Fareham can Go Green!

February 20, 2015 — Leave a comment

To stand for local election, the only thing it costs you is time. Just to get ten signatures and then hand in your form to the local council offices. In terms of a general or by-election – it costs £500. However, in terms of spending that is only tiny compared to the costs of the production of leaflets, distribution, posters etc.

This is why I’ve set up my Crowdfunder. To help pay for these things and to produce leaflets to distribute across the area. So if you can please donate as much as you can. *Disclaimer: You MUST be registered to vote in the United Kingdom if you want to pay £50+*

On the 23rd of February we releasing a Thunderclap – but we need your support!

Please support my Thunderclap by clicking HERE and then selecting “Support with…” and you can pick and choose between Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or a blend of the three to help get the word out that we need funds. Remember, we need 100 people supporting it on the 23rd of February otherwise it won’t go out!

I have been selected to stand for Fareham

November 23, 2014 — 2 Comments

Well this has been an exciting week to say the least!

Members of the South East Hampshire Green Party have nominated me, a 19 year old Itchen Sixth Form College student, as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Fareham constituency at the next general election, to be held on the 7th of May 2015.

As you may know from reading this blog, I have grown up in Warsash and at the time of the next election, I will be just 20 years old – making me quite possibly one of, if not, the youngest candidates in the UK. I have previously has stood for election in 2013 and 2014 in my home ward of Warsash. I have recently become the Chair of the Warsash Residents’ Association and have been campaigning on local issues such as Public Transport and have demonstrated against the proposed development known as “Welborne”.

I’ve grown up in Fareham and I want to see to it that the people of Fareham are actually listened to as opposed to being managed like cattle. It is time we had someone in Parliament who will fight against destructive developments like Welborne, who will fight to renationalise our trains and get proper links to places of work, hospitals and schools, someone who will fight for the next generation and scrap tuition fees, someone who puts people before profit. All my life I’ve heard people crying for an alternative, and here I am.

Let’s rock.

Miles

September Viewpoints

September 21, 2014 — Leave a comment

Well this week has been rather hectic, I think my highlight must have been when I was sat in World Development and my teacher asked me what my thoughts on Scottish Independence were and the whole class froze to listen – that was nice! However much has happened locally that needs to be talked about.

On Wednesday I attended another Warsash Residents’ Association meeting. One thing I feel I must point out is that when Cllr Keith Evans gave his report he spoke about “the top five foreign languages spoken in Hampshire” – I felt rather uncomfortable, because that part of the report just seemed pointless for a WRA meeting and just seemed to be some kind of rhetoric, I don’t know – it was just seem to just be placed there… I reckon it’s to “woo over” potential “kippers”. At the end of the meeting we were given a very interesting talk about “dowsing” (I’ll be frank, I never even heard of it till that day).

At the meeting the current Chair, Chris Bridges announced he will be stepping down in November – I wonder who will replace him?

On Thursday was the day of the Scottish Independence referendum and I had at least 30 people come up to me and ask me my views, it was rather nice of people to ask me. However there were reports of flash flooding in Fareham, and the one alarm bell that rang in my head and I instantly worried about the potential devastation that Welborne will have. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – if you build 6000+ homes you’re taking away potential areas of land that will absorb the rain water. The weakest drizzle could end up having the most devastating of impacts and just think about how much more that could cost local authorities, especially Fareham, in flood defence expenditure!

At my college we have had a fantastic response to our new strategy for this year. So far many people have taken a keen interest in our new committee structure and I’m very grateful for Gregory Smith (the current chair) for his support in setting this up. Our members seem much greater than they ever were last year, we better make sure we don’t let them down by getting lazy and complacent, our work is certainly cut out for us this year – it is indeed a challenge that we shall win. We are getting ever closer to joining the NUS. As my previous blog post about my visit to South Downs suggest – they have been hugely influential for how this year has begun.

And finally the local party earlier on this month began their selection process for candidates for the general election, I’m not saying anything but the thought of standing for Fareham is something that I have pondered since the last election when someone put it forward as an idea!

Thank you for reading.

Miles

Go Green folks, every time.

Grindey Goes to South Downs

May 17, 2014 — 1 Comment

Yesterday, me and David Harrison of the SE Hants Green Party, went to South Downs college after being invited by the Student Union President Daniel Hughes and had a stall promoting The Green Party as part of their drive to give students a wide picture of other parties to look at.

I was most impressed by the system they use to register visitors, where they have a tablet that you write your name and (if needed) company and then it prints off your badge, and then the receptionist puts together for you! It’s really innovative and I couldn’t stop talking about that for the rest of the day!

