By- Election imminent LUCAS arrested at Balcombe.

[Not Andy Naylor]

The time for setting up renewable energy was 10 years ago, now the infrastructure is so delayed we need to heavily invest in nucleur, or continue to use oil and coal and look to a very bleak future.

Agree with Hamilton, we need a strong leader on this issue, unfortunately that's not going to happen.

One word: Fukushima.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Presumably you're not a refuse collector or anyone who worked' in a council run fitness centre. What hypocrit she is, complains in parliament about government cuts whilst cutting local services and pay in her own back yard. She s on a bandwagon, came to Brighton to get a seat, has no real local knowledge and sometimes appears quite irrational in her arguements. Reckon she'll be gone next election, her partys' policies are costing the good folk of Brighton and Hove a lot of money.

Your understanding of the facts is remarkable.

 

[Hillian1]

One word: Fukushima.

One word: Tsunami.

 

[Screaming J]

According to the latest Private Eye ... the landowner is Simon Greenwood, who inherited the Balcombe estate from his mother, who was gifted it by the Cowdray estate, as a dowry. Simon Greenwood is a Balcombe Parish Councillor, and was a party to the decision of the Parish Council not to object to the planning application by Cuadrilla for permission to drill - although there is no record of a declaration of interest by Mr Greenwood at the time, nor is there a formal record in the minutes of the Council of the matter even being discussed. The only public record of the Parish Council's decision not to object is a letter from the Council to WSCC Planning Officers saying that "the matter was discussed at the last regular meeting" and there was "no objection".

As a former parish councillor myself, I would say without hesitation that even the smallest of parishes would normally alert local people about a proposal such as this, while there is still time to object. On this occasion, for some reason, Balcombe Parish Council seem to have reached the decision not to object, without any local consultation at all. It was surely the responsibility of Councillor Greenwood and his colleagues at least to tell local people about the fact that a planning application had been passed to them to express the views of the locals to the planning authority?

The fact that there was no objection from the Parish Council (or any local people) allowed West Sussex County Council to grant planning permission without even referring the application to a meeting of its own councillors.

Something smells.

So no minutes were taken regarding the decision or how it was reached? Aren't publicly-elected bodies required by law to make a record of their meetings?

They do, but Parish Councils being pretty low in the pecking order of Local Govt and not having ,much clout, this probably isn't policed very effectively.

And isn't there form for Parish Councils in Sussex not acting according to the laws of minuting meetings and or public accountability? Didn't Falmer Parish Council do summat similar during consideration of the Planning Application for Falmer?

 

[BLOCK F]

Or perhaps the energy will be disseminated by fuel companies that make over a billion pounds profit per year, when there is ample solar, wind and tide energy to power the country with no environmental impact

Ample solar,wind and tide energy?
Dream on,Spun.

 

[BLOCK F]

The logical line.

A rarity in the country - a conviction politician.

Tiddles, on the other hand doesn't understand politics - sadly, he takes far too many morons on this board with him.

Hmm,a conviction politician who may turn out to be a politician with a conviction!

 

[Westdene Seagull]

And isn't there form for Parish Councils in Sussex not acting according to the laws of minuting meetings and or public accountability? Didn't Falmer Parish Council do summat similar during consideration of the Planning Application for Falmer?

My memory is slightly rusty but I believe they held a public meeting but prevented anyone they didn't know going to it.

 

[London Irish]

MPs are law makers, and as such, should be beyond reproach. Lucas can not pick the laws she will obey and the ones she will not

I think you should learn a bit more about British history, in this country we have a long and celebrated tradition of reform through breaking bad laws going back many centuries, bread riots against corn laws, the many Chartist protests for adult suffrage, the suffragettes, CND/nuclear weapons, poll tax non-payment etc etc

The idea that we have a perfect democracy now that requires no protest action outside Parliament is pretty naive.

We have mass alienation from party politics where people can barely tell the difference between the main parties and we have MPs and political parties bought up by big business lobby interests with second jobs and campaign contributiions while they corruptly award themselves all manner of dodgy payments and expenses.

The likes of Lucas do stand apart from that cesspit of corruption and corporate back-scratching that pollutes democracy in this country.

 

[beorhthelm]

One word: Fukushima.

two words: thorium reactors.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

two words: thorium reactors.

And the U233 and Pa233?

 

[Buzzer]

I'm a right-winger who would never dream of voting for the Greens but I've got to say that I think Caroline Lucas is justified in joining the protesters as far as I can see. For a start, her entire politics is based on environmental issues and this seems to be a pretty big issue (I don't have an opinion on fracking as I know sod all about it) so it's exactly what she went into politics for. You can't really claim that she's just doing it for the publicity. The clue is in the name of her party.

