CREATING jobs, tackling climate change and improving public transport are the top priorities for Stroud’s Green candidate Martin Whiteside.

Mr Whiteside claims his party’s policies are the best way to encourage a sustainable and socially just future – both in the UK and worldwide.

"If people vote for me, Stroud would be seen as a leading area for a new vision for the future," he said.

"Having a few Green MPs saying something different, with a more committed and honest politics, would create lots of new opportunities for Stroud."

Mr Whiteside said a key Green priority would be to implement an economic recovery package based on public spending rather than cuts.

The party would invest millions of pounds in eco-industries, including renewable power generation, to create jobs and tackle global warming.

"This way we would create thousands of jobs, people would be trained in the jobs of the future and pay taxes rather than claim benefits," said Mr Whiteside.

The Greens would cover the extra expenditure through not renewing the Trident nuclear deterrent, scrapping ID cards, closing tax loopholes and ending Britain's involvement in Afghanastan.

They would also increase income tax to 50 per cent for those earning more than £100,000, put tax on airline fuel and VAT on airline tickets.

Mr Whiteside said another core Green policy would be to meet CO2 reduction targets by introducing 'personal carbon quotas'.

Individuals would have to buy credits for any emissions above their allowance and those making savings would be able to trade credits for cash.

"Everyone would be able to use the same amount of carbon, so instead of the rich being able to travel in private jets and 4x4s the scheme would be fair," said Mr Whiteside.

The Greens also plan to produce a lot more of the UK’s energy through renewables and would scrap plans to build new nuclear power stations, including one at Oldbury.

Mr Whiteside said another Green priority would be to improve public transport, particularly railways, to help people travel more sustainably.

The Greens would re-nationalise train operators and re-direct funds from roads to help pay for more services, stations and track improvements.

In other policy areas, the Greens would scrap the national curriculum to allow teachers more freedom and, scrap SATs to re-focus teaching on learning, abolish university tuition fees and introduce free dental care.

Mr Whiteside renewed calls for Greens to ignore an advertisement which appeared in the SNJ asking for members to vote for Labour candidate David Drew.

"Greens should vote Green because in the end we have got to change the system," he said.

Read the full Green manifesto at www.martinwhiteside.org.uk/policy or watch a video message from Mr Whiteside at http://bit.ly/stroudelectionvideos Box-off and tint Biography of Martin Whiteside MARTIN Whiteside, aged 54, of Lypiatt, has been a Green Party member since 1997.

The father-of-three is an international development consultant, advising organisations such as Oxfam on aid schemes in Africa and Asia.

Mr Whiteside is: * a member of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust * a member of Transition Stroud * a member of the Ramblers Association * a member of Friends of the Earth * an Oxfam supporter * a member of the National Council for Civil Liberties * an attendee at Nailsworth Quaker Meeting