We are focused on delivering economic growth in a way that’s more inclusive – and by that I mean inclusive of people, and inclusive of places. What we all want is a country where people can flourish no matter where they are born or who they are.
1 July 2017
MPs are calling for a new Environmental Protection Bill to be added to the government’s list of policy priorities for the year ahead as laid out in last week’s Queen’s Speech.
Led by Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas, the environment amendment has cross-party support from Labour MPs David Lammy and Kerry McCarthy, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, the Scottish National Democrat MP Chris Law, and Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts.
The amendment, which was introduced last week and will likely be voted for on Thursday June 29, states that “in negotiating our future relationship with the EU, the Government should opt for the most environmentally effective way forward.”
This includes introducing a new bill to “transfer all relevant EU law into domestic law by way of primary legislation”. This legislation should include “the meaningful transfer of existing targets and to set new and ambitious targets” as well as provide access to citizens to environmental justice.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Lucas said “a Bill on environmental protection is conspicuous by its absence. Given the significance of the EU’s role in environmental protection, I think that this is a particularly grave omission on the part of the government’s Brexit team.”
The Queen’s speech last week introduced this year’s legislative program, the majority of which is concerned with leaving the EU. The only mention of climate change came when the Queen reiterated support for the Paris climate agreement.
Since then Theresa May’s government has officially announced its deal with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). The DUP was called “dinosaurs” in Parliament by Lucas last week following the Queen’s speech due to their history of climate denial and denying the science behind evolution.
In a statement to DeSmog UK, Lucas said: “It’s astounding that the Queen’s Speech didn’t contain plans for a bill to protect the environment in the Brexit process. The Government is aiming to pass eight separate pieces of Brexit legislation, yet they’re leaving environmental protection behind despite 80 percent of our laws in that area coming from the EU.”
She continued: “I’d urge MPs from all parties to back my call for an Environmental Protection Act. Such a bill would both strengthen our environmental laws and ensure that a legal and regulatory framework is in place to enforce them.”
REVEALED: THE SNP HAS CUT COUNCIL SERVICES THREE TIMES FASTER THAN THE SCOTTISH BUDGET HAS BEEN CUT
A report by independent experts has revealed that the SNP government has cut council services three times faster than the Scottish Budget has been cut.
Research by the independent Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) shows local government budgets have plummeted by 4.6 per cent between 2013/14 and 2016/17.
Over the same period, the Scottish Government’s budget has decreased by 1.5 per cent.
This shows that the SNP has taken Tory austerity and passed it on to the poorest communities.
Figures published by the SNP government confirms that the majority of council spending in Scotland is on education and social work.
Instead of using the new powers of the Scottish Parliament to invest, SNP Ministers have slashed £1.5billion from local services since 2011.
We will continue to press the case to use the tax powers to stop the cuts and invest in public services instead.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Alex Rowley said:
“This report proves that the SNP has taken Tory austerity and passed it on to Scottish communities.
“The SNP has cut spending in local communities three times faster than the Tories have cut the Scottish budget.
“Those cuts fall on the poorest the hardest – the biggest chunk of council spending is schools, nurseries, and social work.
“This is SNP austerity, increasing poverty and leading to thousands of redundancies across Scotland.
“It is clear that Scotland is sick and tired of austerity. Only Labour is actively making the case to use the powers of the Scottish Parliament to stop the cuts and invest instead.”
We believe that it is better for decisions to be made by us – not for us. The challenge for all of us who do believe that Scotland should be independent is to get on with the hard work of making and winning that case.
The
Labour Party will be out in force on Saturday 1st July promoting the message
that the government has #NoMandate.
In the
first day of national campaigning since the election result, over 400
Constituency Labour Parties will be taking part in campaign activity, with
Shadow Cabinet members out in every region across the country.
As part
of the national campaign day, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party,
will address a general election-style rally in Hastings. The constituency of
Hastings and Rye is Home Secretary Amber Rudd’s seat, and is among the most
marginal in the country with a majority of just 346 votes.
Jeremy
Corbyn will say:
“I am
proud to be here today in Hastings where you came within a whisker – 346 votes
– of painting the town red and electing Peter Chowney as a Labour MP.
“Labour
gained seats across the country at the last general election, in every region
and nation of Britain.
“Labour
is no longer just the Official Opposition, we are a government in waiting.
“It is
not good enough for politicians – including your MP the Home Secretary – to
praise the police, firefighters and NHS staff when they respond to horrific
incidents like the recent terrorist attacks or the Grenfell Tower fire, and
then vote to make them worse off again year after year.
“This is
what happened in parliament this week. Nurses in our hospitals have had a real
terms pay cut of 14 percent under this government and some are even having to
use food banks. Yet the government refused to back our calls to lift the public
sector pay cap and recruit more police and firefighters.
“You
can’t keep our communities safe on the cheap. When you cut over 20,000 police
officers, over 11,000 firefighters, and leave our hospitals in record deficit
having to cut back on services.
“We have
to change our economic system so that it works for the many, not just a few.”