Tag: Green Party

The press release issued by the Green Party on 27 October 2022.

The Green Party has called for a tougher windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas companies to help ease the cost of living crisis for households across the country, after Shell announced its profits had more than doubled between July and September [1].

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said:

“It is obscene to see oil and gas giants doubling their profits while millions of households up and down the country slip into fuel poverty as a result of these companies’ sheer greed.

“It is beyond comprehension that the government seems happy to allow these huge corporations to not only wreck the climate but to profit off the back of the cost of living crisis which they themselves have contributed to.

“The windfall tax Rishi Sunak introduced when he was Chancellor was a step in the right direction, but it includes loopholes which allows oil companies to avoid tax by investing even more in fossil fuels.

“Not only does this allow companies to avoid paying billions, it actually encourages the very activities that are causing so much damage and misery right now.

“We urge the government to remove the loopholes immediately and backdate the windfall tax to January, raising more money to help people through this cost of living crisis and starting the transition away from fossil fuels to a cleaner, greener and fairer future.”

The press release issued by the Green Party on 25 October 2022.

The Green Party has called for a policy reset to match the Cabinet changes announced by new PM Rishi Sunak.

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“Jacob Rees Mogg was a disaster in the short time he was Business Secretary, backing fracking and opening up the North Sea to more oil and gas exploration. Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena was at best anonymous.

“New Business Secretary Grant Shapps and new Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey have the chance to reset the agenda, and they must take it.

“The removal of COP26 President Alok Sharma from his Cabinet position does not bode well when the government should be planning for playing a full part in COP27.

“What matters most is that the government turns away from its obsession with promoting new fossil fuels, and stops tearing up regulations protecting nature.

“It must promote renewable energy and support people to insulate their homes with a funded national programme that will cut greenhouse emissions and energy bills.”

The press release issued by the Green Party on 24 October 2022.

The Green Party has called on new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to put the country first and call a general election.

Responding to the news that Sunak has become the leader of the Conservative Party, Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“The country cannot afford more divisive infighting amongst a few elitist Conservatives whose policies are failing people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

“Even Conservative Party MPs and members have been excluded from the vote this time.

“People need to be democratically involved in finding solutions. This must include a General Election, and the opportunity to elect more Greens committed to a more equal society and solving the environmental crisis.

“The Conservatives are responsible for plunging this country into an economic and political crisis. It’s clear to the entire country that they are simply incapable of getting us out of it.”

The Greens have highlighted Sunak’s terrible record on tackling inequality and addressing the climate crisis as two major reasons why he will not be able to lead the country out of the crises it currently faces:

• While chancellor, Sunak blocked a nationwide programme of insulation to replace the failed green homes grant that would save people money and reduced energy consumption;

• His windfall tax on oil and gas companies was full of loopholes, failing to raise the sums needed and it actually rewarded the same companies for investing more in fossil fuels;

• As the UK prepared to host the COP26 UN climate summit, he signed off on devastating cuts to overseas aid that left the countries most impacted by the environmental crisis without the money to tackle it.

Ramsay said:

“The Tories want to impose the horrors of Austerity 2.0 in their Halloween Budget, but have no electoral mandate for doing this. Austerity means more cuts to vital public services and more suffering for people across the country.

“The government simply cannot govern under this Prime Minister – it is unfit for office. A General Election will allow people to have their say and vote for policies to reduce the cost of living and protect our environment.

“The Green Party stands for a fairer, greener country. The way out of the crisis is to do the opposite of what the government is planning.

“We would reduce inequality through progressive taxation, including a Wealth Tax, and raise money through windfall taxes on the companies making super profits during this cost-of-living crisis.

“We would use the money raised to make sure people can afford to keep warm and fund a national home insulation programme.

“We would reduce inequality by asking those with the deepest pockets to pay more tax to help fund quality public services for all.

“And, we would invest in the kind of economy that puts people and the planet before greed and super-profits for giant corporations.

“Now is the time for people to decide the country’s future.”

The press release issued by the Green Party on 20 October 2022.

Responding to the end of Liz Truss’ short time as Prime Minister, Green Party co–leader Carla Denyer said:

“The Tory chaos has spiralled beyond any pretence that the country has a viable government.

