Better late than never – but what’s also needed is a broader investigation into poor value-for-money Covid contracts and profiteering from the NHS.

Dear Editor

It is good to see that the Gloucestershire MPs have finally woken up to the seriousness of the false-negative Covid testing scandal (see Gloucestershire Live press report here). They have written to the UK Health Security Agency urging swift results from the investigation being carried out into the Immensa testing laboratory. The high rates of Covid in the south-west are partly due to people who had Covid being told by Immensa that they did not, which left them free to roam around infecting others.

While welcome, this intervention by our parliamentary representatives is somewhat tardy. Stroud District Green Party wrote to Siobhan Baillie on November 2 asking her to take urgent action.

It is probably too much to hope that the investigation will examine the bigger issue around the many other Covid-related contracts that have resulted in large profits for some businesses and poor value for money for the rest of us.

The public is sick of paying for incompetence of the kind that we have seen far too often, and the Green Party wants the profiteering private sector to keep out of our NHS.

Companies that are given taxpayers’ money to do a job must be properly regulated and held to account if their services or products prove to be inadequate.

Lynn Haanen and Martin Whiteside, co-ordinators, Stroud District Green Party

The post Gloucestershire MPs finally wake up to seriousness of Covid testing shambles: our letter to the press appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.

This comes as the Good Law Project launches legal action asking Health Secretary Sajid Javid to immediately terminate Immensa’s contracts, compensate those affected and to take action to properly regulate private testing firms. Donations to a crowdfunder to pay for the legal action can be made here.

Our letter is reproduced below.

Dear Siobhan,

We are writing to ask you to urgently speak to Health Secretary Sajid
Javid and demand an immediate investigation into the scandal of false
negative tests by the lab Immensa. This investigation must not only
focus on what went wrong, but also examine whether the contract with
Immensa was awarded correctly and also the impacts on Stroud District,
Gloucestershire County and the Southwest region.

As you know, the government website on Friday (October 29) listed
Tewkesbury, Stroud and Cheltenham as the top three places in the country
by positive tests per 100,000 of population. (1) We are not alone in
believing that the increase was due at least in part to the virus being
spread by people who were negative according to the test results from
the Immensa laboratory – but who were actually positive. People who want
to do the right thing carried on with their lives with false assurances
thus spreading this highly contagious virus.

The government should shut down the laboratory in question instead of
making vague promises about ‘investigating’. We hope you will make clear
in the strongest possible terms that the people of Gloucestershire want
action.

We know you must share our frustration and anger about this recent
development. It is having a hugely negative impact on the health and
well-being of many people and plays into the hands of those who want to
create doubt and spread disinformation about this public health crisis.

If there is anything we can do to support you in your efforts to get a
proper and robust response, please let us know.

Yours,

Lynn Haanen and Martin Whiteside
Co-coordinators, Stroud District Green Party

(1)
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/cases?_ga=2.254216456.1044619265.1635525032-178662518.1606907961

Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash

The post Covid testing scandal: our open letter to Siobhan Baillie MP demanding immediate action appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.

The government website on Friday (October 29) listed Tewkesbury, Stroud and Cheltenham as the top three places in the country by positive tests per 100,000 of population.

Cllr Chloe Turner (pictured), Green county councillor for Minchinhampton, says the increase was due at least in part to the virus being spread by people who were given a false negative result from the scandal-hit Immensa laboratory – but who were actually positive.

The i News website reported that 10 days ago the Tewkesbury, Stroud and Cheltenham local authority areas had cases 40% higher than anywhere else in the country.

Cllr Turner, who has recently recovered from catching Covid from her school-aged children said “Despite being double vaccinated, I felt really rotten and it was not a pleasant experience. It is essential as parents and community members that we know our tests are processed by a competent lab. It is just not good enough to continue to use labs approved during Matt Hancock’s disastrous reign as Health Secretary, in which contracts were handed out without proper scrutiny. I also urge all eligible people to get vaccinated, to keep their loved ones as safe as possible.”

She added: “It is absolutely scandalous that huge numbers of inaccurate test results from an unaccredited laboratory have led to potentially thousands of Covid-positive people roaming the streets spreading the virus. The government should shut down the laboratory in question instead of making vague promises about ‘investigating’. Our MP must make clear in the strongest possible terms that the people of Gloucestershire want action.”

