Cllr Gareth Kitchen

#Stroud | Independent Trader | Privacy Enthusiast | #Green | #FGR

Green Party District Councillor for Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley and Stinchcombe. Elected 2nd May 2024.

e-mail: [cllr.gareth.kitchen@stroud.gov.uk](http://cllr.gareth.kitchen@stroud.gov.uk )
Signal (Secure): eco_g_20.24
Pronouns: he/him
Digital Imprint: Promoted by Rob Brooks on behalf of SDGP at 17 Great George St, Bristol BS1 5QT
Mobile: +447396840710
Web-Site - Blog: https://listed.to/@eco_g

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Last Notes

2026-03-14 10:35:20 UTC

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Yes. Deeply rooted political failure over decades. But there is hope...... I'm required say.... as a Green councillor.... Back to newsletters, casework and coffee..... @npub12pw…zvxn

2026-03-14 10:14:16 UTC

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Indeed. But there is a omnipresent reality in the 'shires' where the average worker has a 32km commute (Gloucesteshire, where I am, at least) and next to no public transport either...... Sigh..... @npub12pw…zvxn

2026-03-14 09:27:59 UTC

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These EV's are just so expensive even the cheap Chinese ones..... :(

2026-03-13 08:09:06 UTC

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Worth noting that the Green Party has a good 'defection protocol' in place including checks on voting records, consultation with the wider party and an assessment of understanding and adherence to Green values. Nor is the decision to accept defection made by a single individual.

2026-03-06 10:02:13 UTC

Zack Polanski letter to the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood......... Well worth the read.
#ukpol #GreenParty #Shabana
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2026-03-06 03:30:35 UTC

Big Green win in the Stroud by-election yesterday. 💚 Greens got 67% of the vote!
Labour knocked into 4th place!
Well done Helen, I look forward to working with you.
#ukpol #GreenParty #stroud
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2026-03-04 11:21:03 UTC

Another future is possible........
#ukpol #Labour
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2026-03-04 08:53:31 UTC

The Green Party's co-deputy leader, Mothin Ali, has told [Middle East Eye he fears for his life](https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/they-will-get-me-killed-mothin-ali-slams-starmer-and-tory-mp-over-false-smears-parliament) and has faced death threats after Conservative MP Alec Shelbrooke made a false claim about him in parliament which Keir Starmer appeared to agree with.
> They will get me killed. Over the last couple of days I've received about 20 death threats. He can say what he wants in there and get away with it. I want to see how brave he is. Will he repeat this outside parliament?
#ukpol #GreenParty #MothinAli
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2026-03-02 11:52:38 UTC

Hannah Spencer – the new Green MP for Gorton and Denton – is heading to Westminster today for her first day in Parliament. Hannah told ITV News:
> None of us are perfect but we're human and we need more humans in parliament who care about each other. I promise to always do my best, and always be decent, and I will always do you proud.
#ukpol #GreenParty #HannahSpencer
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2026-03-01 10:37:56 UTC

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But remember that doing an edit notifies all the people who have already boosted you post! eeek! I'm always hesitant to edit unless I spot the type immediately.

2026-03-01 10:19:01 UTC

🚨 BREAKING 🚨 The Green Party has over 200,000 members.
More members, more councillors, more MPs.
The Green Party just keeps growing.
Join us
#GreenParty #ukpol
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2026-02-24 08:35:51 UTC

So, it seems “misconduct in public office” is a catchall common‑law offence under English law which dates back centuries. Is there a US equivalent, I wonder?

