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Following on from last July’s wonderful Divestment commitment from Birmingham, we contacted all candidates standing for election in May across the 6 remaining areas covered by West Midlands Pension Fund.We asked them to sign a pledge:

“I support the divestment of our local government pension fund from fossil fuels, and reinvestment locally to support transition to a low carbon future”

Over 100 candidates from across the political spectrum signed including both the leader and opposition leader of Dudley Council!

We are moving forward to try to secure further Divestment commitments with a focus on Dudley , Sandwell and Coventry for now.

There are three events coming up in June and July which it would be great to see you at.

1. We are co-hosting a workshop with Divest Parliament in Stourbridge on Saturday 16th June: https://www.facebook.com/events/639462769719176/
2. DivestWMPF are holding a meeting in Dudley on the evening of Tuesday 26th June: https://www.facebook.com/events/1985543045107717/
3. Divest West Midlands are holding a public meeting and film showing of the film Power Trip: Fracking in the UK on Tuesday 17th July at Coventry Peace House: https://www.facebook.com/events/616931898664389/

We are delighted to announce that in the 2019 May Local Election, so far, the following candidates in the West Midlands have pledged (or have party policy) to push for a motion to divest the West Midlands Local Government Pension Fund from damaging fossil fuel investments. ( Please note we have not canvassed in Birmingham as Birmingham City Council passed a motion in support of divestment in 2017)

Sandwell Candidates

Connor Jones – Bristnall -The Conservative Party                                                                                                   Susan O’Dell -Bristnall- Green Party

Hannah Valenzuela -Newton Ward- Green Party
Dave Hosell -Newton Ward- Independent

MUSSI Aldo -Blackheath- Green Party
ALLEN Michael Gary -Abbey- Green Party
CONNOR Paul William– Cradley Heath and Old Hill -Green Party
Daniela Waugh– Great Barr with Yew Tree- Green Party
Fiona Pitt -Greets Green and Lyng W -Green Party
Frederic Lacroix -Langley Ward- Green Party
Samantha Lyster– Old Warley Ward- Green Party
WAUGH Jody Barnabas Scott -Oldbury Ward -Green Party
Heather Allen– Rowley Ward- Green Party
BUCKMAN Stephanie Anne -Smethwick Ward -Green Party
BUCKMAN Robert Graham -Soho and Victoria Ward- Green Party
OTTRIDGE Fabienne Marguerite– St. Paul`s Ward- Green Party
Richard Jeffcoat -Tipton Green Ward -Green Party
WILLIAMS Keir Lawrence -Tividale Ward -Green Party
REDDING Mark Nicholas– Wednesbury North -Ward Green Party
OTTRIDGE Ryan Santi -West Bromwich Central Ward -Green Party                                                               MANLEY-GREEN Bryan Stuart -Old Warley Ward- Lib Dem

Wolverhampton Candidates

WEBSTER Michelle– Bushbury North- Green Party
Ian Jenkins– Heath Town -Lib Dem
TUDOR Helen– Oxley- Green Party
Amy Bertaut -Park- Green Party                                                                                                                                               Terry Hancox -St Peters- Green Party                                                                                                                                    Kate Gilbert -Merry Hill -Green Party                                                                                                                                       Helen Currie- Fallings Park -Green Party                                                                                                                              Daniel Flynn -Graiseley -Green Party                                                                                                                                 Clive Wood -Bushbury South and Low Hill- Green Party
CANTRILL Andrea Louise -Tettenhall Wightwick- Green Party
HARRIS Lee– Wednesfield North -Green Party

DONALD Julian– Tettenhall Regis -Lib Dem                                                                                                                        Benjamin Brunsdon- Tettenhall Regis -Green Party

HOLLIS Peter George– Penn- Lib Dem                                                                                                                                  Holly Whitmill -Penn -Green Party

Dudley Candidates

Daniel Archer- St Thomas`s- Green Party                                                                                                                          David Sheppard -Quarry Bank & Dudley Wood- Lib Dem
FLYNN Ian -Amblecote -Lib Dem Focus Team
MCCOMISH Bill -Belle Vale Green -Party
ELCOCK Gordon Christopher -Brierley Hill -Green Party
Cathy Bayton -St James`s -Labour Party
Maurice Archer -Castle & Priory- Green Party
Ryan Priest– Cradley & Wollescote- Lib Dem
PAYNE John -Hayley Green & Cradley South -Green Party

