24 May 2022

The Green Party has said the renewable energy sector should not be liable for a windfall tax and that fossil fuel companies must not be able to avoid such a tax by ‘hiding behind the façade of clean energy investments.’ Greens have made the demands following suggestions the government is planning to introduce a windfall tax across the entire energy sector, including renewables [1]. Meanwhile there are also suggestions that fossil fuel companies will be able to avoid a windfall tax providing they provide updates each quarter on how they’re boosting clean energy investments [2]. 

Responding, co-leader of the Green party, Carla Denyer, said:

“Oil and gas corporations have been making eye-watering profits, not renewable energy companies, and neither Shell nor BP paid any tax at all last year [3]. It is the fossil fuel giants that should face a dirty profits tax, based on the billions raked in from fossil fuels over the last year, irrespective of their investment plans.

“We cannot allow the fossil fuel industry to hide behind the façade of clean energy investments – often tiny in comparison to the investment they make into new fossil fuel extraction [4]. We know their game – their primary interest is in increasing the exploitation of oil and gas reserves. Just yesterday, a senior safety consultant quit working with Shell citing greenwash and accusing the company of failing to wind down on fossil fuels [5]. If a windfall tax stops them shovelling money into boosting fossil fuels, that should be welcomed; it is certainly not a reason to stall on introducing such a tax.

“Oil companies have benefited from billions of pounds of tax breaks, tax relief and subsidies. A dirty profits tax will go some way to make up for the taxpayer handouts the industry has enjoyed for too long. 

“As Greens we see a windfall tax as a steppingstone towards introducing a carbon tax on all polluting industries – a move that will help drive the market away from fossil fuels towards renewables and help pay for a massive nationwide home insulation programme.

“Different tax arrangements for different forms of energy sends a clear message to investors, consumers and energy companies themselves that the future we want and need is based on clean renewable energy not dirty fossil fuels.”   

Notes

[1] 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61566083 

[2] 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-23/to-avoid-windfall-tax-uk-minister-wants-quarterly-green-plans 

[3] 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/oct/30/shell-and-bp-paid-zero-tax-on-north-sea-gas-and-oil-for-three-years

[4]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/feb/11/more-cash-than-we-know-what-to-do-with-oil-and-gas-companies-report-bumper-profits

[5] 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/may/23/shell-consultant-quits-environment-caroline-dennett

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23 May 2022

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer has said the Prime Minister must finally do the right thing and resign after ITV News published pictures of him drinking at a party during lockdown [1].

Denyer said:

“It is now more clear than ever that Boris Johnson attended parties at Downing Street during lockdown, when everybody else was having to make heartbreaking sacrifices.

“Not only did the Prime Minister think it was ok to break the rules he made, he then also went on to lie about it and try to cover up his own illegal acts.

“This country can no longer be run by somebody who is a serial liar and thinks the rules don’t apply to him.

“It is time that he finally takes responsibility, does the only reasonable thing and resigns. If he refuses to, then I urge the Conservative MPs covering up for him to take matters into their own hands and force him out of the office he has completely demeaned.” 

Notes

1. https://www.itv.com/news/2022-05-23/exclusive-pm-pictured-drinking-at-downing-street-party-during-lockdown 

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23 May 2022

The Green Party has repeated its call for the pay ratio between chief executives and their workers to be limited to a ratio of 10:1. The demand comes as new evidence reveals pay ratios in the first months of 2022 averaged 63:1, almost doubling the ratio in 2021 [1].

Commenting, Green Party deputy leader, Amelia Womack, said:

“Such huge disparities between bosses and their staff are unacceptable at any time, but when many of these workers are struggling to put food on the table and pay sky-high energy bills this sort of imbalance is a complete failure by government to protect households. We need laws to prevent these gross injustices. 

“There can be no justification for astronomical pay for a tiny elite while the majority of people are struggling to get by. That’s why the Green Party is repeating a call for a 10:1 pay ratio, mandated by law, to ensure that the highest paid individuals in an organisation receive no more than ten times the amount of the lowest paid.

“Such a policy would be likely to tackle the crisis of low wages: the lowest paid in organisations are the very people most impacted by the cost of living crisis. It would also help create a more equal society, which research has consistently demonstrated is good for health and wellbeing [2]”.

Notes

[1] Pay gap between bosses and staff expected to widen – BBC News

[2] Impacts of inequality- The Equality Trust

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17 May 2022

Responding to the statement by the Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, that the government plans to legislate to rewrite the Northern Ireland Protocol [1], Green Party co-leader, Carla Denyer, said:

“At least this government is consistent. They make rules and agree to laws and then routinely break them. From breaking Covid lockdown rules to unlawfully suspending Parliament, this is a government that has form when it comes to law breaking. But today’s decision to smash the Northern Ireland protocol takes this corrupt government to new depths. It has demonstrated that even international law – which the government itself signed up to – is not beyond flouting.”

Notes

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/may/17/northern-ireland-brexit-protocol-liz-truss-bill-scrap 

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16 May 2022

Responding to the announcement by energy regulator Ofgem that it plans to review the energy cap every three months rather than the current six months [1], co-leader of the Green Party, Adrian Ramsay, said:

“Changing the goalposts in this way will do nothing to help the millions of households struggling to put food on the table and pay eye-watering energy bills. Energy companies may think that such tinkering will mitigate the cost-of-living crisis, but they’re not fooling anyone. 

“We need measures that put money back in people’s pockets now. That’s why the Green Party has argued for restoring the £20 uplift to Universal Credit and doubling it to £40 per week, in addition to other benefits. We also want to provide every household with an additional £320 to help them pay for spiralling energy costs [2].

“Critically, we need to see a massive nationwide insulation programme over the next decade. This could reduce energy bills dramatically while ensuring that everyone has energy efficient homes to live in. The introduction of a carbon tax on the fossil fuel companies – who are making colossal profits on the back of the cost-of-living crisis – would help pay for such a retrofit programme. Greens in government have helped push exactly such a policy in Ireland [3]”.     

Notes

[1] Energy price cap adjustments could be every three months under Ofgem reform plan

[2] https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2022/03/21/greens-urge-chancellor-to-announce-%C2%A3250bn-home-retrofit-plan/

[3] https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/government-launches-the-national-retrofitting-scheme/ 

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