A Green vision for Wales
Wales Green Party have argued alongside Caroline Lucas and others that a General Election is not the answer to the Brexit crisis and continue to campaign for a People’s Vote as the only fair solution to the current parliamentary deadlock.
Wales Green Party are, however, fully prepared for an election campaign. And following Boris Johnson’s cynical manoeuvring at Westminster, we’ll be campaigning across Wales in the coming weeks promoting our strong, radical Green vision to Welsh voters.
At a time of climate emergency this must be an election about our planet’s future and the urgent action needed to tackle this crisis. Greens are the party with real and meaningful policies to create a cleaner, greener safer world for all. From the local level to the European, Greens have a proven record of delivering effective and sustainable solutions to the ongoing climate crisis.
As a nation with many coastal communities at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels and an agricultural sector threatened by extreme weather events, people in Wales are acutely aware of the need for meaningful action to tackle the climate crisis. This was recognised by Wales becoming the first nation to declare a Climate Emergency with many councils following this lead. We now need to see meaningful action to back up these welcome declarations. Wales Green Party has the policies and ambition to help Wales realise its potential in leading the way in creating a greener, fairer, sustainable future for all.
A Green New Deal would revive and restore devastated communities across Wales who have long suffered the effects of an unjust industrial transition and the politically driven austerity agenda. From providing sustainable, affordable housing for all, supporting community owned renewable energy schemes to creating a reliable, efficient nationwide public transport system, Green policies would have a transformative impact at every level of society.
Greens in Wales will continue to oppose all plans for airport expansion and environmentally disastrous road building schemes. Current Welsh Government proposals for increasing flight numbers from Cardiff airport are incompatible with declarations of a climate emergency and a betrayal of future generations.
Farming and food in Wales along with the associated biodiversity has been badly affected by the industrial agribusiness model. The deforestation of the land demands a new model. Working with the agroecological and food movements in Wales, Green policies would build a viable alternative for our rural communities.
The urgent action needed at this time of crisis demands a strong and healthy democracy and Welsh Greens will continue to push for increased devolution of power to the most local level possible across all levels of government. As an internationalist party that believes in localism, we know just how much effective action takes place at the local level.
Wales Green Party believes that Wales should have as much decision-making power, up to and including full independence, as voted for by the people of Wales in any referendum. As a party that has long campaigned for votes at sixteen, we strongly welcome the lowering of the voting age to sixteen at the next National Assembly for Wales election in 2021 and will continue to campaign for this extension of the franchise to be extended to all elections. It is crucial that young people are given an equal say in the challenging future that lies ahead.
We also believe that the problems we face can only be tackled through international cooperation which is one reason the Greens have been a Remain party from the start. We also recognise the ever-increasing social inequality within our communities that is behind so much of the anger and frustration that drove the Brexit vote. Greens will fight to protect our rights as European citizens and to tackle the widespread social injustice across Wales that has no place in the 21st Century.
Wales urgently needs strong Green representation at every level of government. The time is now. We need to work together with our neighbours to create a fairer society and a liveable planet. This action starts at the ballot box. A vote for Wales Green Party on December 12 is a vote for urgent action on climate chaos, a just society and a call for a final say on Europe with a People’s Vote.
Anthony Slaughter is the leader of the Wales Green Party.
With the UK now set for a General Election on December 12, Bright Green is publishing a series of articles from progressive party spokespeople on how their policies would transform the country. This article is part of that series – all articles can be found here.
Header image credit: Madeline Norris, Creative Commons
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