30 July 2018

Green Party members will decide who leads the party into the future after polls opened in the leadership elections today (Monday 30 July).

The positions of leader and deputy leader are up for election, with three leadership slots available overall. If a single leader is elected there will be two deputies, while if co-leaders are elected there will be one deputy.

There are also 10 other positions on the Green Party Executive up for election. All fully paid up members are eligible to vote and will have until 31 August, when polls close, to have their say. Voting will be by single transferable vote, with ballots issued by email and, where required, paper copies.

Results will be announced in early September this year, with the date to be confirmed closer to the time.

A full list of candidates can be seen here: https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2018/07/02/green-party-announces-leadership-candidates/

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18 July 2018

Green MEP Molly Scott Cato, who sits on the Economics Committee in the European Parliament, has responded to the record fine imposed on Google by the European Commission [1]:

“Again we see the EU having the power and the courage to stand up to the global tech monopolies. This eye-watering fine indicates that Margarete Vestager is the White Knight of the Global tech wars, battling the corporations on behalf of the consumer.”

Dr Scott Cato, who is also the Green Party’s spokesperson on Brexit, continued:

“This action shows that only the collective strength of blocs like the EU can take on corporate giants like Google. If the UK goes ahead with Brexit we will not have the size of market or the powerful institutions necessary to stand up to companies with such massive global reach and dominance.”

The European Commission today imposed a record fine of €4.3 billion on Google for abusing its dominant position in the market and forcing smartphone manufacturers which use its Android operating system to have Google apps pre-installed. It took three years for the Commission to deliver its largest ever anti-trust fine for a single company.

Notes

[1] https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/google-android-fine-latest-billion-eu-european-commission-browser-chrome-web-a8452481.html

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17 July 2018

In response to the Electoral Commission investigation[1], Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley said:

“The Electoral Commission report marks a watershed moment and clearly calls into question the legitimacy of the referendum result. This cannot be pushed into the long grass or glossed over with a slap on the wrist and a fine. When the very democratic process is called into question in this way then there must be consequences.  If people do not have confidence in the system they can have no confidence in the result.

“There must now be a wider criminal investigation into the actions of the Vote Leave campaign. All members of the Government who sat on the campaign committee of Vote Leave should resign.  They can have no place in a Government negotiating Brexit.

“And clearly any final deal that is negotiated must now be put to the British people with a People’s Vote including an option to remain in the European Union if that is the will of the British people.”

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-44856992 

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17 July 2018

The Green Party of England and Wales have today welcomed the decision by their Welsh membership to remain affiliated with the party. 64.8% voted to “Remain part of the Green Party of England and Wales” and 35.2% voted to “Become a separate Green Party”.

Wales Green Party leader Grenville Ham said:

“As a party we remain steadfast in our commitment to our members, to the people of Wales and ensuring that we are a party truly run through grassroots democratic exercises such as this.”

Green Party England and Wales deputy leader Amelia Womack said:

“I am proud to be part of a party that brings the important questions to our membership. We have real opportunities to build the Green voice in Wales and we will be building towards doing that at the Assembly elections in 2021”

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12 July 2018

Molly Scott Cato, MEP for South West England where Hinkley is sited, has responded to the decision by the European Court of Justice on whether UK government support for construction of Hinkley Point C constitutes illegal state aid.

Austria and Luxembourg had appealed against the decision of the European Commission to allow subsidies worth billions of euros towards the construction of the new nuclear reactor [1].

The ruling comes as a new report by the National Infrastructure Commission has concluded that the UK is capable of generating at least half its entire energy needs by renewable sources by 2030, and can do so without adding to consumers’ bills [2].

Molly Scott Cato MEP, a Green MEP who has long campaigned against Hinkley and in favour of renewables, said:

“This decision is hugely regrettable. There can be no justification for EU subsidies to be thrown at nuclear. Hinkley Point is a particular tragedy for the South West when we are blessed with exciting renewable energy alternatives. The region has huge potential for both onshore and offshore wind; for tidal and geothermal energy and is the region best suited in the whole of the UK to capture the power of the sun.

“Sadly, today’s ECJ ruling will only serve to reinforce the government’s ideological obsession with nuclear. But in the South West we could provide at least 100% of the region’s energy needs from renewables, if done in combination with ramping up efforts to improve energy efficiency and insulation to reduce overall energy demand [3]. The National Infrastructure Commission agrees that nuclear is not the way forward for the UK and that we should seize the golden opportunities that renewable energy technologies provide.”

Molly Scott Cato also warned that Brexit could have devastating impacts on the UKs ability to generate nuclear power:  

“Brexit could leave nuclear power in the UK in meltdown. There is on-going uncertainty around our membership of Euratom. Whilst this EU body may be a relic of the past that gives unfair privilege to nuclear power, it none-the-less governs procedures, regulations and safeguards for nuclear power across the EU. This includes the transportation of nuclear materials around Europe. Unless new arrangements are agreed the UK could run out of nuclear fuel within two years, meaning nuclear power stations would be unable to produce energy. The threats posed by Brexit further reiterates the importance of going all out for renewable energy.”

Notes

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/21/austria-to-launch-lawsuit-hinkley-point-c-nuclear-subsidies

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