7 July 2022

Responding to the news that Boris Johnson is resigning as Prime Minister [1], Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said:

“That it has taken so long and so many scandals for us to reach this stage is a travesty. I hope that Boris Johnson’s resignation will bring to an end this shameful and unedifying period of British politics. 

“It is clear though that this resignation has come far too late to avoid doing lasting damage to our democracy and country at large, and the Conservative MPs who have backed him until now are the ones to blame for that.

“For too long, the Tories have allowed the situation to drag on while protecting a Prime Minister who has lied and lied again in order to cling on to power despite the fact it was rendering the government useless during multiple crises.

“The British public cannot forget the damage the Conservative Party as a whole has wilfully inflicted on this country in the middle of a pandemic, a cost of living crisis and the accelerating climate crisis. 

“Boris Johnson was not just one bad apple, the whole tree is rotten. The public have lost confidence in this government and that is why it is so important that we now have a general election to give people a say on how they want their country run.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-62072419

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5 July 2022

Responding to the resignations of chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health secretary Sajid Javid, co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales Carla Denyer said:

“Cabinet Ministers Sunak and Javid have taken far too long to find their backbone, but their eventual resignations must now signal the end of this shameful episode in UK politics.

“With the Cabinet in revolt, it is essential that Boris Johnson resigns immediately. But that is not enough. He is a bad apple, but the whole tree is rotten. This is a government mired in sleaze, scandal and law breaking which has undermined public trust and confidence.

“We need a general election to give the people a chance to give their verdict on this corrupt and spent government, which is not competent to address the critical issues facing this country.”

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5 July 2022

• Reintroduction of mandatory mask wearing on public transport and in crowded indoor venues while case rates are high

• Reintroduction of free Covid tests

• Introduction of statutory sick pay for those who test positive 

• Retention of special paid leave for NHS staff off work with Covid-related sickness

The Green Party has called for urgent measures to be introduced to help stem the latest wave of Covid infections. Greens have called for the reintroduction of mandatory mask wearing on public transport and in crowded indoor venues and free Covid tests, along with statutory sick pay for those self isolating due to a positive test. 

The call comes as Covid cases jumped by 32% in a week, with an estimated 2.3 million people, or one in 30, having the virus. Almost 9,000 hospital beds were taken up with Covid patients on 30 June [1].

Co-leader of the Green Party, Adrian Ramsay, said:

“A policy of ‘living with Covid’ shouldn’t mean throwing our hands in the air and accepting that millions of people have to catch it, which is what is happening at the moment. Hospital admissions are surging and many workers, both in and outside the health service, feel compelled to go to work even if they have symptoms.   

“Reintroducing mask wearing on public transport and in crowded indoor venues alongside free testing and statutory sick pay for those who test positive are sensible measures in the short to medium term to help contain the rapid spread of the virus.”      

The Green Party’s Health, Social Care and Public Health spokesperson, Dr Pallavi Devulapalli, who is a GP, added:

“While the current vaccinations are successful at preventing serious illness for the majority, they are doing little to prevent the spread of the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants. We need urgently to introduce a series of measures to help prevent our health services becoming overwhelmed and to prevent a situation where the most vulnerable are faced with the prospect of getting infected or forced to go back into a self-imposed lockdown in order to protect themselves. The more cases there are, the more people there will be needing hospitalisation and potentially suffering long Covid. We also know that a high number of cases leads to a greater chance of mutations and new variants.

“It is also vital that the government shows its support and sympathy for NHS staff and the huge pressures they are under by retaining special paid leave for staff off work with Covid-related sickness [2]. To withhold sick pay at this time feels like a slap in the face, especially since NHS staff have experienced real term wage cuts since 2010 [3].”

Notes

1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62030083 

2. https://inews.co.uk/news/health/paid-covid-leave-rules-for-nhs-staff-scrapped-in-england-as-cases-soar-1719806 

3. https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/resource/chart-of-the-week-real-terms-nhs-staff-pay-from-2010-to-2020 

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4 July 2022

Responding to the news that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is to use a speech today to vow to “make Brexit work”, while ruling out taking the UK back into the customs union or restoring freedom of movement [1], Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“At a time when the economic devastation caused by Brexit is becoming increasingly clear, and as public opinion is turning against the decision to leave the European Union, it is quite perverse of Keir Starmer to stick his head in the sand and insist he will make Brexit work. 

“This is an idea driven only by Labour’s self-interest rather than the best interests of the country. 

