Maidstone needs to recycle more

KM 22.03.2018

I am passionate about the environment and believe we need to become a sustainable society as soon as practically possible.

Although it will only help bridge the gap to an extent, recycling will play a vital role in achieving this but in Maidstone the household recycling rate has stagnated at around 50% for the last year or two which is well behind many others in England. 

I was pleased when the Maidstone Labour Party agreed to set a target to achieve at least 75% by 2023.

My letter in the KM:

Recycling can have many benefits, including conserving natural resources, ecosystems and wildlife, protecting vulnerable people from being displaced or exploited, saving significant amounts of energy and reducing carbon emissions and the need for incineration. Maidstone Labour Party wants the town to achieve at least a 75% household-recycling rate by 2023 and go waste-free in the longer term. I believe that one of the ways in which this can be achieved is to work with residents to encourage community groups and businesses to provide more recycling facilities. These could be at no cost to themselves and help raise funds for charities. With the growing pressure on manufacturers to reduce excessive packaging, times are a-changing and we must push recycling further and faster, for the sake of both people and the environment.

Tim Licence

Labour's Prospective Maidstone High Street Ward Candidate

www.maidstone-labour.com

Greens should join Labour

Every week now I am hearing of Green Party supporters who make the switch to the Labour Party but this is something that has been happening for years now.

I bumped into two Jonathans in a pub the other week and knowing I am active with the Labour Party one said to me how he had switched from backing the Green Party to the Labour Party because 'they might actually get to change things and I like Jeremy Corbyn too'. Which I think neatly sums it up. People want change and are 'behind Corbyn' though not not necessarily meaning the man but the politics which he represents.

I have a lot of respect of several Green Party politicians including their one MP Caroline Lucas and strongly agree with some of their policies although others I strongly disagree with or don't believe are practically possible. I have often been told that you will never agree with everything a political party stands for but you should pick one that you agree with most but for me this is only part of it, otherwise I'd of joined the Greens or a small socialist party many years ago during the New Labour era. 

When Corbyn became leader of the Labour Party and put the party under new management I quickly joined up as a member and became active within the party. This was politics I strongly agreed with and a political party which could gain power to change things. I had long admired the likes of John Mcdonnel, Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott, Michael Meacher and Dennis Skinner but not Blair and Brown.     

Although I still don't agree with all of Labour's policies I agree with many and know that Labour are within touching distance of putting them into practice. While the strong direction of travel toward a member led mass membership party is also extremely encouraging. 

I'd encourage anyone who believes in environmental justice, social justice, equality, socialism, and democracy to join the Labour Party. Change is coming and you can either be part of it and influencing exactly what it is or in the Green Party which remains on the electoral fringes.

Shareholders shouldn't profiteer from the running of public services

Kent Messenger 01.03.18

My letter in the paper briefly highlighting some of the reasons against private companies running our public services:

'Cllr Harper was right to raise the issue of who runs our public services because the demise of Carillion once again brought the millions of pounds that are paid to private companies into the media spotlight. When these stories break it is surprising to see just how many public services are being provided by private companies and how many millions of pounds in dividends their shareholders receive, this is the case both nationally and locally.  

Private companies have an interest in making profit in order to be able to pay dividends to their shareholders to whom they are accountable. While publicly run services can be more democratically accountable, transparent and have a public good rather than private profit motive.

If it is ideological to think that shareholders shouldn't profiteer from the running of public services that are ultimately funded by taxing people's hard earned income then call me ideological. 

Tim Licence

Labour's Prospective MBC High Street Ward Candidate'  

www.maidstone-labour.com