Secondly, it might not be her constituency but it's close enough for her to justify her involvement. And thirdly, she's extremely high-profile so brings media attention to the issue and may also make the police think twice before some of the excesses that they like to add to policing demonstrations.

She's a very good local MP, shame that her local party have damaged her chances of re-election next time.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

She's a very good local MP, shame that her local party have damaged her chances of re-election next time.

I don't think they have. She's proven herself as a decent MP, I think she'll get re-elected.

The local shambolic idiots are a different matter entirely - poles apart from Lucas.

 

[spring hall convert]

I'm a right-winger who would never dream of voting for the Greens but I've got to say that I think Caroline Lucas is justified in joining the protesters as far as I can see. For a start, her entire politics is based on environmental issues and this seems to be a pretty big issue (I don't have an opinion on fracking as I know sod all about it) so it's exactly what she went into politics for. You can't really claim that she's just doing it for the publicity. The clue is in the name of her party.

Secondly, it might not be her constituency but it's close enough for her to justify her involvement. And thirdly, she's extremely high-profile so brings media attention to the issue and may also make the police think twice before some of the excesses that they like to add to policing demonstrations.

She's a very good local MP, shame that her local party have damaged her chances of re-election next time.

Spot on.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I don't think they have. She's proven herself as a decent MP, I think she'll get re-elected.

The local shambolic idiots are a different matter entirely - poles apart from Lucas.

I thought Ania Kitcat was the only Pole who'd been elected to the City Council. Are the rest of the Green Group hiding something?

 

[SeagullinExile]

I usually back u up HBaB, but on this one you are wrong. She's making a stand for something she believes in. I suggest you do some research into fracking and then call for a reasoned debate on the subject before calling for a bi-election!

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I suggest you do some research into fracking and then call for a reasoned debate on the subject before calling for a bi-election!

I have no idea what a bi-election is but it sounds like the sort of thing a lot of the guys on here would vote for in droves.

 

[Dandyman]

Disgraceful " sitting in the back of a Police van screeching " do,you know who I am?" No love, none of your constituents have a clue.

Whenever anyone forgets the reason for Nye Bevan's famous quote about the Tories, Timmy obligingly pops up.

 

[Dandyman]

I'm a right-winger who would never dream of voting for the Greens but I've got to say that I think Caroline Lucas is justified in joining the protesters as far as I can see. For a start, her entire politics is based on environmental issues and this seems to be a pretty big issue (I don't have an opinion on fracking as I know sod all about it) so it's exactly what she went into politics for. You can't really claim that she's just doing it for the publicity. The clue is in the name of her party.

Secondly, it might not be her constituency but it's close enough for her to justify her involvement. And thirdly, she's extremely high-profile so brings media attention to the issue and may also make the police think twice before some of the excesses that they like to add to policing demonstrations.

She's a very good local MP, shame that her local party have damaged her chances of re-election next time.

Well said.

 

[BadFish]

I think you should learn a bit more about British history, in this country we have a long and celebrated tradition of reform through breaking bad laws going back many centuries, bread riots against corn laws, the many Chartist protests for adult suffrage, the suffragettes, CND/nuclear weapons, poll tax non-payment etc etc

The idea that we have a perfect democracy now that requires no protest action outside Parliament is pretty naive.

We have mass alienation from party politics where people can barely tell the difference between the main parties and we have MPs and political parties bought up by big business lobby interests with second jobs and campaign contributiions while they corruptly award themselves all manner of dodgy payments and expenses.

The likes of Lucas do stand apart from that cesspit of corruption and corporate back-scratching that pollutes democracy in this country.

Well said. It saddens me that protesting is sneer at by the very people who will benefit from the efforts of those who have the gumption to get out there and make a stand for what they believe in.

Good on you Caroline Lucas!

 

[BadFish]

Ample solar,wind and tide energy?
Dream on,Spun.

I would describe it as ample........we just have to work out how to get it

Our Sun pumps about 386 billion million gigawatts into space, mostly in the form of electromagnetic radiation. By comparison, a large nuclear reactor generates about 1 gigawatt, and global energy consumption is a few thousand gigawatts. This energy output is typical for a star in the same class as our Sun.
http://www.wisegeek.com/how-much-energy-does-the-sun-generate.htm

Every hour the sun beams onto Earth more than enough energy to satisfy global energy needs for an entire year.
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com.au/environment/global-warming/solar-power-profile/

Of course it doesn't matter where we get the energy from it all originates from the sun.