21am By Claire Wood

Norwich South voters can make a real impact at the General Election by electing a Green to Parliament to press for the creation of lasting jobs and protection of public services. After seven years as a councillor I have substantial experience of representing residents and getting Green policies implemented on a hung Council. This experience puts me in a good position to maximise the influence of Green MPs in a hung Parliament.

Job Creation

Norfolk has the highest unemployment rate for 18-24 year olds and the highest number of job losses per head of population in the country. Green Party proposals would create a million lasting skilled jobs in public services, renewable energy and local manufacturing and agriculture. We need to localise our economy.

Healthcare

Quality healthcare available to all, free at the point of delivery, is something that I am passionate about. Greens want to protect the NHS from privatisation. Too much money is going into the deep pockets of private finance companies rather than into improving our hospitals, meaning that front line services, such as maternity care at the Norfolk and Norwich, are suffering.

Higher Education

Norwich has 14,000 students, yet the city has a lower proportion of 18 year olds going to university than most UK cities. I am concerned that top-up fees, brought in by Charles Clarke in 2004, are deterring talented young people, especially from poorer backgrounds, from going to university. I oppose the current fees system and believe that the only fair way for students to pay for their education is through income tax after they enter employment. Now I am the first General Election Candidate to sign up to the Norwich Student Manifesto which calls for free higher education, a low-carbon society, better public transport and quality student housing.