Sian Berry
Berry last blog
- 10 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 14 July 2008
Since newstatesman.com relaunched on 30 November 2006 Sian Berry has been a regular contributor on her blog. Now she heads off to a new role at the Green Party so is stepping down...
Yes, I know I promised to file a blog on eco-towns a fortnight ago. However, I have to confess I was tempted into moonlighting it away to the Telegraph, who are running a series of stories on what they are calling ‘Gordon’s poll tax’. So, for an update on the impressive number of campaigns that have emerged to oppose the fifteen shortlisted eco-town sites, you’ll have to read my [...]
Oops we broke EU rules
- 55 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 19 June 2008
How the government has had to change its guidance for car manufacturers after it was caught flouting European rules
My favourite word today is ‘emblazoned’. That’s what adverts for cars will have to be from now on - emblazoned with details of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, thanks to a sudden change in advertising rules by the government.
The 4x4 campaign has been working on this for about a year now, but the endgame was surprisingly easy, with the Department for Transport changing its guidelines for advertising [...]
Boris's large fiscal hole
- 18 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 10 June 2008
Sian helps launch a new cross-party, cross-NGO initiative to ask Boris Johnson what the dickens he’s going to do about greener transport in London
After all the election excitement, I’ve been enjoying some glorious (if skint) ‘resting’ time over the past few weeks, getting some fresh air in the Lake District and having long lunches with everyone I’ve not seen in months.
Last week, I went to a preview screening of a new film about climate change called ‘The Age of Stupid’. Part sci-fi, part impressive documentary, this is a much more interesting [...]
Farewell Ken
- 23 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 09 May 2008
Under Boris catchy ‘headline’ policies like a new routemaster bus and a no-strike deal with the RMT are likely to fold quicker than you can say ‘ethical foreign policy’
So, the election in London is over, we’ve lost a great Mayor, gained an uncertain future and kept our two Green Assembly Members in the face of an almighty squeeze. After a week of catching up on sleep, meeting the babies my friends produced during the campaign and – importantly – reacquainting myself with the local pub, it’s time to reflect.
Although as predicted I am not Mayor, the Greens [...]
I may not actually win...
- 30 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 07 April 2008
Sian urges London's voters to send out a strong message over green issues by voting for her first, Livingstone second on 1 May - and don't forget the assembly
Okay, I’m going to be painfully honest and admit I have a very slim chance of becoming Mayor of London after the ballots are counted on 2 May. I’m being asked why I’m standing a lot at the moment, and the truth is it’s not because I think I’m actually going to be Mayor.
But, I do believe in giving voters a full choice of candidates in every election, [...]
The truth about Brian Paddick
- 15 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 28 March 2008
Sian asks just what direction the Lib Dem candidate for mayor, Brian Paddick, thinks he's cantering in playing politics with the planet
The Guardian scored a bit of a coup this week, with three candidates for Mayor – including me - getting out their laptops over the weekend to take part in what can only be described as a stonking row on the Comment is Free website. It all started when Ken Livingstone published a piece pointing out the uncanny similarities between Boris Johnson and Brian Paddick in the [...]
Vote Berry... and Livingstone!
- 40 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 19 March 2008
Ken Livingstone may be far from perfect, but Boris Johnson would be a disaster for London
Today I announced my recommendation for a "Sian 1, Ken 2" vote for Mayor of London this year, and here I want to explain why.
I’ll start by making it clear that Ken Livingstone is not my first choice for Mayor of London. I am my first choice for Mayor of London - more than anything London needs a real Green Mayor. But voters in this election do have two [...]
Fighting for fair pay
- 7 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 04 March 2008
The Greens are more than a party simply for the environment.
Last Monday I helped to launch the Fair Pay Network, a new coalition of anti-poverty and workers’ rights campaigners, of which I am now a proud patron.
At the launch in Westminster were fellow patron John Cruddas MP and the chair of the Fair Pay Network, Karen Buck MP, as well as representatives from network members NUS, Unite, UNISON, the Fawcett Society, and Oxfam. Not forgetting campaigners from [...]
Porsche, Bozza and Paddick
- 16 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 22 February 2008
The curious alliance between the Tory and Lib Dem candidates and the maker of some rather polluting cars or opposition for opposition's sake
It was always going to cause a stir. The new emissions-based Congestion Charge (the 'CO2 Charge') was confirmed by Ken Livingstone at a press conference at City Hall last week. I was there to witness him signing the order to bring in the new scheme, which means that, from 27 October, the most polluting band G cars (emitting more than 225 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre) will pay £25 [...]
A spot of Reading then Heathrow
- 1 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 18 February 2008
The Green London mayoral candidate reports from Reading and her party's conference plus fighting airport expansion
Conference in Reading is remarkably quiet compared with recent Green Party get-togethers, or perhaps it just seems that way after leaving behind the excitement of the London election. The campaign is snowballing now, and the first full hustings took place on Thursday, hosted by the Green Alliance. You can watch the videos and judge for yourself how we all did on Friction.tv.
Away in Reading, we've been enjoying [...]
Camden's burning
- 2 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 11 February 2008
Last night's fire is a blow to Camden. But in re-development, it must retain its character
It’s Sunday and I’ve just been through Camden Town, on my way back home to Kentish Town from the Chinese New Year celebrations in Trafalgar Square and Chinatown. As I changed buses, I saw first-hand the massive amount of damage done to the canalside market by last night’s fire.
The destruction is extensive, and the danger from the damaged buildings so great that all the markets have been [...]
Sustainable high streets
- 2 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 28 January 2008
Residents can help shape a green and community-focused and future for their high street
One of my earliest impressions of London was of a place packed full of high streets. I formed this impression was while I was still at school, on the way to a party with five friends from Cheltenham, packed into a 2CV and making a proper meal of getting from the M40 to Wimbledon (yes I know we should have taken the M4).
I had been on school trips [...]
Boosting green entrepreneurs
- 3 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 21 January 2008
Sian Berry argues the slow growth in green industries demonstrates more action is needed
It’s amazing how slowly things happen sometimes. This week I visited Pli Design, one of a growing number of green manufacturing companies in south east London, at their workshop in Dulwich. While we filmed a short report on business policy for the local news, the owner, Christopher Pett, told me how he imagined, when they started making sustainable furniture in 2003, that they would be jumping onto the back [...]
Could the Stig go Green?
- 1 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 14 January 2008
Signing up Johnny Ball to talk on nuclear power is like the fur industry getting Beatrix Potter on-side
It wasn’t quite ‘within days’ of my last blog, but we have now received the government’s official confirmation that they are planning for a new wave of nuclear power stations to be built across the UK.
The announcement was made by John Hutton on Thursday, but not before we heard from the government’s own Nuclear Consultation Working Group that the second public consultation process had failed hopelessly to [...]
Looking ahead in 2008
- 4 comments
- Posted by Sian Berry
- 02 January 2008
Sian Berry looks ahead to a busy year including the possibility of running for London mayor alongside Jeremy Clarkson...
2008 is going to be another eventful year for green and civil liberties campaigners.
In January we’re expecting announcements on two major campaigns I’m working on. Transport for London will soon release the results of their consultation on new Congestion Charge bands for high and low emission vehicles. By the looks of a recent opinion poll, which will also inform TfL’s decision, charging gas-guzzlers more remains popular amongst [...]
