5 July 2023

Responding to a consultation on the closure of ticketing offices at all rail stations, Green Party Transport spokesperson Matt Edwards said:

“Any decision to close station ticket offices would be another short-sighted decision by a government that does not care about people who use public transport to get around.”

Edwards, who is also Leader of the Green Party Group on Bradford Council, added:

“Anyone who uses the train will know that the machines at our stations are not reliable and they don’t always make it clear which ticket is the cheapest ticket to buy. This will also make it more difficult for people who need to pay for tickets with cash.

“Being able to speak to someone is vital for many passengers and plans to close ticketing offices will make travelling by train more different for thousands of passengers – especially passengers with disabilities, those with limited mobility and parents travelling with children.

“Instead of another needless fight with unions and passengers, the government should be focusing on getting services running on time, dealing with overcrowding and making travelling by rail more convenient and affordable. Closing ticket offices will achieve none of that.”

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3 July 2023

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer urged the government to deny Gatwick Airport a Development Consent Order, which it says it is applying for [1] and would allow the airport to create a second runway in a major expansion of its capacity.

Carla said:

“This is an immediate test for the government, coming just days after its own Climate Change Committee said there could be no more airport expansions, if it was to stand any chance of hitting its net zero goals [2].

“A second runway at Gatwick would be a disaster for the climate and could result in an extra 1.5 million tonnes of carbon emitted each year [3], at a time when the government’s own advisers say it is struggling to meet existing greenhouse gas reduction targets.

“The government could save everyone a lot of time, effort and worry by refusing this application outright.

“In recent months it has given the green light to new oil and gas fields, and a new coal mine.

“Yet the climate danger signal is flashing red. The government must make it clear that it will listen to its own advisers and ensure there is no new airport expansion at Gatwick or elsewhere.” 

Councillor Jonathan Essex, Green Group leader on Surrey County Council and Reigate and Banstead Borough council, said:

“It is time for our Government to declare a moratorium on airport expansion and start taking its climate responsibilities seriously. 

“Gatwick Airport’s expansion is not only unacceptable on climate grounds but it will also make noise, air pollution and traffic worse locally.

“Instead of falling for Gatwick’s inflated promises the Government should commit to creating the new jobs needed to deliver a zero carbon future across the surrounding area – a Green New Deal for Gatwick.” [4]

ENDS

NOTES

1

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2023-07-03/gatwick-to-submit-expansion-plans-but-campaigners-vow-court-battle

2

https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/2023-progress-report-to-parliament/ 

3

This is calculated by applying the increase in carbon emissions set out by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) for 2016 up to 2028 for the proposed second runway using Gatwick Airport Ltd (GAL) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) figures. 

4

A Green New Deal for Gatwick Airport: https://www.greennewdealuk.org/updates/a-green-new-deal-for-gatwick/

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27 June 2023

• Deputy leader Zack Polanski: “The ban on LGBTIQA+ people serving in the military was wrong 20 years ago, and it is unacceptable that it has taken over 20 years to address the harm done to people serving before that.”

• Cade Hatton, Co-Chair of LGBTIQA+ Greens: “It’s Pride Month. This is the time to act.”

The Green Party has demanded that the Government immediately release the report it commissioned [1] into the experiences of LGBTIQA+ veterans who served in the Armed Forces before 2000 – the year the ban on homosexuality in the Armed Forces was finally lifted.

The call comes during Pride Month, with the completed report – commissioned by the Government in 2021 – now with ministers. [2]

Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski said: 

“If the Government is serious about addressing this historic injustice, it must release the report immediately. The ban on LGBTIQA+ people serving in the military was wrong 20 years ago, and it is unacceptable that it has taken over 20 years to address the harm done to people serving before that. 

“The Government was absolutely right to finally commission this review in 2021, but there is now no reason to delay publishing a report that has been completed and is sitting on the Minister’s desk.

“Let’s listen to the testimonies of the LGBTIQA+ people who served in the Armed Services under the ban, and hear from the government about what it will do to address the report’s recommendations in full.”

