Commenting on the agreed framework deal to end the Iran war, which mediator Pakistan says will be signed on Friday in Switzerland, Dr Ellie Chowns MP, leader of the Green parliamentary group, said:
“The peace deal between the US and Iran will provide welcome relief for civilians across the region, too many of whom have borne the brunt of escalating violence and instability in order to further an illegal war.
“The urgent task must now be to ensure this agreement is the first step to a truly just and lasting peace. The UK must use every available lever to support these efforts, including in the pursuit of nuclear de-escalation and in holding those in the Iranian regime responsible for human rights abuses and persecution of the Iranian people to account. The UK must also insist on full respect of the peace deal by Israel in its operations – the people of Lebanon must not be left to suffer further attacks and occupation.
“Furthermore, the UK must acknowledge that this war should never have been started in the first place. It is clear that the United States and Israel entered into conflict illegally, with no credible long-term plan, and with no real regard for the stability of the wider region or the catastrophic consequences for ordinary people. This is utterly unacceptable. The UK Government must finally stand up for international law on the global stage and make clear to Trump and Netanyahu that Britain will not permit any country, ‘ally’ or adversary, to breach it with impunity. The Prime Minister must stand firm on these points as he represents the UK at the G7 summit.
“At home in Westminster, the UK Government must learn from the harsh lessons of this war and urgently invest in our nation’s energy security. While the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz may ease the strain on British households facing surging energy costs right now, it will do nothing to safeguard against future price shocks caused by our continued dependence on oil and gas. It is only through accelerating investment in renewable energy that we will secure the cheap, clean, homegrown energy the UK needs, strengthening our national security and bringing down bills for good.”
Reacting to the announcement by Keir Starmer of a ban from social media for under-16s, a Green Party spokesperson said:
“The Green Party welcomes action to address the harms social media can cause to young people. The impact on mental health and online safety is well documented as is the huge concern among parents, teachers and many young people themselves. Stronger safeguards are clearly needed. We also need to guard against potentially more dangerous platforms setting up.
“However, organisations including the NSPCC and the Molly Rose Foundation have warned that a blanket ban could leave some young people, particularly disabled and LGBTQIA people, more isolated and cut off from support. We also need to see real investment in youth services and creative activities for young people to fill the void that will be created by this ban.
“Social media companies that profit from addictive algorithms targeted at children must not be let off the hook. We need stronger regulation, better digital safety education, and tougher action to hold these platforms and their billionaire owners accountable.”
Senior Greens call for Filton 24 sentences to be reviewed after judge ‘risks serious injustice’ by using terrorism powers against protesters
Senior Green Party figures joined Amnesty International in criticising today’s sentencing of four members of the Filton 24.
Green Peer Jenny Jones called for the sentences to be reviewed after Judge Justice Johnson sentenced the four Palestine Action activists as terrorists – even though they were not convicted of terrorism offences when tried by two juries.
Green Party peer Jenny Jones said:
“The sentencing today of Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, and Fatema Zainab Rajwani as terrorists when they were convicted by a jury of non-terrorist offences flies in the face of justice.
“The Filton 24, of which those sentenced today were a part, acted to save lives not to take lives – to disrupt the flow of weapons from this country to Israel that the last two governments have shamefully allowed to continue during, what most experts agree is an ongoing genocide in Gaza.
“Whatever anyone thinks of their specific actions, they were clearly a very long way from what any reasonable person would consider terrorism. These sentences need to be reviewed immediately.”
Green MP Sian Berry added:
“While the proscription of Palestine Action has been struck down and the verdict in the Government appeal against this has not yet been given, escalating these sentences today clearly risks a serious injustice.
“Real questions also remain about the impartiality of this judge whose behaviour and actions throughout the trial have been condemned by a large group of lawyers, magistrates, and former police officers.”
During the sentencing the court heard that the defendants damaged over 40 weapons – including various types of drones – at Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems’ research and development site at Filton, Bristol at a cost of £1.2million according to the prosecution.
Zack Polanski calls for action to protect food system from ‘collapse’ in speech to Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union
Green Party Leader Zack Polanski this week called for urgent action to fix a food system that is ‘close to collapse’.
In a speech to the annual conference of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU), Zack stressed that extreme weather driven by climate change is already a “huge problem” for food production in the UK, and outlined concrete actions the Government should take to create a fairer and more resilient food system.
Days prior, Zack visited London bakery Hearth to hear first-hand from owner Maisie some of the challenges facing those working in the food industry.
“We have a huge problem, and that’s the climate crisis”
Introduced by National President of the BFAWU Ian Hodson as a ‘courageous politician’, Zack started his speech by identifying a twin threat facing our society: the crisis of widening inequality; and the likes of Nigel Farage exploiting discontent to flame tensions in our communities.
Unlike the toxic division of Farage and co, Zack said it is the responsibility of “every politician who cares about this country” to bring people together.
Zack then moved onto one of the issues at the heart of his speech – and one of the biggest threats to our food system: “We have a huge problem, and that’s the climate crisis”.
