Welcome to Cambsgreen

News : Green MEPs on EU nuclear subsidies

Green WMD protestor released - 27 August.

Irene Willis, who represents the Eastern region on the party's top strategy-making body, had been sentenced to 21 days after taking part in a non-violent protest at USAF Lakenheath. She and three other women had cut through the fence at the US nuclear base to expose that illegal US nuclear weapons were being stored there. The four were convicted of criminal damage.

Two Green Party members of the Scottish Parliament were also released from custody - following protests against nuclear weapons in Scotland.

Illegal nuclear weapons

Irene Willis's lawyer, Hugo Charlton, drew on section 47 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act, which makes it a crime to possess nuclear weapons unless they are authorised. Charlton demanded disclosure by the prosecution in order to prove that there were, as asserted by the defendants, nuclear weapons on the base, and that the defendants were in fact - as they had pleaded - acting to prevent a crime.

Hugo Charlton commented today: "We argued that the possession of nuclear weapons without authorisation is a crime under the new law. As they will not admit that they have nuclear weapons, and therefore refuse to produce authorisation, the defendants were acting to stop a crime."

Mr Charlton, who is also the Green Party's home affairs spokesperson, continued: "In the trial, the British health and safety officer for the site admitted that he does not have access to large parts of the storage facilities. This means that he can not check whether the storage facilities are really safe."

End to weapons of mass destruction

Spencer Fitz-Gibbon, a member of the party's national executive, commented today:

"Those unable or unwilling to take direct action will be able to vote in the coming general election for the dismantling of British WMD and the removal of American bases. Since the Iraq war we expect many more members of the public will see through the government's disingenuous arguments on defence and on WMD and will vote accordingly."

Notes to editors

1. The four women were given conditional discharges but were ordered to pay what their barrister described as "punitive" costs of £500. Irene Willis Refused to pay the costs out of principle and was sentenced to 21 days, but is expected to be released early.

2. Green MSPs Mark Ballard and Patrick Harvie, along with other protestors, were released from police custody following their arrests at the UK nuclear base on the Clyde on Monday. Patrick Harvie MSP, whilst detained in the back of a police van, said: "I'm proud to do anything to resist weapons of mass destruction. It's vital that people should be told the government we elect next year will be looking to build a new generation of nuclear weapons and all candidates should be asked - will you join us in opposing new weapons of mass destruction? If Blair wants to rid the world of WMD he need only travel to the Clyde. I'll even offer to show him the base.

EU agrees £6bn British energy bailout.
Green MEPs condemn massive subsidy for failing nuclear industry 22nd Sep 2004

EU Commissioners have given the green light to a bailout of Britain's nuclear industry with £6 billion of taxpayers' cash.

Euro-MPs and environmentalists condemned the decision as a "disaster" which ignores the polluter-pays principle, and represents a massive subsidy to the morally bankrupt and deeply unpopular nuclear industry at the expense of renewable electricity sources.

Caroline Lucas, the Green Party MEP who lodged the initial complaint with the Commission, said: "Today's decision is nothing short of a disaster. It will lower the cost of generating nuclear power - by granting the industry a massive subsidy of taxpayers' cash.

"This will force renewable generators and research projects into bankruptcy and set back efforts to reduce CO2 emissions.

"Nuclear power is dangerous, deeply unpopular and economically unviable. This decision represents yet another blow for the democratic legitimacy of the EU."

BE is de facto bankrupt, as its assets are insufficient to cover both operating costs and its multi-billion liabilities - the cost of processing radioactive waste generated by the UK's ageing nuclear power stations.

Nuclear power plants generate waste that must be processed decades after their reactors are closed. To pay for these activities generating companies are supposed to put aside a percentage of their revenue.

In the UK, which has the oldest reactors in Europe, it has now become clear that insufficient funds have been put aside and the Government is now proposing to bailout these waste management activities.

British Energy ran into huge financial difficulties in 2002. The UK government proposed a £6bn rescue package in apparent contravention of EU rules outlawing 'unfair state aid' to prevent government cash being used to distort the EU's internal free market.

The Commission today argued it was obliged to accept the state aid because of its obligations to promote and protect the nuclear power industry under the Euratom Treaty.

Today's decision clearly shows the incompatibility of Euratom with internal market rules, said MEPs, who again called for it to be radically overhauled.

Dr Lucas, South-East England's Green Party MEP and a Member of the Parliament's ...

Green Party challenges Tory leader Michael Howard as he makes his first major speech on climate change today (Monday 13 September) - and as Tony Blair prepares a similar speech for Tuesday (1) - a Green Party spokesperson has accused both party leaders of "trying to pull the wool over the voters' eyes".

Dr Spencer Fitz-Gibbon, who was today appointed to the party's "Green Cabinet" with a newly-created climate portfolio, started his new job by throwing down the gauntlet - stating twelve commitments the Tories and Labour must make NOW if they are to have any credibility on climate change (2).

The twelve commitments include:

- Immediately setting a target of 90% reductions in UK CO2 emissions compared with 1990 levels by 2050 at the latest.

- By 2010, be spending at least £2 billion a year from ecotaxes on non-nuclear renewables and energy conservation measures.

- By 2010, end the £9 billion annual tax break which is given to the UK aviation industry and invest the resulting revenue in Green alternatives - to stop aviation being the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions.

- Establish two million solar roof systems in the UK by 2010.

- Immediately scrap the national roadbuilding programme and invest in Green alternatives, aiming for at least 20% traffic reduction within 10 years.

Spencer Fitz-Gibbon commented today:

"Tony Blair has a history of saying the right things about climate change, then utterly failing to match his words with action. And the Tories have simply never had a clue. If they can't make this twelve-point commitment, it'll confirm they're just trying to pull the wool over the voters' eyes.

"But climate change is at last rising up the political agenda, and every year we get closer to exposing their greenwash for what it is.

"In the general election we can expect climate change to be a bigger issue than ever before - and the Green Party will once again set the standard the other parties must reach. Except it's gradually getting harder for them to conduct business-as-usual behind a smokescreen of concerned statements."

Dr Fitz-Gibbon, who is also one of the longest-served members of the party's national executive, continued:

"Climate change is the biggest single threat to the world's economy. We need a Green industrial revolution to stop it, and the growth of the energy conservation and renewable energy sectors will generate 200,000 UK jobs.

"But stopping climate change will be a global effort, and that means rich countries like the UK making free transfers of sustainable energy technology to countries like China and India, to help them develop sustainably.

"No-one can say we can't afford to stop climate change. The fact is, we can't afford not to."

Notes

1. The Independent on Sunday reported 12 September 2004 that Michael Howard and Tony Blair, "in an unprecedented double-act", would be delivering major speeches on climate change on Monday and Tuesday this week respectively. Also in a speech at the World Clean Air and Environmental Protection Congress in London, 24 August 2004, environment minister Lord Whitty stated that that "internationally our first priority is climate change, in the long term probably the most important issue we face as a global community."

2. Climate Change Challenge: 12 urgent commitments the government must make will be published on Monday 13 September 2004.

© The Green Party 2004 Code, Design and Photo Credits
Published and promoted by Spencer Fitz-Gibbon for The Green Party, both at 1a Waterlow Road, London N19

About Us | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | ©2004 Jon Quinn for The Green Party.