Greens challenge Labour to stand up for international law and state sovereignty
Reacting to President Trump’s threats towards Greenland, Green MP Carla Denyer said
“Buoyed up by his imperialistic adventures in Venezuela, where he trampled over international law, Trump is now eyeing up Greenland.
“A year of pandering to the President has had no restraining effect whatsoever. It is time for Keir Starmer and government ministers to show some backbone.
“They must make clear that the UK will not tolerate an attack on Greenland and that they will stand up for international law and state sovereignty. Not selectively, but wherever such violations take place and whoever is committing them – whether that be Putin in Ukraine, Netanyahu in Gaza, or Trump in Venezuela, and now potentially in Greenland.
“The Green Party will always reject “might is right” authoritarianism, where military power is used to trump sovereignty and the rule of law. Diplomacy, cooperation and peacebuilding efforts must be strengthened.”
The only target for the number of people killed on the road should be zero, say Greens
Responding to the government’s new Road Safety Strategy, which was announced on 7th January, Green MP, Siân Berry, said
“The only target for the number of people killed on the road should be zero. With this strategy, the Government has massively overlooked key actions to cut traffic and achieve safer and slower vehicle speeds, which are truly effective at saving lives and essential to reaching this goal.
“The Government should follow the example of Wales, where the national default 20mph limit reduced road casualties on 20mph and 30mph roads by 26 per cent in the first 12 months of its introduction. That represents 630 people in Wales who made it home safely.”
Greens call for year of climate action with rejection of Rosebank
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/greens-call-year-climate-action-rejection-rosebank
Climate activists from Greenpeace and Uplift during a demonstration outside the Scottish Court of Session, Edinburgh, on the first day of the Rosebank and Jackdaw judicial review hearing, November 12, 2024THE Scottish Greens called today for a year of climate action, starting with the rejection of Rosebank oil field project.
Net Zero spokesman Patrick Harvie urged both the Scottish and Westminster governments to reject the plans for further oil and gas extraction from the North Sea, instead committing to reaching their net zero targets.
The Labour government has not ruled out production from the Rosebank oil field, and all new exploration, despite numerous warnings from experts that the cost to our climate would be catastrophic.
Mr Harvie said: “We are trapped in a deepening climate crisis, and drilling for new oil and gas will do nothing but worsen the conditions and put unnecessary pressure on our climate already at breaking point.
“There is no going back and starting again. There is no planet B for us to go and live on.
“People cannot afford the rising costs of energy bills that are being made worse by maintaining a link between the cost of gas and electricity.”
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Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/greens-call-year-climate-action-rejection-rosebank
‘Zack is a phenomenal leader’: Siân Berry on the Green party’s next steps as membership doubles
Since Zack Polanski took over as leader, the party has doubled its membership and its four MPs want to take on Reform’s anger and build community spirit
“Someone has to be out there making the narrative for social security. Someone has to fight the corrosive attitudes to people on benefits,” says Siân Berry, who has just finished her first year as a Green MP in the House of Commons.
She is speaking to the Guardian in her Brighton constituency office, formerly occupied by the legendary Caroline Lucas who flew a lone flag as the only member of parliament for the Green party for 14 years.
Now, however, there are four MPs including Berry, battling together, she says, to hold the space for the left at a moment when it feels the far right has hypnotised the entire political body. “Often Adrian [Ramsay, MP for Waveney Valley] is the only one bringing up animal welfare in Defra questions, or Carla [Denyer, MP for Bristol Central] will be the only person arguing for a refugee’s right to work to the Home Office.” They have all, at different times, been the only party to raise the need for taxes on extreme wealth.
“Caroline was a lone voice in parliament,” she says. ‘But there are four of us so we can share responsibilities. We each shadow six government departments.” Berry’s portfolio covers crime and policing, justice, transport, work and pensions, culture, media and sport and democratic standards. “We absolutely have to be ready if an issue comes up. There are some issues where if a Green isn’t in the chamber asking a question, that question won’t be asked.
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Most of all, Berry longs to see strong action on climate. “The climate situation is awful. A two degree rise is within sight. We are on a knife-edge of whether we can protect this ecosystem. It’s our only home.”
Original article at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/30/zack-is-a-phenomenal-leader-sian-berry-on-the-green-partys-next-steps-as-membership-doubles
