Cllr Liam Shrivastava

When my niece was in primary school in Lewisham, living nr the South Circular, she + many children in her class had inhalers. Their GP said they were having to prescribe inhalers to ever more children - well above the national average. The reality of air pollution is children struggling to breathe.

Disappointing but not surprising by Labour. This has happened in a London borough where these policies would directly help so many people, where child and youth services have been cut for years and also where Thames Water has cut water to houses, not repaired leaks, routinely raised prices and more.

A map of London showing the air pollution monitoring system. Green ticks indicate the monitors that met UK legal limits in 2024. Two red crosses indicate exceedances in 2024.

London’s #AirPollution has dropped significantly over the last few years; thank you @london.gov.uk!

BUT - at least two monitors are NOT meeting the NO2 annual average (technicalities). The #Brixton & #Lewisham monitors still show exceedances. (See image, from the London Air website).

Tonight Lewisham Labour voted

❌ Against expanding childcare for families on lowest incomes
❌ Against scrapping the 2-child benefit cap
❌ Against Nationalising Thames Water

If you want a party that stands up for all, join @lewishamgreenparty.bsky.social and let's build an alternative

Lewisham Greens are bringing a Council motion to demand public ownership of Thames Water.
Alongside @compassoffice.bsky.social, we're working with Councils in the Thames Water region to to make their position clear.
Listen to @liamshrivastava.bsky.social talk about why he's bringing the motion here'

Green party membership surges after public split between Corbyn and Sultana Almost 1,400 people sign up in 24 hours to increase party membership by 10% since Zack Polanski’s leadership win this month

"My door is always open for conversations with Jeremy and Zarah, two people committed to making our country fairer who I really respect. All my energy is focused on what I can do towards that end, and that’s to keep growing @greenparty.org.uk"

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

How to build a new left-party alliance - Red Pepper The Green party and the new ‘Your Party’ need collaboration and grassroots organising to forge real change, argues Liam Shrivastava

With the growing threat of the far right, egos and historical grievances must not hold us back from the alliance we need in these tumultuous and uncertain times.

My piece in @redpeppermag.bsky.social

www.redpepper.org.uk/political-pa...

Great weekend campaigning in Ladywell, Telegraph Hill and New Cross Gate with @lewishamgreenparty.bsky.social

Spoke to lots of frustrated Labour voters who now intend to vote green 💚

Labour has failed our communities - the Greens are here to replace them. #GetGreensElected

Welcome to the party!

Draw the line. Join the Green Party today ⤵️

join.greenparty.org.uk?utm_source=s...

How to build a new left-party alliance - Red Pepper The Green party and the new ‘Your Party’ need collaboration and grassroots organising to forge real change, argues Liam Shrivastavia

This next 12 months is going to be pivotal for the future of the left in the UK.

It's time we build something to be proud of, together 💚

How to build a new left-party alliance - Red Pepper The Green party and the new ‘Your Party’ need collaboration and grassroots organising to forge real change, argues Liam Shrivastavia

Great article on organising the left challenge from below by Lewisham Green group leader @liamshrivastava.bsky.social www.redpepper.org.uk/political-pa...

If you’re in Lewisham and want to talk about making real change, I want to hear from you.

Drop me a message or comment below 👇

Here in Lewisham, we have little time to waste. As Leader of @lewishamgreenparty.bsky.social on Lewisham Council, I want us to pitch an ambitious eco-socialist vision for the borough at our council elections in May - and I want members of our diverse communities to shape it.

The populist paradox For these initiatives to have a positive impact on the local elections next May, we have to be active right now. This reality poses a problem for ‘Your Party’, which will be spending the autumn planning its conference, deciding what to call itself and how it will be structured as a party. Meanwhile, its 700,000+ supporters will be waiting for something to happen – as a Polanski-led Green party is attempting to shape the political weather. One of left populism’s greatest strengths – for a leader to act as a lightning rod for radical change – is also its biggest weakness. While figureheads are crucial for rallying a constituency of support, they can also have a demobilising effect where supporters become passive cheerleaders. At that point, political action is reduced to internal voting, online activism, endless WhatsApp chats, meetings and canvassing, and focus on national over local issues. While all important, none of these activities allow for activists and supporters to express their agency – all are left waiting for the leader(s). People are tired of having politics ‘done to them’. It’s time for a politics of self-organisation.

With the growing threat from the far-right, we can’t afford to fall into the pitfalls of left populism - over-reliance on individual figureheads and top-down structures - we need to empower people and communities through self-organisation.

Legislation from below Jonas Marvin argues that a key ingredient for left party success is ‘to create a generation of working class organisers inside and outside of official politics’. This ‘legislation from below’ could take the form of helping to organise striking workers, working with tenants unions or supporting Palestine solidarity activists – for example by backing their demands for councils to divest from genocide. Such a politics contributes to localised power bases and struggles that meet the material needs of working-class communities. We have started to focus on these needs in the Lewisham Green party. After defecting from Labour, one of my first acts as leader of the Lewisham Council Green group was tabling such a pensions divestment motion. We later held a public workshop to hear residents’ priorities, and these will shape our council elections manifesto next year. We plan to hold more workshops, asking what diverse communities want from Green councillors and how we can better support existing community action. This could encourage new Green councillor candidates to step forwards. At present, the inaccessible, discriminatory and opaque nature of party politics excludes many activists from finding a political voice.