2026-02-07 12:20:02 UTC

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Imagine not being able to buy food because the computer says 'No!'. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0lxdn4w2g3o

2026-01-30 12:01:57 UTC

# Greens pick local plumber to win Gorton & Denton
Hannah Spencer was today announced as the Green Party candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Hannah, 34, is a plumber, local councillor and has lived in Greater Manchester all her life.
> I work as a plumber, something I’ve done since leaving education at 16. I’m training to become a plasterer too. I’ve lived in the constituency and still work here. So, I know the issues and what people want to change.
> This is a crucial by-election. The choice is clear – Green v Reform. Hope v hate.
> Only the Green Party can stop Reform in this by election.
> I want to thank every single member and supporter who has already been out on the doorstep listening to voters.
> We know Labour’s vote is in free fall. They have banned their own Mayor from standing. The Labour government has abandoned voters in Gorton and Denton and failed to tackle the cost-of-living crisis
> I will be meeting voters day and night for these next few, short weeks of this vital campaign making the case for hope.
> Reform have chosen a candidate that will divide our community. He doesn’t even think many of the people who live and work here are even British.
> I will bring the people of Gorton and Denton together.
> With their support, I will join my Green MP colleagues in the House of Commons, hold the government to account and demand action to push down costs, raise wages and bring desperately needed investment into our community.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski said:
> Hannah Spencer will be a brilliant MP for the people of Gorton and Denton. I’m a Mancunian and know when someone genuinely wants to roll up their sleeves and work for the community. Hannah is that person.
> We have just days to stop Reform and make hope normal again.
#GreenParty #GortonAndDenton #HannahSpencer
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2026-01-26 05:18:12 UTC

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There's some good background info in Stroud's Council Homes Strategy.
https://www.stroud.gov.uk/media/tzzn2jxo/strategy-for-new-council-homes-2025-2030.pdf
We take on the debt but ensure there is a reasonable correlation against future rental income.
This is one of a few of schemes underway (or close to being underway) in my ward.
https://listed.to/@eco_g/59963/affordable-houses-on-bradley-gloucester-street

2026-01-23 17:00:49 UTC

It's mission creep isn't it?
These measures will profoundly impact parental control, digital‑rights, and young people’s ability to access uncensored information. Like many families, I have tried to give my teens the tools they needed to stay safe online while still respecting their autonomy.
Parents should understand that VPNs encrypt traffic not only to protect data on insecure networks such as public Wi‑Fi, they also conceal browsing from trackers and, in some cases, from overly aggressive school filters. If .gov.uk were to ban VPNs, parents would lose a proven method for safeguarding children on public hotspots. VPNs are a widely‑used security solution and a legitimate way to bypass over‑zealous filtering.
I equipped both of my children with a quality VPN, and they turned out just fine. But it wasn't just about VPNs, it was alerting them to all the various threats out there. Teaching them digital hygiene, I guess. I recognise that the government’s aim is to reduce kids' exposure to harmful content but the current proposals would also restrict access to legitimate educational resources and other privacy‑preserving tools.
I'm not completely certain that my approach was correct. I saw it as a balance. Also, I notice that the Green baronesses were split on this.
https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/uk-government-targets-vpns-in-new-online-safety-consultation-as-lords-vote-for-ban
#GreenParty #OSA

