The Brent Poland Podcast

Election Special - County Elections

In this episode we join Brent on the campaign trail for the May 6th eletions. For more informatrion about Brent Poland and The Green Party please visit: Twitter: @BrentPoland1 YouTube: BRENTPOLAND1 Music from: Music: by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Written by: Brent Poland Art Work by: Adam Spence Produced by: Adam Spence ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Health

In a three part podcast Brent will cover the most important of all the topics which is that of health. As it is said “your health is the wealth of the world” and with the backdrop of the recent public health crisis that is the covid 19 pandemic, Brent will try to relay his progressive thoughts and feelings on our sacred NHS. In Part One, Brent will outline the origins and function of our NHS and how it has evolved over time. He will discuss the current situation and crisis in public health and the current government response. Giving some historical insights, Brent puts into context why our society feels so strongly about the national institution that is our NHS. We know there has been a creeping privatisation and crisis in our health service before the pandemic and Brent will look at the political stances taken on our health care and the impacts of staff shortages in particular GP’s despite pledges made as yet to be honoured. There is a recruitment and retention problem with our NHS and recent political decisions such as pay, conditions and Brexit are feeding into a staffing crisis, Brent will lay out the implications of these shortages.   In the second part, Brent will using the Chief medical officer’s (Chris Whitey) report on the health of the nation Dec 2020. There are some revelations about our demographics and trends in the health of the nation, negative and positive with implications for our lives now and in future. We are seeing an ageing population and a rise in dementia cases and although smoking rates are decreasing we still have rising rates of respiratory illnesses especially linked to depravation again in the north. The findings show a stagnation since 2011 in much of our health statistics and despite increased funding at unprecedented levels we are no further on in closing the North south gap, or the gaps in health that are connected to deprivation. We are still shamefully behind other developed nations in treating cancers this despite the service that is our NHS. Brent will use research from the Kings Fund, NHS, Nuffield Trust, Royal College of physicians, British Medical association and the Health Foundation.   In the final part of the podcast, Brent will offer progressive solutions and policies from the Green movement which he believes are in keeping with the core principles and mission set out for our NHS. As the only major political party not to have made a mess of it or to have started or continued the process of privatisation, Brent believes that his party have the right core values that match the values of our NHS, that of equality, fairness and selflessness for the greater good. Policies on mothers, prescription charges, mental health, young people, education , diet and empowerment in active and informed citizenry are all explored.   For more informatrion about Brent Poland and The Green Party please visit: Twitter: @BrentPoland1 YouTube: BRENTPOLAND1 ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Policing Our Streets

In the third podcast of season 2 titled “Policing Our Streets”, Brent will not shy away from the current debate on how we should be policed, although grateful and supportive of how police have conducted themselves during the covid crisis, Brent like others has become concerned about the recent change of tactics especially to peaceful protestors. Brent will discuss his feelings as a progressive and as a Green candidate in the upcoming elections on the recent developments concerning the Crime bill and Spy cops bills. These are currently in Parliament and address what he sees as an extension of the state through excessive powers to our police. Drawing parallels with the heavy- handed policing of his childhood and insights as a social scientist Brent will put the dangers of this state over reach into context. In the 2nd part of the Podcast Brent will explore the core values and Green philosophy of policing and crime which would be by consent and through the community. Looking at restorative justice and reforming rather than simply locking up people. Brent will outline Green policies such as: community justice, reparations to victims, greater diversity and localism of police, independent investigations not police conduct, increasing community and local police numbers and stations. In particular to the Green core values of equality the Green Party policies are tough on domestic abuses, environmental and economic crimes at a large level which in itself can cause huge damages to whole communities. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Clean Air

In this week’s episode, Brent will tackle the issue of clean air. In this country it is estimated that air pollution is responsible for the deaths of 40,000. This is a social and environmental issue that needs to be a higher priority for those in all levels of authority of this country. For Brent, access to clean air is a social justice issue, and the shocking statistics of health problems associated with poor air quality is of the highest national and local importance. The issue has been cited as one of the causes of higher death rates during the covid crisis and in some areas, the high degree of particulates in our air is impacted all ages in different ways.  The first recorded death in the world from air pollution was recorded in December 2020 and yet since then, the government has been slow to respond. Brent will explore the concept of “environmental racism” and how members of the BAME communities are more likely to be breathing poor air which has a negative impact on their life expectancy. Looking at Green policies ahead of the upcoming council and mayoral elections, Brent will explore the ideas and philosophy of Green solutions that can help resolve the social and environmental problems of poor air quality. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Housing

Season 2 The Brent Poland Podcast episode 1 – Housing  In his second season Brent will be exploring political issues in the lead up to the May council elections, each week Brent will take an issue that is relevant at a local level and give a progressive opinions, insights, problems and potential Green solutions.  In this podcast Brent will look at the locally divisive issue of Housing its planning, demand, supply, local and national government policies and potential changes to those long-standing policies by the current government. Citing local examples and experiences with stakeholders in his local community and using his academic background in humanities Brent will argue against the changes being brought it.  Brent will question the type of housing being built which to him is the “wrong housing being built by the wrong people, in the wrong place for the wrong reasons” He also believes that this building spree and freeing up of regulations is the wrong approach and that it should not be “build back better” but “ better what we have built” in that our current housing stock needs improving and so does accessibility and the affordability of the housing market. As a progressive and a Green, housing is a fundamental right and cannot be solved in isolation therefore Brent will look at wider Green policies and ideas to solve more that our housing issues. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.