Irrespective of whether socialists find themselves in the Greens or the new project, both require grassroots organising, empowering members to ‘legislate from below’ as @jonasmarvin.bsky.social and others have argued

How to build a new left-party alliance - Red Pepper The Green party and the new ‘Your Party’ need collaboration and grassroots organising to forge real change, argues Liam Shrivastavia

For @redpeppermag.bsky.social, I wrote about how a Green Party led from the left by @zackpolanski.bsky.social will align, not conflict with the embryonic Your Party www.redpepper.org.uk/political-pa...

Police facial recognition vans feel 'totalitarian', young people say - BBC News Young people say they have concerns about the technology, but that it could make people feel safer.

I agree with Mia!

"Mia Kaivanto, 18, raised concerns about data privacy. She said: "More surveillance isn't necessarily equivalent to more efficient arrests.""

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Full article below. Paragraphs that start "voting by members and Ramsay and Chowns."

I’m so grateful for the surge of support in every corner.

Thank you to my colleague @carolinerussell.bsky.social for the endorsement too!

But I’m by no means complacent. Votes close at the end of the month. Remind members to vote.

Let’s make this happen.

It's been a minute since I left Labour and joined the @greenparty.org.uk Here's a message on what @lewishamgreenparty.bsky.social have been up to and why YOU should join us.

We're building a real alternative in Lewisham. Join us and become a part of it

Drop a comment below 👇 or send me a message 📥

Excited to have voted for what I think will make a strong and complimentary @greenparty.org.uk Leadership team:

@zackpolanski.bsky.social for Leader

@mothinali.bsky.social (1) & @rachelmillward.bsky.social (2) as Deputies

Let's go!

If you're also concerned about the potential sale of allotment sites and other assets in Lewisham, drop me a DM or email me at liam.shrivastava@lewisham.gov.uk

From Soil to Soul How Allotments Boost Well-being and Community | National Allotment Society Allotments have long been cherished as a space for growing food, enjoying fresh air, and cultivating a connection with nature. However, their value extends far beyond just being a patch of land for ga...

Allotments are also vital for improving people’s wellbeing, combating loneliness and ensuring a more sustainable environment. thenas.org.uk/Soil%20to%20...

Selling allotment sites is likely to have a disproportionate impact on marginalised residents. As the @healthfoundation.bsky.social has found, people in more deprived areas, minority ethnic groups and younger people are less likely to have access to green space www.health.org.uk/evidence-hub...

It would be incredibly unfair on a resident who has waited over a decade for green space to be told the Council is selling it off.

Green spaces for people to grow are incredibly limited in boroughs like Lewisham and there are currently 8,499 people on the Council’s allotment waiting list. Many have to wait years for a plot, with some waiting times as long as 13 years.

Dear Brenda, I hope you’re well and have been enjoying the Summer recess. You will have seen the Secretary of State's recent announcement that Councils will be allowed to sell off allotment sites to raise revenue. As you know, green spaces for people to grow food and other plants are incredibly limited in boroughs like Lewisham and there are currently 8,499 people on the Council’s allotment waiting list. Many of these people will have to wait years for a plot, with some waiting times as long as 13 years. I’m sure you would agree that it would be incredibly unfair and distressing for a resident who has waited over a decade for a green space to be told the Council is selling it off. Selling allotment sites is likely to have a disproportionate impact on marginalised residents. As the Health Foundation has found, people in more deprived areas, minority ethnic groups and younger people are less likely to have access to green space. Allotments are also vital for improving people’s wellbeing, combating loneliness and ensuring a more sustainable environment. I recognise we are facing a housing crisis here in London, but housebuilding must not threaten what precious little green space we have available. Given the numerous social, environmental and health benefits of these precious community assets, I am asking you to reassure residents with a public commitment that Lewisham Council will not sell any of its 37 allotment sites. I would be very happy to meet with you to discuss these concerns at a convenient time. Yours sincerely, Cllr Liam Shrivastava Leader of the Lewisham Green Party Group Councillor for New Cross Gate Ward London Borough of Lewisham

Following Angela Rayner's announcement that Councils will be allowed to sell off allotments and other community assets, I have today written to @brendadacres.bsky.social asking for a commitment that @lewisham.gov.uk will not sell any of its 37 allotment sites

I know residents and cyclists are concerned over the recent closure outside this tunnel by Senegal Road along the Q10 cycle route near Surrey Canal Road.

This is due to district heating installation by SELCHP. Unfortunately, the path is expected to be blocked off until the end of October

In this house, our policies are led by the people! 💚

On Tuesday, we had a super energising and empowering “Policy Jam” 🍯

Our Green Cllr @liamshrivastava.bsky.social gave us an update on his recent work in the council holding the Labour group to account.

Join us now and help us!

Unlawful Killing Every year hundreds of people die preventable deaths at the hands of police, whilst in prison, or in the care of mental health services in the UK. Some of the names you’ll know. Most of them you won’t...

Today, Chris Kaba should have been celebrating his 27th birthday - but was killed by the Met. in Sept. 2022. To honour Chris, @inquest-org.bsky.social is sharing a very special episode of its Unlawful Killing podcast
@lucybrisbane.bsky.social @bschcnetwork.bsky.social

pod.link/1717049291/e...