2026-01-22 11:08:17 UTC

## Zack Polanski tells defence surveillance corporation Palantir to ‘pack its bags and get the hell out of the NHS’
The Green Party leader has today delivered a notice of contract termination to Palantir which has a seven year £330m contract with the NHS to build FDP, the ‘NHS Federated Data Platform’ to link and manage patient data.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski said:
> I have today handed a letter to Palantir serving it notice to pack its bags and get the hell out of the NHS.
> This Trump supporting military surveillance outfit has no place in Britain’s most important institution. The NHS cares for patients and brings our country together. Palantir’s most recent history is to actively aid and abet genocide in Gaza and to provide surveillance data for Trump’s paramilitary ICE squads, currently causing death and mayhem on the streets of America.
> When Wes Streeting can take some time out from meeting his private health donors, he should cancel this contract right now. If he doesn’t, my letter today to Palantir makes clear we will use every method at our disposal to force them out. Doctors have made clear they do not trust Palantir with patients’ private data, and with its appalling track record, I am with the doctors.
> There will be a review of the contract in 2027, with the UK government’s Contracts Finder database showing a formal contract end date of 15 February 2027 – so the government could end it then.
> The contract was awarded by NHS England in 2023 by the Conservative Government. Palantir is also known to have close links to the Labour government, and it has been reported that the corporation [hired Peter Mandelson](https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2026/jan/17/has-peter-mandelson-finally-run-out-of-spin) to lobby the Labour Government to help them win more government contracts.
> Palantir is an American technology company that specialises in artificial intelligence powered military and surveillance technology and data analytics and was founded by the Trump donor Peter Thiel.
> The BMA last year passed a formal resolution calling for the [Palantir NHS contract to be cancelled](https://www.bma.org.uk/bma-media-centre/arm-2025-bma-passes-resolution-on-health-information-management-and-information-technology) saying it, “threatens to undermine public trust in NHS data systems” and is unclear how the sensitive patient data would be processed by Palantir, citing the firm’s track record of creating discriminatory policing software in the US” and its “close links to a US government which shows little regard for international law”.
> The Government has mandated providers and Integrated Care Boards to Palantir’s Federated Data Platform (FDP) to ‘start making use of core products, data capabilities and population health management tools by 2028/29, according to the [Medium Term Planning Framework](https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/medium-term-planning-framework-delivering-change-together-2026-27-to-2028-29.pdf) published by the Department of Health.
> However, according to NHS figures, fewer than a quarter of England’s 215 hospital trusts were actively using FDP by the end of 2024. Some Trust’s are on record as [questioning its functionality and purpose](https://democracyforsale.substack.com/p/palantirs-nhs-data-platform-rejected-hospitals).
## The Green Party objects to the use of Palantir on three main grounds:
* We do not trust Palantir and the Labour Government with the use of people’s health data. Aside from Palantir’s own disgraceful role in the genocide in Gaza, we also note the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood recently told the Tony Blair Institute that she wanted to use AI and surveillance data so that ‘the eyes of the state can be on you at all times’. The Labour Government is persistently pursing authoritarian policies, including prescribing Palestine Action, abolishing jury trials and attempting to introduce digital ID.
* Palantir has aided the genocide in Gaza. In January 2024, Palantir signed a deal with the IDF to increase its “advanced technology provision” to Israel in support of war related missions. Palantir’s CEO Alex Karp says he is “exceedingly proud” of Palantir’s involvement in what he calls “operationally crucial operations in Israel.” The UN special rapporteur on human rights identified Palantir as complicit in war crimes and “profiting from genocide” in Gaza.
* It has been reported in the past two days that Palantir is working on a tool for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that populates a map with potential deportation targets, brings up a dossier on each person, and provides a “confidence score” on the person’s current address. We believe ICE is acting like a personalised paramilitary police force to Donald Trump, and it recently shot Renee Good dead in cold blood.
#ukpol #palantir #nhs #GreenParty
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2025-12-22 22:24:33 UTC

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Yes, but YouTube operate here in the UK! Yanis would take action here, I would have thought. They have to comply with UK law if they want to operate here, US first amendment etc. counts for diddley here.
@npub18q8…kw3r

2025-12-22 19:24:46 UTC

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Actually, this is reminicent of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godfrey_v_Demon_Internet_Service
It didn't end well for the service provider.......

2025-11-26 10:33:54 UTC

Reacting to proposals from the Justice Secretary, David Lammy, to [massively restrict the right to a jury trial](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy7vdvrnnvzo), Green MP Siân Berry said:
> This is yet another assault on our rights from an increasingly authoritarian government. This proposal would scrap a fundamental cornerstone of our justice system which has been in place for 800 years.
> For David Lammy to describe the right to trial by jury as **‘not a right’** is a disgrace. The Government must fund our justice system properly – not make people pay for Labour and Conservative austerity with their fundamental rights. The Green Party will fight these proposals all the way.
#ukpol #GreenParty
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2025-11-18 06:37:19 UTC

