7 October 2023

* Shareholder dividends must not be the single most important criterion for company policy making  

* Companies need to invest profits in transitioning their operations to meet social and environmental objectives   

Companies should be required to put environmental and social priorities ahead of financial returns to shareholders. That is what members at the Green Party’s conference in Brighton voted through today.  

The motion, that passed with a large majority, makes clear that the right of shareholders to dividends must not be the single most important criterion for company policy making and that all those with a stake in the company’s decisions – including workers, consumers, the local community and advocates for the local environment – must have the right to make informed input into those decisions. Similarly, the campaign for the Better Business Act is pushing for a change in UK law to ensure every company in the UK aligns their interests with those of wider society and the environment [1]. They report that 77% in the UK want businesses to be legally responsible for their impact.  

Ellie Chowns, Green Party parliamentary candidate in North Herefordshire, said: 

“I’m delighted that the Green Party today agreed that the Companies Act 2006 should be amended so that directors of a company must prioritise public well-being and avoid negative environmental and social consequences. This means that companies will need to invest profits in transitioning their operations to meet social and environmental objectives before distributing dividends to shareholders. This is an idea popular with the public and even with many businesses themselves.”  

“No industry has demonstrated more clearly the need to put environmental and social priorities ahead of financial returns than the water industry. Since privatisation, this industry has leaked out almost £70bn in dividends to shareholders while it has failed to invest in updating its infrastructure [2]. This has left us with toxic rivers and waterways and sewage contaminated coastlines. If ever an industry needed to put the interests of consumers, local communities and the environment ahead of the financial returns for shareholders, this is it.” 

Notes 

1. About The Better Business Act – A Campaign for Better Business 
2. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/01/water-companies-debts-since-privatisation-ofwat-refuses-impose-limits  

Adblock test (Why?)

6 October 2023

• Greens unveil target candidates for next general election with plan to ensure everybody can afford a quality home
• Fairer, Greener Homes Guarantee will provide funding to help households heat their homes and give renters the right to demand landlords insulate their homes
• Carla Denyer: “We think everyone deserves a warm, secure and affordable home”
• Adrian Ramsay: “Only by having more Green MPs will we have people in Parliament advocating the solutions to the country’s housing crisis”

The co-leaders of the Green Party today (Friday 6 October) officially unveiled the next generation of Green MPs alongside their plan to ensure everybody can afford to live in a quality home.

In a keynote speech at the party’s Autumn Conference in Brighton, (Friday 6 October) [1], co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay set out their ambitious plan to quadruple Green representation in Parliament after the next general election.

They said the party’s four target candidates [2] will hold the next government to account and push for their Fairer, Greener Homes Guarantee – a policy package designed to ensure everybody has access to a warm, secure home.

Denyer said:

“We think everyone deserves a warm, secure and affordable home. That’s how to build stronger communities and better lives for all.

“Yet successive governments have left a generation of renters unable to put down lasting roots because they can’t afford to get on the housing ladder – can’t even touch the first rung.

“The broken housing market leaves people much less likely to feel at home where they live – it’s hard to prioritise building relationships with your neighbours and local shop owners when you know you could get evicted with barely a moment’s notice.

“And too many private landlords in England are lining their pockets despite a quarter of privately rented homes not even meeting the most basic standards of decency.

“So as part of our promise for Fairer, Greener Homes for all, we are announcing a package of policies to make every house – and flat, and bedsit – a proper home.

“Every home should be properly insulated and free from damp and mould. We’d give renters the legal right to demand this from their landlords. No more battling to get things done and no more risk that you’ll get kicked out for insisting your home meets basic standards.

“And we want the amount of rent you pay to be fair, so we’d give councils the power to bring the cost of renting in line with local wages, and make sure housing benefit is enough too. No more lying awake at night worrying your landlord’s going to price you out of your home.

“That’s our promise to everyone – a home that’s warm, affordable and secure.”