Cllr Turner urged people to read the very informative article by James Beecher, who helps to run the Stroud Coronavirus Community Response group on Facebook.

In his article, published in Open Democracy on October 30, James says he was ignored by the Department of Health when he flagged up the issue of false negatives, and analyses the implications of the debacle on the people of Stroud.

The post False negative scandal: Greens demand government action on Stroud’s huge Covid rates appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.

Unless the government drops its “cynical ploy” to prevent smaller parties from distributing campaign literature, this year’s local elections should be postponed, the Green Party has warned.

Martin Whiteside, leader of the Green group on Stroud District Council, says government rules restricting the distribution of leaflets during the run-up to the election – on the grounds of Covid-related safety – are “a deliberate ploy to disadvantage smaller parties”.

The rules prevent parties from using volunteers to deliver leaflets; however, parties are allowed to pay to have deliveries carried out. “It is nonsense for the government to suggest that this is somehow a safer way to distribute leaflets,” said Cllr Whiteside. “The people employed by delivery companies are no less likely to spread Covid than the local residents who normally act as volunteer leaflet deliverers.

“Leafletting in the run-up to an election is a time-honoured method of communicating information and policies to residents by all parties. Limiting leaflet delivery to those parties who have the funds to pay someone else to do it, is a sly and cynical attempt to subvert democracy. How can we possibly have a free and fair election when only the Conservatives, who are bankrolled by donations from big business, are able to campaign without restrictions?”

Cllr Whiteside added: “Candidates have a right to engage with their communities in order to put their case forward in calling for votes. The Government’s instruction on campaigning raises serious questions of a conflict of interest, since the very party most likely to benefit from these rules is the same one that has made the rules.”

Cllr Whiteside said: “Unless free campaigning is allowed during the whole ‘official election period’ starting on March 29, the integrity of the UK’s democratic system will be damaged. Therefore, if the current restrictions continue beyond the end of March, the elections should be postponed.”

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“Supermarket staff are the forgotten key workers,” she said. “Their daily contact with the public makes them vulnerable to infection, especially as many shoppers are not wearing masks properly and not observing social distancing. We are even hearing of people shopping in large groups, treating a trip to the supermarket as an opportunity to socialise.

“There is recognition of the risks faced by healthcare workers but the wellbeing and mental health of shop staff gets little consideration. These are people who are putting their lives on the line so that people can eat.”

Molly added: “Being unable to work from home means shop staff, social workers, teachers, police officers, bus drivers, delivery drivers – and many others – are vulnerable to catching the virus. We hope this petition will force the government’s hand on prioritising vaccination for all frontline workers, who are so critical in our fight against this virus.”

The post Frontline workers (including shop staff) should get priority vaccinations, says Green Party appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.

Professor Molly Scott Cato, a Green candidate for Gloucestershire County Council, said: The Green Party has always upheld freedom of speech and the right to protest, but a balance has to be struck and we must ensure that debate is based on facts and not on misinformation spread by those who wish to create divisions in society. I, for one, am looking forward to enough of us getting vaccinated so that I can visit my elderly parents again.”

Local Green Party activist and healthcare worker Kate Crews added: “We hope we are turning the corner and will defeat Covid in 2021 as vaccinations are rolled out. We can all play our part in reducing the spread of the virus by seeking out and following sources of information that we can trust. So it is important that if people have questions about the virus or vaccines, they go to the NHS or their local surgery for answers.”

She went on: “We have nothing but praise and admiration for the phenomenal efforts and dedication of healthcare and other frontline workers, including teachers, who are exposed to the virus on a daily basis. Stroud District residents of all political persuasions should come together to support them and help to beat Covid by enabling the vaccination programme to go ahead as quickly as possible.”

Meanwhile, the Green Party is warning that this third lockdown will be “incredibly tough” for many people. Martin Whiteside, leader of the Greens on Stroud District Council, said: “Isolation, financial crises, hunger, domestic violence, mental health and children struggling with online learning are realities for many people. Local businesses also need more support. I will be working with Council leaders of all parties to ramp up our efforts as a Council. Greens are also urging government to provide a Universal Basic Income to enable people to get through this crisis in a fairer way. Meanwhile we can all do our bit by looking out for our neighbours, family and friends and by staying safe ourselves.”

