City Matters Edition 035

CITYMATTERS.LONDON 31 May - 06 June 2017 | Page 5
News Matters
Dogus to drop in
GEOIST BELIEFS ARE FUELLING THE YOUNG PEOPLE’S PARTY
on Golden Lane
LABOUR candidate
Ibrahim Dogus will be
going “into the lions
den” on Friday.
Mr Dogus – who last
week told City Matters
of his desire to dispel the
“myths” surrounding
“anti-business Labour” –
will be speaking
with residents during
a Q&A at the Golden
Lane Estate community
children, killed at Manchester Arena during an Ariana centre.
Grande concert. Benjamin’s stance on tackling the The meeting gets
threat of terror takes a two-pronged approach.
underway at 7pm.
In the short term, Mr Weenen advocates a boost
Conservation call
in police resources and information, while addressing
the problems behind the cause of terrorism in the long edges forward
run.
A BID to implement a
He said: “They [terror strikes] are rooted in economic Barbican and Golden
injustice, even if they appear in other guises.
Lane conservation area is
gathering pace.
Meritocracy
The Corporation’s
“The Land Value Tax and Citizen’s Income doesn’t planning and transport
just make for a real meritocracy, but also a stakeholder committee has approved
society in its truest sense.
the next stage of the
“This is not a model just for the UK, but one for a
calling for
process for its creation,
change:
peaceful and prosperous world. The UK can best which comprises a
Mr Weenen
help achieve this leading by example rather than by feasibility study.
coercion.”
Officers have said
he’s taking on the Geoist fundamentals and believes As for the NHS and affordable housing, Mr Weenen a report, along with
a simplified tax code could help the UK’s business views re-adjusting economic fundamentals as the recommendations, will
prospects in a post-Brexit future.
answer to all their problems, but he argues that for be ready in the Autumn
“Free of the EU, the UK should take the opportunity education and youth employment it’s more about – a public consultation
to get radical,” he said.
diversity.
will follow.
“If the UK has a competitive, open economy, aided He said: “If we can get some real choice into our A petition calling
by a competitive, simplified tax code, then we will be education system instead of the ‘must have a degree’ for the conservation
the first port of call for any enterprise looking for a base sausage factory, there will naturally be more demand area was launched in
from which to operate.”
for such work-related education.
September last year
Last week saw the biggest terror attack on British “This demand would be in the self-interest of and has more than 760
soil since the 7/7 bombings, with 22 people, including businesses to fulfil.”
signatures.
Benjamin lays out his
vision for fairer world
A BREEDER of British Longhair cats and grower of
Giant Redwood trees is joining the race to occupy
the Cities of London & Westminster seat for the UK’s
only Geoist movement, the Young People’s Party,
writes Anahita Hossein-Pour.
Benjamin Weenen, who also enjoys “going clubbing
at venues playing over 150 beats per minute”, is standing
as one of the party’s three candidates contesting seats in
this election, and is out to make people see an alternative
vision does exist.
The Londoner believes the group’s ethos of sharing
the benefits of the Earth’s natural resources equally,
combined with a new tax plan, offers a different path to
rooting out inequality.
“We believe that as no one created the Earth, then we
should pay compensation, as tax, to those we exclude
from valuable natural resources,” he told City Matters.
“This not only reduces inequality but thereby takes
a massive deadweight from around the neck of our
economy while creating a true meritocracy.”
Geoism emerged in the late 1800s, founded by
newspaper editor Henry George as a way of tackling the
gap between wealth and poverty which shocked him on
a trip to New York.
Nobel Peace Prize winners for economics, such as
Milton Friedman and Joseph Stiglitz, were among those
to endorse the philosophy’s plan to replace all taxes
with a single land value tax in efforts to create a fairer
system. In Benjamin’s first time running for MP,
Payphone firm gets called up
on ‘odd’ planning applications
A PAYPHONE company has been accused
of trying to manipulate the planning process
to secure lucrative advertising space in prime
locations across the City.
Euro Payphones, based out of Belfast, has put
forward planning applications to install nearly
30 payphones in the Square Mile.
According to the firm’s website, it rents out
two advertising boards in each kiosk at a cost
of £120 per panel per week. It means 30 booths
would be able to generate £375,000 per year.
Attention
Mary Durcan, who is the common councillor
for Cripplegate, has pledged to keep a close eye
on matters as they unfold.
She said it was “odd” that such a dated means
of communication had been requested, and in
such massive quantity.
“As hardly anyone uses payphones these days
it seemed very odd, particularly for such a large
numbers,” she said.
“I will draw the applications to the attention
of the chairman of the planning committee.”
Estate in need of people power
GOLDEN Lane locals have been told to take
responsibility for their patch by the head of the
estate’s residents’ association.
Golden Lane Estate Residents’ Association
(GLERA) will host its AGM on 20 June, with
each position on the committee up for election.
Tim Godsmark is the current GLERA chair
and has told tenants that people power is the
best way to drive change.
“I am keen to get as many people from all
centre of debate: the planning
applications have come in for scrutiny
from councillors and residents
parts of the estate involved as possible,” he said
ahead of the potential shake-up of personnel.
“It would be especially good if we could
get more tenants involved. If you are interested
in helping and would like to know more
about what it involves then please get in touch
with me.”
Mr Godsmark can be reached
via email at chair.glera@gmail.com