Kemptown Ben's Green Blog

Latest Labour assault on science: Gov't sacks drugs advisor

2009-11-07T00:02:00.004Z

Unbelievable, really. The Home Secretary Alan Johnson has sacked a scientific advisor on drugs for observing that alcohol is more dangerous than cannabis, and that horse-riding is more dangerous than taking ecstasy.

Is it any wonder we have such a problem with alcohol use when the Government is refusing, yet again, to take seriously the advice of scientists?

Nationally, alcohol is a disaster for the health of both people and wider communities.

Recent reports say alcohol will directly claim more than 90,000 lives over the next decade. The figures don't include drink-related accidents or deaths from illnesses which have been exacerbated by alcohol consumption.

Here in Brighton and Hove things are even worse than average: five children a week are admitted to casualty as a direct result of alcohol abuse.

Earlier this year I joined forces with Sussex Police to take part in a Government consultation on the rules governing alcohol sales.

We argued for a ban on supermarkets selling cheap alcohol at below costs price (a recent study showed that cheap strong alcohol was being sold for as little as 17p a unit) - and a prohibition of drink promotions that saw prices fall the more you drank.

But of course the Government ignored us entirely.

Last year, I persuaded Brighton and Hove Council to investigate the extent of alcohol-related harm to children and young people in the city, and why it seemed to be worse in Moulsecoomb, Whitehawk and Kemptown than central Brighton or Hove.

A scrutiny panel was established, and we heard from doctors, teachers, parents, landlords and off-licencees - and, of course, children themselves.

We made a number of recommendations - particularly that schools should provide more information for parents about the extent of teengae drinking, that substance misuse efforts should concentrate on alcohol use rather than cannabis (a casualty doctor from the Royal Sussex told us he'd never heard of a cannabis-related hospital admission), that the council should fund more services for young people, and that the city centre's 'Cumulative Impact Area' - in which the presumption is against saying yes to any new off-licenses or pubs - should be extended to cover Hanover, Elm Grove and Preston Park.

Our full report is available here.

I hope the local Tories have a slightly more evidence-based approach locally, and stop banging on about the bogeyman of cannabis, and we might just be able to buck the national trend and try and reduce some of the ill-effects alcohol is having on kids here in Brighton.

New push-bike parking spaces coming to George Street

2009-11-06T20:38:00.000Z

Finally, provision for cyclists in the St James's Street Area looks set to increase, with ten new designated parking spaces for pedal bikes in George Street.

Green councillors have long argued that the council simply must fund secure parking places for bikes, both so cyclists have somewhere to leave their bikes, and to make cycling a more attractive option as an alternative to car use in the town centre.

Finally the argument has prevailed - for the St James's Street area, anyway.

Next stop: a proper, mandatory, physically marked, cycle-lane for Edward Street so cyclists aren't tempted to choose going against the traffic - and pedstrians' expectations - in St James's Street over a dangerous, busy dual carriageway!

A classic 'lose-lose' policy...

2009-11-06T12:33:00.002Z

I've just read a news item that so turns received wisdom about copyright on its head I just had to share it with you.

The Pirate Party UK are reporting that people who 'illegally' download music are, in fact, the music industry's best customers!

On average, according to the results of a study carried out by left-leaning think-tank Demos, people who share digital files are likely to spend more cash on copyrighted materials than those who don't: so misguided Labour plans to stamp out file-sharing are not only bad for Internet freedom and music, it seems they could hit the music industry where it hurts too. I think that's what you call a 'lose-lose' policy.

Greens and Pirate Party lead EU charge for Internet freedom

2009-11-06T12:04:00.001Z

Sometimes something unexpected happens in politics which re-affirms your belief in the political bedfellows you keep - I came across a small but heartening example of this yesterday, while musing over the Government's latest draconian attack on Internet freedom and discovering that the Green Party has been resisting it at EU level.

Last week, Busimness Secretary Peter Mandelson, fresh from holidaying with media mogul David Geffen, announced that the Government will be pressing ahead with its ideas of banning internet users who 'share' even little parcels of copyrighted material from using the internet at all.

