Education in Bracknell

I note the comments in last week's Bracknell Standard by the Headmaster of
Wellington College, Dr Seldon, that schools independent of the state sector "cream off the best pupils, the best teachers, the best facilities and the best university places". I commend his honesty.

What seems truly awful is that these schools are still given charitable status by the Government. The effect of this privilege is that charitable status saves independent schools £100 million each year in tax breaks. Why should already over-taxed UK citizens subsidise those rich enough to pay for their children to get the educational benefits described by Dr Seldon?

When the Labour Party came to power in 1997, it had been said that something would be done about this anomalous situation. It was a broken promise, possibly because Tony Blair was himself a pupil at a top independent school. Of course the Conservatives would not change things as so many members of David Cameron's Shadow Cabinet went to Eton and the like.

As with lots of other longstanding political nonsense, (e.g. Members of Parliament deciding their own pay and pensions) this is something that needs changing. The rich should not be allowed to get richer in this way.

David Young
The Green Party General Election candidate for Bracknell.

EDM 220 withdrawl of primary healthcare from asylum seekers

Dear Sir,

The Government wishes to withdraw primary healthcare from asylum seekers.

The effect of this measure would not only harm many unwell and damaged people who need GP care, but also have incalculable long term 'invisible' public costs: greatly increased demands on emergency care/A&E departments, dangerous deterioration and public health risks of serious illnesses, and expensive chronic treatment later on. I believe this proposal is both unwise and inhumane.

Please help to prevent this happening by signing Early Day Motion 220 below.

Best wishes, David Young
"Access to Health Care for Vulnerable Migrants - What needs to be done?"

Gerrard, Neil
That this House notes the commitment by the Home Office and the Department of Health to a joint review of overseas visitor access to the National Health Service, now due for publication in December 2007; recalls the findings of the Joint Committee on Human Rights' Tenth Report of Session 2006-07 that the current arrangements for overseas visitor access deny healthcare to vulnerable individuals, including asylum seekers and their children, resulting in various breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights; applauds the Trade Union Congress's NHS Together campaign to defend the achievements of the free NHS; and supports the charity coalition campaign co-ordinated by the medical charity Medact against any measures that would compel general practitioners, and other primary care staff, to be forced to charge refused asylum seekers or other vulnerable foreign nationals for NHS care.

Climate Change, Flooding the inconvenient truth

I feel so sorry for all the people badly affected by the recent floods. How awful to have cars and homes ruined. It will cost a lot of money to put right. We will all have to pay higher insurance premiums but much worse than that will be the misery experienced by those unfortunate people who suffered recently.

Our planet is getting hotter. We all know this. More water than before is evaporated as the oceans get warmer. The increased temperature of the atmosphere means that clouds can get much bigger before they need to disgorge their wetness on the earth below. Hence the larger rain storms and floods experienced all over the world, including last week in Bracknell. To understand the problem I urge readers to borrow the DVD "An Inconvenient Truth" from their local library.

We all have to do our bit to help future generations by reducing the impact of climate change. After a poor start, Council policies on recycling have shown improvements over the last four years. This has been with the encouragement of the Bracknell Green Party which has, over the last few months, suggested further changes to Council procedures.

One suggested enhancement is the weekly collection of food and vegetable waste in a special container. Such waste should not be sent to landfill. Many properties in the Borough do not have the space for composting and so BFBC should take responsibility for this form of recycling rather than encourage people to put such biodegradable material into their rubbish bin.

From David Young, 9 Haywood, Bracknell. Tel 01344 456489

Tax and Politics

Last week was special with the awarding of the Nobel Peace prize and our main political parties getting all worked up about inheritance tax. I can understand people wanting to pass down their wealth to their children and grandchildren but surely there is a limit. If people pay less inheritance tax, the Government will be forced to take its money by some other tax or just spend less money on public services. Everyone will lose and not just those lucky enough to be able to pass on several hundreds of thousands of pounds after they die. Is that fair?

But what sort of world will there for those benefitting from inheritance tax? Unless something is done about climate change, our planet will be awful place in 50 years time. Preventing this catastrophe should be the main worry of UK politicians rather than trying to buy votes at the next election by the nonsense of promising better public services whilst reducing taxation.

Thankfully the world is not so short sighted as UK politicians as is shown by the award, also this week, of the Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore for his warnings on climate change. I urge readers to borrow the Oscar winning DVD "An Inconvenient Truth" from their local library.

