25 June 2018

*Lucas: Boris is ‘bulldozing his own reputation’ 

Caroline Lucas, the Green Party co-leader, said that Heathrow expansion puts a ‘wrecking ball’ through Britain’s climate policies. Lucas, who will vote against Heathrow expansion later today, said that a vote in favour would be ‘willingly waving the white flag to catastrophic climate change’ and that Boris Johnson is ‘bulldozing what is left of his own reputation’.

Caroline Lucas said:

“Heathrow expansion will put a wrecking ball through Britain’s climate policies, increase air pollution and blight the residents of West London. A vote in favour of expansion today will be willingly waving the white flat to catastrophic climate change, and betraying future generations. I urge MPs to unshackle themselves from the interests of the big business lobby and those who peddle overblown hype on job creation – and take a stand today. We need serious infrastructure investment in Britain – but that must be low-carbon, clean transport systems for the future – not a mega airport in West London. 

“The fact that Boris Johnson is set to miss the vote truly underlines his utter spinelessness. He stood against Heathrow as a point of principle – and has now fled the country to save his job, and maintain his disastrous political career. Boris Johnson said he’d lie down in front the bulldozers at Heathrow – but instead he’s now bowing out of politics for the day and bulldozing what is left of his own reputation.”

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13 June 2018

* Jonathan Bartley to visit Preston New Road at 2pm on Thursday 21 June

* Visit culminates week of action in face of wide-ranging anti-protest injunction

* Bartley: “Fracking is a dying industry and it is time the Government finished it off for good.” 

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, will travel to Preston New Road tomorrow [1] to join anti-fracking protestors as they reach the end of a week of intensified action. 

Throughout the week Greens from across the country have travelled to Lancashire to join protests despite a wide ranging injunction around the site secured by fracking company Cuadrilla on June 1 [2]. 

Green Peer Jenny Jones will join Bartley at Preston New Road on Friday. Other prominent Greens to have joined the protest include Amelia Womack, deputy leader, who visited on Monday, and Natalie Bennett, former leader, who visited on Wednesday. 

Bartley said: 

“The frackers have tried to stop peaceful protest in Lancashire – but we will not be silenced. Fracking is a dying industry and it is time the Government finished it off for good. 

“Across the country we have seen injunctions rolled out in a bid to curtail dissent, from the fracking site at Preston New Road to the tree campaign in Sheffield. But we will not give in to these bully tactics. 

“Fracking for gas will wreck our climate targets and risks contaminating local environments. The community in Lancashire said no to fracking here and it is an honour to join them on the front line of this fight. 

“Instead of pursing the dirty, dangerous fracking industry the Government should be investing in cheaper, cleaner renewable energy for the future.” 

Notes:

1.       Jonathan Bartley will visit campaigners at the Preston New road fracking site in Lancashire at 2pm on Thursday 14 June.

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13 June 2018

Green Party press release

For immediate release: 13 June 2018

Green Party: Pimlico Plumbers ruling a victory for workers’ rights

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, has responded to news that the Supreme Court has ruled a Pimlico Plumbers worker was not self-employed [1].

Bartley said:

“This is a victory for workers’ rights. The bogus use of self-employed contracts in the gig-economy has seen countless workers left without basic rights like decent pay, sick and holiday leave and, most importantly, job security. Pimlico plumbers must now do the right thing and end its use of self-employment contracts all together.”

Notes:

1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44465639

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8 June 2018

Following the recent council elections, new Lord Mayors have taken office in local authorities across England and Wales.

Among those who have had the honour of being “First Citizen” of their city are Green Party Councillors Cleo Lake of Bristol and Magid Magid in Sheffield.

Cleo Lake

Cleo Lake has been a Councillor in Bristol since topping the poll in Cotham in 2016.

Cleo is a dancer, actor and activist who has been a vocal advocate for migrants’ rights, harm-reduction drug policies and changing the name of Colston Hall – Bristol’s prestigious music venue – in her time as a Councillor.

In her acceptance speech for her new role on the council, Cleo pledged to make inclusion and representation the foundation of her time as Lord Mayor.

She also drew a clear line between herself and previous holders of the position, saying “I am bringing some changes to this position” she said. “I am different from my predecessors. I am a dancer. For the last 10 years I have been a dance leader for the most incredible group of people – the Malcolm X elders’ forum – many of them are here today.”

Magid Magid

Another Green Party Councillor shaking up a role which has traditionally been overwhelmingly white, male and stuffy is Magid Magid.

Magid was also first elected in 2016, in the Broomhill and Sharrow Vale ward of Sheffield City Council. He moved to the UK from Somalia in 1995 as a refugee at the age of 5 and has now become the youngest Lord Mayor in Sheffield’s history.
Magid has been making headlines not only for his refreshing approach to his new position, but also for speaking out about the failures of government. From his mayoral portrait wearing Doc Martens and squatting atop a balustrade to taking on Jacob Rees-Mogg on The Daily Politics, Magid has shown that Greens do politics differently.

Like Cleo Lake, Magid Magid has pledged to use the office of Lord Mayor to encourage participation from all parts of Sheffield and has even invited members of the public to be his consort on his numerous public duties over the next year.

The more the mayor-ier

Cleo and Magid weren’t the only Greens to take on the role of Mayor last month. Linda Baxter is the first Green Party Mayor of Stowmarket Town Council; Dilys Cluer is the new Deputy Mayor of Scarborough and Alex Phillips holds the same role on Brighton City Council; and Susan Murray in Lewes, Martin Schmeirer in Norwich, Elfrede Brambley-Crawshaw in Beccles and Ron Gaffney in Knowsley all take on the Mayoral roles this year.

Although these are often largely ceremonial roles, it shows the importance of having Green voices in the room and the progress that has been made to get as many Green Party Councillors in a wide array of areas across England and Wales.

And with a record number of Councillors returned in 2018, the Green Party are sure to continue to disrupt the staid political establishment.

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8 June 2018

Green Party of England and Wales Deputy Leader Amelia Womack this week reacted to Welsh Labour’s decision to vote against Plaid Cyrmru’s motion for a nationally owned energy company for Wales, despite nationalising energy being part of the 2017 Labour manifesto. [1]

Womack said:

“Carwyn Jones said that the tidal lagoon decision was a kick in the teeth, yet he has the gall to go against his own party’s manifesto pledges on a national energy company. This is utterly shameless.

“Wales should be able to produce its own energy and to do so we need a national energy company who will put public and environmental interests over the need to generate profit for shareholders. It’s deeply disappointing to see that Labour don’t stand by that when push comes to shove.”

[1] https://seneddhome.com/2018/06/labour-sidesteps-2017-manifesto-pledge-favouring-publicly-owned-energy/

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