God what a draconian response to a request from his rich mates to protect their markets - the truth is that it's the David Geffens of this world that have most to gain from enforcing out-dated copyright rules on digital files.

Banning file sharers from using the internet at all? That's like banning people who use adverts in magazines to break the law - those who promote cleaning services by illegally trafficked women, for example - from reading.

So I was delighted yesterday to discover that Mandy's plan looks set to breach the rules of a new EU telcoms package - and leading the charge for Internet users' rights have been the Greens and the Pirate Party.

It turns out that Green MEPs have been working closely with their coalition ally and Pirate Party MEP Christian Engström, to fight attempts to introduce the‘three strike’ rule for people who illegally download material.

Green Party leader and MEP Caroline Lucas, describing the proposals as “excessive”, said the proposal had been rejected by the European Parliament, but warned that the struggle for Internet freedom was far from over.

Speaking after the debate, she said: “Lord Mandelson’s draconian anti-piracy measures, which mirror the French ‘Hadopi’ internet piracy bill, are excessive – especially given the complex dynamics behind filesharing. The European Parliament must continue to stand up to the Council's blatant attempts to erode citizens' rights and deprive people of an essential service."

New Brighton-based online book review site goes live

2009-11-05T13:50:00.001Z

Last week, I launched a new website: Ben's Bookshop. The idea couldn't be simpler:

1. Launch a free blog

2. Post reviews of books I read on it

3. Make money from commission when ever anyone, inspired by the review, decides to buy a book there and then

So there you go then: Ben's Bookshop was born.

But the trouble is, enthusiasm to write the first few items - the one's no-one is ever likely actually to read - is in short supply. A week's gone by, the site boasts just two posts, and so far has had just 12 visitors (none of which, needless to say, has actually bought anything).

It looks like I'm going to have to be busy if I'm going to build the site into a useful web resource: a source for reliable and informative book reviews, concentrating especially on the fields of popular economics, politics and psychology. Guest posts and reviews are, of course, always welcome.

Meanwhile, while I build the content up a little, please consider making any Amazon-style online purchases via my site - not only are most prices discounted, but the commission I make will help fund my time to do entries on this site too.

Thanks, and sorry for selling.

Brighton Greens are here to stay - 'a force to be reckoned with', says Morning Star

2009-11-05T13:23:00.001Z

The Morning Star - rabble-rousing paper of record for the left leaning - has dubbed the Green Party 'a force to be reckoned with'.

In a profile of newly elected Hove Green party Councillor Alex Phillips (pictured), the paper finds an 'articulate, well presented, striking and passionate' socialist who was attracted to the Green Party by its human rights and social policies - not the environment at all.

The Morning Star has long been supportive of the Greens, up to a point, and carries regular news and columns from Caroline Lucas and Derek Wall.

But this is the first time, to my memory, the paper has accepted that we are an organised, left-wing, alternative to the Labour Party - and that we are here to stay.

I should really renew my subscription!

Why Gordon Brown won't resign

2009-11-05T11:24:00.000Z

There are many reasons why Gordon Brown won't resign before the General Election.

He's waited so long for the top job that now he's got it he can't bear let go so soon - and no-one in the Labour Party wants to make him.

Every player knows perfectly well that leading Labour into next year's General Election will mean presiding over a disastrous defeat - and no-one, not Mandelson, Harman, neither of the Milibands, wants that hanging round their necks.

This week we heard what the Prime Minister himself has to say on the subject.

In recent weeks more than 70,000 people signed a petition simply calling on the PM to resign. In answer, he said simply:

The Prime Minister is completely focussed on restoring the economy, getting people back to work and improving standards in public services. As the Prime Minister has consistently said, he is determined to build a stronger, fairer, better Britain for all.

Hardly a straight answer then, but I think that's a No. Simon Burgess will be pleased.

The Muse of Muesli Mountain

2009-11-05T08:42:00.000Z

A new voice has joined the blogosphere from up the road in Hanover: Green Councillor Bill Randall.

Bill, the Convenor of the 13-strong Green Group on Brighton and Hove City Council, is a journalist by trade, and promises to tell an interesting yarn or two from the Hanoverian's perspective.

His first offering covers the staple diet of local councillors around the world: dog shit.

Well worth a read.

