David Booth ~ Green Party Candidate for Sowerby Bridge Ward May 2024

Hello All.  I’m David.  Let me tell you a bit about myself.

I was born and for most of my life lived in the steelworks town, Scunthorpe.  However, in 2018, aged 61, I decided to move to Calderdale.

Two confessions:

1. All my working life, I was employed in energy intensive – high carbon industries - Steel and Petro-Chemicals.
2. I was a labour voter until I became disillusioned with Blairism.

I became a Green Party member when I was asked the question – What is the most important issue? I realised it was Climate Change. I had made a career out of increasing global warming gases! It became obvious I had to make a change. The Greens were the only political party that was seriously concerned about it.

I think my outlook is similar to most people who have a conscience about lifestyle impacts. I'm not expecting voters to wear the hair shirt. I don't expect those industries to be shutdown, but we will need to be less and less fossil fuel dependant. If we don't, what’s the future for today’s kids and grandkids?

Changes to our way of life are needed to maintain a sustainable world. Change is usually resisted because it involves a fear of an unknown, and that it will bring discomfort. But if we do not change, carrying on as we are will bring about uncomfortable changes./p>

I think one of the solutions is easy if we want it to be. Presently Green transport, (E.V.) the electric vehicle, is being encouraged. But…

• Imagine the congestion getting any better?
• Will finding a parking space getting any better?
• Will the recharge come from a clean source?

So I think a radical improvement to public transport, to end our dependency on personal transport is urgent and possible. Let somebody else worry about the car. Let somebody else do the driving.

Modern communications are enabling so many ways of streamlining life. Examples; UBER taxi service, and home deliveries remove the need for that car. They also offer an indication of a way forward for safe personal transport.

Lets’ scale up and join the dots. No ownership, no lease car, just subscribe to a nationwide pay as you go public transport. Doorstep-to-town. Doorstep-to-work. doorstep-to-station. From the station the pre-planned taxi is there. Discounts for taxi sharing.

But what about the school runs?!  We shouldn't need them. The local school should be good enough. You can walk that distance. Let’s have more investment in education!

There’s so much we can do. Vote Green on 2nd May for the changes we need.