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Only the Green Party offers hope to young people, say Bartley and Lucas

31 March 2017

The co-leaders of the Greens, Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley, delivered a ‘special message’ to young people at their Spring Conference today saying that they offer a party interested in ‘moving forward, not turning the clocks back’. [1]

Speaking to their conference in Liverpool the co-leaders – elected last Autumn – promised action against an ‘extreme Brexit’, opposition to tuition fees and action to bring ‘private rents under control’.

Caroline Lucas said:

“Whether you voted Leave or Remain, you need a Party that will stand up with consistency, integrity and conviction for your rights. For young people in particular, let down by Brexit, the Green message is one of a more hopeful alternative. Young people deserve a Party that will say loudly and clearly: freedom of movement is your right, tuition fees must be scrapped and private rents brought under control. So today we have this message for young people in Britain. If you want a Party interested in moving forwards, not turning the clock back. A Party that’s honest about the challenges we face and brave enough to build a better, more hopeful country. Then come and join us – the Green Party.”

The Green Party – who are currently fighting hard in the Manchester Gorton after coming second there in the General Election – are aiming to appeal to young voters who are disappointed with Labour’s stance on Brexit – and who won’t trust the Lib Dems after their years in coalition.

Lucas said the Greens are ‘a political movement that redistributes both money and power. One that redefines the relationship between work and life. One that embraces the future.  Pioneering and forward facing. A future better balanced between what we own and how we experience life – and tipped towards what genuinely makes us happier.’

She went on to say that her party ‘is exploring policies like a 3 day weekend, and fair pay. Local banks for the public good. People powered renewable energy. Reclaiming houses as homes, not financial assets. Education as a universal right not a commodity.  Proudly defending and sharing the benefits of free movement.’

Speaking after the triggering of Article 50 this week, and the publication of the Great Repeal Bill White Paper, Jonathan Bartley said the Greens are the only party to truly understand environmental protection.

He said:

“In the story of our future, the environment must be centre stage. It has to be. And we are the only Party that truly understands that. That’s why the Green Party is demanding a new Environmental Protection Act. One that takes everything good about EU law and goes even further.”

Notes:

1. FULL SPEECH HERE.

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Nia Griffith responds to reports Armed Forces are facing a £10bn funding shortfall

Nia Griffith MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, commenting on reports our Armed Forces are facing a £10bn funding shortfall, said:

“This is deeply worrying, and the result of years of mistakes and poor decisions made under the Tories.  

“The severe cuts imposed on the defence budget since 2010 has led to countless knee-jerk decisions, like scrapping the Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft, which has left us reliant on allies to track Russian subs off the UK coast. 

“Last year we saw the Army shrink below 80,000 for the first time, far short of the Government’s manifesto pledge to keep it above 82,000. 

“Further cuts of £1bn each year, to make up for this mis-management of the defence budget, will do yet more severe damage to our Armed Forces. Reports that the Royal Marines could be further cut are particularly concerning. 

“On the Today programme, the Defence Secretary kept referring to investment in equipment but he needs to be investing in our forces personnel to ensure that professional standards remain high, and that they are trained to be able to operate and maintain new kit. Our Armed Forces are driven by the hard working men and women who serve and it’s time the Tories recognised that.  

“It simply isn’t good enough for ministers to say they can’t verify whether these reports are accurate. They urgently need to get a grip and explain where they intend these savings to come from.”

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Labour •

Barbara Keeley responds to CLG select committee social care report

Barbara Keeley MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Minister for Social Care, commenting on the CLG select committee report in to social care, said:

“This report is yet more evidence of government failure on social care.

“With less than 10 per cent of directors of adult social care confident they will be able to fulfil their statutory duty to provide care this coming year, it’s clear that the Government simply has not done enough to give social care the funding it needs.

“The underfunding of social care is hitting the care work force with nearly half of all care staff on zero-hours contracts and hundreds of thousands of them scandalously earning less than the living wage. And as the cuts to budgets bite, we are seeing the number of people caring for family and friends unpaid going up faster than population growth. This is bad for the family carers and can put great strain on families. 

“The Government should heed the recommendations from the committee and make sure that their upcoming Green Paper does not rule any future funding options out.  We need social care to be put on a long term sustainable financial footing and we need an end to this on-going funding crisis.”

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Labour •

Government are obsessing over arbitrary targets for apprenticeship starts but doing nothing to ensure the right outcomes for learners – Gordon Marsden

Gordon Marsden MP, Labour’s Shadow Skills Minister, commenting on a report from a sub-committee of the Education and Business Select Committee, claiming that the Government’s apprenticeship levy lacks focus and targets the wrong industries, said:

“Today’s report confirms what Labour have been saying all along, that while the Government are obsessing over reaching an arbitrary target for apprenticeship starts, they are doing nothing to ensure the right outcomes for learners.

“The fact that the Government’s approach lacks focus and targets the wrong industries shows that they have failed to develop an industrial strategy worthy of the name, and can only offer headline chasing gimmicks instead.

“Closing the skills gap and giving young people and older learners the skills they need should be essential to securing our post-Brexit future, yet once again this Government have nothing serious to offer the country.”

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Labour •