Four 2010 by-elections at Brighton Council?

2009-11-04T13:18:00.008Z

The local Tories are, I understand, down to a shortlist of six candidates to fill the empty post of parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion.

The local association will, I'm told, whittle the list down to four before putting the candidates to a public vote.

I don't know who's on the shortlist - but I understand there's at least one local hat still in the ring.

It's something of a poison chalice. The vacancy was created after TV doctor David Bull dramatically quit the race earlier this year.

And it looks increasingly like whoever's selected will be beaten by Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas - just as the rest of the country return a Tory government for the first time in a political generation.

No-one wants to go down in history as the first in England and Wales to lose to a Green MP, of course!

If Caroline wins, she'll resign her European Parliament job in favour of Keith Taylor (pictured, left) - and that's bound to trigger a by-election in St Peters and North Laine.

But it might not be the only one. Of course, I'll stand down as a councillor here in Queen's park if I'm elected Brighton Kemptown MP, and Cllr Ian Davey is standing for the Green Party in Hove - and according to a 'tweet' from BBC South Political Editor Peter Henley, Moulsecoomb and Bevendean Councillor Maria Caulfield (pictured, right) is down to the shortlist of six to stand as Tory candidate in... wait for it... Gosport.

If she is selected, and wins, we'll be having a by-election in Moulsecoomb and Bevenden too - giving the Greens a chance to take yet another Tory seat.

Meanwhile, I guess Maria'll be too busy trying to win hearts and minds in Hampshire to make any more local gaffes (she recently admitted to a Guardian journalist that people hated the Tories and, I understand, she told a Kemp Town audience she was a Thatcherite) - let alone deal personally with residents' issues, or provide the political leadership for our massive housing division!

Whatever happens, 2010 is shaping up to be intersting, electorally at least!

New Chief Executive criticises City Council

2009-11-04T12:28:00.001Z

Last weekend Brighton and Hove City Council's new Chief Executive John Barradell stirred up something of a hornet's nest when he condemned the Conservative-led council's failures on basic service delivery in The Argus.

For some reason the piece doesn't seem to be online (funny that), but it described some of his experiences after moving to the city and trying to set up basic services for himself and his family with the council.

The description, taken from a speech given by Mr Barradell to Hove business leaders, said at one point an automated phone message told him no service was available outside Scotland.

I guess Council Leader Mary Mears will be fuming - but more enthusiastic, it seems, are senior council officers.

I've had two private conversations this week with senior officers who are delighted Mr Barradell seems committed to improving service delivery for everyone, even if it means facing some home truths about his political masters.

I'm inclined to agree: almost all the casework I get relates to getting the council just to do something they should have done already - and it's not always easy, as Mr Barradell found out for himself - even if you're the boss, let alone if you're not.

Satisfaction in our council will only improve when its staff, and political masters, get better at listening to residents and supporting communities according to what they hear.

Too many people, certainly in Kemptown, are fed up with a council that just isn't very good at getting even the basics right.

Bookies put money on Greens to win Brighton MP

2009-11-04T12:01:00.005Z

Pollsters and bookmakers have very different ways of predicting election results: both have lessons for those of us nerdy enough to follow the number-crunching details.

Gamblers and psephologists usually, but not always agree. There seems to be a growing consensus among both though that Brighton will return at least one Green MP to Westminster at the next election.

The Kemptown figures aren't available in the same way (well I don't know how to get that display, anyway) - but in neighbouring Brighton Pavilion, Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas is outright favourite to win at bookies Paddy Power and SkyBet and joint favourite at Ladbrokes.

I hope they are proved right. Green MPs for Brighton and Hove would be able to argue for a fairer city - and society: a win for everybody.

Sing out Brighton - to bring our troops home

2009-11-03T14:20:00.003Z

The NATO invasion of Afghanistan was legally mandated by the UN. As such it enjoyed my support, at first, principally in defence of human rights, women's rights - and to keep our streets from terrorist attacks.

But these objectives have, it seems, been abandoned in the face of failure - and the original mandate has little or nothing to do with the current military misadventure, which has seen more than 200 British troops come home in body bags.

As the Stop the War coalition has observed, NATO's operation in Afghanistan has descended into farce.

