Jayne Forbes, Hornsey and Wood Green, Green Party

Link / contact details for potential supporters  

Tel: 020 8347 5778

i.
what do you think is the most important issue in this election?

2 main issues: climate change and inequality between rich and poor, in the world.

ii.
why did you make the decision to stand in this constituency and for this
party (as an independent)?

Have been a member of Green party for 20 years because of their radical policies. Lived in the constituency for last 20 years.

iii.
what kind of vote are you expecting on May 5th?

Hope to achieve over 5%.

iv.
aside from the vote what are you hoping to get out of this campaign?

Raised awareness of these important issues, government acknowledgement that something must be done.

v.
in your view what is the greatest threat to our civil liberties at the
moment?

Where do I start:

Changes in the legal system - access to justice.

Increased surveillance as a result of 'terrorism'.

Increased power of USA.

vi.
Blair has taken us to war three times since coming to power (not including
the occasional ad hoc bombing raid) in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Can war ever be justified?

I find it hard to say never, but there are not many circumstances, the 3 wars identified were not justified.

vii.
There is very little left to privatise in this country, if you had your way
what would be brought into public hands?

viii.
Some environmental campaigners have started talking about nuclear power as a way to bring down CO2 emissions - what do you think of this?

I do not believe nuclear power is the way forward. We need to reduce our dependence on energy consumption and use renewable energy instead.

ix.
Asylum and immigration will be central issues in this election.
What action on this issue would you like to see the next government push through?

As well as supporting the right to asylum, it is essential to address the underlying causes which result in asylum seeking. These include war, the arms trade, environmental devastation, the consequences of past colonial actions and human rights abuses. Asylum and refugee policy should honour fully the right to asylum enshrined in the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (as amended by the 1967 Protocol). Refugee status should therefore be offered to applicants who, owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, are outside their country of nationality and are unable or, owing to this fear, are unwilling to return to it.

Refugee and asylum policy should be extended to use the 1969 Organisation of African Unity definition of a refugee. The Organisation of African Unity extends the definition of a refugee by adding "every person who, owing to external aggression, occupation, foreign domination or events seriously disturbing public order in either part or the whole of his country of origin or nationality, is compelled to leave his place of habitual residence in order to seek refuge in another place outside his country of origin or nationality".

Where residence is granted for humanitarian reasons to those who do not meet the definition of a refugee, they should normally be given equal rights to those with refugee status. Residence for humanitarian reasons (known as "exceptional leave to remain") should not be used to avoid granting refugee status.



x.
What question do you wish was on this list but doesn't appear?

 

April 2005