18 November 2022

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s refusal to carry out a Tory Manifesto pledge to “fix social care” through a cost cap highlights the urgent need for a radical NHS-style solution, Green co-leader Adrian Ramsay says today.

“Social care should be free at the point of use for all adults,” says Ramsay.

“A fully publicly funded, free at the point of use system would offer people certainty and dignity in times of need.

“Any of us may develop a long-term condition that requires social care support at any point in our lives, as well as in old age.

“Today – and thanks to Hunt’s Budget for many long years to some – people will have to pay the full cost of private social care if they have assets of more than £23,250 and even those who receive some publicly-funded social care end up paying, between them, nearly £3 billion a year towards their support. [1]

“Even the government’s own analysis shows that people’s homes are having to be sold after their deaths to pay care costs. [2]

“Hunt’s Budget postponed a Tory pledge to put an £86,000 cap on social care costs for individuals until beyond the next General Election. Yet local councils are reporting increasing requests for help, with demand from working-age adults in particular increasing by 15 per cent since 2015/16.

“The Dilnot Commission was set up in 2010 and the Tory government claimed to accept its recommendations, but even Dilnot’s partial costs-cap solution has been kicked down the road again [3].

“The Tory government previously said that charges should be capped at £86,000, now it says they should be unlimited for at least another two years. We say they should be capped at zero – social care should be free at the point of use.

“And there are options to fund a new NHS-style service that the Chancellor simply rejects – a wealth tax on the richest 1 per cent [4], a single unified income tax which could raise an additional £24 billion [5], or adding a social care levy to a more progressive tax system are just three examples.

“The funding options are available to be examined in detail, what’s missing is the political will to solve the social care crisis once and for all.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/projects/nhs-in-a-nutshell/social-care-nutshell 

2

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1015737/Build_Back_Better-_Our_Plan_for_Health_and_Social_Care_web_accessible.pdf 

3

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/17/delaying-social-care-reforms-jeremy-hunt-uk-vulnerable

4

https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/33819/20/33819%20TIPPET_The_Case_for_a_Progressive_Annual_Wealth_Tax_%282021%29_v2.pdf

5

https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2021/09/06/green-party-proposes-to-abolish-not-increase-national-insurance-tax-to-fund-social-care/

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17 November 2022

The Green Party has urged the Chancellor to avoid imposing Austerity 2.0 in today’s budget and ensure those with the broadest shoulders and those profiting from the current energy crisis bear the greatest burden.

As the government is expected to announce greater public spending cuts and tax rises that will severely impact the least well off in society, the Greens have called on Jeremy Hunt to introduce a wealth tax that will address the serious imbalance in the UK’s economy.

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“The UK is the sixth largest economy in the world. We simply should not be in a position where people are having to choose between heating their homes or feeding their children and public services, such as schools and health services, are facing even more cuts at a time when they are needed the most.

“The main barriers stopping us from being able to deal with the crises we are currently living through is the vast inequality we see in this country and the Conservatives’ reluctance to invest in the green infrastructure we so desperately need, which could also create millions of jobs in the process. 

“Any cuts made today by Jeremy Hunt will force local councils and vital national public services to deny people help. 

“Meanwhile, the urgent need to move to a net zero carbon future, highlighted at this week’s COP27 summit in Egypt and by the fear among households across the country to turn their heating on, cannot be put off any further.

“Our Green proposals would end the spiral of chaos and create a virtuous circle of green investment by taxing both the richest 1% and the oil companies making eye-watering sums from fossil fuels and the energy crisis in order to invest in insulating peoples’ homes and building our renewables.”

The Green Party’s proposals include:

• Taxing the wealth of the richest 1% of households to raise at least £70 billion [1]
• Imposing dirty profits taxes, without any loopholes, on the oil and gas companies making huge sums from fossil fuels and the energy crisis
• Provide increased funding for the Environment Agency and Ofwat to ensure proper enforcement of privatised water companies so that they invest in the infrastructure needed to end the scandal of sewage being poured into the rivers and seas

Money raised from the wealth tax and the dirty profits tax would help fund:

• a new green skilled workforce
• a dash for renewables to bring down bills
• a national home insulation programme to keep people warm
• free childcare to ease the cost-of-living burden [2]
• reducing the cost of travelling by train and bus to make public transport cheaper than travelling by car
• an end to the sewage scandal
• a National Minimum Wage of £15 an hour [3]
• decent pay increases that reflect rising inflation for public sector workers.

Ramsay said:

“The threats of more Tory austerity is creating fear in communities across this country. With hospitals and schools already facing extreme pressures we are clear that the country simply cannot stand another round of punishing austerity.

“Our tax-raising alternative would mean polluting companies, and the very richest households contribute more, while our investment in a rapid move to a net zero economy would fund the new skilled, sustainable, well-paid jobs that will be needed to replace those reliant on fossil fuels.

“Local councils are best placed to invest in the skills training, small business support and innovation to make the switch to a net zero economy happen. National government needs to provide them with adequate funds to do this rather than indulging in ‘levelling up’ gimmicks.

“Our plans ensure those most able and those most responsible pay, while the vast majority reap the rewards of a rapid move to a green economy.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2022/09/30/tax-the-richest-1-to-pay-for-better,-warmer-homes,-say-greens/

2

The Green Party would provide 35 hours a week of free childcare for all, from the age of nine months. This free childcare will include in-work facilities, such as on-site crèches and flexible working opportunities (e.g. jobshares) to help parents who choose to return to work

3

https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2022/10/02/greens-back-%C2%A315-an-hour-minimum-wage-and-declare-support-for-trade-union-campaigns-on-pay/

For more information or to arrange an interview contact the press office on press@greenparty.org.uk or call 0203 691 9401

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11 November 2022

Reacting to news that the UK economy shrunk in the last three months [1],  the Green Party of England and Wales called for protections for people and the planet.

