Born in Manila to a Filipina and a Briton, Pippa moved to Morden in 1977 and is honoured to have been chosen as the Green Party’s parliamentary candidate for Mitcham and Morden in the General Election on 12th December. A state secondary school English teacher for thirteen years, a Media Arts university tutor during the completion of her doctorate, and currently a trainee caseworker for a local Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation, as well as a carer for her father, she is driven to help others and, over the years, has gained the kind of experience and skills that would make her a fantastic elected representative.
Settling in Morden in 2013 after some time away, Pippa quickly threw herself into civic life – campaigning to save St Helier Hospital and working with her neighbours to beat down an unfair major works bill from their housing association. Also joining The People’s Assembly Against Austerity in 2013, she initially sought a political home in the National Health Action Party, but joined the Green Party in 2015 when she realised that climate breakdown and the biodiversity crisis are the most pressing issues of our time and must inform our approach to the future in all areas of life.
“It would truly be an honour to serve as MP in the constituency that welcomed me as a child and to which I have gladly returned.” – Pippa Maslin
Green Party Priorities
Green New Deal
We back a Green New Deal which will empower communities to transition from high-carbon to low and zero-carbon industries, introduce stricter environmental regulations, and protect and restore natural habitats.
Brexit
We value cooperation with our European friends. We are a remain party calling for a People’s Vote. We will fight to retain environmental protections, workers’ rights, freedom of movement, and peace in Northern Ireland.
NHS
In 2012, the coalition government passed a Health and Social Care Act which opened up our NHS to private companies on an unprecedented scale. At the same time, ‘austerity’ introduced drastic cuts dressed up as ‘efficiency savings’. We will fund the NHS properly and return it to a wholly publicly funded, run and accountable service.
Housing
We will address the inequality endemic in the housing market, the private rented sector, and social housing. We want good, truly affordable homes for everyone – not luxury flats for property speculators. We support rent controls and security of tenure for residents, and we oppose regeneration without full consultation and ballots.
Education For All
We want everybody to have access to a quality education, no matter what their family background. That is why we oppose the privatisation and commercialisation of our schools, colleges and universities. We will restore funding, return academies to local authority control, and scrap university tuition fees.
Pippa attends the monthly Colliers Wood litter pick along the Wandle Trail and started a monthly St Helier litter pick back in February. If elected, she would seek to address the constituency’s waste management problems as a matter of urgency.
Tackling The Climate Emergency
You may have heard that Merton Council has declared a Climate Emergency and committed to carbon neutrality at council level by 2030 and on a borough-wide level by 2050. But you may not know that Pippa played a key role in ensuring that the council took action – asking, at the full council meetings in February and April, if they would make the declaration and commit Merton to carbon neutrality by 2030; creating a petition which gathered about 2200 signatures; and meeting with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Health and the Environment to discuss the council’s part in tackling climate chaos. Pippa thanks her fellow petitioners for their invaluable help, and commends Councillors and Officers for taking the first step. Whilst the Green Party believes that the target for the borough needs to be brought forward to 2030, it bodes well that the motion was passed with cross-party support, and that a working group consisting of selected residents – including Pippa – is involved in helping the council to develop a Climate Action Plan.
Protecting Morden Park
Pippa is strongly opposed to the use of Morden Park for Eastern Electrics festivals and has been working with a growing group of residents who feel likewise. With its mature trees and varied wildlife, including little owls and kestrels, the park is a haven for its visitors, making it a completely unsuitable location for an event which dominates the space for seventeen days of the summer holidays and brings antisocial behaviour and crime to a quiet residential area. Pressure from campaigners saw the licence reduced from five years to one year, but this year brought four stabbings within the arena and cost an estimated £140,000 to police, which is £50,000 more than the council earned from the arrangement. Indeed, the subsequent investigations will increase the cost to the Met. Needless to say, Pippa is determined to fight the inevitable 2020 application.
“Greens have always embraced outward looking, diverse Britain. Greens have always demanded urgent action to stop climate breakdown. And only Greens stood firm against vicious austerity cuts, from the very beginning.” – Sian Berry, Green Party, Co-Leader and London, Mayoral Candidate
This election is the Climate Election.
If you want greener, vote Green on 12th December 2019.
My pledge to Mitcham & Morden Voters:
- Action on Climate Change
- Improved Public Services
- Affordable Housing
- Quality Education For All
- People’s Vote
“I’ve never felt that local politicians have enough ambition for our area. A vote for me is a vote for change.” -Pippa Maslin
Email: pippamaslin@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter: @pippamaslin / @MertonGreens
Telephone: 07939 816296
Website: http://merton.greenparty.org.uk
Facebook: MertonGreens