13 February 2024

In response to government proposals announced today, where Councils would be required to approve new development on brownfield land even if it fails to meet standards for decent quality homes; be encouraged to repurpose former commercial buildings into flats; and remove restrictions on how big a building can be before a developer has to apply for planning permission [1], Green Party co-leader, Carla Denyer, said: 

“Greens believe that tackling the housing crisis while ensuring green spaces are protected requires local councils and government to sign up to a new Right Homes, Right Place, Right Price Charter [2].  

“Brown field sites are definitely the right place to prioritise new or repurposed housing. However, they must be the right homes – decent homes built to the highest environmental standards to bring down energy bills. Developments must also provide the kind of housing where people actually want to live – then it will be supported by local communities. We must not allow developers to ride roughshod over local wishes. Windowless bedsits in converted office blocks that fail to meet decent space standards will not be considered the right homes for the vast majority of people. 

“Not once in the Government’s new consultation on developing on brownfield sites is the word ‘affordable’ mentioned. Affordability is fundamentally important. This means a huge increase in new social housing, and ending the Tories ‘Right to Buy’ policy on these homes, which is causing a massive nationwide reduction in council housing [2]. Councils must also be given powers to introduce rent controls in areas where private rents are out of control, alongside a ban on no-fault evictions to stop unscrupulous landlords making tenants homeless just so they can increase rents between tenancies.”  

Notes: 

1. Strengthening planning policy for brownfield development – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
2. Greens call for Right Homes, Right Place, Right Price Charter to beat housing crisis and protect green space | The Green Party
3. https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/almost-60000-homes-sold-through-right-buy-will-not-be-replaced-2030

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12 February 2024

As Israel appears to be on the brink of an all out assault on Rafah, despite warnings against such action by the UN, Red Crescent and others, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer is demanding the UK scale up actions against the Israeli government until the killing stops. Greens are calling for an end to all arms sales to Israel, prosecutions of war criminals and targeted sanctions on Israel’s leaders. 

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said: 

“It is clear that the Israeli government is refusing to heed warnings about the catastrophic implications of an all-out attack on Rafah. The UK government must now demand that Israel stop the killing, calling for an immediate ceasefire. Hamas must also agree to this ceasefire of course, and release all hostages.  

“Decisions made by the UK government – above all its failure, month after month, to call for an immediate ceasefire – have made them complicit in the killing of almost 28,000 people to date, 12,000 of whom are children [1]. 

“Israel relies on certain weapon parts manufactured in the UK, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter whose essential components are made here [2]. A Dutch court has today ordered the state to cease the export of F-35 spare parts to Israel. We call on the UK government to follow suit, and suspend all arms export licences to Israel until the killing stops. The UK must also cease all military collaboration with Israel, including allowing Israeli use of British bases and RAF intelligence flights over Gaza.

“Greens would also implement the requirements of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign across the UK economy. This would include excluding Israel from international sporting and music events; withdrawing all public money from funds with investments in Israel; and ending beneficial trade arrangements with Israel [3]. 

“It is clear that only outside pressure will make Israel stop its mass killing. We can increase the pressure on Israeli leaders by introducing targeted sanctions against key individuals. This would include travel bans and asset freezes on Israel’s leadership and cabinet members, in particular those calling for new settlements in Gaza and the annexation of the West Bank. 

“Finally, we would encourage UK authorities including the Metropolitan Police and Director of Public Prosecutions to pursue perpetrators of war crimes committed where UK citizens are the victims or where UK citizens are potential perpetrators. 

“There are many steps the UK government could take to pressure Israel to stop the killing. Its refusal to do so means that they are implicitly condoning the appalling carnage in Gaza.” 

Notes

1. Israel-Gaza war in maps and charts: Live tracker | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera 
2. Who Arms Israel? (workersinpalestine.org)
3. This is consistent with the Green Party’s non-violent approach to demonstrating its opposition to breaches of human rights and international law. It is parallel to calls we have made for boycotts of a number of different countries in the past including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, China, and Qatar.

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9 February 2024

The Chair of the Green Party executive, Jon Nott, said:  

“We are pleased that the court has recognised that a democratic political party has the right to select those who speak for it on the basis that they can and will communicate and support party policy publicly.  

“We welcome the findings in the judgment that members of political parties have ‘fundamental party rights’ which include the right to disagree, to advocate for and against policies and positions adopted or proposed in the party, and to organise for those who agree with them and against those who do not, and that the Equality Act is not intended to interfere with those rights. 

“The party acknowledges that there were procedural shortfalls in how we deselected one of our spokespeople. We apologise for failing in this instance to live up to the standards that both we and the court expect.” 

NOTES TO EDITORS

You may wish to refer to this article written by lawyers in the case on the wider issues involved.

https://bateswells.co.uk/updates/discrimination-belief-and-the-fundamental-party-rights-the-judgment-in-ali-v-green-party-of-england-and-wales/

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8 February 2024

Responding to the Home Office’s new plans to clampdown further on protests, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said:

“This is another worrying step towards an authoritarian state, which too many in the government seem intent on creating.

“This government is reaching the stage where it views any disagreement with its plans as practically an offence in itself.

“The right to protest is an important freedom that helps protect us from tyranny. Without these rights, the UK risks ending up with even worse governments.

“The sweeping powers of this Bill risk turning legitimate protest into crime.

“We need to see MPs from all parties speak out against these plans.”

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7 February 2024

Reacting to news that Labour is ditching its policy of spending £28bn a year on its green investment plan [1], Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, said:

“This is a massive backward step – for the climate, for the economy and for good quality jobs. Both the security of our planet for future generations and the UK’s future prosperity is dependent on greening our economy and that requires large scale investment.  

“Labour have chosen to wear their fiscal rules as a millstone around their neck. A different approach through tax reforms, in particular by introducing a wealth tax on the super-rich, could help pay for the green transition. There is more than enough money in the economy to pay for this. Indeed, the Green Party would go further and faster, investing at least double what Labour originally pledged, so we can turbo charge the transition to a green economy.  

“Greens recognise that investing in a green future will provide people with economic, social and environmental security. By decarbonising industry, insulating buildings, and ramping up renewable energy infrastructure, the UK can drastically reduce emissions, cut household bills and create new, good quality, well-paid and secure jobs in every corner of the country.   

“Investing in this secure future is a political choice. By ditching its green investment plan, and making a series of other U-turns, Labour has clearly signalled that it is turning its back on a fairer, greener future. It is clear we are going to need a group of Green MPs in parliament after the next election pushing whoever forms the next government to do the right thing.” 

Notes

 1. Labour ditches £28bn green investment pledge – BBC News

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