17 July 2018

The Green Party of England and Wales have today welcomed the decision by their Welsh membership to remain affiliated with the party. 64.8% voted to “Remain part of the Green Party of England and Wales” and 35.2% voted to “Become a separate Green Party”.

Wales Green Party leader Grenville Ham said:

“As a party we remain steadfast in our commitment to our members, to the people of Wales and ensuring that we are a party truly run through grassroots democratic exercises such as this.”

Green Party England and Wales deputy leader Amelia Womack said:

“I am proud to be part of a party that brings the important questions to our membership. We have real opportunities to build the Green voice in Wales and we will be building towards doing that at the Assembly elections in 2021”

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12 July 2018

Molly Scott Cato, MEP for South West England where Hinkley is sited, has responded to the decision by the European Court of Justice on whether UK government support for construction of Hinkley Point C constitutes illegal state aid.

Austria and Luxembourg had appealed against the decision of the European Commission to allow subsidies worth billions of euros towards the construction of the new nuclear reactor [1].

The ruling comes as a new report by the National Infrastructure Commission has concluded that the UK is capable of generating at least half its entire energy needs by renewable sources by 2030, and can do so without adding to consumers’ bills [2].

Molly Scott Cato MEP, a Green MEP who has long campaigned against Hinkley and in favour of renewables, said:

“This decision is hugely regrettable. There can be no justification for EU subsidies to be thrown at nuclear. Hinkley Point is a particular tragedy for the South West when we are blessed with exciting renewable energy alternatives. The region has huge potential for both onshore and offshore wind; for tidal and geothermal energy and is the region best suited in the whole of the UK to capture the power of the sun.

“Sadly, today’s ECJ ruling will only serve to reinforce the government’s ideological obsession with nuclear. But in the South West we could provide at least 100% of the region’s energy needs from renewables, if done in combination with ramping up efforts to improve energy efficiency and insulation to reduce overall energy demand [3]. The National Infrastructure Commission agrees that nuclear is not the way forward for the UK and that we should seize the golden opportunities that renewable energy technologies provide.”

Molly Scott Cato also warned that Brexit could have devastating impacts on the UKs ability to generate nuclear power:  

“Brexit could leave nuclear power in the UK in meltdown. There is on-going uncertainty around our membership of Euratom. Whilst this EU body may be a relic of the past that gives unfair privilege to nuclear power, it none-the-less governs procedures, regulations and safeguards for nuclear power across the EU. This includes the transportation of nuclear materials around Europe. Unless new arrangements are agreed the UK could run out of nuclear fuel within two years, meaning nuclear power stations would be unable to produce energy. The threats posed by Brexit further reiterates the importance of going all out for renewable energy.”

Notes

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/21/austria-to-launch-lawsuit-hinkley-point-c-nuclear-subsidies

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11 July 2018

The Green Party of England and Wales have today expressed their disappointment at the decision by the High Court to maintain the injunction through to 2020 on protesting outside Cuadrilla’s proposed fracking site at Preston New Road, Lancashire [1].

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley, who visited the site last month to put questions from local residents to the bosses at Cuadrilla, made it clear that the party would continue to stand behind the local community in their struggle against the company. He was previously forcibly removed from a fracking site last year and is committed to supporting the right to peaceful protest and non-violent direct action.

Bartley said:

“This is an incredibly sad day for the right to protest peacefully. We’re bitterly disappointed by this result, but the fight will continue and we will stand together with all those resisting this destructive industry.

“Fracking has no place in our energy mix and we will fight it tooth and nail.”

[1] https://drillordrop.com/2018/07/11/breaking-judge-grants-cuadrilla-injunction-over-lancs-fracking-site-to-2020/

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10 July 2018

Green Party deputy leader Amelia Womack has welcomed the decision from Tidal Lagoon Power to respond to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy with the release of a full audit of their finances [1].

Womack, who visited the proposed site of the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon yesterday [2], felt that the audit was a clear sign that the company were willing to conduct their business transparently and proof that the project made financial sense.

Womack said:

“This project makes complete financial sense, especially compared to the nuclear plant on Anglesey and it is great to see Tidal Lagoon Power making that case. It continues to baffle that the Westminster Government are seemingly fully behind the Wyfla plant despite all the questions surrounding it.

“It’s not too late to scrap the Wyfla plant and back a cleaner and cheaper solution to Wales’ energy future.”

[1] http://www.tidallagoonpower.com/news/2018/07/10/beis-statement-tidal-lagoons-designed-mislead/

[2] https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2018/07/09/womack-westminster-must-back-the-tidal-lagoon/

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9 July 2018

Following a meeting with Tidal Lagoon Power, the company behind the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon, Green Party of England and Wales deputy leader Amelia Womack has called on the Westminster Government to reverse their decision not the support the project.

Womack, who’s from South Wales, met with the company earlier to survey their plans and learn more about their proposals. She believes that the Tidal Lagoon would be a huge point of pride for South-West Wales.

Womack said:

“The Tidal Lagoon must go ahead. Not only will it produce clean, renewable energy for the country, it will also give this community a fantastic local amenity and the pride of being a global leader in a new technolgy.

“Since the mines were closed, Wales energy potential has not been considered. This would represent our energy future and the Westminster Government need to fund it.”

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