The Green Party, at it’s recent Autumn Conference held in Brighton, unveiled plans to give renters powers to force landlords to insulate their homes as part of a £145bn investment plan.
The scheme would allow tenants to insist landlords apply for grants or low-interest government-backed loans to improve the energy efficiency of homes. Co-leader Carla Denyer said the scheme would help “make every house, flat and bedsit a proper home“.
The Green Party will focus as many resources as possible on four potentially winnable seats at the next general election. Carla Denyer, Co-Leader of the Party & Candidate for Bristol Central said the party would be “laser-focused on those four target constituencies” – Brighton Pavilion where Sian Berry is standing; the newly created seat of Bristol Central, where Carla is standing; Waveney Valley, another new seat across parts of Norfolk and Suffolk, where Co-leader Adrian Ramsay is standing; and North Herefordshire, where Ellie Chowns is standing. Adrian contrasted the Green offer to voters to that from Labour – “They’re turning their backs on the voters who so desperately need them to rise to the scale of the challenge. They claim to have done this in the name of fiscal responsibility. But what’s responsible about letting 250,000 children grow up in poverty by keeping the Tories’ cruel two-child benefit cap?” It was also re-confirmed that we will be running a full slate of candidates at the General Election
The party believe this could be “their moment.” Co-leader Adrian Ramsay told the conference: “I’m sure like me, many of you will read the headlines each morning, watch the news each night and think: how do the Conservatives keep finding new ways to break Britain? After 13 years, it’s actually quite a feat! But no matter what new climate crime or damaging policy the government comes up with, Labour somehow manages to disappoint us just as much. Time after time, they come out swinging at the Conservatives, and then when asked – does that mean you’ll reverse these decisions if you make it into government… radio silence.”
Carla Denyer told conference “the Conservatives have been a disaster for the climate” and then added that Labour have been following the Tories “every step of the way”.
The tributes came after Green MP Caroline Lucas announced earlier this year that she will not stand for re-election for her Westminster seat when voters next go the polls. Sian Berry, who has been selected as the party’s next candidate for Brighton Pavilion at the next election, opened conference and said: “We are meeting here in the heart of the city I am so lucky and proud to call home. We’ve been winning in Brighton and with your help and support we can win again.”
An essential part of conference is passing motions which then become Party policy. Highlights this year included a call on companies to put communities and environment ahead of shareholder dividends; a ban ‘High Carbon Adverts’; support for a four-day working week; and an emergency motion calling for a full public inquiry into the Conservative Government’s mismanagement of HS2.
