Kings Speech a huge missed opportunity for people and planet
Scottish Greens Co-leader Lorna Slater MSP has said the King's Speech represents a huge missed opportunity for people and planet, and won’t be enough to tackle the climate emergency or lift struggling families out of poverty.
Speaking after the new Labour government shared their priorities for the year ahead, Ms Slater said:
“Today’s speech represents business as usual for the UK government. There may be a new Labour prime minister, but Keir Starmer is clearly planning to continue with Tory economic and social policy which prioritises wealth and growth over the wellbeing of people and planet.
“Keir Starmer could have chosen to immediately lift hundreds of thousands of children and their families out of poverty by scrapping the two child benefit cap, but instead he’s relying on the myth of trickle down economics to put food on the table and pay people’s energy bills.”
The Scottish Greens co-leader also highlighted the lack of action to tackle the climate emergency in the King’s Speech. Ms Slater said:
“Today was a golden opportunity for the new prime minister to lay out a bold and ambitious vision, and finally close the door on the last 14 years of Tory environmental vandalism.
“Instead it was lacking in any real announcements on the climate. We still don’t have any clarity on what Great British Energy is, or how it will decarbonise our energy system or drive down people’s bills. And a drive to develop more sustainable aviation fuel will not be enough to tackle the huge emissions from flying and the wider transport system. We should be taxing private jets and making low carbon rail travel more affordable instead.
“Repealing the Offshore Licensing Bill, revoking new licences for oil and gas, and legislating for a swift and just transition in the North Sea is what we urgently needed to see if we are to have any hope of preventing climate breakdown - but this level of climate ambition is clearly lacking from Starmer’s new government.
“We cannot afford more of the same, and nor can the world around us. Future generations will not forgive us if we stick to this kind of business as usual on the climate”