Adrian Ramsay, co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, said:

“GDP is a poor and limited measure of sustainable economic activity, but news that the UK economy on this measure has shrunk must not be used by the government as an excuse to cut public services or delay investing to tackle climate change.

“Wages are falling, prices are rising and at COP27 analysis by the Global Carbon Project shows that despite the need to cut emissions by half by 2030 to restrict global heating to 1.5C and avoid the most devastating impacts of the climate crisis, emissions are rising [2].

“We need a radical shift in economic priorities to protect people from poverty, properly fund schools and the NHS, and ensure the urgent shift to a net zero economy takes place now. This would create more sustainable economic activity while also reducing carbon emissions.”

Notes:

[1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/bulletins/gdpfirstquarterlyestimateuk/latest

[2] https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbonbudget/

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7 November 2022

The Green Party has called on Rishi Sunak to come clean and reveal the shortfall in UK climate finance. At COP26, Boris Johnson pledged to boost spending on supporting the nations most at risk from the impacts of the climate emergency. However, figures suggest the UK has only paid £1.3bn of the £2.3bn a year pledged and the government has refused to reveal exactly how much it has short-changed the countries in greatest need [1]. 

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“Ahead of Rishi Sunak’s speech to COP27 this afternoon, we call on the government to come clean and reveal exactly how far short the UK has fallen in its contributions towards climate finance – a crucial fund to support those poorer countries on the front line of the climate crisis but which have done little to contribute to the problem. 

“It is suggested that the UK may have short-changed the fund by a whopping billion pounds. But let’s see the figures. 

“What we do know is that collectively the rich nations have consistently failed to meet a $100bn annual target on climate finance, and that the UK government is party to this failure. We also know the government has raided the overseas aid budget to pay for climate finance when it pledged that it would be additional money. And the aid budget itself has already been cut from 0.7% to 0.5% of GDP.

“The Prime Minister must use his speech today to pledge he will deliver the UK’s overdue climate finance. The whole COP process risks failure unless richer countries deliver climate justice by paying their fair share. Any claims of global leadership by Rishi Sunak will sound hollow when we are failing to meet our own promises to the countries most affected by the climate crisis.”

Notes

[1] https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/cop27-climate-finance-sunak-johnson-b2218057.html 

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4 November 2022

Rishi Sunak must honour the commitment the UK made as COP president and update its climate targets to reflect what is necessary to limit global warming to 1.5C, the Green Party has said ahead of the start of COP27 this weekend.

The Glasgow Pact agreed at COP26 last year required all countries to revisit and increase their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) this year in order to ensure the world was on track to reduce carbon emissions at a rate that would keep global temperature rise to 1.5C [1].

However, the UK’s updated NDC in September this year included no increase in its own NDC, despite the fact it had presided over the agreement in Glasgow to do so. [2]

The need for each country to update its NDCs is even more urgent now after the UN recently stated that there is “no credible pathway” to saving 1.5C on current trajectories. The UN said: “Only an urgent system-wide transformation can deliver the enormous cuts needed to limit greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.” [3]

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“The UK government was applauded for overseeing a commitment from all countries to increase their NDCs, but its actions subsequently suggest it was just for show.

“It is shameful that at a time when people across the world are seeing their lives destroyed by climate change, the UK government could not live up to its commitments and set meaningful climate targets that would protect millions of people.

“In fact, since last year in Glasgow the UK government has gone in completely the wrong direction by introducing new North Sea oil and gas licences, continued to roll out airport and road expansion and will not even rule out the opening of a new coal mine in Cumbria.

“Regrettably, Rishi Sunak will arrive in Egypt under a cloud, with the UK also having failed to make a promised £260 million climate finance payment [4].  

“This is negligence on a historic scale, but it can be rectified. It is right that the Prime Minister has now decided to attend COP27, but he now needs to put his money where his mouth is. 

“Sunak must immediately revisit the UK’s climate targets to ensure they are in line with a 1.5C global rise in temperatures and show he is willing to act on the global stage by putting climate justice and finance for poorer countries most impacted by the climate emergency at the top of the agenda.”

The Green Party has also set out a further six crucial tests for the UK government at this year’s COP climate targets:

• The UK government must call for offsetting to be ruled out as part of the measurement of net zero reporting for governments and industries
• The UK government needs to put loss and damage at the top of the agenda and back calls from the countries most impacted by climate change for the establishment of a financing facility, and to follow in the footsteps of Denmark and Scotland by delivering new and additional finance for loss and damage
• The government must urgently deliver the UK’s overdue climate finance, reinstate the mandatory 0.7% aid budget and support calls for increased adaptation finance
• The UK government should lobby for an immediate end to all fossil fuel subsidies and an urgent managed decline in the use of fossil fuels
• The UK government should advocate for the global roll out of loophole-free dirty profits taxes to ensure the most polluting industries not only pay for the impact of their emissions, but are also incentivised to find efficient means of reducing them
• The UK government should champion a system of nationally determined contributions requiring all countries to produce scientifically verifiable plans every year to show their progress in reaching the climate targets they have set themselves.

Notes

1

https://www.bond.org.uk/news/2022/11/heres-what-the-uk-needs-to-do-for-cop27/

2

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1109429/uk-nationally-determined-contribution.pdf

3

https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2022

4

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/nov/01/uk-criticised-for-failing-to-pay-300m-in-promised-climate-funds-ahead-of-cop27

For more information or to arrange an interview contact the press office on press@greenparty.org.uk or call 0203 691 9401

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