Nancy Platts

Green Jobs Action Day took place on March 24. It was organised by Green New Deal UK and backed by campaigners across the country. I took part in a short film interview with Green New Deal UK, joining the sea of voices calling for a greener and sustainable future. We hear a lot about terms like Green New Deal and Green Jobs so I wanted to use my column to dive into what they mean and why they are so important for our city and our planet.

Issues affecting women have been under a lot of focus in the last couple of weeks, with the celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8 quickly turning to collective grief over the tragic killing of Sarah Everard, which combined with fury over the anti-democratic measures in the government’s new policing bill.

This week my postbag has been full of letters about the proposed development by St William on the old gasworks site in the east of the city.

Last week marked National Empty Homes Week, which is spearheaded by Action On Empty Homes, a charity that raises awareness about the “waste” of unused properties. Its campaigners hope to pressure ministers to work with councils and tackle the issue of long-term empty homes.

We are living in unparalleled times and along with the tragic loss of life and damage to health, we’ve also seen the huge risk the pandemic poses to workers’ jobs, pay, safety and conditions. That is why trade unions are more important than ever and I am supporting HeartUnions week, which started yesterday.

ANIMAL welfare is an issue I know I share with many residents of Brighton and Hove in caring deeply about.

I AM still getting used to attending full council meetings from home rather than speaking in the chamber. It seems like a lifetime ago when we would conduct these speeches in Hove Town Hall, with the press and residents watching on from the gallery.

IT IS a really exciting time for those with an interest in tackling the climate crisis – which I hope is all of us.

I WANT to take this opportunity to congratulate the students across the city on their A-level and GCSE results that have come out in recent weeks.

IT WAS really disappointing to hear the announcement from the Government last week about their proposed reforms to the planning system.