Gordon Brown and Barrack Obama have both congratulated Hamid Karzai (pictured) - a man they installed as Afghanistan's ruler in the first place - for winning an election they themselves have condemned as corrupt.

The group has launched a petition to the Prime Minister - and I hope Brighton will sing out, signing it in droves.

Brighton on the 'blogosphere

2009-11-03T13:36:00.003Z

At risk of being too self-referential, I thought I'd just post links to three other 'blogs this morning.

Brighton Politics Blog provides an anonymous commentary on all things political in Brighton and Hove, and in his (her?) latest post (s)he summarises some of the city's best political bloggers.

(S)he was quite kind to me: thanks for the namecheck BPB, if you're reading, and the advice (I'll make posts shorter now!).

He's missing one of the best political blogs though for a local take on national issues, that of Caroline Lucas, local MEP, Green Party Leader, and parliamentary candidate in Brighton Pavilion. You can find her blog here.

And finally, a new-ish Brighton and Hove news website has sprung up. I wish them well!

New era for Tarner Park

2009-11-02T16:38:00.000Z

This weekend years of work by the well-established Friends of Tarner Park group came to fruition when a new, graffiti free, ball court was officially opened.

One of the first controversies I cam across after I was elected to the council in 2007 was the vexed question of whether to enforce a ban on graffiti in Tarner Park.

The park had become internationally-renowned for its graffiti: the park looked great, and attracted visitors from across the country to add to the constantly-evolving public art exhibition.

But the deprived Tarner area was paying a price for the park having become little more than a graffiti zone: parents with young children, and others living nearby, were reluctant to use the park, and there were a number of health scares as graffiti artists left half-empty can lying around for children using either the adjacent nursery - or the park's own PlayBase, to find.

The rest of the city centre saw a massive increase in 'tagging' as well: though the work in Tarner Park was of a high artistic standard - those travelling by train to Tarner often left a trail of less attractive work on Trafalgar and Sussex Streets.

A survey of residents and park users organised by the 'Friends Of...' group found that most, reluctantly, wanted the graffiti to go.

So the ban was enforced - and it's clear the park has gne from strength to strength since.

There are events there every few weeks now: and the park is always busy. This weekend saw the new ball court opened, as a band played, and children took part in Halloween activities.

A classic case of an empowered community, supported by councillors, reclaiming green space for neighbourhood use.

But the graffiti gave pleasure to millions: not just those living nearby, and the artists themselves, but around the world via books and the internet.

And we, as a city, have a duty to provide alternate sites where unregulated graffiti is tolerated, somewhere central and accessible.

It's clear to me now that the costs outweighed the benefits of tolerating graffiti at Tarner Park, but that there'll have to be a new argument, informed by residents and all park-users, including the graffiti artists, before we close any more graffiti sites.

Government inspectors grant permission to bulldoze Brighton allotment site

2009-11-02T12:14:00.000Z

Government planning inspectors have stuck two fingers up at residents and campaigners by giving the go-ahead for building on the site of the former London Road allotments in Brighton.

The site, which has never before been built on, has become a haven for slow worms and other urban wildlife, according to the Friends of London Road Allotments (FLORA) group.

But alas no longer. Work bulldozing the site could start within weeks now, thanks to the Government decision - and other open spaces throughout the city could be next.

Cllr Amy Kennedy (pictured), who speaks for the Green councillors on planning issues, was quick to condemn the ruling:

“This bitterly disappointing decision comes after years of campaigning by residents, councillors and the FLORA group," she said.

“Now this urban oasis will be lost forever, and I have profound concerns for the preservation of other cherished open spaces in our city.”

"As a city, we are hemmed in by the sea and the South Downs, and these valuable pockets of wildlife habitat are quite rightly much-loved by the residents who live nearby.

“Sadly it may now become impossible for us to protect these sites, despite the best efforts of officers, councillors and residents alike. This is a grim day for the planning system in Brighton & Hove”.

Farming meat and dairy causes more than half world's greenhouse gas emissions

2009-11-01T17:09:00.006Z

A new study reckons the meat and dairy industry is responsible for more than half all climate change emissions - suggesting changing our diet could be the biggest single step we could take to warding off the most devastating impact of climate change.

