Responding to the Jon Cunliffe review into the water sector in England and Wales which calls for Ofwat to be replaced by a single regulatory body, co-leader of the Green Party, Adrian Ramsay MP, said:

“Expecting a different form of regulation to fix the water industry is, frankly, rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Not only that but the majority of the public are going to be expected to pay more in bills, as we watch the industry continue to sink under the failed model of privatisation.

“The government deliberately left out the option of public ownership from the review, but that’s the only real way to get the water industry to clean up its act, end millions being siphoned off for huge CEO salaries and shareholder dividends and instead see this money invested into ending sewage dumping and fixing leaks.”

Responding to the news that Reform Mayor, Andrea Jenkyns told Times Radio that she doesn’t believe in climate change (transcript), Green Party Co-Leader, Adrian Ramsay MP, said,

“If Reform ever had a mask, it has now well and truly slipped. Her comments suggest she hasn’t got the slightest grasp of climate science, but it’s worse than that. Let’s not forget Reform is bankrolled by fossil fuel interests, climate deniers, and major polluters, taking in £2.3 million since the 2019 election. Reform are showing themselves to be the political voice of the vested interests of big oil and corporate profit.”

Responding to the government’s announced plans to give votes to 16 and 17 year olds, Green Party MP, Ellie Chowns said: 

“On this one, Labour have got it right. Giving 16- and 17-year-olds the vote is a long-overdue step towards a stronger, more inclusive democracy. Young people have powerful voices and a vital stake in decisions about their future — it’s only right that they have a say at the ballot box.

But if Labour are serious about renewing our democracy, this must be just the beginning. We need to go further — that means scrapping the undemocratic House of Lords, and finally delivering proportional representation so that every vote counts.”

Reacting to news that thousands of Afghans have moved to the UK under a secret scheme which was set up after a British official inadvertently leaked their data, Ellie Chowns, MP for North Herefordshire and Green Party spokesperson for foreign affairs, said:

“It is nothing short of horrifying that a British security breach exposed the personal details of thousands of Afghans who risked everything to stand alongside our forces, leaving them and their families exposed to persecution, torture, or worse at the hands of the Taliban.

“It’s truly shocking that proper data protection practices were not in place to prevent such a dangerous event. And though the government has assured Parliament that action has been taken to prevent such a leak from happening again, this does not negate the great danger posed to thousands through sheer carelessness.

“This breach should never have happened. Yet, in the face of this appalling mistake, it is absolutely right that the government acted decisively to bring those exposed to safety in the UK. These courageous people stood by us at great personal peril and put their trust in the government to not expose them to more risk; the UK owes them nothing less than safe refuge and a chance to rebuild their lives in security and dignity in Britain.”

Reacting to plans by Rachel Reeves to place financial services at the heart of the government’s growth agenda by softening up regulations on banks and reintroducing greater risk-taking into the financial system, co-leader of the Green Party Adrian Ramsay MP, said:

“If in their desperation to achieve growth, the government is willing to set up the conditions for another disastrous financial crash, then we need to question whether growth should be the be-all and end-all of economic policy.

“For Greens the focus will always be on improving health and wellbeing, creating greater equality and building a greener economy. And designing economic policy as a means to those ends.”