Women Unite! Reclaim the Night!

Here's a picture of Sian Berry and me at last night's 'Reclaim the Night' march in central London. I hope the blurriness of the pictures conveys the energised atmosphere of the event - ! I attended the march last year and really enjoyed it. This year I took some Green Party placards along too, as you can see.

I wondered whether, by having the placards, we would get questioned about the Green Party's liberal policies about prostitution. I know that we've come in for some criticism in the past about this, and that some branches of feminsim, who would never want to see prostitution decriminalised/legalised, are very much against our standpoint.

We didn't get any comments, as it turned out, though the issue was very much in the air last night. Some sex workers, possibly from the English Collective of Prostitutes, took part in the march, much to some of the organisers' chagrin. (I overheard a heated discussion at the end of the event!).

When we passed the lapdancing club Spearmint Rhino on Tottenham Court Road (see top picture), the two rival groups chanted opposing messages to the tune of 'Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!"

Sex workers: "Sex Workers Riiiiiiights!"

Anti-prostitution feminists: "Women's bodies are not for saaa-aaale!"

It was quite a moment. For the record, I'm with the sex workers on this. As Cari Mitchell from the English Collective of Prostitutes wrote in a letter to the Guardian just this week, 'There is no sisterly understanding of, no identification with, women who for a variety of reasons, but mostly because of presssing economic need, work in the sex industry...Many clients are more respectful of the women whose services they pay for than feminists who claim to speak for us.'

It's a massively contentious issue, and obviously there's a world of difference between a woman who enters the sex industry of her own volition and someone who is forced into it, but wishing that prostitution didn't exist is pointless. It will always be there - we need to look at it openly and listen to women - and men, for that matter - who have experience of it - rather than trying to drown out their voices.

Haringey Council and Baby P

I was completely sickened, as I'm sure most people were, to hear of the case of Baby P. I can hardly bear to think of how much that child must have suffered. And here we have Haringey council again saying "lessons will be learnt". Wait a minute...I am experiencing deja vu. Did they not say that after the death of Victoria Climbie, eight years ago?

I do not understand how two social workers could have been given 'written warnings'. Just what do you need to do to get sacked from Haringey council? If these social workers are at all to blame (which, I assume, they must be, hence the written warnings), then how can there possibly be a grey area? If the death, and the long-term abuse of a baby is not grounds for sacking, it must literally be impossible for council employees to lose their jobs. Why?

I have tonight written to Ed Balls, highlighting what I, as a Haringey resident, see as a council in crisis:

Dear Mr Balls,

I email you as a resident of Haringey. I was very upset but unfortunately not surprised to hear of the terrible plight of Baby P. I have lived in the borough of Haringey for over two years and have been appalled at their inefficiency, lack of accountability, poor 'customer' care and evident lack of direction.

Haringey council is in crisis, and it's just a tragedy that this had to happen in order to highlight that. My own dealings with both the council and Homes for Haringey, the ALMO in charge of council housing in the borough, have again and again shown that here is an organisation that covers up - often in a very corrupt manner - any problems it has rather than dealing with them. It is a council that repeatedly claims it will 'learn from its mistakes' but fails to do so.

I cannot strongly urge you enough to take over control of the social services division in Haringey. Haringey cannot be trusted to even fullfil day to day, mundane requirements. I implore you not to put the lives of vulnerable children into the hands of people who do not know what they are doing, and do not care.

Yours Sincerely, Sarah Mitchell

P.S. I would like to add that earlier this year my local baby clinic was closed down, and the reason sighted by Haringey PCT was 'health and safety' problems with the building. The same building is still being used for other health teams. Documents unearthed by a ward councillor show that Haringey had earmarked the clinic for closure several years ago. At the time of the closure, one of the health workers said to me "There will be problems with babies we will miss because people won't have a clinic to go to. It is no exaggeration to say that a baby could lose its life because of this decision."

Fivers for Drivers

This picture was taken last Thursday morning outside a petrol station near Old Street, London. What am I doing? Handing a fiver to a driver, of course. Why? It was part of a stunt to highlight that if Geoff Hoon, minister of transport, stands strong on EU emissions targets, it will save drivers of new cars in 2010 around £160 a year each on petrol and diesel bills. That's £382 million pounds altogether. Blimey.

