Adrian Ramsay MP, Green Party Co-leader. Wikipedia CC.
Reacting to news that government and regulators have broken the law by being too lenient on water companies that spill sewage, and on the day Thames Water seeks a £3bn bailout, Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay MP said:
“For too long billions have been leaking out to shareholders instead of going into fixing our broken water system. But it will be water customers who are expected to bail out this failed model of privatisation through steep hikes to water bills.
“The way to end this fiasco and ensure government and regulators keep within the law is to put failing water companies into special administration and ultimately to bring water back into public ownership.”
CHANCELLOR Rachel Reeves has ordered 5 per cent cuts across government departments in an “efficiency drive” that resembles austerity.
Announcing the spending review, Ms Reeves said: “I have no doubt that we can find efficiency savings within government spending of 5 per cent and I’m determined to do so.”
She said the cuts would be secured by cracking down on waste and focusing on the five “milestone” policies Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer outlined in his government relaunch last week.
Those were boosting living standards, building more homes, cutting NHS waiting lists, ensuring children are ready for school and raising military spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product.
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The 5 per cent reductions are to be achieved over three years, the Treasury said, adding that the Chancellor will “work with departments to prioritise spending that supports the milestones to deliver the plan,” indicating that areas not a “milestone,” such as welfare, will be squeezed.
Ms Reeves denied that her move replicated a similar announcement by her predecessor George Osborne at the height of Tory austerity.
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said: “Labour call their 5 per cent cuts across government departments ‘efficiency savings.’ We call it what it is: cuts to services.
“This amounts to the continuation of the same damaging, unpopular and unnecessary policy that has so devastated our country over many years.”
People take part in a Believe in Scotland march and rally in Edinburgh, September 2, 2023
SNP is on course to retain power in Holyrood as support for independence hit a four-year high of 54 per cent, according to a new poll.
Despite a year which has seen their former chief executive facing charges related to embezzlement, the loss of a leader, a coalition with the Greens and 38 seats at the general election, research since Wednesday’s draft budget suggests the SNP are on course to win 37 per cent of constituency votes and 32 per cent on the regional lists at the next Holyrood elections in 2026.
Writing in the Sunday Times — which commissioned the Norstat poll — expert Sir John Curtice suggests this would give SNP 59 seats in Holyrood, as Labour plunge to a new low of 20, and Reform win 13.
Reacting to the conclusion of COP29, Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay MP said:
“This COP has tested the patience of everyone who wants to see the devastating climate crisis tackled.
“The final agreement is simply not good enough for the world’s poorest nations with too little money to deal with devastating impact of climate change, and the oil and gas lobby has succeeded in weakening the commitment made at the last COP to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels.
“We are half-way through a critical decade for action, and the devastation wrought through more floods, drought and wildfires is now obvious.
“The moral and scientific case for doing everything possible to meet the demands of the Paris climate agreement becomes stronger as the damage caused by every 0.1 degree rise becomes ever clearer.
“Now is the time for action. That means turning the limited financial pledges agreed at COP, which already fall far below the demands of the global South, into hard cash.
“That money – in the form of grants, not loans – needs to be available right now for adaptation and mitigation, alongside funding to cover the loss and damage already experienced by the poorest countries.
“The climate finance to fund the transition to a global green economy only makes sense if we move away from fossil fuels. Here, that means the Labour government ruling out the Rosebank development in the North Sea.
“Prime Minister Keir Starmer has shown commitment to the COP process by being one of the few leaders of richer countries to attend.
“Now, he needs to build on that foundation and take an international lead in defending the gains made through previous COPs in the face of what will be a relentless attack by fossil fuel companies backed by a climate denier in the White House from January next year.
“He must also take seriously the need to make the UK more resilient to changes in the climate that are already affecting us here.
“Climate action today is about creating a world tomorrow in which can meet people’s basic needs and enable people and nature to thrive.
“The UK government should back the call from international leaders for a reformed COP process in which the powerful fossil fuel lobby is excluded.
“The fossil fuel lobby has the self-interest to block the immediate action the people and planet need. They cannot be allowed to succeed.
“COP must become the forum that holds governments to account and pushes forward change, including supporting countries to adapt to the impacts of the crisis already being felt.
“A COP that excludes the fossil fuel companies and their lobbying arms while supporting representatives of countries and indigenous peoples most impacted by climate change can transform all our futures.”
Will this be the first brick in the Red Wall to turn green? New polling data shows that Labour are set to lose seats to the Green Party.
In their first few months running the country, it’s fair to say that Labour have encountered some turbulent headwinds. Not everyone has taken to the choices made in their first official budget or their policy agenda – and it could open the door for more Green Party MPs.
Green Party on course for further growth at the next election
Polling from More In Common, conducted earlier this week, asked who voters plan to back at the ballot box in 2029. The vibe shift from this summer is stark, and Labour now find themselves trailing the Conservatives by four points – after losing almost 10 percentage points since July.
Increased vote shares for the SNP and Reform are also noted – alongside some significant gains for the Green Party. The current data would take their total number of MPs up from four to six, as they are projected to win Bristol East AND Huddersfield North.
The party saw its numbers grow across the country this year, increasing their vote share and performing well in local elections too. With Labour struggling to capture the imagination of the public, the ambitions of the Green Party are likely to soar.
Green Party could get SECOND MP in Bristol
These would prove to be two very substantial results for the left-leaning organisation. Firstly, they already hold Bristol Central following a decisive victory at the last election. Their predicted margin of victory for Bristol East is a mere 0.1%, but support is rising in the city.
