Green Party MPs arrive at parliament pledging to push the new Labour government to be bolder and better

The four newly elected Green Party Members of Parliament, Sian Berry MP, Ellie Chowns MP, Adrian Ramsay MP, and Carla Denyer MP, arrived at Parliament today, marking a significant moment in the party’s history after they quadrupled their representation in the Commons at the elections. The MPs pledged to hold the Labour government to account, urging them to adopt bold and necessary changes to improve Britain.

In their opening move, the Green Party MPs have laid out a clear and achievable ten-step plan, which they describe as a “litmus test for the direction this government plans to travel.” These steps, the Greens argue, are essential for demonstrating the Labour government’s commitment to serious and progressive change within their first 100 days in office.

Ellie Chowns MP commented after their arrival in parliament that “We are here to ensure that the Labour government doesn’t just talk the talk about change but walks the walk. Our ten steps are practical, achievable, and necessary and can all easily be delivered within 100 days with political will. They will stand as a signpost for whether Labour are serious about changing Britain for good. Our message today is that we will be relentless in both holding them to account and driving forward positive good ideas.”

The 10 steps the Greens say the new Labour Government must take in its first 100 days:

  1. Settle a Pay Deal with Junior Doctors: Properly value their work and ensure fair compensation.
  2. Remove the Two-Child Benefit Cap: End this policy to support families more equitably.
  3. Prosecute Major Water Companies: Bring criminal charges against companies persistently discharging sewage into rivers and seas.
  4. Mandatory Solar Panels and Wind Power: Make solar panels compulsory on new suitable homes and reverse the de-facto ban on onshore wind projects.
  5. Local Rail Link Plan: Develop a comprehensive plan to reopen local rail links to enhance connectivity.
  6. Emergency Dentistry Summit: Address the urgent crisis in dental care with an emergency summit.
  7. Restore Public Sector Workers’ Right to Strike: Re-establish the right to strike and improve public-sector workers’ conditions.
  8. Recognise the State of Palestine: Officially recognise Palestine and end arms sales to countries at risk of violating international law.
  9. Introduce a Natural History GCSE: Enrich education by including a natural history course in the curriculum.
  10. Strengthen Renters’ Rights: End no-fault evictions and provide local authorities with new powers to control rents.

Adrian Ramsay MP and Co-Leader of The Green Party emphasised the importance of these steps, stating, “These are not lofty ideals but practical actions that can be implemented quickly. They will have a real, positive impact on people’s lives and the environment. I am delighted that as we meet to enter parliament Labour have already committed to reversing the de facto ban on onshore wind. Now they must go further and faster still and make solar power mandatory on all suitable new build homes. They can, and they must do this in their first 100 days.”

Green Party Co-Leader, Carla Denyer MP added, “We have a clear mandate from our voters to push for these changes. Every one of our record-breaking number of Green votes was one for real hope and real change. We will push Labour every day to make sure we see the transformation of Britain that we are all so desperate to see, that our frontline workers are paid properly, that our public transport is fit for purpose and that we have a foreign policy built for peace not profit.”

Sian Berry MP concluded, “Today we carry on the work of Caroline Lucas but with the strength of four times the number of voices in the House of Commons. Today is a new beginning. Greens will work tirelessly to ensure that the Labour government is bolder and does better than its promises. The country needs it to deliver more affordable and comfortable council homes, give local authorities the power to introduce rent controls, and do more to support those struggling every day to get by.”

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There is a better, fairer, greener way to build the houses we need 

Responding to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ speech to investors and developers today, Green Party Co-leader, and Green MP for Waveney Valley, Adrian Ramsay, said:  

“Labour is right to identify the housing crisis and the need create the infrastructure needed to reach net zero as priorities for the new government.  

“We will support Labour when it gets it right, and also offer alternatives when Labour is going off track.  

“There is a better, fairer, greener way to build the houses we need for people.  

“And there is better, fairer, greener way to create the infrastructure we need to meet the urgent need to shift our economy away from fossil fuels to renewables.  

“Neither involves writing blank cheques for profit-motivated developers or trampling over the rights of local communities.  

“Labour should look at our Right Homes, Right Place, Right Price Charter (1).  

“This sets out how we can build affordable homes to buy and new council housing to rent. These need to be ecologically sustainable homes for the future with good public transport links, and the access to GP surgeries and schools that every community needs to thrive.  

“These are not the homes being built today, which are out of the reach of too many people and do not come with the services that every community needs.  

“Labour is right to end the de facto ban on onshore wind, but the new infrastructure that will be required to help us get to net zero as soon as possible, must not run roughshod over local communities.  

“We need to take people with us as we transition to a new green economy. Green investment done the right way is a win for communities and the planet. That includes community ownership of new renewables.”  

NOTES TO EDITORS  

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10 steps Labour must take in the first 100 days to show they’re serious about real change

The Green Party has laid down the first 10 steps the new Labour government’s must take in their first 100 days to show they’re serious about changing Britain. These steps Greens say will act as a “litmus test for the direction this government plans to travel”.

