Latest news with #NorthHerefordshire
The Independent
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Green Party leadership candidates accuse Polanski of using ‘polarising' language
Candidates on a joint ticket for the Green Party's leadership have accused their opponent of using divisive language and threatening progress made by the party in the last year. Ellie Chowns and Adrian Ramsay, who both became MPs last year when the Green Party achieved its best general election results, said Zack Polanski would risk the party losing support it has gained. The co-leadership contenders did not give specific examples of 'polarising' language he had used. Former Green Party leader and MP Caroline Lucas said Ms Chowns and Mr Ramsay's membership of the House of Commons gave them more authority compared with Mr Polanski. They represent North Herefordshire, and Waveney Valley in East Anglia, respectively. They are standing against Mr Polanski, the party's deputy leader and a member of the London Assembly. He has previously told the Guardian his bid would be focused on transforming the Greens into an 'eco-populism' mass movement. The Green Party had four MPs elected in July 2024, its highest number. Meanwhile, the party has more than 850 councillors after May's local elections, also a record total. Voting in the leadership contest will open on Friday. The result will be announced on September 2. The election was called after Carla Denyer (Bristol Central) announced her decision not to stand again in May. Ms Chowns said: 'As the current Labour government balances the books on the backs of the poorest, and backslides on its commitments to counter climate breakdown, it's crucially important that the Green Party keeps its distinctive identity as the only party in British politics with climate and environment front and centre. 'To win under first-past-the-post, we have to connect with a wide range of voters. We do that not through polarising language that appeals only to a narrow segment, but with the language of fairness, compassion and hope for a thriving, sustainable future.' She added voters had indicated they would be more willing to back the Green Party than the new party which is being set up by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and ex-Labour MP Zarah Sultana. 'Polling by YouGov shows that people who voted for all the other parties in 2024 are much more likely to consider voting Green next time than for a Corbyn-led party, and our ability to keep winning over voters from every other party is a huge strength in an increasingly crowded political landscape,' she said. Ms Lucas, who represented Brighton Pavilion for 14 years until last year, said: 'It's a huge advantage for our party to be led by people who are holding the Government to account every day of the week in Parliament, with the mandate that comes from being an elected MP. 'It reminds voters that the Green Party is a serious political party winning power at every level, as well as being part of the wider environmental and social justice movement.' Mr Ramsay, who has been co-leader with Ms Denyer since 2021, said: 'In recent years we've had unprecedented success, doubling our councillor numbers and winning four new Green MPs. 'This has come from a laser-like focus on elections, and from successfully building trust and sustained support in communities all across the country. 'Building that level of trust with voters is a massive achievement and, with the two-party system now clearly finished, it puts us in an excellent position to make much bigger gains. 'Ellie and I are hugely ambitious for the future of the party. We can't be complacent about the Green Party's hard-won credibility. 'As more and more people align with our values and vision, that credibility and wide appeal is what will enable us to play a central role in the future of British politics.'
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Green Party leadership candidates accuse Polanski of using ‘polarising' language
Candidates on a joint ticket for the Green Party's leadership have accused their opponent of using divisive language and threatening progress made by the party in the last year. Ellie Chowns and Adrian Ramsay, who both became MPs last year when the Green Party achieved its best general election results, said Zack Polanski would risk the party losing support it has gained. The co-leadership contenders did not give specific examples of 'polarising' language he had used. Former Green Party leader and MP Caroline Lucas said Ms Chowns and Mr Ramsay's membership of the House of Commons gave them more authority compared with Mr Polanski. They represent North Herefordshire, and Waveney Valley in East Anglia, respectively. They are standing against Mr Polanski, the party's deputy leader and a member of the London Assembly. He has previously told the Guardian his bid would be focused on transforming the Greens into an 'eco-populism' mass movement. The Green Party had four MPs elected in July 2024, its highest number. Meanwhile, the party has more than 850 councillors after May's local elections, also a record total. Voting in the leadership contest will open on Friday. The result will be announced on September 2. The election was called after Carla Denyer (Bristol Central) announced her decision not to stand again in May. Ms Chowns said: 'As the current Labour government balances the books on the backs of the poorest, and backslides on its commitments to counter climate breakdown, it's crucially important that the Green Party keeps its distinctive identity as the only party in British politics with climate and environment front and centre. 'To win under first-past-the-post, we have to connect with a wide range of voters. We do that not through polarising language that appeals only to a narrow segment, but with the language of fairness, compassion and hope for a thriving, sustainable future.' She added voters had indicated they would be more willing to back the Green Party than the new party which is being set up by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and ex-Labour MP Zarah Sultana. 'Polling by YouGov shows that people who voted for all the other parties in 2024 are much more likely to consider voting Green next time than for a Corbyn-led party, and our ability to keep winning over voters from every other party is a huge strength in an increasingly crowded political landscape,' she said. Ms Lucas, who represented Brighton Pavilion for 14 years until last year, said: 'It's a huge advantage for our party to be led by people who are holding the Government to account every day of the week in Parliament, with the mandate that comes from being an elected MP. 'It reminds voters that the Green Party is a serious political party winning power at every level, as well as being part of the wider environmental and social justice movement.' Mr Ramsay, who has been co-leader with Ms Denyer since 2021, said: 'In recent years we've had unprecedented success, doubling our councillor numbers and winning four new Green MPs. 'This has come from a laser-like focus on elections, and from successfully building trust and sustained support in communities all across the country. 'Building that level of trust with voters is a massive achievement and, with the two-party system now clearly finished, it puts us in an excellent position to make much bigger gains. 'Ellie and I are hugely ambitious for the future of the party. We can't be complacent about the Green Party's hard-won credibility. 'As more and more people align with our values and vision, that credibility and wide appeal is what will enable us to play a central role in the future of British politics.' Mr Polanski has been contacted for comment.
