PM has hired fracking promoter to write Tory general election manifesto
Boris Johnson has failed to meet a key deadline to tackle the climate and environment emergency.
“The Prime Minister has also hired a fracking lobbyist to write the Conservative manifesto”
A press release issued by the Labour Party condemns the failure by Johnson and his government to respond adequately to one of the most pressing crises facing this country and our planet:
Today the government has failed to bring urgent plans to meet the climate and environment emergency within the six month deadline set by parliament.
The climate and emergency motion passed by parliament on 1 May this year “calls on the Government to lay before the House within the next six months urgent proposals to restore the UK’s natural environment and to deliver a circular, zero waste economy.”
Since parliament’s declaration of a climate and environment emergency the Conservative government has failed to pursue policies adequate to the scale of the crisis.
In the six months since the declaration of a climate and environment emergency, the Tories have continued to pursue policies that are damaging to the natural environment in the UK and abroad. These include:
· Maintaining the ban on onshore wind while forcing through dangerous fracking that will scar our environment;
· Pursuing local government cuts that have seen record amounts of litter on our streets while prosecutions for fly-tipping are at a ten year low;
· Creating a “hostile environment” for renewables, leading to clean energy investment plummeting in the last three years;
· Proceeding with cuts to Natural England that have seen its core budget cut in half since 2010, with devastating consequences for our environment;
· Continuing to use UK Export Finance to subsidise fracking and fossil fuel extraction abroad.The Prime Minister has also hired a fracking lobbyist to write the Conservative manifesto.
Shadow Environment Secretary Sue Hayman said:
By ignoring the climate and environment emergency, Boris Johnson has shown that he cannot be trusted to save our planet.
This election is our last chance to stop the climate and environment emergency.
The next Labour government will usher in a Green Industrial Revolution to tackle climate change. Labour has a radical, credible plan for tackling the climate crisis and creating a million good, unionised green jobs across the country.
The climate and environment emergency motion tabled by the Labour party and passed by the House of Commons on 1 May was as follows:
That this House declares an environment and climate emergency following the finding of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change that to avoid a more than 1.5°C rise in global warming, global emissions would need to fall by around 45 per cent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net zero by around 2050; recognises the devastating impact that volatile and extreme weather will have on UK food production, water availability, public health and through flooding and wildfire damage; notes that the UK is currently missing almost all of its biodiversity targets, with an alarming trend in species decline, and that cuts of 50 per cent to the funding of Natural England are counterproductive to tackling those problems; calls on the Government to increase the ambition of the UK’s climate change targets under the Climate Change Act 2008 to achieve net zero emissions before 2050, to increase support for and set ambitious, short-term targets for the roll-out of renewable and low carbon energy and transport, and to move swiftly to capture economic opportunities and green jobs in the low carbon economy while managing risks for workers and communities currently reliant on carbon intensive sectors; and further calls on the Government to lay before the House within the next six months urgent proposals to restore the UK’s natural environment and to deliver a circular, zero waste economy.
At the end of that debate, Hayman emphasised in a point of order that the government must bring forward a cross departmental plan within six months:
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I am proud to be part of a Parliament that has passed a motion declaring a climate and environment emergency. However, I want to draw attention to the fact that the motion included a certain set of actions for the Government to carry out. It calls on the Government
“to increase the ambition of the UK’s climate change targets under the Climate Change Act 2008 to achieve net zero emissions before 2050, to increase support for and set ambitious, short-term targets for the roll-out of renewable and low carbon energy and transport, and to move swiftly to capture economic opportunities and green jobs in the low carbon economy while managing risks for workers and communities currently reliant on carbon intensive sectors; and further calls on the Government to lay before the House within the next six months urgent proposals to restore the UK’s natural environment and to deliver a circular, zero waste economy.”
Mr Speaker, may I ask what parliamentary levers are available to this House to ensure that such action is taken?
Hayman raised the 1 November deadline last week during the Queen’s Speech debate.
Boris Johnson has hired fracking lobbyist Rachel Wolf to help draft the Conservative election manifesto.
An Environment Bill loophole leaves nature targets in 18-year lag, while the Director of Natural England has warned of the dramatic impact government cuts to the agency are having on the environment.
SKWAWKBOX view:
Never trust a Tory with the environment, either.
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Sorry this is off topic, hope nobody minds me bumping it from this thread that’s back on the second page of SKWAWKBOX now…
“VIDEO: LABOUR MPS MUST DRAG EVERY INTERVIEW BACK TO THE REAL ISSUES. PIDCOCK SHOWS HOW”
Contributor Tony mentioned that it had once been possible to nominate a candidate to be supported by your donation, which I hadn’t known.
Seems to me it’s a very good idea for quite a few reasons and I wanted to ask what you lot think of it.