The preliminary findings - released on World Vegan Day - of a study by two World Bank economists say previous estimates saying meat and dairy caused about a fifth of all carbon emissions underestimated the problem by more than half.

Of course, what people choose to eat is a personal matter - but Brighton and Hove City Council - and, nationally, the Government - should be doing everything they can to promote healthy, cheap, cruelty-free and climate-friendly vegetarian and vegan food as an alternative to meat.

As an absolute minimum that means offering and promoting vegan food at all city schools, museums and leisure centres and teaching all kids about veganism at council-run primary schools.

Time to end live animal exports...

2009-11-01T11:43:00.001Z

The campaign to stop live animal exports from Shoreham Harbour served to glavanize the local animal rights movement, but live exports - with all their inherent cruelty - continue apace.

Today I read that every year millions of Australian sheep are crammed onto ships bound for ports in the Middle East and North Africa. When they arrive, the sheep will be callously dragged to shore as if they were sacks of coal, and then they will have their throats cut whilst they are still conscious.

Picture a gentle sheep on a farm in Australia, the world's largest producer of Merino wool. One day, she is herded onto a crowded truck bound for a ship in a port city hundreds of miles away. For 24 hours or longer, she goes without any food or water. Her stomach aches and her mouth is dry as a bone, and she is constantly jolted and jarred. She is terrified, exhausted from sleep deprivation and stifled by the roasting heat inside the truck – with no idea what will befall her next.

Scared and desperately weak when she arrives at the port, she is herded into a feedlot. The "pellet" food wreaks havoc on her digestive system, causing stomach upset and diarrhoea, making her sicker and weakening her even more.

Eventually, she finds herself roughly herded onto a multi-tiered ship along with thousands of other sheep – strangers, not the family she has known. Because the sheep are packed together so tightly (a miserable three sheep per square metre), she is barely able to move. And that is how she stays for up to three weeks at sea – if she survives the gruelling journey.

The enclosed ship deck becomes as hot as an oven. The amount of urine and faeces on the floor grows every day. In a few days, her lungs and eyes are burning from the ammonia fumes, which are so strong they eventually cause her to lose her vision.

Some sheep on board die from starvation, others from heatstroke. In a bid to contain the diseases that run rampant on the ship, the workers often throw the bodies of the dead and dying into a macerator – a large mincing device – which grinds them up and flushes their remains out to sea.

The next stop for her is the live market, where she is sold to an unskilled slaughterer. In sheer terror, she smells the blood of other sheep all around her and tries to hobble away, but a man throws her to the ground and slashes her throat as she struggles to stay alive.

I'm glad, not for the first time, that I'm not a sheep.

It really is time for an international ban on all live exports.

Tesco caught telling porkies on planning

2009-10-31T17:01:00.000Z

Retail giant Tesco has been caught telling porkies again - this time in an information leaflet designed to persuade local residents to back plans for a controversial new superstore in Manningtree, Essex.

The ruling, by the Advertising Standards Authority, upheld a complaint that PR guff produced ahead of planning decisions is 'advertising' if it is designed to 'affect readers' perceptions' of the proposed development, and 'stop them objecting', and as such should be regulated by the Committee for Advertising Practice Code (CAP) in the same manner as other forms of advertising.

It then upheld some of a claim that the leaflet in question, which made claims about the environmental and socio-economic benefits the development would bring, information on local shopping trends and an invitation to send Tendring District Council thoughts on the plans, was 'inaccurate and misleading'.

Tesco had argued that it could say pretty much what is wanted, as the leaflet did not constitute advertising but was in fact 'public relations material' which was designed to inform the public about a proposed development and the associated planning procedure.

Another small legal victory then in the ongoing battles taking place between communities and Tesco stores up and down the country...

Three people a minute join Brighton Green Party campaign for fair pay for women

2009-10-31T11:28:00.000Z

Yesterday I joined forces with five of the city's Green Party councillors and party leader Caroline Lucas to tell Brighton rail users about the reality of low pay for women - and ask them to back our call for a change in the law.

In just 45 minutes almost 150 people signed our petition calling on parliament to tighten rules in the Equality Bill currently before it - that's about three people every minute.

