22 July 2019

The Green Party has expressed its support for the University and College Union (UCU) motion to the Trade Union Congress (TUC) annual conference calling on affiliated unions, student unions at colleges and universities and politicians and community groups, to support the call for a 30-minute workday stoppage in solidarity with the global school student strike on 20 September.(1)

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader, said:

“The Green Party has been proud to support the climate strikes (2), and we’re proud to be the first party to formally support UCU’s call for a stoppage of work in solidarity with the general climate strike this September.

“We call on all individuals, workplaces, companies and institutions to support this call, and stand in solidarity with climate strikers everywhere.

“It’s amazing to see the teachers at UCU pick up the torch from their students, and take it straight to the core of the union movement. Workers are at the heart of the solution to the climate emergency.

“When we transition to a zero-carbon economy in the decades ahead, we’ll put the whole country to work. A Green New Deal would unlock billions of pounds of investment in this transition, ensuring a good, green unionised job for everyone who wants one. 

“With workers standing with school strikers and activists, we can win a fairer world and a safer climate.” 

Notes

(1) https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/10181/30-minute-solidarity-climate-stoppage

(2) https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2019/06/08/conference-leaders-speech-green-party-backs-global-climate-strike/

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16 July 2019

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, has signed welcomed the initiative from Hope Not Hate (1) to show solidarity with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar following tweets from the US President.

He said: “Donald Trump’s behaviour is racist. Let’s be clear about that, as the Tory leadership contenders were not last night.

“I’m proud that the Green Party has been a leader in calling out dog-whistle politics over years in which it has been all too common in our politics.

“But the US President’s tweets went beyond that.

“We have seen a highly disturbed rise of Far Right rhetoric and support in many countries, but in all of them, it represents the views of only a tiny minority.

“It is crucial that such remarks are identified as beyond the pale of acceptable discourse, that they aren’t accepted as in any way part of mainstream politics, and solidarity is shown to individuals targeted by them.

“That is why I’m delighted to sign this letter.”

Notes

(1) https://donate.hopenothate.org.uk/page/s/solidarity-with-the-congresswomen-of-colour

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10 July 2019

The Green Party has this morning responded to the announcement by independent MP Heidi Allen of the launch of Unite for Remain group (1). 

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, said:

“The Green Party is following with interest today’s announcement from Heidi Allen about the new grouping Unite for Remain.

“As the Green Party is a democratic party, with direction provided by its members, we are today launching a survey of members to seek their views on the proposals in circulation about how the number of Remain MPs can be maximised in the next election, with the aim of stopping Brexit and transforming the UK to tackle our environmental and social crises.

“Members have already mandated us to work towards ensuring the maximum number of MPs are elected backing real democracy, with a fair voting system, as agreed in the cross-party Good Systems Agreement brokered by Make Votes Matter last week (2).

“In Brecon and Radnorshire the local party decided several weeks ago, independently and not as part of any pact, not to stand in the by-election to maximise the chance of a Remain-supporting MP in this finely balanced parliament.

“The Green Party has a long track record of leading on grown-up, non-partisan politics, while also working to maximise support on the key issues of environmental and economic justice that our policies provide, and electing representatives who stand squarely behind them.”

Notes

(1) https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/heidi-allen-announced-unite-to-remain-1-6152145

(2) https://www.makevotesmatter.org.uk/good-systems-agreement

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10 July 2019

Responding to the release of the Committee on Climate Change report released this morning that concludes (1) that of 33 key sectors, none show good progress in managing climate change risk, Green MP Caroline Lucas said: “This damning verdict from the Committee on Climate Change underlines the Government’s abject failure to deliver the policies needed to meet our climate targets. 

“Words are cheap – what we need are the bold and ambitious policies that climate experts and campaigners have been urging for years.  The Government’s ongoing refusal to face the reality of climate breakdown and deliver what the science demands is a betrayal of our young people who have been taking to the streets to demand urgent action.

“While Ministers have repeatedly tried to claim credit for global climate leadership, warm words are no substitute for the real change that’s required.

“If Government is serious about delivering on its own rhetoric, it needs to urgently close the gap between words and reality.  It could make a start by dramatically changing the way we use land to restore natural habitats, democratically redesigning our transport system so we get more affordable accessible public transport rather than more runways and roads, and investing in a Green New Deal to rapidly decarbonise the economy and eradicate inequality.”

Notes

https://www.theccc.org.uk/2019/07/10/uk-credibility-on-climate-change-rests-on-government-action-over-next-18-months/

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9 July 2019

Amelia Womack, deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, has welcomed today’s launch of the first battery electric production Mini in Oxford.

She said: “It is clear that the future of motorised transport has to be fossil fuel-free. In the UK we’ve been left far behind countries whose governments have pushed further and farther in this age of climate emergency, but this is a step forward.

“We need to see our infrastructure – charging points and renewable electricity generation – also catching up with the best continental standards.

“But it is crucial that while we celebrate this progress, we also acknowledge that an electric car occupies exactly the same amount of space on the road as one powered by an internal combustion engine.

“Its negative environmental impacts are also significant – particulate pollution from tyres and brakes, loss of space in our cities and congestion.

“The future of transport is founded on ‘active’ transport, walking and cycling, and for longer distance built on affordable, convenient, reliable public transport, particularly buses.

“One-for-one replacement is neither possible, nor desirable.”

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