New Green Party co-leaders call for one-off £320 payment to help households cope with energy price surge

The newly elected joint leaders of the Green Party have kicked off their annual conference in Birmingham this afternoon.

Co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay were elected as joint leaders of the party earlier this month

The pair opened their introductory speech by praising the record of outgoing co-leaders Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley, and went on to make several bold policy pledge, including an end to universal credit and a ‘Green New Deal’.

Denyer explained: “People want a carbon tax on the most polluting industries. They want those who fly frequently to pay more for it. They want proper funding for greening our homes. And they want to ways to eat less meat and dairy day to day.

“Only the Green Party has the policies the public is looking for – not only on climate but also on creating a fairer society – like public ownership of public services, a pay rise for key workers, and a universal basic income to ensure no one is left behind.

“We do not accept that inequality is inevitable. We say that those with the most should pay the most. It’s time to straighten out the tax system once and for all. That means that the richest people, the Covid-billionaires and the biggest corporations pay their fair share, and that income from wealth is taxed properly.”

Ramsay reiterated her, and went onto call for a £320 winter fuel payment to each UK household amidst surging energy prices.He said the scheme would be funded by “a one-off 1% land-value tax on residential landlord properties,” adding that: “It’s about human dignity.”

He said that, “This measure is crucial but it’s not the long term solution. As a country we should have been investing to insulate every home and install renewable energy, to cut carbon emissions and cut energy bills. Our building standards should have been stringent, not penny pinching – set for the people who live in the homes, not the developers who build them for profit and walk away.”

Regarding the government and the opposition’s attitude towards issues such as energy and the Coronavirus pandemic, Denyer went on: “We need better – we demand better. And we see none of it from an official opposition that fails the public, ignores the votes of its own members, and can’t take a stand on the biggest issues of the day.”

Former Green Party leader Natalie Bennett responded warmly to the speech, tweeting:

Denyer and Ramsay succeeded Sian Berry, who took over as acting leader in August 2021.

Prior to that, Berry and Jonathan Bartley were joint leaders of the party after being elected in September 2018 with 6,279 of 8,329 votes.

In July 2021, Bartley announced that he would stand down at the end of the month to give the party time to choose new leadership before the next general election. In July 2021 Berry announced that she would not stand in the leadership election.

The election turnout was 22 per cent of out of their membership of around 53,000.

Denyer is a Bristol City Councillor who stood for the party at the last election in Bristol West.
Ramsay formerly served as Green Party deputy leader and worked on Caroline Lucas’ successful bid to be elected as the first Green MP at the 2010 general election.

He previously worked as CEO for the Centre for Alternative Technology, an eco-centre pushing for net zero power generation.