3 July 2018

* Jonathan Bartley: ‘The right to peaceful protest is under threat’

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, will today be at the High Court [1] to stand in solidarity with six women [2] challenging an injunction application by UK Oil and Gas [3].

Bartley said the application is part of a nationwide rollout which has put “the right to peaceful protest under threat”.

The Green Party has also supported campaigners fighting an injunction by Chris Grayling to curb anti-HS2 action [4], as well as activists given suspended sentences for breaking the Sheffield tree injunction [5], among others.

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, said:

“The right to peaceful protest is under threat. This draconian application is part of a nationwide rollout of injunctions which seeks to stamp out peaceful dissent wherever it is found. I stand in full solidarity with the brave activists standing up to the fossil fuel industry in court today. UK Oil and Gas’ risky methods of oil and gas exploration are a threat to our environment and jeopardise our climate targets.”

Notes:

1.       Bartley will join activists outside the High Court on Tuesday 3 July 2018.

2.       A picture of the six women challenging the injunction is here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yfrttdm96mxsgzf/UKOGInjunctionDefendants.JPG?dl=0 Left to right of defendants in photo: Constance Whiston; Vicki Elcoate; Ann Stewart; Sue Jameson; Jacqui Hamlin; Natasha Doane

3.       UK Oil and Gas has drilling sites across the South East including Broadford Bridge in West Sussex and Horse Hill in Surrey, both mentioned in the injunction. It also has a significant stake in the proposed drilling site at Leith Hill in Surrey and a planned new site on the Isle of Wight.

4.       https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/19/transport-secretary-injunction-stop-hs2-protesters-chris-grayling-london

5.       https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2018/06/08/green-party-responds-to-suspended-sentences-for-sheffield-tree-campaigners/

Diary note: Green Party co-leader supports oil injunction campaigners in court

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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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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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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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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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