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They may as well contract out of the Refugee Convention too while they're at it. :(
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2025-11-14 03:44:38 UTC

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Like many others across the country I serve my community by sitting on our local Police & Crime Panel. Investing time and energy building relationships with OPCC to influence policy especially, in my case, relating to disproportionality of police powers by our force.
There's an excellent [example of the work](https://listed.to/@eco_g/64993/video-clips-police-crime-panel-september-2025) here. It's low key but stories like this are powerful. Policing is hard and cajoling change is even harder. I'm not at all certain that making policing oversight part of the broader local‑government structures by abolishing OPCCs is a good thing. This directness will get diluted and lost.
But what I find reprehensible is reading about these sweeping changes in the press before being briefed on them. It feels like another authoritarian power grab. Just like LGR, with the removal of local represention and decision making under the guise of devolution.

2025-11-12 11:27:11 UTC

And today it's the turn of The Times to try and patronise us all.
Every single day the right wing establishment tries to close ranks.
And every day we are growing.
[join.greenparty.org.uk](https://join.greenparty.org.uk)
#ukpol #GreenParty
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2025-10-18 05:52:36 UTC

Please ask your local MP to support Siân Berry's motion against mandatory digital ID which is gaining a lot of cross-party support.
Combined with the Govt's alarming new restrictions on the right to protest freely, these plans represent an enormous threat to civil liberties.
https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/64428
#DigitalID #GreenParty #ukpol
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2025-10-16 08:42:13 UTC

Ooch. The BBC survey will be hard reading for the BBC Trust. 872,701 people spoke truth to power!
91% thought it important to be independent from the government of the day. But ony 43% thought they were effective at it!!!!!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/ourbbcourfuture
#BBC
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2025-09-25 06:16:30 UTC

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Um no cyber insurance.... Yet they fired their in-house IT team and farmed it out that role to an overseas third party. This short sighted cost saving measure contributed to record profits. £2bn last year and £2bn free cash.
It also seems JLR have somehow wangled their tax liability with a £1bn deferred‑tax asset. The amount of corporation tax actually paid to HM Revenue & Customs was close to zero last year.
So, by my calculation the UK Govt has no tax money to play with if some sort of bailout is expected.

2025-09-01 16:00:54 UTC

This is the real Reform UK. Simply racist. Farage boasts of having ‘the most in depth vetting process’ - but you have to wonder who they reject - not people who call asylum seekers ‘paedophiles’ and Muslims ‘evil’…. it would seem.
**Warning:** this article contains references that some readers may find offensive
https://inews.co.uk/news/reform-councillor-suspended-racist-posts-epping-hotel-protests-3883933
#ReformUK #ukpol
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2025-08-27 04:59:16 UTC

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Where did you get that 40% stat?
I was dealing with a race/hate crime recently. The 'follow-up' section may be of interest and is relevant, I think.
https://listed.to/@eco_g/62439/racial-assault-stroud
Undocumented there, young witnesses to that crime had smartphone video footage but did not report it to the police because it showed the victim fighting back. They thought the police would use that evidence against the black victim!
Particularly with race/hate crimes and the emboldening of the racists who live amongst us (being whipped up by the likes of the prime minister, no less, with 'rivers of blood' type rhetoric), I hear that black and brown people have little confidence in the police and just don't bother to report these crimes, they just 'suck it up'.
#police #RaceHateCrime

2025-08-14 04:17:40 UTC

The Green Party needs more media cut through to break out of its traditional base and get the message out as widely as possible... Mothin is an exemplary ward councillor and has been no stranger to publicity.
You'll remember him as the human shield between protesters and police during the Harehills disorder, last year, that saw a double-decker bus torched and a police car flipped over.
He has generated significant media interest and will continue to do so.
He has my vote for deputy leader.
https://www.mothinali.com/
#GreenParty #ukpol #MothinAli