We gave out both some food for thought: biscuits and cakes with a 17% ‘bite’ taken out to represent how much less women are paid than men - and information about the Green Party and our equalities campaigns.

Almost 40 years after the Equal Pay Act, women working full time across the UK now earn an average 17 per cent less per hour than men working full time. Over the course of the year, this equates to women receiving their last pay cheque on October 30th – while men are paid all year round.

This remarkable calculation has led Unison and the Fawcett Society to declare October 30th to be 'Equal Pay Day'.

They are calling for a change in the law to end this gender-based pay gap once and for all.

The truth is that despite the many laws and regulations in place to ensure equality in the workplace, too many women are still getting a raw deal.

As Caroline said:

"Greens believe the Bill must be amended to include measures such as mandatory pay audits comparing earnings between men and women and legal changes to make it much easier for women to take equal pay cases to court.”

Cllr Vicky Wakefield Jarrett, the Green’s spokesperson on Equalities, said:

“Making sure women are fairly rewarded for the work they do is about more than fair pay, it’s about building a society where gender doesn’t ever act as a barrier or a hindrance. Greens believe everyone should be treated with respect and value, regardless of their gender.”

“Equal pay for work of equal value must be more than a theoretical legal right, it must be a reality. While many employers - including Brighton & Hove City Council - have taken steps to ensure women are rewarded fairly, too many others have failed to take action.

“The Equality bill poses a great opportunity to ensure every employer takes action to end the gender pay gap.”

The response was fantastic (even the Network Rail manager who moved us on did so with a smile): it seemed as though everyone we asked was prepared to back the campaign for equal pay. Its clear there’s huge public support out there for a change in law to ensure women get a fair deal.

Too many women are being paid too little for hard work, and it’s high time the Government did something about it. The sheer number of people prepared to stop and sign our petition shows just how much demand for action there is.

'Stop Hate Crimes' candlelit vigil at Old Steine tonight

2009-10-30T13:50:00.002Z

Tonight campaigners from across the city will hold a silent candlelit vigil for all the victims of hate crime at the Victoria Fountain in the Old Steine at 9pm.

The vigil, one of hundreds taking part across the world organised by anti hate crime group 17-24-30, could be the first annual such event.

And not before time: it seems that hate crime against LGBT people is on the increase.

The situation in some parts of the world, such as Iran and Jamaica, and even countries in Europe, such as Serbia (which recently saw a homophobic murder at its Pride event), remains even more stark.

Tonight's vigil was sparked by the death of 62-year-old Ian Baynham after a suspected homophobic assault in London last month.

Paul Birrell, Chair of Pride London, said:

"I am sickened and saddened by this needless death. This is the fourth homophobic murder in London in the last 12 months and this has to stop."

Joining the British establishment

2009-10-29T21:36:00.019Z

It's reckoned that more than a fifth of the world's greenhouse gas emissions result directly from deforestation.

The rainforests of Indonesia, for example, along with the carbon rich peat soils they grow on, form one of the largest natural carbon stores on the planet. They are a vital defence system against climate change.

Yet the rate at which Indonesia's rainforests are being destroyed makes it the third largest climate polluter after the US and China.

But there is no workable rainforest protection plan on the table ahead of global climate talks due to take place in Copenhagen in December.

I hate to admit this when it happens, but, not for the first time, I find myself in agreement with Prince Charles, who said:

'If we lose the battle against tropical deforestation, we lose the battle against climate change.'

Of course, the biggest single driver of deforestation isn't the western desire for wood, it's our desire for meat and processed foods containing palm oil.

Perhaps the best way to save the planet is to stop banging on about flying all the time and just eat a few less meat and dairy products.

Oh blimey, I'm agreeing with Lord Nicholas Stern now.

The heir to the throne and a peer of the realm (not to mention Sir Paul McCartney) - this is turning into a right establishment love in...

New Brighton political club hosts debate this Thursday

2009-10-28T09:07:00.005Z

A new political club night - billed as a 'high profile cross between The Oxford Union and Have I Got News For You?' throws open its doors on Manchester Stret tomorrow.

