1 November 2018

Green Party of England and Wales has welcomed news that Arron Banks has been referred to the National Crime Agency (NCA) for “suspected criminal offences committed during the EU referendum”.

The Electoral Commission suspect Banks was not the true source of millions worth of loans made to Better for the Country, the company he set up to promote Brexit. The Commission believe these funds came from impermissible sources, and that he and others have concealed the true details of financial transactions.

Responding to the news, MEP for the South-West Molly Scott Cato welcomed the decision by the Electoral Commission.

She said:

“Arron Banks financial affairs have always been highly suspect. This referral to the National Crime Agency has vindicated the suspicions many of us have long had. It is clear he is not just a dodgy dealer, with alleged Russian connections, he is potentially a crook.

“He has never satisfactorily accounted for his claims of having bankrolled Leave.EU with his own money or explained where that money came from.  

“This referral also draws attention to the poor judgement of the BBC in allowing Banks airtime to rubbish the Electoral Commission. This gave him a platform to challenge breaches of electoral rules and dress these up as a political debate.

“This not only undermined the rule of law, it also threatens our democracy.”

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29 October 2018

Responding to the Budget, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said:

“This Budget laid bare just how out of touch this Government is. Philip Hammond’s pittance for schools to buy ‘little extras’ is a slap in the face for headteachers who can’t cover the basic costs of staff, building repairs and support for children with special educational needs. And once again our struggling colleges went ignored.

“His extra funding for Universal Credit, which has plunged thousands into financial difficulty across Brighton, doesn’t begin to repair the damage caused by yearly welfare payment freezes and austerity.

“And worst of all, just two weeks after the world’s top scientists warned we have 12 years to avoid complete climate breakdown, the Chancellor failed to even mention climate change.

“The only good news came for Brighton’s vibrant small businesses with the drop in business rates I’ve long campaigned for. Now he must match that support with replacement funding for local authorities, who rely on the money raised from rates.

“This Budget wrote off our children’s futures while making no tangible difference to people’s lives in Brighton. The Chancellor won’t be forgiven.”

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29 October 2018

Responding to today’s budget, Green MEP for the South West, Molly Scott Cato, said:

“Greens said that this must be an emergency budget for the climate and that it would fail if a single pound was spent on climate wrecking projects [1].

“Well, we witnessed billions splashed on climate wreckage, yet not a single mention of the word climate. This despite the fact scientists warned just a few weeks ago that we have a 12-year window to transition our economy and society away from fossil fuels [2]. 

“Rather than action to avert climate breakdown we saw the chancellor accelerate faster towards it, throwing £30bn at road building and freezing fuel duty for the ninth year running. This now amounts to a £9bn tax give-away, enough to reverse all Conservative benefit cuts of the past 8 years. Compare these eye-watering sums to the pittance given towards the environment – just £60 million to plant a few trees.

“As well as an assault on our climate this budget was a huge missed economic opportunity. This could have been a budget to turbo charge the idea of the Western Powerhouse, offering support and incentives to exploit the huge potential for renewable energy resources across the South West region. Off-shore and on-shore wind, solar, tidal and thermal power could provide for all the region’s energy needs and create thousands of jobs in the process [3].”

 [1] https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2018/10/26/greens-autumn-budget-will-fail-if-single-pound-spent-on-climate-wrecking-projects/

[2] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/global-warming-must-not-exceed-15c-warns-landmark-un-report

[3] http://mollymep.org.uk/2015/04/17/power-to-transform/

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29 October 2018

Responding to the Budget, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said: “Did the Chancellor lose a section of his speech? This is the most nature-depleted Budget in decades. His biggest announcement on the environment was abandoning the latte levy, and with it the pretence of caring about our natural world.

“Two weeks ago, the world’s top scientists warned we have just 12 years to prevent climate catastrophe – so today we urgently needed an emergency budget with major investment in green energy and jobs to protect the planet. It’s unforgivable that Philip Hammond failed to even mention climate change.

“It’s not clear what planet Philip Hammond is living on – but it is his responsibility to do something to protect those of us living on this one. His deluded Budget was built on a fantasy future where the technical revolution will solve all of society’s problems.

“He spent more on fixing potholes than funding schools and lavished billions on locking us into our cars as public transport deteriorates. Our children will never forgive him.”

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26 October 2018

 * Green Party says first Autumn Budget since IPCC report must be an ‘emergency budget for the climate’

* Jonathan Bartley: “This is the Chancellor’s clear opportunity to stop bankrolling  climate destruction and invest in clean energy instead”

The Green Party has called on the Government to respond to the UN’s climate warning by making the Autumn Budget an “emergency budget for the climate”.

The party will call on the Government to immediately stop fracking and scrap the fracking slush fund, airport expansion and fossil fuel subsidies – and to invest in renewable energy instead.

On 8 October the UN’s IPCC report warned global governments have just 12 years to limit climate catastrophe [1]. Yet just a week later ministers allowed fracking to start in Lancashire, putting a sledgehammer through the UK’s climate targets. [2]

The Green Party wants the Government to:

* Immediately stop fracking and scrap the shale slush fund [3]
* End airport expansion and introduce a frequent flyer levy [4]
* Cancel Hinkley Point C nuclear station and invest in Swansea Tidal Lagoon instead [5]
* Reinstate the fuel duty escalator [6]
* Reverse the freezing of the carbon price-floor  [7]

And end fossil fuel subsidies and invest in clean energy instead, starting with
* Fully reinstating the feed-in tariff to incentivise household solar [8] and keep the export tariff on new solar installations [9]
* Removing the block on community wind projects [10
* Launch a national programme of insulation and retrofitting to make every home warm [11]

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

“The last two Budgets failed to mention climate change. This is the Chancellor’s clear opportunity to stop bankrolling climate destruction and reprogramme the economy so it works for all of us by investing in clean renewable energy.

“If the Government spends a single pound on climate wrecking projects the Autumn Budget will have failed.

“In the wake of the UN’s warning that we are on the brink of complete climate breakdown the Chancellor must deliver nothing short of an emergency Budget for the climate.”

Notes:

1. https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2018/10/08/caroline-lucas-responds-to-ipcc-report/

2.  https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2018/10/15/greens-start-of-fracking-puts-sledgehammer-through-climate-targets/

3. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-measures-to-back-british-shale-gas-exploration

4. https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2016/10/24/let%E2%80%99s-reduce-demand-for-flying,-not-build-climate-busting-runways/

5. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-44589083

6. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/oct/03/theresa-may-pledges-to-freeze-fuel-duty-for-ninth-consecutive-year

7. https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN05927/SN05927.pdf

8. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/23/green-energy-subsidies-community-projects-fossil-fuels

9. https://www.energylivenews.com/2018/10/18/is-removing-solar-tariff-literal-daylight-robbery/

10. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/wind-power-onshore-policies-environmental-impact-government-collapse-a8334786.html

11. https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2018/06/26/greens-rising-fuel-poverty-hitting-poorest-hardest/

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