Green Party announces leadership candidates

2 July 2018

The Green Party has announced the full list of candidates running to be the next leader of the party ahead of voting next month [1].

Three candidates have been nominated for leader following Caroline Lucas’ announced she would not stand for re-election after a two year term as co-leader with Jonathan Bartley [2].

The position of deputy leader is also up for election, as well as 10 other positions on the Green Party Executive.

With nominations announced the campaign period has begun with hustings set to take place across the country. Campaigning will end on July 29, and members will then have one month to vote between 30 July and 31 August. The results will be announced shortly after.

All fully paid-up members are eligible to vote by single transferable vote, with ballots issued by email and, where required, paper copies.

The candidates for leader are:

Shahrar Ali

Jonathan Bartley and Sian Berry

Leslie Rowe

The candidates for deputy leader are:

Aimee Challenor

Jonathan Chilvers

Andrew Cooper

Rashid Nix

Amelia Womack

A Green Party spokesperson said:

“Members are the lifeblood of the Green Party. From making policy at Conference to choosing the party’s leaders every two years, members are at the heart of the Green Party and in the next couple of months will decide who leads us into the future.”

Caroline Lucas MP said:

“I’m really proud of everything the party has achieved so far, and I am excited to see such a wide range of candidates keen to build on this success for the future. Britain needs a strong Green voice now more than ever. On issues from Brexit, to rising inequality and the Government’s reckless attitude to our environmental protections and climate targets, Greens will always speak truth to power. I will still be doing that in Parliament, and I look forward to seeing ever more Greens joining the national debate.”

Remember Only Green Party members can vote in the 2018 leadership elections. To join and have your voice heard, sign up at https://register.greenparty.org.uk

Notes:

1. https://www.greenparty.org.uk/internal-elections.html

2. https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2018/06/04/caroline-lucas-not-re-standing-for-green-party-leadership/

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Greens: Abortion law change a “fantastic step for reproductive rights in Wales”

29 June 2018

Green Party of England and Wales deputy leader Amelia Womack reacted to the news that women in Wales will now be able to take their second abortion pill at home[1].

Womack said:

“This is a fantastic step for reproductive rights in Wales. Women will no longer be forced to miscarry on the bus on the way home from the doctor, they will be able to take their medication as required in the safety of their own home.

“Hopefully this will help to destigmatise abortion in Wales. We now need to review the existing UK legislation to make sure that our abortion law has trusting women at its heart.”

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-44643459

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Caroline Lucas calls for independent inquiry into UK’s complicity in torture

28 June 2018

Following the publication of the Intelligence and Security Committee’s reports into the torture of detainees, Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas MP has called for a comprehensive and independent judge led inquiry into Britain’s involvement with extra-judicial torture and rendition.

Lucas said:

“These reports have taken 8 years to see the light of day and in that time there’s been damaging levels of secrecy and control by Government, including reported interference by the Trump administration. Despite their efforts, we now know more about the UK’s complicity in torture and rendition. However, a significant number of unanswered questions remain, including about cases that were deliberately excluded from the scope of the Committee’s inquiry.

“The whole truth still needs to come out, free from interference or censorship – and that can only be guaranteed by way of a comprehensive and independent judge led inquiry, building on the ISC’s findings and concluding its investigations. Today I am calling for such an inquiry. It is moral cowardice to continue to prevent all allegations of British involvement in rendition and detainee torture and mistreatment from being fully investigated – and it’s also no basis for an ethical and effective security policy going forward.”

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Lucas: Climate Change progress report “a flashing red light on the dashboard”

28 June 2018

Responding to today’s Committee on Climate Change progress report, Caroline Lucas calls it “a flashing red light on the dashboard”.

Lucas said:

“When even their own advisers have lost faith in this Government’s approach to tackling climate change, it’s clear we have reached crisis point. The Government should see this much stronger language from the Committee on Climate Change as a flashing red light on the dashboard – this is a national wake up call to Ministers who have for years failed to put in place the necessary policies to actually deliver the emission reductions we so urgently need.

“Yet from ditching onshore wind to ploughing millions into fracking, green-lighting climate-busting runways to burying their heads in the sand on building warm homes, this Government has done much the opposite. Ministers continue to fail to grasp the scale of the challenge we face – but also our collective capacity, as a nation, to overcome it. Now is the time to build an energy system built on the resources that we have in abundance: sun, sea and wind.”

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Greens: Rising fuel poverty hitting poorest hardest

26 June 2018

The Green Party has called for the Government to launch a nationwide roll out of home insulation after a report published today showed the proportion of people living in fuel poverty went up in 2016.

The report, from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, showed the proportion of people living in fuel poverty went up between 2014 and 2016. [1]

It also showed the poorest in Britain to be worst effected, with the median income of those who are “fuel poor” at £10,325, compared to £24,050 for those who are “non-fuel poor”. [2]

Amelia Womack, co-leader of the Green Party, said:

“Being able to heat your home should be a basic human right. Yet these figures show the proportion of people in Britain facing fuel poverty went up between 2014 and 2016 – with the poorest hit hardest. We know that fuel poverty not only has a detrimental effect on health, but it increases the risk of mental health problems and impacts children’s education.

“No one should have to choose between putting food on the table or heating their home, and it is outrageous that despite knowing people are living with these choices the Government hasn’t done anything to address the issue.

“The Government must urgently launch a national scheme of home insulation to ensure everyone is able to heat their home, as well as supporting community solar schemes to make energy more affordable. These measures should be backed up by a genuine living wage which gives people what they really need to survive in Britain today.” [3]

Notes:

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