Cade Hatton, Co-Chair of LGBTIQA+ Greens, said:

“The pre-2000 ban on homosexuality in the Armed Forces is just one example of the shameful and targeted discrimination of the LGBTIQA+ community by successive governments.

“This review was long overdue, but I am pleased the report is now complete. We need it published immediately, so that we can read the testimonies of LGBTIQA+ service personnel and finally put on public record their experiences under the Government’s discriminatory ban on homosexuality in the military.

“While we cannot ignore the harm done by the military industrial complex of the west to the rest of the world, we also cannot ignore the harm done to those who have served under a discriminatory organisation that has caused people to hide who they are or risk unemployment or worse. This report must be made public.

“For the sake of transparency, the Government must release the report and its full recommendations without any further delay, and commit to taking the action needed to restore justice for our community.

“It’s Pride Month. This is the time to act.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/lgbt-veterans-independent-review/about

2 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65846492

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22 June 2023

Responding to the news that the Bank of England has raised interest rates by 0.5% to 5% [1], Molly Scott Cato, Green Party finance and economy spokesperson, said:

“Today’s decision from the Bank of England will have a devastating impact on people across the country and shows once again how this Conservative government has failed to deal with this economic crisis.

“It’s no surprise the government is willing to take such a callous approach of doing nothing to help those who need it most when both the Chancellor and Prime Minister are millionaires. They seem to be completely out of touch with the impacts of inflation and interest rate rises on working people.

“It should be totally unacceptable for people on the receiving end of falling wages and rising prices to be told that they are the problem. 

“And that is why Greens would be looking for ways to support the economy without fuelling inflation by shifting consumption from the wealthy to those on lower incomes. 

“A first step would be to pay public sector workers in line with inflation. Since their output is not sold in a market it would only add indirectly to inflation.

“This could be funded by taxing the super-rich, whose consumption does contribute to inflation. Profiteering companies, financial speculators and the wealthy need to bear the burden of dealing with a crisis that is rooted in misguided ideology and Tory unfairness.

“And we would increase Universal Credit by £40 per week to help those who are in the most need right now.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://twitter.com/bankofengland/status/1671835716840480769

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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19 June 2023

The Green Party has criticised the Labour Party’s announcement that it will not rule out the new Rosebank oil field if it is given the go ahead before the next election. [1]

Ahead of a speech by Keir Starmer in Edinburgh today, the Greens have urged the Labour leader to do another u-turn and announce he will oppose any new oil fields that get the green light between now and the election, in order to make any investments non-viable and avoid the dangerous impact on the climate.

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“It is simply unforgivable that a Labour Party looking to build its green credentials is effectively giving its backing to the biggest undeveloped oil field in the North Sea, when it knows full well that we are in the middle of a climate emergency.

“The Green Party is clear we would not support the new Rosebank oil field. If Labour had the courage to take the same approach if it comes into government, it could make the investment completely non-viable and the dangerous climate impact would be avoided.

“Instead, Starmer’s promises of clean power by 2030 sound completely hollow when he accepts that oil and gas will be part of the mix ‘for decades to come’.

“By rowing back on their £28bn climate pledge and now signalling it will allow new oil fields approved by the Conservatives to go ahead, it is becoming increasingly clear that Labour are simply not offering the sort of climate leadership the urgency of the climate crisis demands.

“Compared to the Green Party’s policies, Labour are going nowhere near far enough. 

“The Green Party has pledged to invest almost £100bn each year for ten years to decarbonise our economy, including £25bn alone on insulating people’s homes, £12bn on increasing our renewable capacity and £14bn on rail and walking and cycling. 

“By investing in the green economy we can tackle the cost of living crisis and the climate emergency at the same time, creating a fairer, greener country which will leave no one behind.

“Whatever happens at the next election, it is vital we have a group of Green MPs fighting for the environment and those who have been ignored for too long by the main two parties.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65945214

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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