Many issues

Published: 13 May, 2010

• THERE were many issues inadequately debated in the general election campaign: greenhouse gas emissions, peak oil, and the state of Britain and the world’s natural environment among them.
But perhaps most glaring has been the total lack of discussion about some of the most vulnerable in our society.
One example: carers. These are people who must work more than 35 hours a week to be paid the princely sum of £53.90.
And the impossible benefit traps for unemployed people? The earnings cap on single person’s Jobseekers Allowance has remained at £5 a week since 1988, yet in our casualised society much work is best first found through initial occasional employment which, if declared, leaves the worker vulnerable to catastrophic falls in income, housing benefit and other supports.
Why was there no discussion of the fact that £16billion in benefit to which people are entitled goes unclaimed each year?
The best we can hope for is that this vote will be the first step on the process to a new political system, and a new way of talking about politics.
But in the meantime I thank the voters who gave me the third highest Green Party vote in London, and invite them, and others, to join our newly parliamentary party in tackling these and many other important issues.
NATALIE BENNETT
Green Party candidate
Holborn & St Pancras