22 April 2008 - The Labour administration at City Hall has recently appointed Brenda Arthur as Chair of the newly formed 'Norwich Carbon Reduction Trust'. Greens today question why she has been chosen for this important position.
Brenda Arthur is the Labour Party Candidate for University ward in the current local elections. Norwich Green Party says that she has no particular expertise or notable past interest in carbon reduction and are calling upon the Labour Party to explain why it appointed Brenda Arthur to this post.
Councillor Adrian Ramsay, Leader of the Green Party Group on Norwich City Council, said: "We believe that the chair of this important new body should have been either (a) an elected councillor or (b) an expert in carbon reduction, or even both. We have no bone to pick with Brenda Arthur personally, but, with all due respect to her, she is neither. The question has to be asked of why Labour chose to appoint her.
"Recently the Trust has organised the publicity for the Council's support for the Plastic Bag Free Day and for Earth Hour, both of which have garnered Brenda a lot of free positive publicity. Perhaps there is some perfectly innocent explanation as to why Brenda Arthur was chosen. I suspect and fear, however, that it was a matter of Labour wanting to improve the green credentials of one of its candidates in a ward where the Greens are putting up a strong fight and in a city where we are a large and growing opposition group on the City Council."
Councillor Ramsay continued: "Councillors and Group Leaders have not even been informed let alone consulted about Ms Arthur's appointment, or about the membership of the Steering Group in general. The new Carbon Reduction Trust is an important body that has the potential to do a lot of good - but that's all the more reason to get the right person as chair."