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The letter asked people not to attend the anti-lockdown rally that took place in Stratford Park at the weekend, and urged the organisers to withdraw invitations to two speakers – who peddle racism, deny the Holocaust, and promote baseless conspiracy theories.

Click here to view the letter.

Or read below:

Community – not conspiracy

By James Beecher, Jeremy Green, and Laura Rowan

Living through the Covid-19 pandemic under the measures and restrictions introduced to manage the spread of the coronavirus is not easy. The new national lockdown announced on Halloween will have many effects beyond hopefully slowing the spread of the virus and reducing the number of people who die or suffer severe consequences. But pretending the virus does not exist and rejecting any and all guidance and advice about how to limit it spreading is no help to anyone. People who peddle racism, deny the Holocaust, and promote baseless conspiracy theories should not be invited to speak in our town.

Organisers of a rally planned for next Saturday 7th November in Stroud seem determined to go ahead despite the fact that Stroud District Council has refused permission to hold [the rally] due to the current Covid restrictions. It is not a surprise that organisers plan to ignore measures. Though the event is to be held outdoors where the chances of infections being passed on are lower, it still represents an unacceptably complacent attitude towards the people in our community who are at higher risk from Covid-19.

Our problem with the event is not only that it will be in breach of guidelines and potentially worsen the local Covid-19 situation; organisers have invited two speakers who promote anti-scientific nonsense and a range of conspiracy theories. As well as sharing misinformation about Covid-19 and claiming it is a ‘hoax’, Piers Corbyn notoriously denies scientific evidence on climate change. This event will not be the first where he has spoken alongside a Holocaust denier. Sandi Adams, the other invited speaker, has several examples of clearly anti-Semitic material on her personal website.

In a post dated July 2020 (subsequently deleted but available through the Way Back internet archive) and entitled “The truth IS anti-Semitic”, Adams points to the long discredited anti-Semitic hoax document “the Protocols of Zion” and claims that Jewish groups are part of a “powerful and insidious” effort to exert global control and to stop people from questioning the Holocaust. These are claims that have long been used to persecute the Jewish community and immensely harmful. Though she has now deleted this specific post, other content on her website is barely different. She endorses and hosts on her website a 12-hour neo-Nazi propaganda documentary that contains Holocaust denial and very clear anti-Semitism, for example. Someone who promotes such damaging ideas should not be given a platform in Stroud. It would not be good enough for the organisers to claim they did not know about the background of their speakers, but they have been presented with them. It is utterly inexcusable for them to continue now they have been made aware of these details.

How we deal with Covid-19 can and should be debated. The government’s guidance and laws are often confusing. How well they apply advice from experts in public health can be reasonably discussed. Even the less severe measures – like wearing masks, and keeping our distance from each other – feel uncomfortable and onerous. National lockdowns are extremely restrictive, and the World Health Organisation only recommends them as a last resort. The impacts in terms of unemployment, poverty, and on local businesses – here and globally – cannot be ignored. Neither can loneliness and the strain on people’s emotional and mental health. There needs to be much more attention, investment and action on these issues. It’s essential that our community can discuss these problems, support each other, and come up with solutions together. Claiming the virus itself is not real or is being exaggerated as part of a ‘new world order’ conspiracy doesn’t help.

We could consider the organisers of the planned rally as ridiculous cranks. But Covid-19, climate change, poverty, and racism are all serious. They affect every person in our community to varying degrees.

Though we will respect new national lockdown restrictions and therefore not hold a gathering to counter the event, we wish to make our opposition clear. We ask people considering attending to please think about who you will be empowering, and the ideas you will be bolstering, by doing so. We call on the organisers to withdraw these invitations.

The post Greens signed letter urging people not to attend anti-lockdown rally appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.

Last week I raised the issue of the need for better information on the spread of the coronavirus with Gloucestershire County Council. Without such information we cannot exercise common sense about where we go and who we see while keeping our community safe. I am pleased to say that Mark Hawthorne, leader of the County Council, agreed and I look forward to seeing a daily updated data dashboard on the GCC website.

