New Compass paper opens up Red/Green ties


by Newswire    
7:20 pm - August 1st 2011

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The centre-left pressure group Compass published a new e-book titled, ‘Good Society / Green Society? the red/green debate’ this week,

It has a joint foreword from Caroline Lucas MP, the Leader of the Green Party, and Neal Lawson, Chair of Compass and a member of the Labour Party.

The centre-left pressure group Compass recently voted to open up its membership to Lib Dems, Greens, and other people in parties other than Labour.

Articles in the book discuss questions raised by the proposition that reds and greens should co-operate. Some of the articles tackle questions which cause difficulties for the prospects of co-operation, such as economic growth, the influence of consumerism on the labour movement, and the limitations of anti-cuts campaigns.

There are also articles providing a feminist angle on red-green dialogue, and an account of the experience of red-green co-operation and coalitions in other countries, such as Germany, where the most likely outcome of the next general election is a coalition between the Social Democratic Party, SPD (equivalent of the Labour Party), and the Greens.

Discussing the book as a whole, Neal Lawson said:

This new collection of articles is a signs of the new pluralistic politics. The Labour Party is at last gradually coming to recognise it does not have a monopoly of thinking on the centre-left of British politics.

Red-green dialogue is essential if Labour is to renew itself and the Greens are to have the impact they deserve.

Victor Anderson, editor of the e-book, said:

Future generations are going to be puzzled and angry by the failure of current generations to seriously address the ecological crisis. The pluralistic politics of Compass make it somewhere these issues can be debated, with a chance they will be acted on.

Articles also explore possible common ground, around ideas about equality, values, and international trade.
From a press release

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Reader comments


With these new Red/Green links, presumably we should now be cheering on George Osborne for having stalled Britain’s economy.

Wonderful news today:

“The UK’s manufacturing sector contracted in July for the first time in two years, a survey suggests.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14364578

With this reported call today by the IMF, I take it that the usual denunciation of the IMF as reactionary capitalist institution will be rolled out:

The U.K. government and Bank of England may need to increase stimulus through tax cuts or bond purchases if weak economic growth and high unemployment persist, the International Monetary Fund said.

“If the economy appears likely to experience a prolonged period of weak growth and high unemployment — and if inflationary pressures consequently ease — it will be important to ensure that the slowdown does not become entrenched,” the Washington-based fund said in a report today. Still, any temporary fiscal measures should be accompanied by additional steps to “safeguard fiscal sustainability and market confidence,” it said.

U.K. manufacturing unexpectedly shrank in July, adding to evidence of a weakening recovery after data last week showed the economy barely grew in the second quarter. Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to stick to his budget cuts to reduce the deficit, adding to pressure on an economy where consumer incomes are being squeezed by inflation that is more than twice the central bank’s 2 percent target.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-01/u-k-economy-may-need-to-boost-stimulus-if-growth-remains-weak-imf-says.html

3. Green Christian

You forgot to put a link to the e-book. It is available at the following url: http://clients.squareeye.net/uploads/compass/documents/COM_Good_Society_Green_Society_04.pdf

No matter how, but always the “big brother” is one who give the cards. If no environmental law suits when suits have. If you are replacing the entire fleet of vehicles in the world by “new and cleaner” will pollute replacing them, then it was better for things to happen naturally from now. The new products but must evolve, but to force everyone to change is to encourage consumerism and damage the environment as most of the energy expended by a vehicle is in its production and not in use. Every industrial process involves losses, especially when it comes to recycling. Governments, service industry, are corrupting this notion, especially here in south america. Paint, woody (from the bus floor) and other things with exception of the alluminun,iron and plastics are lost. Then a longe lifetime is menos dangerous to enviromment than a 5-15 years of lifetime.


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  1. Liberal Conspiracy

    New Compass paper focuses on Red/Green ties http://bit.ly/rgnxye

  2. Robert CP

    New Compass paper focuses on Red/Green ties http://bit.ly/rgnxye





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