4 September 2019
Responding to Sajid Javid’s Spending Review today, Green MP Caroline Lucas said that the Chancellor appeared to be modelling his environmental approach on Jackson Pollock on a very quiet day.
Caroline said: “We’re used to official greenwash from government, but what we saw today was a mere slapdash swipe, a few drops of paint, on a canvas that otherwise entirely overlooked our climate emergency.
“Our environment was totally ignored in the overview of the UK economy, and the Chancellor only got around to a specific climate announcement two-thirds of the way into the speech.
“Any Chancellor fit for office would have announced a Green New Deal as an economic cure for the triple crisis of inequality, climate breakdown and failed finance.
“This spending review doubles down on a failed economic model that is trashing our environment, and trashing the prospects for young people.
Caroline added:
“The Chancellor has splashed the cash on health and education, although this money will do little to repair the deep damage he and his party caused with the years of austerity. Voters will see through his attempts to buy their support ahead of an election.
“There is nothing in this spending round which addresses the scale of the climate emergency. No detail on decarbonisation, nothing on renewable energy, nothing to promote a programme of building millions of zero-carbon homes. Barely anything to transform transport and far too little to reverse the catastrophic decline in our biodiversity and health of our environment.
“This is all achievable and the climate crisis can’t wait. Public demand for climate action is higher than ever. We’re tired of promises unmatched by action. Sajid Javid hasn’t just missed a vital opportunity. He’s betrayed our future.”
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