Education system left crumbling after 13 years of Tory austerity, say Greens

4 September 2023

Responding to the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) crisis, where crumbling concrete has resulted in the full or partial closure of 104 schools, the co-leader of the Green Party Carla Denyer said: 

“Our education system has been left crumbling after 13 years of Tory austerity. But successive governments have known about the problems with RAACgoingall the way back to the 1980s.  

“Our schools are not fit for purpose. This was revealed during the pandemic when failures to properly ventilate our schools became apparent. We’vealso seen portacabins in place semi permanently in many schools. And now this dodgy concrete crisis.  

“As chancellor,Rishi Sunak decided to axe investment in new schools from 100 to 50. That was despite a Department for Education survey that revealed the need to rebuild 300 to 400 schools.  

“At the very least, the prime minister should reverse the decision he made as chancellor to halve the rebuilding programme. Beyond that we need proper investment in our schools’ infrastructure to bring buildings up to a standard fit for the 21st century.” 

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Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer makes urgent call to save rail ticket offices

1 September 2023

Carla Denyer, MP candidate for Bristol Central and co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, has urged residents to make clear their objections to the closure of ticket offices before the public consultation ends at midnight tonight [Friday 1 September].

The three-week consultation has been over proposals to close most of England’s 1,000 station offices, including at Bristol Temple Meads Station.

Carla said:

“Stations in and around Bristol are vital transport hubs for thousands of people and the ticket office staff there are often the only source of advice for people trying to navigate the ticketing system. 

“Having a human presence at a ticket office is especially important for disabled and elderly passengers who may have additional requirements. 

“The fact that our trains are operated by different, privatised companies already makes ticketing overly complicated, making ticket office staff crucial. And, in our current cost of living crisis, they are invaluable to helping people find the cheapest route to get from A to B. 

“This is all part of the Government’s lack of investment in public transport in recent years to the detriment of people and communities, particularly the disabled and elderly who can become isolated without these crucial services.

“If the Government wants to save money on the subsidies it gives to private train operating companies, it should do what the Green Party has long proposed, return the franchises to public control when they expire so that money spent on trains goes back into trains – and ticket offices – not into the pockets of remote shareholders. 

“Public transport should be run for people, not profit. I hope as many residents as possible are able to take part in this consultation before it closes today and make sure their concerns are heard.”

ENDS

Image of Carla at Bristol Temple Meads Station ticket office available upon request

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Scrapping ‘nutrient neutrality’ rules could lead to the ecological collapse of our waterways warn Greens

29 August 2023

Responding to the news that the government is scrapping ‘nutrient neutrality’ rules as a way to boost house building [1], Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay has warned it could lead to the ecological collapse of our waterways and has repeated a call to take water back into public ownership. 

Nutrient neutrality rules were put in place in 2017 by the EU. The rules prevent local authorities giving the go-ahead to new developments that are projected to add to river nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates, either through wastewater from new homes or run-off from building sites.

Ramsay said:

“It is beyond credulity that the government’s answer to dealing with our toxic rivers is to water down regulations and allow even more filth to flow into them. There’s a risk that scrapping nutrient neutrality rules will result in the complete ecological collapse of our waterways.

“Rather than weakening regulation we need firmer controls on private water companies and hugely profitable housebuilders. The Green Party would do this by taking water companies into public ownership, ending the siphoning off of profits to shareholders and investing instead in cleaning up our act. We’d also have a clear focus on affordable, high quality and environmentally friendly homes, by investing in a large scale council house building programme.

“The government’s reckless actions once again put the spotlight on Labour. Will they pledge that a future Labour government will reinstate rules which prevent developments polluting our waterways?”

Notes

1. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/28/uk-rivers-at-risk-as-michael-gove-rips-up-rules-on-new-housing 

 

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Urgent need for home insulation programme for poorest to start before winter

25 August 2023

Responding to the new Ofgem price cap [1], Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“The new price cap underlines the urgent need for a government-backed home insulation programme targeted, in the first instance, at those most at risk of fuel poverty.

“The government should be announcing today funding and support for local councils to start a mass programme of cost-saving home insulation. With the right funding and determination, such a scheme could start to help people from this winter.

“Even with a lower price cap, bills are still higher than before the energy crisis and are likely to remain high for the future.

“Figures released earlier this week suggested that almost half of all British households – 13m homes – said they did not turn on their heating when it got cold last winter [2].

“The average home could save hundreds of pounds a year with decent insulation [3] and the government needs to support councils to reach them as soon as possible

“Insulating people’s homes means they can stay warm while using less energy,savemoney and produce fewer harmful carbon emissions.

“A mass programme of government-backed, council delivered home insulation starting before winter is a win-win solution for people and the planet.

“Government support should extend an emergency grant to homeowners and landlords aiming urgent support at those most in need.

“And it is well beyond time to break the link between electricity and gas prices that so distorts the market that it pushes up electricity prices for the public even as cheaper renewable electricity sources could be pushing prices down.

“We have the opportunity now, starting with support for the most at-risk people, to create warmer, more comfortable homes and in the process create millions of jobs, reduce bills and cut carbon emissions.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/energy-prices-fall-again-winter

2

https://www.which.co.uk/policy-and-insight/article/too-scared-to-put-the-heating-on-13-million-households-not-heating-their-homes-when-its-cold-due-to-energy-bill-fears-which-warns-aXpY84U6BJaS

3

https://www.renewableenergyhub.co.uk/main/insulation/insulation-cost-and-savings

For further information or to arrange an interview please contact the Press Office press@greenparty.org.uk 0203 691 9401

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GCSE results: a day to congratulate students and teachers but also to address attainment gap

24 August 2023

Reacting to today’s GCSE results, Vix Lowthion, Green Party Lifelong Education spokesperson, said: 

“Many students will rightly be proud of the GCSE, BTEC and T-Levels grades they have got today – outcomes achieved through hard work and excellent teaching. It’s a day to congratulate both students and teachers.  

“However, in education as in every other policy area, levelling up is just a slogan. The attainment gap between students from more affluent backgrounds and those from disadvantaged situations has grown ever wider under this Conservative government.

“We know that growing levels of poverty impact on being able to eat nutritious food, the quality of housing and having access to books and the internet which all have negative consequences on opportunities for child development and learning. The attainment of disadvantaged pupils is calculated to be 1.5 years behind that of their non-disadvantaged peers by the end of secondary school. 

“We must address the country’s chronic inequality by increasing taxes on the super-rich to raise the funds needed to boost key public services like health and education and to bring down the cost of living for the poorest in society through programmes like mass home insulation.” 

“The Green Party also believes that a move towards continuous assessment and away from a system of high stakes exams is critical to closing the attainment gap.”

ENDS

For further information or to arrange an interview please contact the Press Office press@greenparty.org.uk 0203 691 9401

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