Paul Crosland, left, and friend.

Independent Crosland lays out his concerns, including 5G

Independent candidate Paul Crosland has laid out the concerns that persuaded him to stand in the general election in a leaflet delivered around the constituency. Three main matters – the rollout of 5G, grassroots environmentalism and breaking the mould of UK politics – dominate his platform. Nick Terdre provides a brief resume.

To give a taste of how he sees the world, Paul Crosland quotes what he was told by a guy called Timaeon at a festival called Buddhafield, “You’re not special but what you are is unique. Everyone is. Be unique and draw out uniqueness in others. You’ll be going around creating a celebration of connectedness and relatedness amongst unique people.”

As he explains his concerns about 5G – the fifth-generation digital cellular network technology (how wireless devices such as mobile phones and tablets receive and transmit information – light is also thrown onto the environmental issues and the dysfunctional state of our politics which are other main concerns.

The rollout of 5G is undemocratic and unsafe, he writes. 5G is a massive step up from 4G, requiring at least 400,000 new masts, maybe even 10 times that number, as well as 20,000 or more new satellites and 25-metre masts throughout the countryside, to provide 100% coverage across the UK.

There are health concerns both about the introduction of 5G transmission and the gradual ramping up of the frequency/signal strength it uses. Attention has been called to the risks involved by 261 scientists and doctors on 5Gappeal.eu, but these have been ignored by the powers that be in the UK.

“5G is awakening fundamental issues of what influence our communities have in relation to the introduction of new technologies,” says Crosland. “It is the classic example of the care for our health and the environment being overridden by the non-negotiated interests of distant people who have not sought the community’s informed consent.”

Environment into play

Environmental issues also come into play. Crosland speculates that the authorities’ attempt in Sheffield to cull 17,500 trees in 2016 could be related to the fact that later versions of 5G will not travel through leaves properly. Experts are also seriously concerned about the effects of 5G on wildlife such as bees and other insects that are already under pressure from other sources.

“Is this really a democratic way of moving forward? Introducing radically new technologies that call for huge sweeping changes to our infrastructure without any public discussion or debate?” He calls on constituents to research the matter for themselves, visiting 5Gappeal.eu, www.iemfa.org/news and to join the 5G Free Hastings Facebook group.

We also need to break the mould of UK politics, Crosland says. We live in a time when respect for our most senior politicians is broken. “For a decade at least, questions, for which politicians have few credible answers, have been building. Many of us have a looming sense that beneath oversimplified jargon words like Brexit lie icebergs of difficulty.”

In the words of a colleague quoted in a #HastingsJustice interview, we need to create communities which are resilient and robust enough to deal with this moment of intense transition. “We will be making decisions, we will be returning to town squares, we will be reopening public dialogue, if not because we are excited about the potential that that gives us for democracy, then simply because the kinds of situations that we’re increasingly confronting demand that of us.”

Crosland also wants to encourage grassroots environmentalism, writing, “Until we face up to our widespread denial of the responsibility we all have to live in a fully caring and sharing way, that minimises our resource usage and maximises our experience of interconnectedness, any attempt at healing the natural world will be half-baked. We need to want to protect the planet because of its inherent beauty and value to humankind.”

His target is to gain a modest 364 votes – “But as Ms Rudd’s margin last time was 346, that’s not to be ignored.”

Also in: Election 2019