4 August 2022

Greens have accused the government of providing ‘scraps’ for transport funding across English regions compared to London and the South East. They point to the announcement of just £200 million to develop a mass transit network in West Yorkshire [1] compared to the £18.8 billion spent on Crossrail in London [2].    

Green Party transport spokesperson, Matt Edwards, who is a Green Party councillor in Bradford, said:  

“For decades transport spending in London and the South East has eclipsed the scraps we see in the North and other regions of the country. The paltry amounts promised to West Yorkshire to help deliver a new rapid transport network to one of the largest metro areas in Europe simply reinforces this imbalance. Regions outside London and the South East are being sold short.”

“The dire financial situation of Transport For London and the cuts to services across the South East show even these areas are not getting the funding required. But proportionally the rest of the country absolutely needs more funding if this government is serious about “levelling up.”

The Green Party recently called for axing the £27bn road building budget and diverting the money to pay for huge investment in public transport [3]. Councillor Edwards points to Greens in power delivering improved and affordable public transport:

“In Scotland Greens successfully pushed for free bus travel for all those under 22 and in Herefordshire, Greens on the Council ensured that Covid Recovery funds were used to provide free weekend buses. And just this week in Sheffield, after years of campaigning, Green councillors secured the return of a free circular bus service in the city centre [4]. 

“We need to transform how people in this country get around to get more people out of cars, and on to public transport, cycling and walking. The funding the government is offering is not going to deliver that anywhere.”

Notes 

1. West Yorkshire mass transit: £200m for ‘development and initial delivery’ | Yorkshire Post

2. Crossrail project funding breakdown: https://www.crossrail.co.uk/about-us/funding Govt contributions to £18.8 billion total: Department for Transport grant: £5.11 billion, 2x loans (one part of original deal – to be paid back via business rates, the other part of delay package, to be paid back via fares): £2.125 billion/£750 million. Total Govt contribution, including loans in overall subsidy = £7.98 billion

3. We must go further on buses, say Greens | The Green Party 

4. Sheffield bus services: FreeBee circular bus returns to Sheffield city centre | The Star

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2 August 2022

Commenting on almost £7bn profits by BP between April and June [1], while one in eight UK households fear they have no further way to make cuts to afford a sharp increase in annual energy bills this autumn [2], Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“These dirty profits made by climate wrecking corporations are completely obscene when millions of households are having sleepless nights over how they are going to pay their energy bills this winter. We need to super tax the grotesque profits of oil and gas companies to ensure that everyone has a warm home this winter. 

“Every week that goes by with no leadership from government is a week wasted that could have been spent insulating homes. And every pound that goes into the pocket of a fossil company executive is a pound that should have been spent on insulating the homes of lower income households.

“But the Tories have left it too late. We cannot insulate enough homes fast enough to protect people this winter, which is why we need to adopt the policy of a social tariff, ensuring that the amount people pay for energy relates to their income. And to add £40 per week to the income of all those on universal credit and other legacy benefits to help with the knock-on effect of energy price rises on food and clothing.”

Notes

1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62382624

2. More than one in eight UK households fear they have no way of making more cuts | The Guardian

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28 July 2022

The Green Party has called on the Conservative leadership candidates to commit to ensuring that the UK lives within its environmental means in the next ten years.

As Earth Overshoot Day [1], the date when humanity has used all the biological resources that Earth regenerates in a year, falls the week after the UK experienced extreme heat caused by climate change [2], the Greens have called on Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to place as much urgency on the climate and ecological emergencies as they are in discussing economic growth.

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“Just last week the UK witnessed the hottest temperatures on record and the consequences of climate disruption became clear for all to see.

“As wildfires raged and people lost everything as their homes were burnt to the ground, the two candidates to become our next Prime Minister were talking more about economic growth rather than tackling the climate crisis.

“Unfortunately, successive governments have for too long focused on economic growth at all costs, without acknowledging that it’s the quality of our economy that matters, not just the quantity. A narrow focus solely on economic growth will exacerbate the climate crisis and worsen social inequalities.

“On Earth Overshoot Day, I am calling on the Conservative leadership candidates to commit to broadening their focus from economic growth and show how they will ensure that the UK lives within our planetary means within the next ten years.

“Our government should be working across the board to ensure we’re leading the way on pushing back Earth Overshoot Day further every year.

“This requires a shift away from chasing economic growth only, and instead measuring the success of our economy by how it maximises people’s happiness without exceeding planetary boundaries. It also means policies to tackle the scourge of inequality and ensure we share the earth’s resources fairly.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.overshootday.org/

2

https://news.sky.com/story/uk-heatwave-temperature-hits-39-1c-in-surrey-a-new-record-12654770

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27 July 2022

Responding to a report by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, which has found that air pollution is likely to increase the risk of developing dementia [1], Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said:

“The true extent of just how damaging air pollution is to the health of people and planet continues to become clearer and clearer, yet both Labour and Conservative politicians seem determined to block action on so many levels.

“In Bristol, where I am a councillor, the Labour mayor has dithered and delayed for six years since a Green motion was passed to implement a clean air zone.

“As this report shows, this inaction is seriously impacting peoples’ health and ultimately costing lives.

“Air pollution is a matter of social justice. And if the government and other regional leaders really wanted to take action on this then they would be seriously investing in public transport as well as walking and cycling infrastructure – doing all they could to help people get out of their cars and use cleaner forms of transport instead.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/27/air-pollution-is-likely-to-raise-dementia-risk-find-uk-government-experts

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25 July 2022

Responding to shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves announcing this morning that Labour will not support bringing public services back into public ownership [1], Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay:

“It is depressing to see Labour abandoning their traditional support for public ownership of essential services at a time when this is so popular amongst voters. Their attempt to compete with the Tories will see ordinary people and the planet pay the cost as a result.

“It’s clear for all to see that the privatisation of essential services like energy, transport and water has served only to line the pockets of shareholders, rather than ensure that these services we all depend on are reliable and affordable.

“The Green Party believes it is essential that public services are publicly owned, both in order to guarantee the level of service required to meet society’s needs and help tackle the climate crisis, and to ensure good pay and conditions of those working within them.

“The fact that Labour has abandoned these beliefs shows just how far Keir Starmer is prepared to drag the party away from representing the best interests of people and planet in order to gain power at any cost.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-public-ownership-nationalise-reeves-starmer-b2130382.html

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