The Fairer, Greener Homes Guarantee also includes:

• Investment of £145 billion over ten years to provide grants to retrofit all homes that need it, along with government-backed property-linked finance [3] to make up additional costs
• Give local authorities the power to impose rents controls on the private rental sector ensuring there are affordable homes for key and critical workers in overheated local housing markets
• Plans to increase the stock of social housing by 150,000 homes a year including by bringing empty homes back into use

Co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“The other political parties are simply not living in the real world when it comes to dealing with the housing crisis while reaching the critical net zero target.

“The Conservatives are capitulating to developers while Labour still supports the highly damaging Right to Buy [4] which helped create the crisis.

“This is why it is so crucial that we achieve our aim of Four for 24 – the next generation of Green MPs, our four target candidates, elected at the next election.

“Only by having more Green MPs will we have people in Parliament advocating the solutions to the country’s housing crisis.”

ENDS

Notes

1 The Green Party Autumn Conference takes place at The Brighton Centre, in Brighton, from Friday 6 October to Sunday 8 October

2 The party’s four target candidates are:

• Siân Berry, in Brighton Pavilion
• Carla Denyer, in Bristol Central
• Adrian Ramsay, in Waveney Valley
• Ellie Chowns, in North Herefordshire

3 Low interest government backed loans to pay for retrofit not covered by government grants. These loans will be linked to the property, not the owner at the time that retrofitting took place. Homeowners will need to pay off the loan while they live there and benefit from the reduced energy bills.

Tenants will be able to insist their landlord accesses the loans and has the work carried out. If the landlord will not do this, the local authority can receive the loan and their local authorities carry out the work.

4 https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/labour-party-supports-right-to-buy-to-extend-wealth-ownership-nandy-says-82109

Adblock test (Why?)

Expert staff responding to serious incidents and medical emergencies across Northern Ireland have been praised for their dedication and commitment.

The Department of Health today published figures for Investment in General Practice, Northern Ireland 2018-19 to 2022-23.

Rishi Sunak’s speech was so out of touch he may as well have been living on another planet.

He had nothing new to say on the big issues facing families, from the cost of living crisis to local health services that have been run into the ground.

1. Mortgages

The average mortgage has gone up by £220 a month in the year since the catastrophic mini Budget, according to the Bank of England.

2. Food prices

Food prices have risen by 10% in the past year as the cost of living goes through the roof.

3. Energy bills

One in three families across England will pay higher energy bills this winter than last, rising to one in two poorer households.

4. Ambulances

Ambulance delays were their worst on record last winter and there has been no clear plan on how to prevent a similar crisis this time round.

5. Sewage

Raw sewage was dumped into rivers and coastlines 824 times a day last year after Conservative MPs have repeatedly voted to allow water companies to continue the filthy practice.

6. Dentists

4.4 million children did not see an NHS dentist in the past 12 months despite NHS recommending that they go once a year

7. Pensions

12 million pensioners could lose out after Rishi Sunak failed to commit to keeping the triple lock in future years.

8. Rents

Rents have risen by an average of £110 per month over the past year since the mini budget sent interest rates soaring.

9. Concrete roofs (RAAC)

41 hospitals and 174 schools are impacted by the RAAC scandal which Sunak failed to mention once despite his own role in slashing funding to fix crumbling buildings.

10. Sleaze

Rishi Sunak didn’t mention disgraced ministers like Liz Truss, Boris Johnson or Chris Pincher who have received over £500,000 in taxpayer payouts after quitting or being sacked.

---

Our hospitals are crumbling and children are waiting in pain to see an NHS dentist, but Sunak has nothing more to offer than more broken promises and empty words.

The Conservative Party is out of touch, out of ideas and deserves to be kicked out of office.  The sooner we can have a general election so the British people can put this government out of their misery the better.

Sign up for email updates

Oops! Please check the fields below and submit again.

Looks like there was a problem with the submission. Please check the fields below and try again.

Form successfully submitted

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

We will keep you up to date by email.

Postcode

Sign-up

The Liberal Democrats may use the information you provide, including your political opinions, to further our objectives and share it with our elected representatives. Any data we gather will be used in accordance with our privacy policy: libdems.org.uk/privacy. You can exercise your rights and withdraw your consent to future communications by contacting us: data.protection@libdems.org.uk or: DPO, Lib Dems, 1 Vincent Square, SW1P 2PN.

Go to Source
Author: