9 February 2023

Responding to Downing Street’s revelation that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak flew from Dorset to London and London to Cornwall in the space of 24 hours, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said: 

“The Prime Minister seems incapable of understanding just how damaging his personal addiction to flying such short distances so regularly is to his government’s stated aim of tackling the climate crisis. Private jets are up to 14 times more polluting than commercial flights and 50 times more polluting than taking a train. He should be showing some leadership in reducing his carbon footprint, instead he is insulting everyone who is trying to do their bit for the environment.” 

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7 February 2023

*Demand to end all fossil fuel subsidies and windfall tax loopholes

*Call for carbon tax to fund renewable energy and home insulation

With the new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero launched [1] on the day BP has announced record profits [2] and greenhouse gas emissions are confirmed to have increased by 5% between 2020 and 2021 [3], the Green Party has called for the new department to “genuinely focus all its energy on achieving Net Zero”.

The Party’s co-leader, Adrian Ramsay, has called for a carbon tax in order to move the ‘grotesque profits’ of fossil fuel companies into funding a huge push towards renewable energy and a mass home insulation programme.  

Ramsay said:

“Having dumped the Department of Energy and Climate Change some seven years ago, the Tories have decided to resurrect it in a new guise: the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero. This department must genuinely focus all its energy on achieving Net Zero. It must stop all fossil fuel subsidies and end the perverseness of allowing energy companies to avoid windfall taxes on their grotesque profits by investing in further exploitation of oil and gas reserves.

“A carbon tax is one of the greatest levers we can apply to help shift us towards the clean green economy we need in order to cut climate wrecking emissions and create a fairer healthier society [4]. Companies like BP, Shell and other big polluters have been responsible for three quarters of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions since 1988 [5]. A carbon tax would target these big polluters and provide the funding to move us towards a renewable energy economy and a mass home insulation programme. This would cut domestic energy bills and keep people warm.”

Notes  

[1] Sunak reshuffle: Shapps named energy secretary in department shake-up – BBC News 

[2] BP scales back climate targets as profits hit record – BBC News  

[3] UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2021: summary (publishing.service.gov.uk)

[4] Greens call on government to bring in carbon tax at COP26 | The Green Party

[5] Just 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions, study says | Guardian sustainable business | The Guardian

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3 February 2023

• Patrick McAllister defeats former government minister in crucial Hotwells & Harbourside council by-election

• Key electoral test passed on mission to elect Carla Denyer as Bristol’s first Green MP

• Carla Denyer: “The direction of travel is clear – Bristol is turning Green.”

• Win means 17 of 20 councillors in Bristol West represent the Green Party

• McAllister: “I’m humbled to be elected to represent our community at such a vital time”

The Green Party’s chance of electing their next MP has increased after they became the outright largest group on Bristol City Council by winning the Hotwells & Harbourside by-election.

Winning Hotwells & Harbourside now means 17 of the 20 councillors in the Bristol West Constituency are Green. There’s growing evidence that their candidate, national party leader Carla Denyer, can become Bristol’s first Green MP at the next General Election. 

Denyer said:

“Patrick’s outstanding win is a very significant milestone for our movement. Our country desperately needs more Green MPs to tackle the climate emergency, the cost of living crisis and save our NHS. This vital local win paves the way for a national victory in the wider constituency at the next General Election.

“Bristol is a unique city that I’m proud to call my home. At a time when Labour are polling high nationally, Bristol once again has bucked the trend. Hotwells & Harbourside residents have chosen a brilliant Young Green over a former government minister, showing there is a real changing of the guard happening here.”

“Patrick and I will work tirelessly with our fellow councillors for the good of this city. The direction of travel is clear – Bristol is turning Green.”

Following a closely-fought campaign, McAllister becomes the Green Party’s 25th councillor, making them the new largest group in Bristol’s City Hall for the first time ever.

McAllister, a climate science graduate who works in legal services, said: 

“I’m humbled to be elected to represent our community at such a vital time, and want to thank the residents of Spike Island, Hotwells, Brandon Hill and the Harbourside for putting their trust in me.