The fact is, if cars are made to be cleaner, they will not only benefit the environment, but drivers' pockets also. It's a classic case of the economic argument and the environment going hand in hand, rather than, as is often assumed, in opposition.

So there we were, handing out actual fivers to drivers, and asking them to sign a postcard to Hoon, asking him to be a brave boy. The postcards were mocked-up fivers, with Hoon in the Queen's pearls, tiara and sporting her fetching bouffant.

It's funny how suspicious people sometimes are when you try to give them money. Some, however, didn't have too many qualms. Indeed, one guy crashed his van into a bollard in his eagerness to get his mitts on the moolah.

Please do send a card to Hoon - we had lots of them printed!

See: www.wearefutureproof.org.uk

Fivers for Drivers!

By-elections, babies, banners...boobs.

I've neglected my blog for the last couple of weeks, so now it's time for an update. I was out 'till 1am this morning due to the Kentish Town by-election, where the Greens came third. It was a disappointing result, but with the Lib Dems doing their usual 50,000 leaflets per household, we were really up against it. I have never been part of a full 'telling' and 'knocking up' operation before, so it was very educational! Also, it feels good to be part of a team, all working for the same goal. I also love to see 'democracy in action', as lofty as that sounds. It's heartening to see couples and families coming to vote together on a freezing, dark night.

Rather less heartening was the presence of the BNP, who had a candidate standing. I wouldn't have wanted to have been a member of an ethnic minority walking around the (incredibly ill-lit) streets of Kentish Town last night, I can tell you. Just the very presence of those thugs is truly intimidating. But I expect that's partly their goal in life, to be threatening. If so, mission accomplished.

On a different topic, I have been researching maternity services in the UK, and putting together one of the major campaigns I am going to be running this year in the Green Party. Called 'Birth Right' (website coming soon - I hope!), I am going to be highlighting the problems of giving birth on the NHS, and pushing the viable solutions. The Independent Midwives Association have some excellent ideas, and I have been in touch with them today.

Another thing that's been taking up much of my time is preparing for the Campaign Against Climate Change march on 6th December. Placards, leaflets...Oh, and green hard hats!

As a post-script - I visited my favourite shop in the world today (ok, maybe I exaggerate slightly), Radio Days on Lower Marsh Street in Waterloo. It sells vintage clothes, ornaments, jewellery, telephones etc. Anyway, it's amazing. I'd recently read that with the credit crunch upon us, now was the time to shamelessly haggle with shopkeepers. Well, I saw a fellow female shopper take that to another level, when she asked for two cigarette holders for the price of one "and I'll show you my right tit." The poor fellow behind the counter was truly taken aback and politely declined the offer. I was a bit embarrassed for him really, but you have to admit it's a novel approach in these tough economic times...

Yesterday: Climate Rush! Today: Canvassing!

I attended Climate Rush last night. 1oo years since the Suffragettes 'rushed' at Parliament, we rushed at the Houses of Parliament (cue much argy-bargy) to protest about Climate Change. "Deeds not Words!" was the rallying cry. It was a really inspiring event with many a period costume and more children present than at your usual protest - and that can only be a good thing. More cakes as well.

Caroline Lucas gave a great speech as did Rosie Boycott. I saw Tamsin Ormond being arrested (again!). It was a brilliant idea and got much press - top story on BBC London last night.

I spent today canvassing in Kentish Town, in advance of the by-election on 30th October. It's us versus those dodgy Lib Dems (anyone fancy a trip to Arizona? That's where your Lib Dem will be holding his surgeries from now on....). They've already been touting old statistics as new ones, and saying that they've "saved" the Torriano pub when in fact it's far from saved. Politics, shmolitics - but it was great to hit the doorsteps and meet the voters. We got some positive feedback which is always a boost.

Fame, Bitter Fame...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2008/09/28/st_politicsoffashion.xml&page=3

Dressed in blue in the Sunday Torygraph....They vetoed my green dress, you see.