“While businesses are suffering and the permanent fall in the value of sterling means we are importing inflation, making the cost of living crisis worse, the fact that the two main parties are indistinguishable from one another on Brexit is a major failing of our political system and is letting millions of people down [2].

“The Green Party has already called for rejoining the customs union, which would ease the tensions in Northern Ireland caused by Johnson’s hard Brexit [3], and for maintaining alignment with EU law and we utterly oppose government attempts to undermine environmental and social protections offered by EU legislation. 

“We believe that the ending of freedom of movement has taken away rights and opportunities from our citizens as well as causing employment crises in sectors as varied as agriculture and social care.

“As Greens, we remain proud Europeans and want to see a close relationship with our European partners and real action to address the economic hardship being caused by the current hardline approach. We believe that our future lies at the heart of Europe and we should not be writing off any chance of becoming a member once again at some point in the future when the conditions are right.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/labour-brexit-northern-ireland-protocol-prime-minister-northern-ireland-b2114948.html

2

An Ipsos UK study found last week the proportion of Britons who think Brexit has made their daily life worse has risen from 30 per cent in June 2021 to 45 per cent; only 17 per cent said their lives had been made better

3

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/03/northern-ireland-wants-stability-tearing-up-the-brexit-agreement-will-put-peace-and-prosperity-at-risk

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24 June 2022

The Green Party of England and Wales has unveiled five new spokespeople for the Party, making a 14-strong speaker team who will stand alongside the party’s leadership as experts in their areas of advocacy.

The new positions include spokespeople for Transport and Healthy Streets; Peace and Global Justice; Equalities and Diversity; Housing and Communities; and Health,Social Care and Public Health [1].

Commenting on the new list of speakers, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said:

“The Green Party is delighted to unveil this list of knowledgeable and passionate spokespeople whose expertise adds to the rich tapestry of talent that makes up our strong list of spokespeople.

“Following the landmark local election results in May, where Greens gained 78 seats, from both Tories and Labour, our spokespeople will play a pivotal role in reaching new voters in every corner of England and Wales. They will put forward fresh thinking and bold solutions for the problems facing society and help consolidate the party’s growing reputation as the party of social, economic and environmental justice.” 

Notes:

1. List of new spokespeople: 

Transport and Healthy Streets: Cllr Matt Edwards (Bradford) @greenmattbfd

Originally from Merseyside, Matt has lived in Bradford for 13 years after moving to the city after university. He was elected as a Green councillor for Tong Ward in 2021 and represents some of the most left behind communities in the country. He has a keen interest in transport matters and has been part of campaigns to stop road widening in his ward and improve transport connections within Bradford

Peace and Global Justice: Cllr Hannah Clare (Deputy Leader Brighton and Hove City Council) @hannalytical

Hannah is formerly co-chair of the Young Greens of England and Wales. As a green councillor, she has campaigned on refugee rights, particularly those of young people. Hannah is taking an active role in Brighton & Hove’s response to the war in Ukraine and ensuring the council provides the right levels of care and support. She gained an active interest in peace while studying peace processes at university and is committed to promoting the values of peace and global justice.

Equalities and Diversity: Ria Patel @Ria__Patel

Ria is a 21-year-old, Queer non-binary demi-woman, who is neurodiverse. They are currently studying psychology at university, and campaign on social justice issues. In the Green Party, they are currently the Co-Chair of LGBTIQA+ Greens. She has previously worked with Greens of Colour, The Deyika Fund and Young Greens, and is looking forward to working closely with all the Green Party’s Liberation Groups and Policy Working Groups, to highlight national equality and diversity issues. They have also been elected as a Councillor in Croydon.

Housing and Communities: Cllr Ellie Chowns (North Herefordshire) @EllieChowns

Ellie is the cabinet member for environment and economy at Herefordshire Council, and a former Green MEP for the West Midlands. She works part-time as a University lecturer in international development and has spent her career in charities and in education. Ellie lives on an organic farm and has two grown-up sons. In recent years she has become actively involved in politics because she believes we all need and deserve better, and wants to be part of that positive change.

Health, Social Care and Public Health: Dr Pallavi Devulapalli (a practising GP in Norfolk) @doctorpallavi

Pallavi is an NHS GP in West Norfolk. She has been an active Green Party member for the last seven years taking on campaigning, membership and Parish Councillor roles. Pallavi has represented the Greens in both Parliamentary and European elections.

2. Full list of Green Party spokespeople: https://www.greenparty.org.uk/people/green-party-spokespeople/  

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