20 September 2023

Responding to Rishi Sunak’s press conference in which the Prime Minister confirmed he is weakening the government’s net zero policies, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said:

“This is a desperate and dangerous u-turn from the Prime Minister which will throw the UK economy, the wellbeing of its citizens and the future of our environment out the window in a misguided attempt to create divisions for political gain.

“More than anything this speech sounded like an admission of the government’s failure to implement climate policy in a way that brings people with them while showing the benefits of a more sustainable future.

“The government should be taking responsibility and leading the way by investing in the green transition, rather than putting the burden onto individuals. At the same time, it needs to be honest with the public about the need to reach net zero and what it will take to get there.

“We know that people are extremely concerned about the environment [1] and want clear leadership and action on the climate. This means insulating people’s homes, investing in renewables and making sustainable transport more affordable, accessible and convenient.

“Not only would this help the UK reach its climate commitments but it would also help households through the cost of living crisis through cheaper bills and creating jobs.

“Instead, we have a government which is going backwards on all of these things, stoking fears of change and undermining the good work already being done.

“And let’s not pretend there isn’t the money around to make this happen. The government is currently spending billions of pounds subsidising the fossil fuel industry [2] which is actively making the climate crisis worse, costing us all billions more in the process.

“Meanwhile, a wealth tax on the richest 1% could go a long way to fund the changes necessary to reduce emissions and ensure those with the broadest shoulders play a part in improving the lives of those who are struggling right now.”

ENDS

Notes

            1

https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/public-importance-climate-change-and-environment-doubles-become-joint-third-biggest-issue-facing

            2

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/09/fossil-fuels-more-support-uk-than-renewables-since-2015

For more information or to arrange an interview contact the press office on press@greenparty.org.uk or call 0203 691 9401

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20 September 2023

Responding to the news that the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is due to weaken the government’s net zero policies, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said:

“This is nothing short of economic and environmental vandalism that will mean higher energy bills, fewer jobs and lost investment all while weakening the UK’s climate action even further.

“Households are already paying way more than they should be doing to heat their homes because of the last time the Conservatives decided to ‘cut the green crap’ [1], while businesses are crying out for more certainty from the government over the green transition which so clearly needs to happen.

“The UK is already not doing enough to reach its climate commitments [2]. Watering them down further, instead of ramping them up, will make it even harder to achieve these and further damage the UK’s climate credentials around the world.

“This reckless political gimmick will mean higher energy bills, colder homes, fewer jobs, more dirty air and more climate chaos. Meanwhile, Labour is not saying it will restore anything the Conservatives undo if they are elected at the next election. [3]

“Once again, this shows why it is so important to elect a group of Green MPs to hold whoever is in government to account and fight for better protections for both people and planet.”

ENDS

Notes

            1

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/mar/19/david-cameron-green-crap-energy-prices

            2

https://www.theccc.org.uk/uk-action-on-climate-change/progress-snapshot/

            3

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66862498

For more information or to arrange an interview contact the press office on press@greenparty.org.uk or call 0203 691 9401

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15 September 2023

The Green Party has called for an urgent green transition to create new jobs in Wales following the announcement of a deal with the UK government to keep Port Talbot’s steelworks open but with potentially 3,000 job losses. [1]

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“The steel industry is a crucial part of the UK’s economy and has been the backbone of communities up and down the country for generations.

“However, the deal done today highlights the serious lack of investment by both Conservative and Labour governments in future-proofing our economy and ensuring we are able to transition to a greener, more sustainable future while protecting people and the places they live.

“It is simply inexcusable that the government is willing to inflict real damage on to this south Wales community, with a deal that will see thousands of jobs lost. This is not the fair transition to a greener future that people across the UK need or deserve.

“Instead of looking to penny-pinch, the government should be investing now in a green transition, creating millions of jobs through expanding renewables, insulating homes and investing in other more sustainable opportunities.

“We know transitioning to a green economy could create up to a million jobs. If the government had invested in the transition over the last few decades we could have avoided the potentially devastating consequences we are seeing in Port Talbot today.

“That is why we are calling on the government to urgently invest now in decarbonising our economy and building the green jobs we so desperately need.”

ENDS

Notes

            1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66819458

For further information or to arrange an interview please contact the Press Office press@greenparty.org.uk / 0203 691 9401

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14 September 2023

The House of Lords voted down several government amendments that would have axed pollution controls on housebuilders. The Nutrient Neutrality rules safeguard sensitive areas such as the Norfolk Broads, but the government was going to require local authorities to ignore any evidence of pollution and to have mitigation measures, costing hundreds of millions, funded by the taxpayer.   

Green Party peer, Baroness Jenny Jones, who helped to lead the rebellion in the Lords, said:  

“If the government are so desperate to add to the unacceptable levels of pollution in the water, they can bring the measures back in a separate bill, as part of the Kings Speech. They can then consult properly and justify it to a public who are already fed up with polluted local rivers and beaches. And If I was Prime Minister, I wouldn’t relish having a conversation with King Charles about the horrendous state of the country’s waterways.”  

“Rejecting amendments outright is a power that the Lords can exercise when the government introduces late amendments that have not gone through the proper parliamentary process of scrutiny.   

“Around a fifth of Conservative Party donations have come from property developers in the last decade [1], but that money was drying up and these government amendments were an attempt to get the dirty money flowing again. Fortunately, we have stopped them this time. With a general election due next year, I doubt the government will devote parliamentary time to this polluters’ charter, especially with the water industry already making such a mess of our rivers.” 

Notes 

1. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/20-tory-donations-come-property-tycoons/   

For further details or to arrange an interview please contact the Press Office on 0203 691 9401 / press@greenparty.org.uk   

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12 September 2023

Reacting to news that the Office for Environmental Protection has found that the government and regulators, Ofwat and the Environment Agency, may have failed in their legal duties to enforce clean water standards on privatised firms [1], Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said: 

“The government must stop defending the indefensible and act to enforce the very basic expectations the public have for clean rivers and beaches, and clean water to drink. 

“The public are fed up with Ministers claiming that private companies constantly discharging sewage into rivers and onto beaches is unacceptable, but then doing nothing to enforce existing laws. 

“We don’t need months more of legal squabbling between the regulators, government and privatised water companies. 

“We need action now. That means the government forcing companies to invest rather than pay out shareholder dividends, capping excessive pay to failing water company bosses and bringing our water back into public ownership as soon as possible.” 

NOTES 

1. https://www.theoep.org.uk/news/oep-identifies-possible-failures-comply-environmental-law-relation-regulatory-oversight  

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