BARLOW Mitch -Gornal- Green Party
Karl Denning -Gornal -Labour Party

 

Christopher Bramall -Wollaston & Stourbridge Town- Lib Dem                                                                              Cat Eccles– Wollaston & Stourbridge Town -Labour Party

 
CAMPBELL Derek Alan -Halesowen South -Lib Dem
Helen Betts-Patel -Halesowen South- Labour Party

 
Jack Downes -Kingswinford North & Wall Heath -Labour Party
BRAMALL Jonathan Michael -Kingswinford North & Wall Heath- Lib Dem
Pam Archer– Kingswinford North & Wall Heath- Green Party

 
BRADLEY Taryn Zoe -Kingswinford South- Green Party
Elizabeth Geeves– Kingswinford South- Lib Dem

 
Alan Lewers -Lye & Stourbridge North- Lib Dem
Lawrence Rowlett– Lye & Stourbridge North- Green Party

 
Alexander Botten -Netherton, Woodside & St Andrew`s- Lib Dem
WRIGHT Alex -Netherton, Woodside & St Andrew`s- Green Party

 

Mark Binnersley– Norton -Green Party
Elaine Sheppard– Norton- Lib Dem Focus Team
Andrew Tromans -Norton- Labour Party

 

Catherine Maguire– Pedmore & Stourbridge East -Green Party
HANSON Simon Paul– Pedmore & Stourbridge East- Lib Dem

 

Claire Bramall -St James`s- Lib Dem
Francis Sheppard -St James`s- Green Party

 

Alexander Home– Wordsley- Lib Dem
Jennifer Slater-Reid -Wordsley -Green Party

Solihull Candidates

Carol Linfield -Blythe -Green Party
Steve Caudwell -Castle Bromwich- Green Party
Eleanor Aldworth– Kingshurst and Fordbridge -Green Party
WILSON Alison Natasha -Knowle- Green Party
PEARSON Mark Joseph -Meriden- Green Party
Antony Lowe -Shirley East- Green Party
Shahin Ashraf -Shirley South- Green Party
Rosemary Sexton -Shirley West- Green Party
Elaine Williams– Silhill -Green Party
Mark Wilson -Smith`s Wood -Green Party
Joelle Hill -St. Alphege- Green Party                                                                                                                                 Kathryn Thomas -Lyndon- Lib Dem

MCINTYRE Iona Elizabeth Jean- Dorridge and Hockley Heath- Green Party
FAIRBURN Paul Martin -Dorridge and Hockley Heath- Lib Dem

Nick Stephens- Bickenhill- Labour and Cooperative Party                                                                                           Trevor Barker– Bickenhill- Green Party                                                                                                                           COLLEY Reece -Bickenhill- Lib Dem

DAWKINS Hazel Jasmine Ellenor -Chelmsley Wood- Labour Party                                                                         Karl Macnaughton -Chelmsley Wood- Green Party

Coventry Candidates

Becky Finlayson -Wainbody -Green Party
BROWN Chrissie Lynn -Wyken Green Party
Cathy Wattebot -Foleshill- Green Party
Cristian Honeychurch– Longford -Green Party
Danny Foulstone -Binley and Willenhall -Green Party
David Neil Priestly -Bablake -Green Party
GRAY Stephen Robert George -Holbrook -Green Party
HANDLEY Matthew Stephen- Henley -Green Party
Joe McAvoy-Boss– St Michael`s- Green Party
MARSHALL Jess -Westwood -Green Party
MORSHEAD James Frederick -Wainbody- Lib Dem
Nukey Proctor -Sherbourne- Lib Dem
PATTERSON Anne -Whoberley -Green Party
REEVES Esther Mary– Lower Stoke -Green Party
SPRIDDLE Jules– Radford- Green Party
Sudhir Sard -Woodlands -Green Party
VESTY Laura Katherine -Upper Stoke- Green Party
WEBB Niall -Sherbourne -Green Party

