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16th April 2005
Letter to Ian Mean, editor of The Citizen
Dear Mr Mean,
I have to say I am very disappointed with the coverage of the Green party since our conversation.
- You have covered in recent weeks 500 word articles from party leaders but despite sending you an article several times and follow up phone calls you have not run one from the Green party Principal Speakers.
- No mention of our Green party manifesto on your website, but other three parties are there; See: www.glosgreenparty.org.uk
- In recent days you have had several pages on the election issues each day and with the exception of a small 3 inch long column of our national launch, you have not given any other coverage. (Indeed some national papers have given the Green party more coverage than The Citizen despite Greens having a traditionally high amount of support in this area - 17 percent in Stroud District at last local elections.).
- You said you would attempt to contact candidates about issues. I have received no calls, nor have candidates despite sending a contact list to your newsdesk.
Eg 14/04 Paul Keogh full page article on Labour quoted Tories and Lib Dems but he made no attempt to contact us.
- News stories in the last few weeks you have failed to cover include:
* The fact that 74% UK Income Tax is missing in Tax Havens and Labour are failing to do anything on this. Think what that could mean for local services here if the Citizen joined Greens and pushed for action on this?
* Greens calling for a rethink on the Local Plan in Stroud
* The fact that if GCC bought local we could increase by 400 per cent the money circulating in our local community
* Greens urging councillors to sign up fort a no to the EU constitution
* Martin Whitesides pledge on climate change
- No coverage of Gloucester and Tewkesbury launch of candidates despite this being the first time people can vote Green in an election for Westminister there. Coverage instead to whether the Monster Raving Looney Party will stand in Gloucester or not.
As I mention on the telephone two weeks ago Green party letters have dwindled since Christmas to less than one per week. Now there are none because of the election. I note also that the Green party is the only party serious about climate change and now the only opposition to the privatisation by stealth of our public services and many other issues. Many of the most important issues facing our planet are now not even being debated.
I do not think your coverage can be described as 'fair' as you suggest in your letter to all candidates. I hope you and your team may be able to look at this. I would welcome your advice on how we can help further to give the electorate a real choice at this election. I also enclose a copy of a letter to you that I was sent yesterday by what appears to be one of our supporters - it sums up well the current situation.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Philip Booth, Press Officer, Gloucestershire Green Party.
LETTER:
Your "Veteran Citizen journalist" Hugh Worsnip suggests "fewer people seem to care" about who wins the election (6/04/05). I think they care, but the reality is that there appears to be no choice.
The British electorate are largely behaving rationally in their choice not to vote. The choice is presented as a choice between three parties. Yet we know the differences are so small. Taxes up or down a little. All support the privatisation of our public services. All are funded by corporate donations. All want more police, better schools, a better national health service, etc.
In some countries people risk their lives to vote, yet in Europe this growing lack of fundamental differences between the main parties is leading to a steady decline in voting. Alongside this is also a growing unease that things need to change. Climate change is not being tackled seriously. Oil is running out. The Iraq war was a crime with over 100,000 dead. Privatisation of public services gallops ahead. The wealthiest 20% pay a smaller percentage of tax than the poorest 20%. Inequality has grown.
Where are answers and the vision to create a more just Britain? Vast swathes of opinion has no voice inside the main parties. The Green party perhaps offers us the best hope. Sadly ignored by the national media, perhaps because of their radical message, they nevertheless offer us and our children a future. They are prepared to make tough choices. They are unlikely to get more than a handful of MPs at best, but every Green vote will send a message to other parties we need change. What other options have we?
Marguerite Doubleday
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