Tag Archives: Textiles

Tories put Party tribalism ahead of environmental action.

Posted on by
3

Before last May’s election, lots of recent converts to the Conservative Party made assurances that they would respond to individual issues on the own merits and they would not be afraid to vote against the party. Sadly, there is very little evidence of any of this maverick attitude within the council chamber.

Despite declaring a ‘Climate Emergency’ last year, Conservative leaders at South Kesteven recently imposed a whip on their councillors in order to reject a charity textiles bank initiative because it was not their idea. The decision was clearly party political.

The following SKDC councillors voted in favour of textiles recycling banks.

Baxter (Ind)Hansen (Ind)Morgan (Lab)
Bisnauthsing (L/D)Kelly (Ind)Steptoe (Lab)
Clack (Lab)Knowles (Ind)Wheeler (L/D)
Dilks (Ind)Milnes (Ind)Wood (Ind)
Fellows (Ind)Moran (Ind)Total: 14

The following SKDC councillors voted against textile recycling banks:

Benn (Con)Johnson (Con)Stokes Jnr (Con)
Bosworth (Con)Lee (Con)Thomas (Con)
Cooke (Con)Manterfield (Con)Trollope-Bellew (Con)
Crawford (Con)Mason (Con)Westropp Snr (Con)
Dawson (Con)Reid (Con)Whittington (Con)
Dobson (Con)Jacky Smith (Con)L Wootten (Con)
Exton (Con)Judy Smith (Con)R Wootten (Con)
Griffin (Con)Stevens (Con)Total: 23
Continue reading →

SKDC Tories throw out textiles proposal

Posted on by
1

On Thursday 30th January, the Conservatives once again showed their true, narrow-minded, partisan colours by following the party whip to reject a modest proposal to improve recycling in South Kesteven. It’s pathetic that despite their empty rhetoric about putting politics aside, and caring about the Climate Emergency, South Kesteven Tories couldn’t bring themselves to support an opposition motion aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

Clothes recycling containers at Rushmere shopping centre, Craigavon, Co Armagh, Northern Ireland (wikimedia.org) [w800]

I had submitted a motion to the Full Council meeting suggesting that charitable organisations be given permission to put just four textile recycling banks on Council-owned sites across the District. This would generate a financial income for the council and the charity, it would give people additional places to donate old clothes and shoes to charity and it would reduce contamination in the silver wheelie bins (currently around 30%).

Continue reading →