Author Archives: GovWorldMag

14 June 2017

As MEPs today vote on important legislation that sets binding annual greenhouse gas emission targets for EU member countries, Molly Scott Cato MEP has challenged the new Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, to match or better these targets for tackling climate change once the UK leaves the EU. 

MEPs will vote on the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), the EU’s largest climate instrument regulating emissions of sectors not covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), namely transport, agriculture, buildings and waste [1]. The legislation sets climate targets for each country for the period 2021 to 2030. But with the UK set to leave the EU before this time, Dr Scott Cato is demanding Mr Gove set targets at least as ambitious as those of the EU. She said:

“I can think of few people less fit for the role of environment secretary. He has consistently voted against measures to tackle climate change and infamously tried to remove the issue from the national curriculum when he was education secretary.

“However, I welcome the fact he has hit out at Donald Trump over his decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement [2]. Let’s now see if action matches words and whether this apparent new-found commitment to tackling climate change means anything in practice. Let’s see him pledge the UK to match or even better the rather unambitious targets on reducing emissions being discussed and voted on in Europe. Here is his first real test. Will he take a lead on tackling climate change or follow a climate denying US president wishing to drag us back to a bygone dirty fossil era?”

Notes:

1. https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/effort/proposal_en

2. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/13/michael-gove-says-donald-trump-wrong-withdraw-parisclimateaccord/

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14 June 2017

*A third of all voters and half of Labour and Lib Dem voters believe British politics would be better off with more Green MPs

*Co-leader Jonathan Bartley: “Our broken electoral system completely fails to represent people’s real political choices”

The Green Party is calling for proportional representation as a new poll reveals one in three voters think British politics would be better off with more Green MPs [1].

A poll of 1,000 people carried out by Survation revealed one in three voters think there should be more Green MPs, including 50% of Labour voters and 57% of Lib Dem voters.

Under a fair, proportional system, the Green Party would have 11 MPs following the general election.

The Green Party has renewed its call for a voting system overhaul as the Tories and the DUP edge closer to a deal. In the general election, the DUP won 10 seats with 292,316 votes while Greens have one seat with 524,604 votes [2].

Jonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leader, said:

“This poll reveals the strength of Green support across the country. We know that when people find out about Green policies and meet Green politicians, they like what they hear and see but our broken electoral system completely fails to represent people’s political choices.

“The evidence is clear that last week many felt they had to vote tactically, rather than feeling free to vote for the party they actually believe in. But it is also clear that even under the exceptional conditions like the ones saw in the General Election, our broken electoral system does not deliver healthy results. Theresa May’s deal with the DUP looks at best unstable and that its days will be numbered.  It is time Labour also recognised the new political landscape, the dangerous consequences of an outdated voting system, and made a firm commitment to electoral reform.  

“A fair system would ensure politics looks like the people it represents. The Green Party will keep fighting for a fairer, more democratic voting system that accurately represents what the country wants.”

Notes:

1. Poll results:

• Survation polled 1,051 people on behalf of the Green Party on June 4 and June 5
• 34.3% of all voters said British politics would be ‘much better’ or ‘a bit better’ with more than one Green MP in parliament
• 49.3% of people who intended to vote Labour on June 8 and 57.5% of people who intended to vote Lib Dem said British politics would be ‘much better’ or ‘a bit better’ with more than one Green MP in parliament

2. https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/politics/number-seats-party-won-vs-vote-share/

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