Reacting to the close of the NATO Summit, Green Party MP Ellie Chowns said:

“NATO leaders have fawned over a bullying, bellicose US President and agreed to a long-term doubling of arms spending that will come at the cost of cuts in vital health and public services across member states. 

“The NATO summit has left us all more exposed to the threat of nuclear war and failed to offer people across the world a strategic vision of a more peaceful world. 

“Here in the UK, the Labour government has already slashed aid for the most vulnerable around the world to make way for increased arms spending and next week will try to force through cuts to disability support to pay for more. 

“We do not need new US-controlled fighter jets to carry US-controlled nuclear weapons paid for by UK taxpayers that will make the world a more dangerous place. 

“The UK government should be leading efforts to reduce and eliminate nuclear arsenals, not paying for the US to base more of them here. 

“There is a choice to be made between welfare and warfare. 

“Genuine security means making sure the most vulnerable have the support needed for a decent life and we all have a government focussed on tackling the biggest long-term threats to human security – climate breakdown, global inequality, pandemics. 

“Real security is built on social, economic, and environmental resilience, not more nuclear weapons. 

“Green MPs will be opposing the government’s welfare cuts next week and offering a real alternative that puts people’s welfare and the planet’s future first.” 

Responding to the Climate Change Committee’s latest report, co-leader Carla Denyer MP said:

“Last year fossil fuel giants Shell and BP made a total of £26 billion in profit – while ordinary people struggle every day to pay their energy bills, and the climate crisis takes its toll on communities across the UK. 

 “The Climate Change Committee’s latest report shows some movement in the right direction towards trying to keep us all safe, but the truth is we’re not moving nearly fast enough. Stalling progress means we all have higher bills in cold and leaky homes, while wildfires, extreme heat and flooding put lives and livelihoods at risk. The best time for action was years ago – the next best time is now. 

“We need urgent action to bring down the cost of electricity more widely, to reduce household bills and keep us all safe from the growing threat from the climate crisis. Instead of handing fossil fuel giants a licence to keep profiting from climate destruction, or wasting money on slow and expensive nuclear projects, now is the time for a national push to roll out energy efficiency, heat pumps, solar panels and battery storage for our homes. 

“Crucially, it’s time for the government to stop throwing money at the fossil fuel industry and instead make big polluters like Shell and BP pay up. Currently the government subsidises the fossil fuel industry to the tune of a staggering £17.5 billion per year – it’s time to pull the plug and put that money into lowering bills instead.”

Reacting to Reform UK’s plans for a “Britannia Card” which would offer wealthy foreigners and returning British expats a bespoke tax regime in exchange for a one-off payment of £250,000 – with all funds collected redistributed to Britain’s lowest-paid workers – Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay MP said:  

“Nigel Farage’s latest wheeze to prop up the super wealthy, dressed up as helping the poorest, would result in an estimated loss of a whopping £34bn to the Treasury. Rather than enabling the super-rich to buy their way out of paying UK tax, the Green Party would tax investment income as equivalent to earned income and introduce a wealth tax based on assets. This is the way to fix our public services to benefit everyone. 

“This is another reminder that Reform UK is a Party run by multi-millionaires out to look after their own and with net zero interest in the rest of us. There’s nothing patriotic about a “Britannia card” that would let the ultra-wealthy avoid paying taxes and contributing to society.” 

Responding to the government’s Industrial Strategy that was published today, co-leader of the Green Party, Carla Denyer MP, said:

“This Industrial Strategy looks like another missed opportunity from the Labour government. The move away from polluting oil and gas towards clean power offers huge wins for communities, for workers and for industry – but that requires government to make a clear plan to urgently phase out fossil fuels, make polluting companies pay to retrain workers, and to harness the skills and innovation this country has in bucket loads.

“The investment in skills announced in today’s strategy is welcome, and the move towards clean sources of power like wind and solar offers huge opportunities for good-quality jobs in futureproofed industries.

“But the failure to make a plan for those currently working in high-carbon industries is short-sighted. 3 million workers across the UK will need re-skilling and retraining in order to make the most of the green jobs boom and fossil fuel giants must shoulder the cost of this.

“We also need to see measures to ensure that all investment in the government’s GB Energy supports jobs and industries here in the UK rather than being lost overseas.

“We have already seen decades of missed opportunities on this, leaving communities hollowed out and people forced out of work. This government must act fast to turn the corner and put Britain first in the race towards the economy of the future.”

On the ninth anniversary of the Brexit referendum, Ellie Chowns MP, Green Party spokesperson on foreign affairs, said:

“Today marks nine years since the UK voted to leave the EU, a decision for which the costs have been painfully real for families, businesses and our planet. Over nearly a decade we have seen our economy shrink, exporters lose vital markets, and barriers impede the cultural collaborations we once took for granted. Meanwhile young people face restricted opportunities to live, learn, and work across Europe, and our climate ambitions are weakened by being out of step with our closest neighbours.

“As Greens, we believe the best way to restore prosperity, protect the environment, and strengthen security is to rebuild the partnership we walked away from. Rejoining the EU would mean frictionless trade for British manufacturers and farmers, renewed freedom of movement for students and young workers, and deeper cooperation on climate, defence, and innovation. Poll after poll shows a majority of Britons recognise that Brexit was a mistake; the question now is when, not if, we begin the process of returning to the fold.

“On this anniversary, I call on the government to show the courage to initiate talks on what re-entry to the EU would involve—recognising that the world has changed, but our mutual interests remain vital. Britain’s future belongs in Europe: let this day be a reminder that our greatest hope lies in cooperation, not isolation.”