“Successive Conservative-led governments and our Labour-run council have left residents feeling frustrated, whether it’s through botched consultations on new developments, repair works dragging on for years, the cladding crisis or even by threatening to take our library away. There’s never been a more vital time to speak up for our communities and that’s what I’m going to do my best to do.

“I’d like to thank former councillor Alex Hartley for his service to the community, and all of the other candidates – it’s been quite an experience!”

Cllr Heather Mack, leader of the Green Party group on Bristol City Council, added:

“I’m so proud Patrick is joining 24 experienced and dedicated councillors in the Green group. I’ve known him for years as a dedicated campaigner. Throughout this campaign he’s proven to be the hardest worker in the harbour, and I know that hard work will continue.

“Residents in neighbouring wards all have Green councillors too and like what they see. People don’t live their lives in narrow ward boundaries – that’s why we will always work together as a team and put residents first. I can’t wait for Patrick to get to work.”

Full results of the Hotwells & Harbourside by-election are available on the Bristol City Council website.

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2 February 2023

Record results for oil giant Shell show there are “still massive profits to be made from letting the climate burn,” warns Green Party Co-leader Carla Denyer.

Shell’s annual profits more than doubled to a record of nearly $40bn (£32.3bn) [1] as consumers struggle to pay huge energy bills after a surge in wholesale gas prices.

Denyer said:

“These record profits make the undeniable case for a carbon tax to be imposed on the fossil fuel industry before the planet is incinerated. These profits give the lie to any claim that fossil fuel giants will act responsibly when there is still money to be made from destroying our planet.

“The government’s windfall tax is useless – it has a massive loophole where companies can dodge the tax if they invest in new fossil fuel extraction. It fails to make the oil giants act responsibly toward people or the planet, or raise the money needed to invest in renewables.

“For the last year, we at the Green Party have been calling for a ‘Dirty Profits Tax’, without the Tory loopholes. This would have raised billions over the last year, and served as the first step towards a proper carbon tax. 

“Our carbon tax is one of the most powerful levers we can apply alongside to move us towards a clean green economy and fairer society. [2]

“Fossil fuel companies drive the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, but are still allowed to profit from their damaging activities. A carbon tax would target these big polluters and render coal, oil and gas financially unviable as cheaper renewable energies rise up to take their place.

“But as well as tackling the climate crisis, a carbon tax will offer a social dividend which will help people to get through this cost of living crisis and make the UK a more equal society. This is because yields from a carbon tax would provide the money to invest in free home insulation, properly-funded public services and a universal basic income.” 

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64489147

2

https://www.greenparty.org.uk/assets/files/Communications/10_Point_Climate_Plan.pdf

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31 January 2023

As the UK marks three years since leaving the EU and the IMF confirms that the UK economy will shrink and perform worse than any other advanced economy in the year ahead [1], the Green Party has called for the country to become ‘rejoin ready’ so the UK can rejoin the EU when the political conditions are right.

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer, said:

“With the IMF pointing to the UK as the only major economy facing a decline, it is clear that Brexit has been all pain and no gain. From labour market shortages to less resilience in the face of economic shocks; from a collapse in foreign investment to sharply reduced trade, all the economic indicators show that Brexit has failed.

“Only the Green Party has the courage to consider reversing this huge political mistake and question whether it would be better if the UK were to return to the EU. 

“As Greens we believe that the UK should rejoin the EU as soon as the political conditions are right. We need to get the country ‘rejoin ready.’ The EU will need to see us as a reliable partner before they are willing to open negotiations, while our eventual decision would clearly need to depend on the conditions we were able to negotiate.

“In the immediate term we must now renegotiate to restore freedom of movement to address labour market shortages, rejoin the customs union to ease the situation with goods crossing our borders, and end plans to shred thousands of pieces of EU legislation that help protect workers’ rights and the environment [2].

“A majority of the public are now with us on rejoining the EU. Three years on, it’s time to admit our mistake and end the economic, social and environmental damage caused by trashing our relationship with our nearest neighbours.”

Notes

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64452995 

[2] https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/bonfire-of-insanity-the-unwelcome-return-of-the-retained-eu-law-bill/ 

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