Dear Green Party friends
I suggest James Windridge for our candidate for Metro Mayor on 6 May 2021!
Twelve months ago, at the General Election hustings for the Halesowen and Rowley Regis constituency, I think James, Bill McC and John P will confirm that I was giving my support and agreement to our candidate, then. I sat next to him. He had prepared well, with notes and was excellent in speaking up when it was his turn. He was much better than me. I made it clear that I wanted no votes and I was there to speak up for the UK's last mainline railway that needed finishing rather than spoilt with Metro trams, only 3.3 Kms from where we were sitting (see my map, below).
Our first Black Country Green councillor, Will Duckworth, was fully in agreement with trains and stations being returned to the Black Country Railway that ran through his ward. He was brilliant in all his ward work for his Netherton community.
More recently than Will's time, James wrote to say that he liked my banner in this photo:
Railway bridge in place and the motorway in use since December 2003 -
The up line was probably nicked by metal thieves:
I, therefore, assume that he, James agrees with me over commuter and regional trains returning to railway lines, like the 120 Kms Black Country Railway that has been built but where the authorities have clean forgotten to finish the job with trains and stations.
I hope, as GP members that you understand the importance of not wasting resources, minimising their use and, thereby, minimising emissions of very dangerous greenhouse gases. Our most basic principle is to avoid, at all costs, the childish showing off that we see from other political parties with their grossly extravagant, over-indulgent, let's puff out our chests to show how rich and powerful we are, infrastructure projects like HS2, Metro and diesel Sprint buses. They are vanity projects that worsen the climate emergency that threatens life on earth. Things are that urgent. That is why I take every and any opportunity, like elections, to warn of danger ahead and what, in my opinion, should be done.
If all of you feel able to go along with this, I will take every opportunity to ask, in any Zoom hustings I might be invited to, for the Green candidate to get the hearers' votes because I certainly don't want them. In hope that your candidate opposes extensions of HS2, Metro and diesel Sprint buses, I will then not go ahead with becoming a confirmed Independent candidate for the 6 May Mayoral election. To be honest, with the virus being as prevalent and as virulent as ever, I don't fancy knocking on doors to ask for signatures, anyway. But Zoom hustings are fun for trying to influence the decision-makers. And I will support the GP candidate at every opportunity I can.
I would like replies, please to read your own thoughts about these vital, deep Green principles and practice that have been at the core of my political being since I became a life member, first of Friends of the Earth and, then of the Green Party in the 1980s, if I remember the decade correctly.
With best wishes - and please let me read what you think, rather than only one or two ever replying.
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