However, the news from Leicester makes it clear that central government is not sharing data about Covid-19 cases with local councils or GPs. It took a full ten days for the true extent of the outbreak there to be known locally. In the containment of contagious disease speed of response is essential, so this delay will have resulted in many more cases and almost certainly additional deaths.

I am appealing to our six Conservative MPs in Gloucestershire to demand that all cases of Covid-19 are referred to their GPs and to local authorities, as is normal practice for notifiable diseases. While the government keeps this vital information secret they are putting all our lives at risk.

Molly Scott Cato

Stroud District Green Party

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Green councillor to put motion to Gloucestershire County Council calling for a local contact tracing.

As more evidence emerges daily of the failure of the government test-and-track system, Greens are calling for Gloucestershire to establish its own contact-tracing system.

Cllr Rachel Smith, who will be putting the motion to Council, said:

“It’s clear the government’s centralised contact tracing system is failing, and the absence of contact tracing throughout the pandemic has caused thousands of needless deaths. With lockdown lifting, and the virus still in general circulation, we urgently need local leadership and public health expertise to take responsibility for containing the spread of the virus in the county through the establishment of a locally based, trusted and reliable contact tracing system in Gloucestershire.”

Cllr Eva Ward said:

“As well as presenting serious challenges to our community’s health, the impact of Covid-19 is also a major social justice issue. It is the most vulnerable in the community, including low income families and those children unable to return to school, that suffer most from the lack of confidence a robust local contact tracing system could bring. I am aware that some people are still afraid to leave their homes as they haven’t had sufficient assurance that it is safe to do so.”

The proposal draws heavily on the work of the authoritative Independent SAGE group of leading public health experts and examples of local systems in Ceredigion and Cumbria where many lives have been saved due to rapidly tracking down cases of infection [1].

Notes

The Independent Sage fifth assessment report highlights three crucial ways in which the ‘test and trace’ system must be strengthened if we are to build a protective shield against further outbreaks or worse, a second wave:

1. Empowerment of the established and trusted local health system including those concerned with disease prevention such as environmental health officers and public health departments.
2. An integrated approach, based on well-established systems of population infection control called Find, Test, Trace, Isolate, and Support (FTTIS).
3. Data must be linked into local public health departments and GP practices with assured systems for data protection and privacy.

1 https://www.independentsage.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/FTTIS-12.42-160620-names-added.pdf

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The letter to Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer was published in the Financial Times on April 22, 2020. The joint statement calls for a recovery UBI plan to replace the government’s current support schemes which have seen many people and families struggling. The Green Party has long supported UBI and their manifesto included a plan for a fully costed Universal Basic Income for everyone regardless of employment status.

Cllr Rachel Smith, Green County Councillor (Minchinhampton, Chalford and Brimscombe & Thrupp) said:

“We are calling on the government to implement UBI now, not only as a way of providing security to everyone, but also as a springboard to recovery. The public strongly agrees with us with 84% of the public supporting Universal Basic Income in a recent poll”.

Cllr Martin Whiteside, Leader of the Green Group said:

“The patchy government support, with some people furloughed and some not and the self-employed being left in the lurch, has exacerbated the unfairness. Now is the time for a Universal Basic Income to cut across these piecemeal schemes. This is a single system that is fair to all and will contribute to building a more equal post-Covid future. This is the way forward now!”

The letter was been signed by Green MP Caroline Lucas and Green House of Lord peers Jenny Jones and Natalie Bennett along with MPs and peers from across the political spectrum. No Conservatives signed the letter, nor any Labour front benchers.

Cllr Catherine Braun, District Councillor for Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley and Stinchcombe said:

“The Coronavirus crisis has exposed the inequalities in our society. Although we are told ‘we are all in this together’, and it is true that rich and poor, young and old can all catch the virus, it is also clear that some people are more affected than others. I have seen this happening during the lockdown, with those who have savings much less affected than those without. People on zero hours contracts have felt forced to go out to work, even when feeling ill. The introduction of Universal Basic Income would be transformational – by providing a minimum of financial security to all”.

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