Green Party response to JD Vance speech (1)

Green MP, and party parliamentary spokesperson on foreign affairs, Ellie Chowns said: “US Vice President JD Vance’s use of the Munich Security Conference to lambast allies rather than focus on the real chaos makers in the world is sadly predictable but no less bizarre and dangerous for that. 

“President Trump’s administration seems determined to usher in a new world where old friends are discarded and new friends made of dangerous autocrats. The UK should have no part of that and should work with others to protect international frameworks and institutions that support co-operation and the rule of law.”

(1) https://www.politico.eu/article/us-vice-president-jd-vance-attack-europe-migration-free-speech/

Responding to the news that Labour are now publishing videos of police immigration raids, Green Party Co-Leader, Carla Denyer MP, said:

“This Labour government are plumbing new depths with their plan to broadcast footage of people being detained and deported. Those involved should be searching their consciences to ask if such breath-taking cruelty is really worth it all for the sake of aping the rhetoric of Reform. The bitter irony is that following Reform to the right on migration won’t win Labour any support – it will only lend legitimacy to Reform’s extreme views. It’s time this government showed a bit of backbone and told the truth – that migration is good for this country.”

Green MP and party co-leader Adrian Ramsay has urged the government to divert planned new subsidies for the privately owned wood-burning Drax power station to a national home insulation scheme. 

Adrian Ramsay said:  

“Drax is a green energy scam, burning trees – some imported from ancient forests from as far away as Canada – subsidised by the taxpayer. 

“The billions of pounds worth of subsidies run out in 2027, but the government is expected to try to renew them next week, turning taxpayer money into profits for a private company, instead of using the money to fuel a green energy revolution. 

“Drax has benefitted from over £6 billion in subsidies since 2012 and neither taxpayers nor the environment can afford a penny more. 

“The money should be used to help fund a national scheme of home insulation that would cut people’s energy bills and help to reduce energy use. 

“Green MPs and Peers will be pressing the government to end this subsidy scandal and invest people’s money where it will make a real difference to them.” 

Responding to new data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (1) showing that the global temperature was the highest on record for a January, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer MP said: 

“In light of this latest scientific evidence, it would be dangerously foolish to do anything to put our burning world in even greater danger. 

“Yet that is exactly what the government is doing – determined to expand Heathrow and Gatwick airports and refusing to rule out giant new oil and gas fields at Rosebank and Jackdaw coming on stream. 

“Indeed, Equinor, one of the oil giants wanting to exploit the Rosebank field, has decided to cut promised investments in renewables in favour of increased oil and gas production. (2) 

“The government is sending totally the wrong signals to the markets. We need a government committed to speeding up the transition away from fossil fuels. The government must make it clear now that it will not allow new North Sea oil and gas drilling go ahead. 

“We must also get serious about how we make our communities more resilient to the now-unavoidable impacts of climate change. We need our homes and our communities to be fit for the future.” 

NOTES TO EDITORS 

1. Climate puzzle persists with unexpectedly warm January – BBC News 

2. Norwegian oil giant Equinor cuts green investment in half – BBC News 

Green Party Co-Leader Adrian Ramsay MP has responded to the news that local elections in a number of parts of England this May will cancelled saying: “It’s hard to think of anything more anti-democratic than cancelling elections ahead of a significant change in local democracy. It’s straight out of an authoritarian playbook.

“How can the Government claim an electoral mandate for these major changes if those most impacted see their elections cancelled?  

“The Green Party is urging the Government to protect democracy, allow these long-planned elections to take place and get around the table with elected representatives of all parties to discuss how to make devolution work for people in local areas across the country. 

“We want decisions closest to where they have the greatest impact with significant devolution of powers and funding from Westminster. That is the way to keep the vital connection between the politicians making decisions and those affected by them and avoid further alienation from the political process. The imposition of huge, remote councils against the will of local people would fly in the face of local democracy.”