7 May 2021

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley has welcomed the early set of results which show Green gains across the country.

As results only start to come through, the Greens have already seen a total of 22 councillors elected, 17 of which are gains from the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

The party has also been elected to four new councils for the first time: Northumberland, Stockport, Hastings and Derbyshire.

Bartley said:

“There is still a long way to go, but I’m delighted to see Greens winning across the country, including gaining our first seats in Stockport, Northumberland, Hastings and Derbyshire. It’s clear that there are no no-go areas for Greens anymore.

“We are winning seats in areas that have traditionally been thought of as Labour and Conservative. Green politics is on the rise and it is only the Green Party that is offering a clear vision of a better future, with thousands of Green jobs, warmer homes, safer streets, thriving local economies and stronger communities. 

“A huge thanks to the hard work of our candidates, activists and members that have made this happen.”

ENDS

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22 April 2021

• Jonathan Bartley: “The best thing anybody could do for the Earth is vote for a party that puts nature and climate at the centre of everything it does in this year’s local elections”

The Green Party has urged people to use this year’s local elections to make sure Earth Day happens every day, by voting for Green councillors who can make a real difference up and down the country on 6 May.

As world leaders gather for a climate summit on Earth Day today [1], the Greens have warned that if people want to see Green policies in their regions, then they need to vote Green.

Co-leader Jonathan Bartley said:

“The simple fact is, if you want Green, then you need to vote Green. Everybody is trying to boast about their Green credentials at the moment, but there is only one party that takes protecting the environment seriously.

“The main two parties are completely failing to grasp the need for positive transformation coming out of the pandemic. It is Green councillors and activists on the ground, working with local communities up and down the country, who are picking up the slack and doing what they can to ensure a green recovery for all.”

Bartley said while the other parties talk up their Green credentials, their actions at local authority level are often far from Green.

He said:

“We always hear greenwashing from Labour and the Conservatives, but in reality one has got a £27bn road building programme while Labour offer timid half measures and continue with outdated road building even in London.

“It is only the Greens who recognise the need for a complete transformation of a transport system so everybody has access to affordable and clean public transport.

“Meanwhile, as the Greens put forward real plans for a Green industrial revolution, Labour-led councils open new coal mines and the Conservative government closes down the very body that was responsible for industrial strategy meaning it has no plan to take the CO2 out of heavy industries like steel and cement.

“It’s clear that the best thing anybody could do for the Earth is vote for a party that puts nature and the climate at the centre of everything it does in this year’s local elections.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56837927

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20 April 2021

The Green Party has welcomed the government’s plans to significantly reduce the UK’s carbon output – particularly the decision to include aviation and shipping in domestic totals – but is clear the targets must be backed up by urgent and concrete policy if they are to be achieved.

Co-leader Jonathan Bartley said: “We welcome the fact that the global spotlight turning towards the UK has forced the government to raise its level of climate ambition but without a clear and urgent plan to reduce CO2 the targets are meaningless.”

“Let’s not forget that this government is expert in greenwashing and that we are in election season. Recognising how important the climate is to so many of us they stand up and make grand announcements but then we just don’t see the clear policy and investment that could make it a reality on the ground. 

“With a record of spending £27 billion on road building, continuing to subsidise fossil fuels and scrapping funding for retrofit programmes to keep homes warm, the reality is that Tory climate policy is going backwards. Their policies are all completely at odds with claims to ‘green ambition’.

“By contrast the Green Party has a clear 10-point plan [1] with policies that would achieve the new targets in the context of a green new deal, a joined-up approach covering all sectors including a green transport revolution and industrial transition beginning with green steel. This vital action would be paid for by a tax on polluters.”

ENDS

[1] https://www.greenparty.org.uk/assets/files/Communications/10_Point_Climate_Plan.pdf

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19 April 2021

• “A chance for real action on the climate, ecological and social emergencies”

Green Party Co-Leader Sian Berry has welcomed the announcement that Annalena Baerbock will be the German Greens candidate for Chancellor in the September elections.

“I’m delighted that Annalena Baerbock has been chosen as Chancellor candidate by the German Greens. During her time as co-leader she has shown that she combines sound political judgement with strong communication skills and warmth.

“This is the first time the German Greens have put forward a candidate for Chancellor ahead of elections, which reflects their growing strength in the polls.

“The possibility that the German Greens could be the leading partner in a governing coalition of the most powerful country in Europe means a chance for real action on the climate, ecological and social emergencies.”

ENDS

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19 April 2021

• Melanie Horrocks: “This is the logical end-point of a focus on cash rather than community”

The Green Party candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester has slammed the announcement that six Premier League clubs are taking part in a breakaway European Super League.

The move, announced by 12 European clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, would see the creation of an exclusive league with no risk of relegation for the founding clubs.

Melanie Horrocks, Green Party candidate for Greater Manchester, has said the move is an act of pure greed designed to guarantee ever-increasing profits for distant owners, over the benefit of the game itself and the millions of people who follow it.

Horrocks said:

“This move is not about football or any of the things that so many of us love about it. This is about sheer, bare-faced greed from a small number of incredibly rich men who own these clubs and couldn’t care less about the wider footballing system in which they have grown.

“Ultimately, this is the logical end-point of a focus on cash rather than community. It is what happens when fans are not involved in the owning and running of the clubs which are so often at the heart of their local communities.

“That is why, we would favour a German-style ownership model which means the fans, rather than foreign owners, are always in control. 

“Better still we would provide incentives for clubs to adopt a mutual ownership model so that fans not only decide what happens with the club but are also enabled to ensure that the proceeds of their success are shared with the wider community.

“We strongly urge the football governance bodies to follow through on their warnings that any club that joins the new league will be banned from competing in current domestic and international competitions.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://news.sky.com/story/european-super-league-announced-with-12-football-clubs-including-six-from-england-12279893

2

Green Party policy reads:

CMS862 The Green Party would prefer professional sporting clubs to be mutually owned by the members rather than by shareholders. For those clubs which are currently Public Limited Companies, whose shares are traded internationally, the risk is always that distant shareholders, with no regard for the community the club is supposed to represent, will take over the club and sever all meaningful links with the local community. In some instances, clubs have even been moved to other towns and cities – making a mockery of any supposed local connection implied in the club’s name. We will introduce legal mechanisms to allow transformation of such PLCs into Mutual Organisations with agreement of stakeholders.

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