2025-08-07 04:52:45 UTC

Defend Our Juries website taken down as attack on freedom of speech worsens - blocking access to important legal info for protestors.
This is what happens when the Government uses anti-terror law to silence dissent.
https://www.wedonotcomply.org <— legal info here instead!
#DefendOurJuries
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2025-08-02 02:15:06 UTC

How to identify and 'disarm' transphobic and queerphobic dogwhistles.
Not official Green Party guidance but useful nonetheless.
https://lgbtiqa.greenparty.org.uk/2023/06/15/dogwhistle-guidance/

2025-07-31 10:43:43 UTC

> The fact that police facial recognition technology has been put on our streets and expanded repeatedly over nearly ten years - by two Governments - without a single piece of specific legislation being voted on by MPs is utterly outrageous and sinister. - Sian Berry MP - Green Party
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/31/met-police-to-more-than-double-use-of-live-facial-recognition
#ukpol #GreenParty #police

2025-07-30 14:56:53 UTC

**BREAKING: HIGH COURT GRANTS FULL LEGAL REVIEW OF PALESTINE ACTION BAN IN BLOW TO YVETTE COOPER**
* Full legal review set for September
* High Court cites ‘recipe for chaos’ if legality of order isn’t reviewed as soon as possible
* Dilemma sharpens for Met Chief ahead of mass protest on 9 August
Today, 30 July, the High Court granted permission to Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, to bring a full judicial review against the order of the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, proscribing the group as a ‘terrorist organisation’.
The ruling comes as a blow to Cooper, whose lawyers argued vigorously that the application should be refused, given that the Terrorism Act contains a statutory process to apply for de-proscription. Such a process can take years, however, whereas the judicial review is now due to be heard this September.
Mr Justice Martin Chamberlain warned of a ‘recipe for chaos’ if the legality of the order isn’t authoritatively determined as soon as possible.
A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries said:
> We are confident the High Court will soon strike down this absurd and repugnant order, made at the bidding of the perpetrators of genocide.”
Press release in full:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y8nZUeEY7MrNFRFth8wPS9ICXBvrdbIAz_u-4cjYVEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.z011send4osu
#PalastineAction #ukpol

2025-07-29 19:39:46 UTC

Reacting to today’s emergency cabinet meeting on Gaza and Keir Stamer’s statement, Green Party MP, Ellie Chowns, who is the party’s foreign affairs spokesperson, said:
> What Starmer has said today suggests Palestinian statehood is a bargaining chip, only to be awarded if the Israeli government fails to end the genocide in Gaza and agrees to a range of other conditions such as allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid and ending annexations in the West Bank.
> While these conditions are welcome and essential steps towards a ceasefire and a peaceful solution, they must not be an alternative to recognising Palestinian statehood. This is a cynical political gesture ahead of the outcomes of the UN Conference and suggests that if Israel were to comply with the demands, Palestinian statehood would be kicked down the road again, disenfranchising the Palestinian people.
> The Green Party calls on Keir Starmer to immediately and unconditionally recognise a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution, just as Labour promised to do in their election manifesto.
#EllieChowns #Gaza #GreenPrty #ukpol
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2025-07-12 11:56:34 UTC

Remember, the best way to save water during a drought is to...
T̶u̶r̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶a̶p̶ ̶o̶f̶f̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶l̶e̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶'̶r̶e̶ ̶b̶r̶u̶s̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶t̶e̶e̶t̶h̶
BRING WATER COMPANIES BACK INTO PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
#GreenParty #ukpol
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2025-07-05 16:39:19 UTC

Police in London have arrested an 83-year-old woman for holding a sign expressing support for Palestine Action, the activist group was recently proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000.
https://news.met.police.uk/news/update-on-policing-in-london-following-proscription-of-palestine-action-499157
#ukpol

