1. Our Environment and our children’s future

The Council claims to care for our planet, then dumps our “recycled” waste in Indonesia. We would make a better environment and action on climate change a reality, in everything from proper recycling to prosecuting fly tippers. We would also fund better insulation for Islington’s homes and make water efficiency a precondition of planning approvals. We would expand the use of clean energy across the borough and set a binding target to reduce the council’s carbon emissions.

2. People before profit

Islington is being run for big business (look at our high streets), not for local people. the Emirates stadium and all that it has brought in its wake is only the latest example. The Green Partyalone is free from business sponsorship and shady loans. We would use council planning powers to protect local communities from the financial muscle of property developer. We would also ensure that “listening to Islington” meant just that - with abinding charter that gave consultation results adetermining role in planning decisions.

3.Thriving local Shops and Businesses

Local shops help build a sense of community, provde more choice and mean more hard-earned money stays in the borough. Our ten-point charter for local shops, covering fair rent and rates, the council buying more locally, free short-term parking for shops and protection for street markets, would help them compete on equal terms with the big supermarkets.

4. Safe and Strong communities

The best protection is to strengthen communities and to provide jobs and faciities to keep young people out of trouble. It is deceitful and insane to be “saving” money by outsourcing council jobs to Manchester and then spending money on CCTV’s to monitor bored kids up to mischief. We would invest in local jobs, and make “local content” a precondition of council contracts, and we would restore funding for sports and youth facilities. Our otherproposals - supporting local shops and making streets safer for pedestrians - are equally important parts of our coherent plan to reclaim the streets for our citizens.

5. Affordable Homes for Local people

The average price of a house in Islington now over £330,000. We need affordable homes for local people and key workers more than we need more expensive flats and gated communities. We would insist on 50% affordable homes in all new developments and launch a programme of building more council flats for rent.

6. Human Rights for all

Islington is becoming more divided - rich and poor, young and old, long-time residents and new arrivals. It has some of the highest house prices and the worst unemployment levels in London. We would bring the borough together again and give everyone in it a fair deal.We would increase spending on social services, especially child protection, and restore support to groups supporting the elderly, those with mental health problems, and refugees in need.

7. Protection of Open Spaces

Islington desperately needs more open space; instead it is being taken for housing developemnts and over -used for major events. So we would limit the use of Islington’s parks for public events and set a binding target to increase green space in Islington.

8. Every school a good school

A new Academy will leave every other school worse off by creaming off bright children and talented teachers. The Green Party wants every school in Islington to improve. So we would cut bureaucracy and increase funding for every one of Islington’s schools. We would also improve accountability by taking back school management from CEA.

9. Respect for and protection of animals

Greens oppose factory farming and cruel live exports. We believe that the industrialisatiion of food, especially meat production, is not just appalingly cruel to animals, but is also harmful to human health - as we have seen with successive scares - “mad cow”, listeria, bird flu, salmonella, and foot and mouth. We would ban factory farmed and “caged” food throughout the council, includng meals on wheels and school meals.

10. Reliable and affordable public transport

The majority of Islngton residents don’t have a car, and those who do still gain from better public transport. We would “green” our streets, starting with a 20mph speed limit, so that they are safe for children, the elderly and cyclists. We would work with Transport for London toimprove bus, train and tube services, and insist that new housng developments are car-free.