28 June 2017

Responding to the news that Sheffield Council is to seek a civil injunction against Green Councillor Alison Teal who protested against their tree-felling programme [1], Jonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leader, said:

“This is a heavy-handed attempt by an authoritarian Labour council to shut-down debate and gag any opposition to their environmental vandalism. Their plans have already been shown to be ill-considered, environmentally illiterate, and downright destructive to the green spaces that surround residents in Sheffield. 

“The Green Party stands shoulder to shoulder with Alison and with the wider community who have peacefully protested against the ravaging of the perfectly healthy trees that line Sheffield’s streets. Greens are committed to standing up for local people who want to create healthy, vibrant communities that promote everyone’s wellbeing and Alison along with her fellow campaigners are leading that movement from the front.”

Notes

1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-40417519 

2. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/nov/28/sheffield-trees-dispute-scenes-putin-russia-nick-clegg-arrests 

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27 June 2017

Commenting on the fact that Google has been fined 2.42bn euros (£2.1bn) by the European Commission after it ruled the company had abused its power by promoting its own shopping comparison service at the top of search results, Molly Scott Cato MEP, Green Party economics spokesperson, said:

“Rightly, the European Commission has come down heavily on one of the world’s most powerful corporations, which has been using its size and influence to achieve unfair competition. Attempts by Google to use its domination of the Search arena to favour its shopping comparison service represents a damaging extension of its monopoly power that must be resisted. The action by Commissioner Vestager is a good example of how the EU member states can act collectively to clamp down on corporate power; action an individual country may not feel able or willing to do on its own.

“Given previous scandals involving Google avoiding taxes in the UK and the powerlessness of tax authorities to tackle this [2], we must also remain focused on the risk that post-Brexit Britain will become a tax haven for corporations like Google.”

Molly Scott Cato went on to say:

“We also need the EU to stand up for digital start-ups that challenge the might of US digital monopolies and remain vigilant to prevent them using their market power to create barriers to entry.”

Notes

[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40406542

[2] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/google-deal-hmrc-concedes-internet-giants-uk-tax-arrangements-are-legal-a6837881.html

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26 June 2017

The Green Party [1] has responded to news the Conservatives have reached a deal with the DUP to prop up their minority Government [1].

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

“The coalition of cruelty deal has now been signed and the Tory Government stumbles on for another day. 

“Theresa May’s claim her party shares many of the DUP’s values is alarming – which is she referring to? Their opposition to equal marriage, abortion or climate action? The Green Party will always stand up against the regressive values of the DUP and work with others to stop a lurch to the right under a Tory-DUP alliance.

“The length of time it has taken Theresa May to reach a deal is a sign of the chaos currently engulfing her Government. The Tories are utterly hamstrung – unable to implement their manifesto plans, derided in the rest of the EU and incapable of properly-Governing this country in these testing times.”

Notes:

1.      The DUP has 10 MPs and received fewer than 300,000 votes in the General Election. The Green party returned just one MP – Caroline Lucas in Brighton Pavilion – despite getting more than 500,000 votes.

2.     https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/26/tories-and-the-dup-reach-deal-to-prop-up-minority-government 

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26 June 2017

The Green Party has responded to news the Government’s 25-Year Environment Plan is not guaranteed to be published this year. [1]

Jonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leader, said:

“This is another example of the recklessness that comes with Gove’s appointment as Environment Secretary. He is clearly intent on playing fast and loose with the environment at a time when we need a safe pair of hands.

“The 25-Year Environment Plan is already long overdue and yet another delay compounds concerns that Gove will slash environmental protections and make the environment subservient to his wider political agenda. The Plan must be published as a matter of urgency. The need for a new Environment Protection Act is also clearly greater than ever.”

Notes:

1. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/michael-gove-25-year-environment-plan-delay-government-climate-change-brexit-a7807781.html

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26 June 2017

*Co-leader Jonathan Bartley: “No other party appears to be engaging with the magnitude of the problem”

The Green Party has renewed its call for investment in the NHS and the end of privatisation following comments by the British Medical Association that the NHS is ‘running on fumes’ [1].

Jonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leader, said:

“Jeremy Hunt must listen to staff and patients on the frontline who are experiencing day in and day out the effects of a two pronged attack on our health service in the form of chronic underinvestment and privatisation. Attempts to further privatise our health service in an illusory quest for greater ‘efficiency savings’ are clearly counterproductive. There is also a clear alternative to starving the NHS of funding it so desperately needs. These are political choices, and there are other options.

“The NHS is indeed running on fumes, and no other party appears to be engaging with the magnitude of the problem. It is time not just to fill up the tank again, but replace the engine with one fit for the modern era.

“The Green Party is also the only party proposing to properly fill the funding gap and would invest more money year on year than any other party. This includes scrapping Trident renewal which alone would give the NHS the kiss of life it desperately needs, providing an extra £3.6bn every year which would pay for 85,000 nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals. But as well as reversing privatisation and reinstating a publicly run NHS, we should give patients, staff and others at the frontline a greater voice and control in running of our health service.”                                                    

Notes:

1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40401311

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