Like everyone else, we have been watching with horror as the war in Ukraine has unfolded with ever more atrocities. The only glimmer of hope comes from the anti-war protests in Russia, and the numbers of young people leaving the country for Finland to distance themselves from the actions of their Government. No hope comes from the slow, chaotic response of our Government.
The Green Party has been calling for immediate robust and forceful sanctions since the threat of invasion surfaced. We wanted sanctions to target the Russian leadership and elite immediately, whilst minimising the harm caused to ordinary Russians. We had the potential to have considerable impact because Britain has long been a favourable destination for Russian oligarchs and their money, however we have been cosying up to Russia for too long, and so action was slow and halting and allowed time for monies to be removed and hidden again.
Carla Denyer, Green Party co-leader said “It is past time for the government to shut down the London money laundry for criminals and those connected with the Putin regime. The government should have done much more to investigate and prevent Russian interference in British politics, including donations to the Conservative party. This should have been cleaned up a long time ago.”
The Conservatives have refused to introduce visa-free access to the UK for refugees, and their response to the refugee crisis has been slow, inadequate and chaotic. We have all been shocked by the stories of lack of organisation of the visa application process and even family members being refused access. The British people, in contrast, have shown how much they care and want to help, just by the vast quantity of donations they have made through shops like The Polish Shop, Dino in Maryport. It is the people who have pushed the Government to act.
While we welcome the Government's recent suggestion of support for more solar and wind generation, their ongoing commitment to nuclear ignores the fact that uranium supplies (from Russia) may be as precarious as fossil fuels, not to mention the unsolved problem of waste disposal. Rather than focussing solely on energy supply, reducing demand by insulating homes, improving public transport etc should also be a high priority. To use the excuse of war to try to reopen fracking, to justify the Woodhouse Colliery, to increase drilling in the North Sea and to turbo-charge the development of new nuclear is unforgiveable. After all, although initial cost may be significant, the price of the fuel for wind, tidal and solar energy has remained steadfastly at zero, despite the war.
Jill Perry
