2 October 2020

• Newly re-elected leaders used their Autumn Conference speech to set out plans for a Green recovery
• Keynote speech was streamed to members for party’s first online conference
• Jonathan Bartley: “If you too feel that this is a moment of truth where every person must play their part. The Green Party is your home, so join us.”
• Sian Berry: “At this moment of truth for the world, Greens know that something better than business-as-usual is possible.”

The Green Party has today made a call to those who have been left behind by politicians refusing to take the radical action required at this pivotal moment in history.

Newly re-elected co-leaders Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley laid out their plans for a Green recovery in their keynote speech at the start of the Greens’ first ever online conference today.[1]

As other politicians argue for cutbacks in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Bartley and Berry showed why the Greens are the only true opposition to the Government as they called out to those “who still hope for a better world”.

They set out how plans for investment in a universal basic income and a Green New Deal could tackle poverty and set the UK on the path to become carbon neutral.

The speech called to the traditional supporters of other parties who feel let down following Labour’s turn to the right [2] and the Liberal Democrat’s decision not to elect a leader who promoted more progressive policies [3].

Bartley said:

“There are now so many people who feel disenfranchised and without a political home.

“Who know that climate justice, social justice and racial justice are the same goals. Who still hope for a better world.

“If you want to shape the future, not repeat the past. If you too feel that this is a moment of truth where every person must play their part. The Green Party is your home, so join us.”

The speech set out the Green Party’s position as the political allies of the environment and social justice movement and how it has never been scared of standing up for what is right.

The co-leaders said we are at a “moment of truth” and that the Greens are the only political party now standing up for radical change. 

Berry said:

“At this moment of truth for the world, Greens know that something better than business-as-usual is possible.

“Other politicians, now, are arguing again for cutbacks and cancelling investment in the wake of the economic shock of coronavirus, a trade-off between the economy and saving lives.

“But we dissent and we say this just isn’t true.

“We say that our plan for recovery cannot be a re-run of austerity economics, and that with a Green New Deal and a basic income we can break free from the old thinking for good.

“And the public are with us. They want a new normal.”

ENDS

Notes

            1

The Green Party Autumn Conference 2020 will take place online from Friday 2 October to Sunday 11 October.

https://www.greenparty.org.uk/conference

            2

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keir-starmer-channel-crossings-labour-revolt-refugees-migrants-a9682061.html

            3

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/aug/27/ed-daveys-first-job-is-to-heal-divisions-in-lib-dem-membership

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24 September 2020

The Chancellor’s latest plans to prevent unemployment once the furlough scheme ends do not ensure financial security for all, Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley has warned.

Bartley said:

“It is crucial to protect jobs at any time, but particularly during a crisis and so the action taken by the Chancellor is welcome. However, government support has so far fallen far short of providing universal financial protection for workers. 

“A universal basic income would be the most effective way to ensure that nobody is left behind by providing a guaranteed income for all, regardless of their circumstances.

“Today’s announcement also shows how this government is clinging on to the jobs of the past when it needs to be looking to the future.

“The government should also be investing in a Green New Deal, which would create sustainable and fulfilling work for people across the country, prepare our society for a low-carbon future and tackle the climate crisis.”

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22 September 2020

The new coronavirus measures announced by Boris Johnson will not prevent a second wave of infections without a proper test and trace system, the Greens have warned.

Sian Berry, Green Party co-leader and Mayor of London candidate, said the government must also stop blaming the public for not understanding its confusing communication around the virus and instead work on making guidance much clearer.

Berry said:

“The new measures simply do not go far enough to stop a second wave of coronavirus.

“As we’ve said since very early on in this pandemic, the only way to ensure people are kept as safe as possible from this deadly disease is an effective test and trace system, run by those with local expertise and with appropriate government funding.

“We already know that people do not want large private companies running test and trace, and it is now clear they are unable to provide the service necessary to keep people safe.

“The government has now totally lost the trust of the public. Not only has it failed on its promise to deliver a reliable test and trace system, but it has also completely mishandled the communication around its guidance. 

“Blaming the public for not understanding the confusing and contradictory messaging is not going to solve anything and makes restrictions much less effective. The government should instead be doing all it can to make its guidance as clear and concise as possible.”

