Put people ahead of GDP when managing swine flu

The Green Party is calling for Labour to put people ahead of GDP in their plans for managing swine flu.

Joseph Healy, the Green Party's parliamentary candidate for Vauxhall, and the deputy chair of the London Ambulance Service Patients Forum, said:

"In a meeting with the flu planners for London -- which the London Ambulance Service Patients Forum had over two years ago -- we were told that large scale public events would not be closed down because of the economic impact. The chair of the Forum, Malcolm Alexander, and I are due to meet Dr Simon Tanner, the Regional Director of Public Health for London, later today (the 28th of July), when I will be raising more of these issues."

Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party, said: "Leading experts are saying that school closures may stem the spread of the disease. If health experts tell us it is time to stop gathering in large crowds, we must heed their advice."

Lucas continued: "If it means that sports fixtures are affected or business conferences don't go ahead, then so be it. The economy may well have to take a temporary hit to stop unnecessary deaths."

The Green Party also wants the government to ensure that people get clear and consistent messages about what they should and shouldn't do during the swine flu epidemic.

Lucas remarked: "The government, by issuing contradictory advice to pregnant women on staying away from crowds was at best unhelpful. If public information is still in a muddle and mess in the autumn, it could lead to many excess deaths."

[Green Mail] Healy calls on Irish community to vote Green on 4th June

Joseph Healy, an Irishman and a candidate for the Green Party in the London constituency (where the Irish community is well represented), has views on the role of Irish voters in these elections and the role of the Greens in 21st century Europe.

Writing this week in The Irish World newspaper, one of the leading papers for the Irish community in Britain, Joseph gives several reasons why the Irish in Britain should support the Greens.

He warns about the dangers of fascism in Europe and the attempt by the BNP to gain Irish votes and he reminds the Irish how recently the BNP were anti-Irish and how the Irish community suffered from the same racism and intolerance which other communities are experiencing today.

He goes on to state that the Greens in Europe are the political grouping which are doing the most to protect the health and welfare rights of migrant workers and to create a fair and equal Europe. Finally, he calls on the Irish community to vote on June 4th and not to allow major political decisions which will impact on their lives to be taken over their heads in the event of a handful of voters actually going to the polls.