“It is reckless for the Tories to claim that they can replace Liz Truss with any leader capable of commanding authority, nationally or internationally.

“The Tories want to impose Austerity 2.0 with no electoral mandate. That means more cuts to vital public services and more suffering for people across the country.

“The government simply cannot govern – it is unfit for office.

“We need a General Election now so people can vote for the policies they want to see that will turn this mess around.

“The Green Party will always stand for a fairer, greener country. We believe the way out of this crisis is to do the opposite of what the government has done – to reduce inequality rather than making it worse, through progressive taxation, including a Wealth Tax, and windfall taxes on the companies making super profits during this cost-of-living crisis.

“We would use the money to invest in a nationwide insulation programme to make sure people can afford to keep their homes warm, reduce inequality by ensuring that those with the deepest pockets help fund proper public services for all, and fund the beginnings of a just transition to a sustainable economy that protects the people and planet.

“It is time for the people to be given their chance to decide on the country’s future.”

The press release issued by the Green Party on 20 October 2022.

The Green Party has thrown its support behind a new campaign to ask NHS leaders to pledge to end NHS privatisation. The We Own It campaign is launched against a backdrop of new Oxford University research that links outsourcing in the NHS between 2013 and 2020 to 557 preventable deaths.

Zack Polanski, deputy leader of the Green Party, will speak at the launch event today. He is expected to say:

“We need to keep the NHS publicly funded, publicly provided and free at the point of use. That’s all health services including dental services – people’s health should never be up for auction.

“The Green Party have, and will always, oppose introducing market forces and competition into our NHS. It was Green Party MP Caroline Lucas who in 2015 put forward the cross-party NHS Reinstatement Bill in Parliament, to reinstate the NHS based on its founding principles and reverse the creeping marketisation of the health service.

“Let’s remember the NHS belongs to us all – and we will always be there to make the argument alongside you that we own it.”

In 2021 Green Party conference passed a motion calling for a 15% pay rise for NHS workers and at this year’s conference voted for the introduction of a £15 an hour minimum wage for all workers and pledged support for all trade union campaigns that aim to achieve wage increases to match the cost of living.

 

The press release issued by the Green Party on 18 October 2022.

The Green Party has repeated its call for a wealth tax in response to chancellor Jeremy Hunt saying that the government will “better incentivise energy efficiency” in his statement yesterday [1]. Co-leader Adrian Ramsay said that such a tax could ensure real action on efficiency savings by raising the funds for a national programme of home insulation.

Ramsay said:

“With the chancellor calling for spending cuts, it looks like ‘incentivising energy efficiency’ will amount to little more than public information campaigns or asking citizens to reduce energy consumption. We need real action to help people cut their energy use. A national programme of home insulation could shave thousands of pounds off energy bills while cutting emissions.

“A modest tax on the wealthiest 1% of households could raise in the region of £70bn [2], which could contribute significantly to creating warmer, more comfortable homes and bringing bills down for good.

“A more progressive tax system is also the fairest way to avoid another round of damaging austerity and will help to genuinely level up the economy, since it would be paid by the very richest who are generally in more affluent areas and be redistributed across the country.

“Never has the case for a wealth tax been stronger. It would help reverse years of damage caused to both society and the climate by successive Tory governments.”

The press release issued by the Green Party on 17 October 2022.

Responding to the emergency statement from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt this morning [1], Green Party co–leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“The Chancellor’s emergency statement today is yet another symbol of the country’s economic and political instability caused by the recklessness of a Conservative government with no regard for the needs of ordinary people or the environment.

“As well as completely ripping up what was left of the Prime Minister’s credibility, what the Chancellor has signalled today is more austerity.

“That means more cuts to vital public services and more suffering by everyday people who did not vote for and do not want the dangerous ideologically-driven policies the Conservatives brought forward and are now desperately scrambling to overturn.

“The government can no longer govern – this chaos has to end. We cannot continue to lurch from crisis to crisis, while people are left struggling to get by and the natural world around us is destroyed.

“We need a general election now so people can vote for the policies they want to see to turn this mess around.

“The Green Party would do exactly the opposite of Truss’ reckless economic policies, which were designed to make the rich richer and would have driven up inequality. We are not afraid to say that the very richest should pay more to ensure we have the public services we need for a successful economy and society.