I can think of arguments against but on balance I’m way in favour.
Enough of us nominating Corbyn to administer our donations ought to remove any possibility of a coup – and those who bleat about having “the overwhelming support of the constituency” would finally be able to prove it 🙂 Or not.
The suspension of Lancashire county council planning and the inspectorate in Cardiff,and the government intervention in planning rules of local authorities to govern is just another signpost of what the ultimate objectives of the Tory establishment will be if they are able to win the election campaign.!. Fracking is just a preview of unregulated Global Capitalism in the sewer they are creating.!
The ability for a minister to ‘call in’ and decide an application has always been there – i.e. the possibility of political intervention.
Both local authorities and the Planning Inspectorate are bound by the requirement of transparent decision making and the criterion of ‘reasonableness’ in terms of the law and regulation.. This is much looser when a decision is made by a minister, and the only recourse is Judicial Review. Thus the need to be wary of untrammeled political power.
The process has been used by both parties, and I recall a decision (under the Blair government) being made by the then minister (against all professional recommendations) purely as a result of political influence. I frequently pass the eyesore that resulted – and wince..
Who do yoy represent?RH….you know that the decision to overturn a county council decision is a symtom of a regime in crisis to quote jerremy “whos side are you on” . basically we dont need your lib input in a election.!.
Just an example of global Capital at work.The little town of Hibbing Minnesota USA,far North borders of US and Canada in the area known as the rust belt incorperating Wisconsin,and NDakota.This place is an area very few people visit even from the US and even fewer know about because of the extreme climate basically Sweatbox and giant mosquitoes in summer and minus 30degrees in winter.and Ice storms.This area was allowed to die,the lumber mills and the mines stopped,and the population declined,jobs and any form of employment dryed up.The little town of Hibbing became shabby and neglected.The People of Hibbing welcomed the new investment and the jobs provided by the new investment of Fracking and open cast minning.,thats nearly 20years ago…The local water many no longer drink,oil has polluted the lakes and the poulation of Wolves and bears dear and wildcats are also disappearing..The Betty Ford clinic is a 200 mile drive to Minneapolis is not to far if youve got insurance which many of the towns residents haven’t got because their jobs even with insurance are always limited to a couple of thousand dollers.So the gods fearing residents of hibbing struggle on with the Cancer epidemic and do what their Scandinavian ancestors did and shrug their shoulders and say in their strange un american acentts Okay Yaa its gods will?….My Son in law comes from hibbing and his family still die there and I still go there unfortunately for funerals.
PS much of the desruction fracking etc was done under President Obama and with the help of democrate dominated senate and Congress Dubya bush started the ball rolling much the same sort as the Labour party enemy within..Everything has a price in the USA and nothing has any value…especially the poor!
The fracking issue needs to be mentioned on the doorstep particularly in Lancashire.
Is this the same Fracking industry Goebells propogandist who decided to call Anti-Fracking Protesters ‘Miliant Anti-Fracking Protesters’ until they retorted by calling the companies ‘Militant Fracking Companies!’ and they soon dropped the term!
Could the Tory Goebells propogandist answer why pertroleum has an energy effiency of 30:1 (needs one barrel of energy to produce 30) and thus is profitable but Fracking only has an energy efficiency of 7:1 and wells only last 3 years so you will need thousands in the UK to make this Tory industry profitable.
Labour will ban Fracking!
Oh while I am on here, went to my union meeting today and a parent of a child who had been put in one of those ‘barbaric’ Isolation Units at a school gave a moving talk.
Please sign their petition at:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/257745
And Labour outlaw these, scrap academies etc which CONTROL kids lives and bring back schools under democratic control plus work with unions and let teachers teach.
Democratise education to it serves the community and free the children from bloody tests and teachers to teach too!
201 reasons to VOTE LABOUR!
Solidarity!
The Prime Minister has also hired a fracking lobbyist to write the Conservative manifesto
Boris has just nullified that criticism he’s just banned fracking throughout the UK.
“The government has banned fracking with immediate effect in a watershed moment for environmentalists and community activists.
Ministers also warned shale gas companies it would not support future fracking projects, in a crushing blow to companies that had been hoping to capitalise on one of the new frontiers of growth in the fossil fuel industry.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/02/fracking-banned-in-uk-as-government-makes-major-u-turn
SteveH, I noticed the word “moratorium” twice in skimming the Guardian piece.
“Banned” implies a permanence that “moratorium” contradicts.
BBC’s going with “put on hold.”
If a Tory government’s re-elected I wouldn’t buy the booze for the street party just yet.
I drive past the Preston New Road site quite often. When the speed limit goes back from 20 to 50 I’ll believe the delay might last.
Fresh from the tories climate change policy.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-50274212