The ten steps that Greens have laid out are clear but easily achievable reforms. They are:

  1. Settle a pay deal with the Junior Doctors that properly values their work
  2. Remove the two-child benefit cap
  3. Bring criminal charges against Southern Water, Northumbrian Water, South West Water, United Utilities, Thames Water, Wessex Water Anglian Water, Severn Trent and Yorkshire Water for persistent discharge of sewage into our rivers and seas.
  4. Make solar panels compulsory on all new suitable homes and reverse the de-facto ban on onshore wind.
  5. Produce a plan for local rail links that could be reopened
  6. Call an emergency dentistry summit
  7. Restore the right to strike to public-sector workers
  8. Recognise the state of Palestine and end arms sales to all countries where there’s a serious risk of them being used in breach of international law
  9. Introduce a natural history GCSE
  10. End no fault evictions and strengthen renters rights, including new powers to local authorities to control rents

Commenting, Green Party Co-Leader and newly elected MP for Bristol Central, Carla Denyer said,

“Keir Starmer promised change. And so today we’ve outlined a sketch of what immediate change looks like. It means valuing our frontline NHS workers, taking immediate steps towards lasting peace in Israel and Palestine, turbo-charging the renewables revolution and much more. These are issues where the public is demanding change and they are things this next Labour government could, and should, deliver in their first 100 days.”

Adrian Ramsay, Green Party Co-Leader and MP for Waveney Valley, added,

“These first actions will act as litmus test for the direction this government plans to travel. Are they serious about defending the environment and restoring public services or are we going to see more managed decline on an already broken system? In the medium-term it is clear that Labour need to be honest about the need to raise more revenue to properly fund the systemic change this country needs. It is within this government’s gift to properly fund the NHS but this is impossible if they refuse to consider introducing a modest wealth tax for the very richest in our society. Budgets are already stretched and if they push them much more I worry the system will snap.”


/ by Green Party

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NHS must be at the top of Labour’s to-do list say Greens

Green Party Co-Leader, Adrian Ramsay MP, has congratulated Labour on forming a government and welcomed Keir Starmer’s pledge to restore politics to being about public service. Ramsay has however also warned that the NHS is in crisis and that Labour need to “get serious” about finding the funding to nurse the broken NHS back to health. Commenting Ramsay said,

“At the top of this new government’s to do list has to be the crisis in the NHS.

“We have a new Health Secretary being sent into negotiations with the Junior Doctors with the same stretched budgets.

“If they keep stretching these budgets, something will snap.”

“Labour need to get serious about funding for our NHS.

“There remains a conspiracy of silence around the funding of the NHS that this new government needs to address this.

“The Nuffield Trust has already said their current plans will leave NHS funding in a worse state and would represent “an unprecedented slowdown” in NHS financing.

“Before the election Greens put a figure of £30bn a year that we thought the NHS needed alongside a £20bn capital fund to fix the crumbling buildings.

“Green MPs will push the new government to be bolder on delivering the funding needed to restore our overstretched NHS”


by Green Party

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Four MPs: Green Party makes history  

The Green Party has made history by winning four seats in the general election. The party took Bristol Central off Labour, two seats in the former Conservative leaning Waveney Valley and North Herefordshire and retained Brighton Pavilion. The party says that the quadrupling of Green MPs is the result of solid and positive campaigning on the ground in all the target constituencies, a campaign supported by hundreds of volunteers who “relentlessly pounded the streets for months and weeks” in the run up to the general election.  

Carla Denyer, the new MP for Bristol Central, said:  

“The Green Party has made history. First and foremost, we say thank you to the voters who have put their trust in us. This is an incredible breakthrough, quadrupling our number of MPs. These victories, together with a doubling of our 2019 vote share to over 7% and the fact we came second in 39 seats in England and Wales, shows clearly that people have embraced the chance to choose real hope and real change right across the country, in both urban and rural settings.  

“I am so delighted that voters in Bristol Central have chosen me to be their MP. This was a hard-fought battle, and I pay tribute to Thangam Debbonaire for her time as a hard-working MP here. 

“I love this city. Bristol is different, distinctive and dynamic and I feel deeply honoured that so many voters have chosen me to represent them in parliament.”   

Adrian Ramsay, who won in the new seat of Waveney Valley said:  

“This is the first time someone other than a Conservative MP has represented this part of the country. With a Green MP, Mid Suffolk District Council having a Green majority and Greens being elected to councils across the region, the map of East Anglia is being redrawn. Gone is the sea of blue to be replaced by swathes of Green. 

“I will be an active local MP, focused on representing Waveney Valley while pressing the new government to be bolder on the action needed to restore public services and defend the environment.”  

Ellie Chowns who also won her seat from the Conservatives in North Herefordshire, said: 

“It was clear that the Conservatives had become deeply unpopular, but this result had more to do with the Greens’ positive offer, one which looked at how investment in our health, care and dental services, affordable housing as well as our commitment to cleaning up our rivers and addressing the climate and natures crises can improve the lives of everyone.” 

“Our role now is to challenge the Labour government to be better and we will strive to do that every day.” 

Sian Berry, who retained Brighton Pavilion, where Greens have held the seat since 2010, said: 

“I am so delighted that voters in Brighton Pavilion have chosen to keep their city Green, electing a Green MP for the fifth time in a row. I am hugely proud of this city and its desire to challenge the status quo.  

“It is also fantastic to know that we have quadrupled our number of MPs and that I will be working alongside three amazing colleagues. That’s four times the influence and energy to work constructively with the new Labour government on some of our shared goals while pushing them to be bolder where we think their ambition is lacking. Greens will be pushing the policies for a fairer economy, to mend our broken public services, and for serious action on the climate and nature crises. 

“We pay tribute to the hundreds of volunteers who came from far and wide and relentlessly pounded the streets for months and weeks in the run up to the general election. Thank you for your incredible support – these results would not have been possible without you.” 

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