The line-up for the first 'Real House of Commons' event boasts Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas, Labour's Simon Burgess, UKIP's Mike Mendoza and councillors Paul Elgood and Maria Caulfield for the Lib-Dems and Tories respectively.

The debate, which takes place at The Latest Musicbar, starts at 7.30pm, with the opening question likely to be 'Who Should Be MP for Brighton?'

What's the betting everyone says 'Me!'

I can't get along as I'll be doing some half-term childcare, but the event promises to be a cracker. I hope it's the first of many, and I find myself on a panel someday soon. Watch this space!

Why we need a living wage here in Brighton

2009-10-27T13:38:00.000Z

This 'blog has called for the minimum wage to be substantially increased before - to ensure that every working man or woman in the city is instead paid a fair 'living wage', enough that workers' incomes are sufficient to meet the costs of a basic standard of living: to ensure that work indeed provides a route out of poverty, in other words.

Debate rages about what level a living wage should be set at. As living costs vary from place to place (particularly the cost of housing) so should living wage levels. Here in Brighton, which has been dubbed the low-pay and high-cost capital of the country, a figure of about £7.50 an hour seems to tally with current thinking.

Improving pay and conditions for the poorest doesn't just improve child poverty, educational attainment and the health of those who immediately benefit, if rising pay levels at the bottom are combined with static pay levels at the top, they seem to benefit all of us.

Today research has been published that shows how urgently we need a living wage to replace the minimum wage: according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, low pay means having a job is no longer a guaranteed route out of poverty.

It seems the reality of having a McJob - the low pay, low status, service-type work thousands of Kemp Town and Peacehaven residents are forced to endure - is a life of poverty, just as much as a life on benefits.

A living wage for all in Brighton and Hove would make this poverty a thing of the past - and we'd all benefit.

Since being elected as a councillor I've tried twice to persuade Brighton and Hove Council to pay a fair, living wage to the 1,000-odd staff it pays less than £7 an hour - but to no avail, thanks to opposition from both Tory and Labour councillors.

We'll keep trying. Setting an excellent example in the way it pays its own staff - and temps - is the first step Brighton and Hove Council can take to make our city a more equitable place, and improve health and social standards for all of us.

'Chap-Hop History' by Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer

2009-10-27T12:45:00.000Z

This is just great. Hope you like it. Congrats to Mr B, the Gentleman Rhymer.

More equal societies do better at almost everything

2009-10-27T10:23:00.000Z

Sometimes academics show clearly something that has always stood to reason. Sometimes, their findings are truly startling.

The Spirit Level by Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinsonis a statistical romp through the data on a range of social ills: mental ill-health, teenage pregnancy levels, poor life expectancy, levels of crime and violence in society, and so on, and it finds something that is either remarkable, or stands to reason, depending on your perspective.

In short, Picket and Wilkinson conclude, the more equal a society is - the smaller the gap between the richest and poorest, in other words - the better that society performs, at pretty much everything, for pretty much everyone.

For example, they look at levels of crime and violence, and find that they are far more prevalent in countries like the USA, UK and Portugal and far less common in, say, Japan and Norway. This seems to be exactly as you'd expect if you were looking for a link between violence levels and inequality - but shows that crime levels are relatively unaffected by harsher punishments - indeed, they show, the reverse might even be true.

Countries with a more lenient judicial system based on the principles of restorative justice tend, if anything, to have lower crime rates than those that impose long prison sentences - or worse - for even fairly minor crimes.

But it's equality that's the clear driver here.

The same is true using just about any other measure.

Less equal societies, particularly the USA, UK and Portugal, tend to have poorer health, shorter life expectancy, lower levels of education and more teenage pregnancies, than more egalitarian countries, like Japan and the Scandinavian nations.

The question the book poses for policy-makers is startling: is the best way of improving social and health outcomes simply to improve levels of equality rather than tackle the individual problem?

Perhaps the best way, for example, of raising school performance, is to increase tax levels on the richest and increase benefit payments to the poorest, rather than to interfere with what the teaching professionals are doing in schools?

To take deliberate action to make society more equal, in other words.

If you want to, you can buy the book here - but I'm sure it'll be in your local library soon, if it isn't already!

The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better