Zack Polanski with Maisie Collins, Founder of the Hearth Bakery
“You will know better than anyone all the implications this has for food”
Referencing the extreme heat and severe flooding that are increasingly impacting life in the UK, Zack said “the new normal is going to get worse and worse… the climate crisis is here to stay.”
And he acknowledged that this was not news to anyone in the room.
Not only are workers in the food industry doing “one of the most fundamental jobs in the country: keeping people fed”, but they are also on the frontlines of the climate crisis. “You will know better than anyone all the implications this has for food,” Zack told the conference delegates.
From waterlogged fields and failed harvests, to disrupted supply chains and rising prices, to dangerously hot conditions for workers, the climate crisis is pushing our food system “close to collapse.”
It’s clear something has to change.
A year of bread lost to wrecked harvests since 2020
Farmers and growers are at the sharp end of the climate crisis in the UK.
Crops need the right conditions to grow.
But the climate crisis is making our weather less and less predictable: bringing both extreme rainfall that clogs fields for months, and more intense droughts that leave them parched.
As Zack pointed out, the impact is real and the numbers are stark.
Zack Polanski with Maisie Collins at the Hearth Bakery
Research last year found that almost 9 out of 10 farmers cited reduced productivity as a result of extreme weather. It’s hardly surprising then to learn that since 2020, we have lost enough wheat to bake 4 billion loaves of bread – a whole year’s supply – because of extreme weather wrecking harvests.
And this affects everyone. Alongside the financial hit and loss of business for workers in the food industry, we will all feel the impact in our pockets.
Citing recent figures from the Autonomy Institute, Zack outlined that UK fruit and veg prices could rise 170% by 2050, with Autonomy’s CEO Dr Will Stronge warning that “within fifteen years, climate change will be the biggest single factor driving up the cost of fresh food”.
From bakers to farmers to anyone running a small business – rip-off Britain is squeezing us all.It’s time for a real plan to secure our food resilience: supporting farmers, bringing down costs for small businesses, and giving workers proper rights and decent pay.
“There is nothing more serious than whether we are going to be able to feed ourselves”
Zack is not the only Green drawing attention to our lack of resilience to the climate and nature crisis – and the threat this poses to food production.
In Westminster, Adrian Ramsay MP has been leading the way in calling for more action from the Government – including demanding the unredacted release of two suppressed reports on climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and the national security implications of these issues.
A suppressed DEFRA report – commissioned to inform the incoming Labour government – concluded that without transformational change, our food, water and natural eco-systems are at risk from catastrophic failure from 2030.
Meanwhile a separate report from the Joint Intelligence Committee’s found that biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse pose a direct threat to national security – including putting food production at risk.
Both reports have been suppressed by the Government, and this week Adrian challenged Keir Starmer directly to publish the two reports in full.
As you might expect, the PM’s answer left a lot to be desired…
That didn’t deter Adrian who, speaking to Andrew Marr on LBC, reiterated the case both for the release of the reports and for urgent action that takes the threat of the climate and nature crisis seriously.
As Adrian put it: “There is nothing more serious than whether we are going to be able to feed ourselves.”
“The system is not working… We must make different political choices”
The status quo is not working for the planet – or for people.
Speaking to the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union, Zack emphasised that: “The majority of workers in this country are being exploited by this system that is working for the few and not the many.”
And the food industry is a case in point.
While growers and workers in the industry toil in difficult conditions for little recognition or reward, supermarket bosses bank big bonuses as their shareholders rake in record profits.
As Zack put it: “The system is not working… as a result of political choice. We should and must make different political choices.”
And he outlined what those choices could look like:
A £15/hour minimum wage for all workers to tackle the cost of living crisis
Free school meals for all primary and secondary pupils to support families struggling to put food on the table
Support for farmers to adapt their practises to a changing climate to make UK food growing more resilient
Stronger regulation of supermarkets to ensure farmers get a fair deal for their produce
Whether it’s challenging the Prime Minister in Parliament, or standing with unionised workers, Greens are working to make those different political choices a reality. As Zack said: “We do need to challenge power. We do need to change the status quo.”
“Whether you’re a baker, a farmer, a plumber or a hairdresser, you have far more in common with each other than with the Elon Musks and Jeff Bezoses of this world.”@ZackPolanski speaking at the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union – @BFAWUOfficial. pic.twitter.com/c6jcax5Eos
“The current situation in Kashmir is deeply worrying. The draconian measures imposed on ordinary people represent a serious and disproportionate overreach.
“Lockdowns, communications blackouts and the arrest of protesters are likely only to deepen tensions and increase instability. People must be free to go about their lives, and the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental pillar of any democratic society.
“Britain is home to a large Kashmiri community. Many are deeply concerned for friends and relatives whom they have been unable to contact due to the communications blackout, leaving them uncertain about their safety and wellbeing.
“The Green Party stands in full solidarity with our Kashmiri friends and neighbours at this distressing time.”