David Young, The Green Party General Election candidate for Bracknell.
9 Haywood, Bracknell, RG12 7WG. Phone 01344 456489

Bracknell Bus Services

What is going wrong with the Bracknell buses? Yesterday my bus was 25 minutes late going into town but the man waiting on the other side of Ringmead was more fortunate as his bus was delayed by only 15 minutes. When I was coming back from Bracknell, the bus was cancelled. Usually the reason is the lack of bus drivers. (The Conservative Party leader should take note that his demand to massively reduce the number of immigrants into UK may not be welcomed by those of us who need them as health workers, bus drivers, teachers, to work on dwellings etc.) Bracknell Forest Borough Council must take its share of the blame due to its minimalistic approach to the need for additional affordable housing in the Borough. It's all very well for those who have houses but what about the needs of their children and the many people who work in Bracknell but cannot afford to live here. And why has the Labour Government done so little about our need for additional affordable housing in its 10 years of power?

David Young, The Green Party General Election candidate for Bracknell.
From David Young, 9 Haywood, Bracknell, RG12 7WG. Phone 01344 456489.

GREEN PARTY SELECTS FIRST EVER GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATE FOR BRACKNELL

The East Berkshire Green Party has selected its first ever Green Party General Election Candidate for the Bracknell parliamentary constituency. He is David Young who has lived in Birch Hill for 25 years. David was a company secretary before he retired and has been a Green Party candidate in five local elections in Birch Hill and Hanworth.

David said 'I am thrilled to have been selected as a general election candidate for Bracknell. It seems essential that we cherish our children and grandchildren by giving them a planet that will be fit for human habitation in 50 years time. The other political parties mostly care about increasing their share of the votes at the next election. By standing as a Green Party candidate, I will give an option to those voters who think that long term issues are more important.'

From David Young, East Berkshire Green Party Secretary, 9 Haywood, Bracknell. Tel 01344 456489.

David Young is the Green Party candidate for Hanworth. For 6 years he has been a governor at Birch Hill Primary School. He has been active in our community since he moved to Birch Hill in 1982, and been an adviser on all topics at the Bracknell Citizens Advice Bureau, Secretary of the Birch Hill and Hanworth Community Liaison Group and worked physically with the Bracknell Conservation Volunteers.

David Young has been at the forefront of three campaigns that have improved the environment in Hanworth and Birch Hill. South Lake is now cleaner, abandoned supermarket trolleys are collected sooner and there is less litter. He and others do regular litter picks.

David's present concern is the lack of affordable housing in the Bracknell area. This leads to local shortages in many occupations. The high cost of housing affects most people's lives, as they have to spend a large proportion of their disposable income on their homes. Now we need more dwellings on brown field sites, particularly for key workers and young people starting out in adult life.

David, 62, keeps fit by jogging (his 2005 Bracknell Half Marathon time was 1 hour, 57 minutes). He was an I.T. specialist and chartered secretary during his working life. He is married to Pauline who worked for Fujitsu/ICL for 25 years. Between 1982 and 1995 their sons Chris and Alex went to Birch Hill and Easthampstead Park Schools, and then on to Oxford University. The family supports Reading Football Club.

Vote David YOUNG

Green Party

X

Promoted and printed by David Young, 9 Haywood, Bracknell RG12 7WG

A message from David Young, the Green Party candidate:

May I thank residents who've done one or more of the following:

· Reported abandoned supermarket trolleys and full litter bins

· Cleared up after their dogs have made a "mess"

· Removed glass and litter from the local paths and open spaces

· Signed the petitions after the closures of the Johnstone Court Day Care Centre for the elderly and the toilets at Birch Hill Shops

· Supported my 5 year campaign to improve Bracknell recycling.

If you elect me I will:

· Continue to suggest yet more improvements to the Borough recycling schemes (we should aim for zero waste)

· Ask for a zero tolerance policy towards antisocial behaviour

· Campaign for additional affordable housing on brown field sites

· Demand that new Bracknell buildings are fully energy efficient

· Call for the introduction of a 10p levy at local supermarkets on all new plastic bags taken by customers: 5p to be retained by the supermarket to reduce prices, 5p to reduce Council Tax.

Voting for the Green Party says that old dogmas and "spin" as practised by other political parties are not the answer to today's problems. We must take back control of our own lives and not allow ourselves to be ruled by the power of big businesses and the media, remote central government and the lottery of market forces – is anyone proud of what our rail and road systems have been allowed to become under both Conservative and Labour?

Only by voting for the Green Party can we keep up the pressure for real change to meet the needs of the planet for future decades.

Green Party councillors have been elected across the UK. Dr Caroline Lucas is one of our representatives in the European Parliament.

You are welcome to contact me at 9 Haywood (phone 456489) to tell me about local matters you are concerned about.

You can protect future generations by voting Green Party.

Please vote for me, David Young. Many thanks.

Maidenhead Transition Town