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18 September 2020

The Green Party has urged the government to extend the ban on evictions in England and Wales that is due to end on Sunday (20 September).

Ahead of the expected end of the ban, Sian Berry, Green Party co-leader and Mayor of London candidate, said:

“Everybody has a right to a home. It is frankly unconscionable that during a pandemic and a massive economic downturn people face being forced on to the streets.

“Unfortunately, neither the Conservatives nor Labour are doing enough to help renters hit by the coronavirus crisis.

“The short extensions to the ban have done nothing to alleviate the fears of renters up and down the country. We are now once again on the precipice of a homelessness crisis which will not only bring misery to many but will also hinder any effort to tackle Covid-19.

“We must do whatever it takes to protect people through the pandemic and that means a permanent ban on evictions for the duration of this crisis.

“As with most crises, it is the poorest and most vulnerable who face being hardest hit. It is within the government’s power to ensure nobody is left without the basic human right of a roof over their head.”

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9 September 2020

• Green members re-elect Jonathan Bartley and Sian Berry as co-leaders
• Amelia Womack elected as deputy leader for fourth term
• Jonathan Bartley: “Only the Greens have a clear, positive vision for what the country could be, and the ambition to build a grassroots mass movement which will demand, and work for, better than what came before”
• Sian Berry: “Next year people will have a chance to bring real change to their area by electing more Green councils, putting Green voices in the Senedd, and electing a Green Mayor for London”

Green members have re-elected Jonathan Bartley and Sian Berry as co-leaders of the party following an internal election this summer.

Bartley and Berry have now begun their second term as co-leaders by setting out their vision to build a grassroots mass movement for a Green recovery from the economic, climate and health crises we are currently in.

The pair have also set out how it is only the Green Party that has a “clear, positive vision” for the country and how they are ready to move the party to the next level.

Jonathan Bartley said:

“The economic, climate and health crises have put the country at a crossroads. We can continue down the same old road or we can choose a transformative Green recovery that ensures the wellbeing of us all, now and in the future.

“Only the Greens have a clear, positive vision for what the country could be, and the ambition to build a grassroots mass movement which will demand, and work for, better than what came before.

“We want to thank the members of the Green Party for re-electing us at such a crucial time for our movement and the country. Thank you, too, to all the candidates who put themselves forward and ran powerful campaigns that generated vibrant discussions and new ideas – the lifeblood of a democratic party.”

The pair have set their sights on reproducing last year’s stunning local election results, which saw the party increase its number of councillors from 178 to 362 on 122 councils.

Sian Berry said:

“We’re growing fast. Last year we doubled the number of Green councillors, and the 18 councils where Greens are part of the administration are among the most innovative and exciting in the country. But we can do so much more.

“Next year people will have a chance to bring real change to their area by electing more Green councils, putting Green voices in the Senedd, and electing a Green Mayor for London.

“Green politics is built on grassroots action, co-operation and democratic participation. We believe in a democracy where every voice is heard and politicians’ power comes from an active citizenry, not big-money donors.

“If you want a safe, fair and exciting future for your area, for the country and for the world, we invite you to join the Green Party and help us make the difference. Better is possible, if we build it together.”

Bartley has led the opposition on Lambeth council since being elected a Streatham councillor in 2018. Berry is the Green Party’s candidate for London Mayor and has been a Green London Assembly member since 2016. She has been a Camden councillor since 2014. They were elected by the Green Party membership after an internal election over the summer.

Amelia Womack was elected deputy leader of the party for a fourth time and will continue to campaign to get Greens elected across the country.

Womack, who will be the Green candidate for South Wales East in next year’s Senedd election, said:

“We are building on strong foundations to ensure that we get more Greens elected across the country, and I am proud to be re-elected as deputy leader to continue that work. 

“We have proven ourselves to be a political force to be reckoned with, and we will prove that again in the vital elections next year. Delivering real action on the climate and ecological emergency, while working to tackle inequality, our party is the only party that has the message and policy fit for the challenges of the 21st century.”

New co-leaders Bartley and Berry won with 49% of the first preference votes. Contenders Shahrar Ali and Rosi Sexton received 24% and 27% of first preference votes respectively. New deputy leader Amelia Womack won with 47% of the first preference votes.

ENDS

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