Jim McClean -Cheylesmore -Lib Dem                                                                                                                                         John Verdult- Cheylesmore -Green Party

John Finlayson -Earlsdon -Green Party                                                                                                                                    RICHMOND Stephen John -Earlsdon -Lib Dem

Walsall Candidates

James, Doug -Darlaston South -Labour and cooperative Party
MALTMAN John -Pelsall -Labour Party
WEBSTER Susan Elizabeth– St Matthews- Green Party
Gray, Jennifer Eileen– Streetly -Lib Dem
BROWN Carl David -Short Heath -Labour Party                                                                                                                  Bradley, Andrea Ivy -Pheasey Park Farm -Labour Party                                                                                 Wolfs, Amy Louise- Aldridge North and Walsall Wood- Labour Party

Smith, Kathryn Anne -Rushall-Shelfield -Labour Party                                                                                                  ALLEN Liam Craig– Rushall-Shelfield- Green Party

Young, Ann- Blakenhall- Labour Party                                                                                                                                    MCKENZIE Shaun Alardice -Blakenhall -Green Party

RAHMAN Mish- Aldridge Central and South -Labour Party                                                                                       Chan, Guan Khai -Aldridge Central and South -Green Party

 

 

With Trump left isolated at the G20, Birmingham Councillors have chosen to stand alongside prominent world leaders in tackling climate change.

On the evening of Tuesday 11th July the Birmingham Full Council debated a motion to back divestment of the Local Government Pension Fund ‘West Midlands Pension Fund’ from fossil fuels.

The motion was proposed by Councillor Roger Harmer, Lib Dem Councillor for Acocks Green following calls from regional campaign group Divest West Midlands Pension Fund. He said:

I am delighted to see Birmingham City Council councillors united in supporting divestment from fossil fuels today.

If we are to save our environment for future generations it is vital that we leave most of our coal and oil resources in the ground. It therefore makes no sense for Birmingham’s pension funds to be investing in industries based on exploiting these resources. Instead we should be investing more in low carbon technologies, which enable us to live cleaner, healthier lives.

Councillor Roger Harmer, Lib Dem Councillor for Acocks Green

The motion also called on the Council to rule out new investments in Fossil Fuels.
Kay Edwards, co-ordinator of regional campaign group Divest WMPF commented:

This is a wonderful that Birmingham City Council has shown leadership Birmingham in leading the way towards a fossil free future for the West Midlands.
We welcome commitments to press the pension fund to divest the £393 million it currently invests in coal, oil and gas companies. Instead, the West Midlands could reinvest this money into building new homes, clean renewable energy or public transport.

Kay Edwards, co-ordinator of regional campaign group Divest WMPF

Reports have shown that climate change is already, and will continue to have great impacts on our region and the world.

Here are some suggested tweets / Facebook messages that you could post to help us spread the word…

Support  fossil fuel divestment pledge! Information at divestwmpf.org

Tell your councillor you support  fossil fuel divestment pledge ! Information divestwmpf.org

I told my councillor I support  fossil fuel divestment . Will you? Information at divestwmpf.org

Want your council to invest in the future, not in fossil fuels? Support the pledge to divest! Information at divestwmpf.org

If you have room, you could also add one of the following hashtags:

#divestment 

#fossilfree

Tag us in your in post by including @DivestWMPF and tag your  Council .

Here are some templates you can use to lobby your councillor via Twitter or Facebook:

Dear Cllr (name of councillor)
I support the fossil fuel divestment  (POSTCODE)
Information at divestwmpf.org

Cllr (Surname Councillor)
I support fossil fuel divestment  (POSTCODE). Please sign the pledge. Information at divestwmpf.org

Invest in my future not in fossil fuels. Please sign the pledge to divest!
(POSTCODE) For info visit divestwmpf.org

Cllr (Surname Councillor) Let’s stop investing in fossil fuels!
(POSTCODE). Sign the pledge. Information at divestwmpf.org

If using Twitter to lobby your councillor, please don’t forget to include their twitter handle so that they see your message. You can usually find out what your councillor’s twitter handle is by typing ‘Cllr (NAME) twitter’ into google. Ensure your voice is heard!