“For example, a wealth tax on the richest 1% could help fund a huge insulation and renewables programme that would help reduce rampant inequality, keep bills down for good and tackle the climate emergency.”

The press release issued by the Green Party on 7 October 2022.

Responding to Business Secretary Jacob Rees Mogg’s opening up of a new North Sea Oil and Gas exploration round [1], Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“The government’s claim that burning ever more fossil fuels from the North Sea will help the UK meet its international obligations to become net zero by 2050 [2] has no connection to reality – we truly have stepped through the Looking Glass.

“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the International Energy Agency and the United Nations have each warned there can be no new fossil fuel projects if there is to be any chance of keeping global temperature rises under 1.5 degrees.

“Furthermore, Jacob Rees-Mogg’s claims that these new licences will increase energy security in the face of Russian aggression is also for the birds. The North Sea Transition Authority, which regulates them, says even the fast-tracked ones won’t come on stream for five years.

“The only people who benefit from this reckless decision are the fossil fuel companies and vested interests who have backed the Truss government and are now receiving their payback.

“The reality is, we can only hope to hold global warming to under 1.5 degrees if we leave fossil fuels in the ground.

“The most effective and sustainable way to ensure energy security is to invest in insulating houses and massively ramping up renewable energy [3]. New oil and gas exploration is an expensive and dangerous road to planetary destruction.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63163824

2

In her speech to the Conservative Party Autumn Conference, Prime Minister Liz Truss said: “We are opening more gas fields in the North Sea and delivering more renewables and nuclear energy. That is how we will protect the great British environment, deliver on our commitment to net zero and tackle climate change.”

3

At itsAutumn Conference last weekend, the Green Party presented its plan to tax tbe wealth of the richest 1% at a rate starting at 1% to raise at least £70bn to invest in insulating peoples’ homes and expanding renewables

The press release issued by the Green Party on 6 October 2022.

Green councillors across England and Wales are urging their councils to reject ‘Investment Zones’, which are a core element in the Conservatives’ ‘Growth Plan.[1]’ Greens say the plans, which aim to accelerate housing and infrastructure through a new streamlined planning system, threaten both local democracy and the environment [2].

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“Investment zones, as set out by the government, threaten to ride rough-shod over agreed local priorities, further damage the environment and nature, and reduce commitments to affordable homes and community facilities.

“By offering a liberalised planning process with tax breaks, this is a developers charter, that will mean local communities lose their rights to resist unsustainable development and allow developers to by-pass local objections entirely.

“The guidance wants to remove current legal requirements which provide the key tools for protecting nature during the planning process. Even worse, it suggests Investment Zones could be allowed in National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other protected environments.The legal requirement to achieve Net Zero by 2050 has also been completely ignored.

“As Greens we urge local councils to take a stand: to refuse to agree to a new streamlined overarching planning system; to make clear their commitment to local control of planning, and insist existing protections for the environment and for nature are retained.

“We do urgently need investment in our local communities. But Greens have a very different vision of how we can create prosperity.

“We desperately need to insulate our homes and workplaces, provide clean and cheap renewable energy, improve public transport, produce healthy local food and help nature thrive. We also need serious investment in our crumbling health and social care services. All of which will help create thousands of new jobs.

“We understand the desperate need many councils have for investment and funding. But we will resist harmful Investment Zones and continue to fight for fairer, greener communities.”

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Notes

1. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/investment-zones-in-england-expression-of-interest

2. https://www.wcl.org.uk/open-letter-to-pm-on-environmental-deregulation.asp

The press release issued by the Green Party on 5 October 2022.

Responding to Prime Minister Liz Truss’ speech to the Conservative Party conference today, Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski said:

“This government is determined to wreck the climate with a dangerous drive to growth that is based on greater investment in fossil fuels that are destroying the planet.

“Liz Truss used her speech today to try and build a coalition of ‘enemies’ that she claims are holding the country back. This is divisive and false.

“We stand for the planet and for the people. There is no climate justice without social justice, and no future for the planet with this dead-end government.

“We need to raise the funds needed to tackle rising poverty and inequality through a targeted wealth tax and to use these funds to drive massive investment in insulating peoples’ homes and rolling out renewable energy to lower bills, stabilise the economy and tackle climate change.”