31 January 2019

The Green Party has responded to news 4,677 people were sleeping rough in England in autumn 2018, down by 74 compared to 2017 figures. [1]

Sian Berry AM, co-leader of the Green Party, said:

“Rough sleeping is not falling anywhere near far or fast enough. It is shameful that in a nation as rich as the UK thousands are still facing freezing temperatures on the streets. With the right political will there is action we can take right now to give people shelter, and I urge the Government and local authorities to consider measures like opening up Britain’s many empty buildings.

“In the longer term we need to see an end to policies like Universal Credit and benefit sanctions which push people into poverty, and real commitment to policies which help deal with the causes of homelessness so no one is forced to sleep rough in the first place.”

Notes:

1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-47059450

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31 January 2019

Speaking yesterday in the European Parliament on the evolving situation in Venezuela, Molly Scott Cato MEP said:

“As Greens we utterly deplore the economic mismanagement, violation of human rights and undermining of the rule of law witnessed under the Maduro regime. This has left the country to the brink and resulted in the exodus of three million citizens. However in responding we must not abandon key principles of international relations. We must uphold the right to self-determination and the right of the Venezuelan people to choose their own leader.

“Latin America has seen a long and tragic intervention by foreign players, motivated by self-interest and greed for its resources. Such interests must not be allowed to undermine the integrity of Venezuela. Only political dialogue can bring about a peaceful resolution to the country’s crisis. We support efforts by the EU to achieve this through working alongside Latin American leaders to help facilitate a rapid move to free and fair elections.”

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23 January 2019

The Green Party has responded to news the UK has biggest fossil fuel subsidies in the EU [1].

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, said:

“These figures peel away more of the Government’s greenwash. The UN has made clear we have a 12 year window of opportunity to tackle climate change – the fact the UK pays out the highest fossil fuel subsidies in Europe shows how deeply the Government has failed to grasp the scale of this challenge. We can’t tackle climate change while giving more subsidies to dirty fossil fuels than clean renewable energy. The UK must follow Germany’s example and take advantage of the falling cost of offshore wind to invest in the future.”

Notes:

1. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/23/uk-has-biggest-fossil-fuel-subsidies-in-the-eu-finds-commission 

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17 January 2019

Reacting to the news that Hitachi are to scrap the £16bn Wyfla nuclear power station in Anglesey [1], Green Party of England and Wales deputy leader and prospective candidate for Newport West Amelia Womack said:

“Today’s news underlines nuclear power as obsolete in the twenty-first century.

“There are now many different  forms of renewable energy generation that are cleaner, cheaper, more efficient and don’t come with the potentially devastating environmental downsides.

“It’s now time for the Westminster Government to invest in tidal lagoon power at Swansea Bay and other projects that will deliver Wales’ clean energy future.”

[1]https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jan/17/hitachi-set-to-scrap-16bn-nuclear-project-anglesey-wales

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17 January 2019

Following her meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss Brexit this morning, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said:

“I’ve just come out of Downing Street having had a robust discussion with the Prime Minister.

“I urged her to take no deal off the table and stop using it to blackmail MPs. It would be a catastrophe for the country and no responsible government should even contemplate it.

“I raised the rights of the three million EU citizens who’ve made their homes here and British people living in Europe, and the Prime Minister agreed to do more to reassure people whose lives have been turned upside down by Brexit. I got an update on the situation with those countries which have yet to guarantee citizens’ rights in the event of no deal.

“I pressured Theresa May hard on the need for a People’s Vote. One of her main concerns is about how it looks if Parliament is unable to deliver on the result of the referendum. 

“I’ve been talking and listening to people across the country and can assure her that Parliament is already considered to have failed – and the way to start bringing our society back together is with more democracy.

“We also touched on the role of Citizens’ Assemblies as part of the solution to the gridlock in Westminster and I’ve agreed to send her more information.

“But sadly these talks are coming far too late and there is no sign the Prime Minister is genuinely willing to compromise.”

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