Author: jonesjb

National Bargee Traveller Association

Published on by jonesjb

Last week Jenny sponsored an event in Parliament for the National Bargee Traveller Association.

The National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA) is a volunteer organisation that campaigns and provides advice for itinerant boat dwellers – “Bargee Travellers” – on Britain’s inland and coastal waterways. This includes anyone whose home is a boat and who does not have a permanent mooring for their boat with planning permission for residential use. Continue reading “National Bargee Traveller Association” →

Football Governance Bill Committee Stage

Published on by jonesjb

We know the climate is changing; we know that the weather is changing; we know there are more floods and more droughts; so it is very short-sighted not to include environmental sustainability when you are worried about the future of clubs and their financial sustainability Continue reading “Football Governance Bill Committee Stage” →

Water (Special Measures) Bill Report Stage

Published on by jonesjb

If we were talking about benefit claimants who had behaved in the way that water companies have, we would not just slap them on the wrist in the way that we have the water companies; we would crack down on them, claw back the money and take them to court. The water companies have got off so lightly in this whole process. That really does not seem fair to bill payers or to taxpayers. The water companies have been saying that they invest all the bill payers’ money in infrastructure, but they then take out loans and pay themselves dividends. With this legislation—even with the amendments—the Government are missing the opportunity to crack down on predatory capitalism. Continue reading “Water (Special Measures) Bill Report Stage” →

Imprisonment for Public Protection Bill

Published on by jonesjb

We cannot say that we have a justice system if we have an innate injustice such as this. The sentencing and continued imprisonment of IPP prisoners has just been cruel. We Greens are well aware that prison is overused as a tool of justice. Far too many people are imprisoned, when there are much more effective ways of rehabilitation or stopping reoffending. Continue reading “Imprisonment for Public Protection Bill” →

Football Governance Bill

Published on by jonesjb

I do not like net zero. We are way past the time for net zero; we have to think about real zero. I know that this Labour Government have a real problem with understanding climate change. I am very happy to help them out at any time, with tutorials from scientists or meteorologists. In the meantime, this Bill fails to prepare football for one of the biggest challenges that it will face in the future. Giving the new regulator of the professional game a specific remit to consider climate change is a reasonable thing to do. It would send a signal to the Football Association that grass-roots football is also going to need resources to adapt to what is now happening to our climate Continue reading “Football Governance Bill” →

House of Lords Reform

Published on by jonesjb

When we have a House that is undemocratic, overcrowded, dominated by silly archaic practices and unrepresentative of the British population, we should be careful about which changes we make. We need a smaller House and a second Chamber that is representative of the regions, elected by a form of proportional representation and operating in a modern parliamentary building, rather than a 200 year-old museum that threatens either to fall down or to burn down. We should have term limits, all be elected and be limited in size very carefully. Getting rid of the hereditaries is only a tweak when our system is still open to exploitation by Prime Ministers, who can give titles to party donors and those who have provided political favours. It is a terrible process, and that is where Labour should have started, if it was really serious about positive change here. Continue reading “House of Lords Reform” →

Drax Power Limited: Ofgem Investigation

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Continue reading “Drax Power Limited: Ofgem Investigation” →

Crown Estate Bill Report Stage

Published on by jonesjb

It is unconscionable that the Crown Estate should be profiting from the factory farming of salmon. It is clear that the current rules for the Crown Estate are not good; they are not good enough for the environment or for animal welfare, they are not working to protect to salmon populations from this toxic industry. Continue reading “Crown Estate Bill Report Stage” →