2025-07-03 18:55:52 UTC

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2025-06-27 09:33:42 UTC

Green Party peer Jenny Jones has told the Glastonbury Festival’s Speakers Forum that she will vote against proscribing Palestine Action if the order reaches the House of Lords.
Jenny said: “I’ve worked on policing issues, civil liberties and protests for more than 25 years, and I know very clearly, very well, that what the government is doing to Palestine Action is not a legal act. They are not a terrorist organisation and, to be honest, if the government proscribes them, there’s going to be an outcry. It is bizarre, because it almost looks as if the government is frightened of protest. I mean, that’s something that I’ve seen with the Conservative government, but now with the Labour government, we’re seeing it as well. They actually don’t like opposition of any sort, and that’s not democracy, and what they are planning to do is not democratic.”
#ukpol #GreenParty

2025-06-26 06:41:43 UTC

Well done Co-Op members!
BDS VICTORY
The Co-Op will implement boycott of Israeli goods.
#Gaza #Genocide
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2025-05-06 07:43:48 UTC

Newly elected Green councillor in Maidstone, Stuart Jeffrey, spoke to BBC Politics South East. He said: “The media has platformed Nigel Farage over and over, pushed his message out at the expense of parties like mine. Last week we had the same number of MPs as Reform, this week we still have more councillors than Reform. We don't get anywhere near the coverage given to Farage and his team and that is why the public vote as they do - we struggle because of the media presence.”
#ukpol #GreenParty

2025-05-04 05:05:47 UTC

💚 The Green Party is the only party offering a real alternative and despite what the media would have you believe, with a total of 859 hard working councillors, we have more than Reform!
Real Hope - Real Change
#ukpol #GreenParty
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2025-04-18 02:49:22 UTC

So, yet again my small high street cookshop in a rural English town has paid more tax than Starbucks entire UK operation.
Cynically, Starbucks is more than profitable enough to pay £40m of royalties to its US parent company, thereby incuring a loss of £35m.
Global revenue for 2024 was $36billion.
As a Green Party district councillor it makes my blood boil.
#ukpol #GreenParty
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2025-03-19 16:52:32 UTC

Huge result and the UK really needs to follow suit.
There's a huge dependency in local Government on Microsoft, Google and Amazon products.
Even Stroud District Council's comms is via X and Facebook, which forces residents and councillors to consume an American news and a soft-porn agenda.
I just thought it was male councillors targeted by Facebook with soft-porn, but no, female councillors are subjected to it too! That was a bizarre unsolicited chat with two of my my female colleagues! Another male councillor colleague has mentioned that he can't browse social media in a public place because of it.
This has to change, there are great alternatives to reduce our dependency on these tax avoiding US companies owned by Andrew Tate wannabes which would be good for our local economy as well as our mental health.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/dutch-parliament-calls-end-reliance-us-software-2025-03-18
#Stroud #Gloucestershire

2025-01-20 11:11:29 UTC

The Green Party is clear – President Trump is a misogynist, a racist, a convicted criminal and, we believe, a fascist.
https://greenparty.org.uk/2025/01/20/statement-ahead-of-president-trumps-inauguration-a-dangerous-turn-toward-right-wing-populism/
#ukpol #uspol

2024-12-03 13:20:57 UTC

This is interesting. The government of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany is migrating 30,000 users to LibreOffice and Linux desktop and therefore adopting .odf document format.
https://peertube.opencloud.lu/w/rUh7VLPkmkruarXHKeNGqG
https://stroud.social/media/b4e1c0deed25413eaab0cc2698b2f62aee590233ede1c5dec8f8a3cda1d21d83.png

2024-10-07 08:16:57 UTC

Adrian Ramsey - Green Party: “Labour ditched its pledge for £28bn investment in the transition to the green economy of the future... but they can give £22bn just to give an excuse to carry on as we are. This makes no sense for the transition that we need.”
"A fifth of the stalls on climate and climate events at Labour conference were sponsored by companies with links to the fossil fuel industry. We need to have a much clearer system for regulating lobbying."