The other thing I was very pleased with was that their student union is independent from the college, it has a liaison committee within it so that dialogue can easily flow with students to teachers, without them dominating the union. It is also part of the NUS and also the head of it is elected! Everyone is given a role so that they have something to do, and it’s a great way to engage students with the college – it’s possibly the most student friendly college I’ve encountered so far! I hope that within the next year the ISU gets closer to that level of student representation.

I wish all the best to Daniel, Liz Langley and in general the whole of South Downs. I am very grateful for their hospitality and I hope to engage more with them in future.

Thanks for reading

Go Green

Miles

When the Greens come a-knockin’

January 27, 2014 — Leave a comment

We’ve been canvassing for the nearly 4 months now and the reception has been incredible, 49.5% of the people we call on have a problem – they are responding well to my canvassing. One person said they hadn’t even voted in the last 20 or so years and they were going to make their next a Green Vote! The people of my home town have been incredibly gracious towards me and my aim of representing all the residents of the local community. Being a 2nd Generation Warsash Resident (only having moved to Locks Heath/Park Gate two years ago), attending Primary School at Hook-with-Warsash – I have a personal history with the village. I still frequent down The Silver Fern often with my friends, and I still see my Grandparents often. I feel as though I should give back to the community that gave me so much growing up.

Since November, I have been talking to local residents about local issues – the issues that affect people in their daily lives, and I am hugely grateful for their time that they’ve taken to talk to me. As of now I will fight for local people’s right to be heard, one resident along Newtown Road said to me:

Finally a breath of fresh air! Until you came along we never saw a candidate for anything come to our door and actually speak to us.

At the last Warsash Resident’s Association meeting, I confronted Cllr Trevor Cartwright when he was discussing Yellow Lines. I said that I’d been speaking to resident’s throughout Warsash, and how they were quite rightfully fed up with the Council-sponsored kettling of students parking places. I also told him that residents don’t feel as though he’s taking their concerns seriously, and that no legitimate consultation was taking place. He quickly stated that 6 people had written to him/Fareham Borough Council, and that’s apparently the go-ahead to do anything anymore, when a ridiculously small number of people in a largely populated area actually take the time to write in. It’s hardly democratic or fair, from my notes I can count at least 16 people who are fed up with double yellow lines and want to see some sense put into councillors. They want Parking Permits! That’s common sense.

The fact of the matter is that myself and The Green Party share common ground when it comes to local issues, consultation is key when it comes to the things that matter. It seems there are dark clouds of complacency surrounding the Tory Party in Warsash, are they really trying hard enough to represent those who they were chosen to represent?

The people of Warsash are calling to be heard, and Warsash I’ve been listening!

Thank you for reading,

Miles Grindey

Twitter: http://twitter.com/MilesGrindey

A Rather Busy Week

October 17, 2013 — 1 Comment

Well I can safely say that this has been one of my busy weeks, on Tuesday I attended the latest of the Western Wards Community Action Team meeting, yesterday (Wednesday) I formally joined the Warsash Resident’s Association – at the meeting I bumped into one of my old Primary School Teachers, a nice surprise – and finally today I joined my teachers in their industrial action.

Last Friday I was interviewed by Ben Fishwick of The Portsmouth News featured below is the bit he wrote (I forgive him for spelling “Grindey” wrong):

Indeed it circulated around quite a bit, a few residents in the Community Action Team meeting (and indeed Cllr Trevor Cartwright) mentioned it, a very pleasant experience I thought. The next day I went to the Warsash Resident’s Association, it was a very good meeting, the local police sergeant (who is leaving soon, wish him all the best) gave his report and we were treated to a great presentation about Bees by a Local Beekeeper.

Pre-Western Wards CAT meeting, Victory Hall, Warsash

Today, despite around most of the students not showing up, I went into Itchen College – beforehand I went to my local shop and purchased two packets of biscuits I shared with the teachers. I initially had a wonder around before finding some members of staff outside, I had a very pleasant chat with the members of staff who were taking industrial action and one of them informed me of the rally occurring in the middle of Southampton. Soon after they packed up, I immediately started to walk (from Itchen College) to Speaker’s Corner in Southampton, I soon bumped into my Tutor and the rally began.

View from the Woolston side of the Itchen Bridge, 17/10/2013

What Recovery?

The Daily Echo filmed the beginning of it, and you can spot me some point in this video here. I made a speech after the planned speakers gave their say which had a very warm reception afterwards. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to speak and also to the teachers who thanked/congratulated/supported what I said.

After the walk to Friends Meeting House and being interviewed by a very nice BBC reporter, me and my old teachers from my time at Barton Peveril soon went to The Alex pub. We caught up but I soon had to leave, had to get the College Bus home! So it was a rather tiring power walk back to Itchen, and I’m just taking some minor time off before I finish some of my homework.

From the BBC Article (I’m on the Right)

Tiring times indeed.

Thanks for reading,

Miles Grindey

Twitter: http://twitter.com/MilesGrindey

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