BBC News
06-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Warwickshire Reform's Pride flag focus is pathetic, says Green MP
An MP has accused Reform UK of "getting its knickers in a twist" over a Progress Pride flag flown outside a council headquarters - and also told the party to focus on more important issues rather than "posturing and performative politics".Ellie Chowns, the Green Party member for North Herefordshire, was referring to a row in Warwickshire where Reform UK requested the county council it leads to remove such a told BBC Politics Midlands that Reform's focus on flags was "pretty pathetic" and voters were more interested in potholes and bin on the same programme, Reform UK's Ian Cooper, leader of Staffordshire Council, said: "We are defending the public interest." He added: "We were elected on a mandate and we intend to do it."Also among the guests for Sunday's broadcast were Conservative MP for Kenilworth and Southam Sir Jeremy Wright who said the flag row in Warwickshire was a "distraction" and was not what most people cared about."For heaven's sake, are we really going to discuss what flag flies outside Shirehall in Warwick as a priority for the people of Warwickshire?" he row began when the county council's acting leader - Reform UK's George Finch - wrote to the authority's chief executive, asking for the flag to be removed during Pride chief executive refused, stating in an email response that such decisions rested with her - a stance described as a coup d'etat by Zia Yusuf, head of the national party's department of government efficiency. It later emerged that the authority did not have the technical advertising consent required to fly a Progress Pride flag outside HQ. The flag's design differs from the standard Pride rainbow flag which is not subject to permission. The flag has since been removed following the end of Pride said there was "nothing whatsoever" wrong with the Pride flag, but council buildings should "represent the people of the county and of the United Kingdom"."If you want to fly a Pride flag or any other flag, go and find a flag pole and fly it," he said. Another guest, Sureena Brackenridge, the Labour MP for Wolverhampton, said that in her constituency "not many people are really concerned about what flag flies outside the council buildings".Her comments were echoed by Chowns and Sir said she believed "people care about potholes, about bin collections, people care about social care and looking after vulnerable adults and children in the community".Sir Jeremy said Warwickshire County Council had huge challenges which should be taking up the council's time, instead of flag policy."I really do worry that this is a demonstration of what many of us are concerned about, which is that Reform is all about slogans and not much about delivering things that people really care about," he added that if Reform wanted to set a flag policy, it needed to be debated by councillors. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
North Herefordshire MP Ellie Chowns speaks out over Bob Vylan row
A Herefordshire MP says the row over Bob Vylan's performance at the Glastonbury Festival is a distraction from talking about the ongoing "actual violence" in Chowns, Green MP for North Herefordshire who was at the festival, stressed she completely disagreed with the punk duo urging "death" to Israeli troops, during their set on Saturday, but criticised the amount of coverage the incident has had. "Incitement to violence is totally the opposite of my politics and I completely disagree with that: whoever it comes from, wherever it's done," she spoke out after the prime minister condemned the band for what he called "appalling hate speech". "I'd never heard of Bob Vylan before this weekend," Chowns continued. "It's also quite weird to me that this is also over all of the front pages. And it's a distract[ion]… They're probably loving the attention."What we should be talking about is the actual violence that is happening in Gaza."She drew attention to the fact the more people were killed overnight on Sunday and more Gaza citizens displaced."It is horrendous what is happening there and I do find it a bit odd the papers are full of this stuff about what a band has said, which I completely disagree with, but we should be focusing the attention on what's happening to people's lives in Gaza."Chowns was at the festival to deliver a talk entitled "From protest to power: the politics of hope and action", on the talk she spoke about how grassroots movements can achieve real change through the ballot box. The MP also took part in a panel on climate change, on Friday. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
06-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Droitwich firm calls for recruitment to support solar panel drive
A solar panel company has called for a recruitment drive to support a government announcement for mandatory panels on the the majority of new-build homes from Secretary Ed Miliband said the move was "just common sense" and solar panels would save the typical household £500 a year on energy regulations will require developers to add panels unless the buildings fall under certain exemptions such as being covered by Hayward, managing director of Solar Select in Droitwich, said the move could lead to issues with getting skilled labour in place. He said: "In 2027 companies will gear up for it and start their own in-house training, but obviously it helps if it's government-backed for apprenticeship schemes."He also said it was important the buildings had a "sensible amount" of panels fitted."I'm sure the industry will welcome this move," he said. "What we'd like to also see is a sensible amount of panels put on there." Solar panels, or photovoltaics, capture the sun's energy and convert it into electricity to use in your to the Energy Saving Trust, domestic solar panels are generally about 3.5kWp (kilowatt peak) - meaning they typically generate that much power at peak government said the new rules would be included in the Future Homes Standard published in the autumn but there would be a transitional period for developers to adjust to the regulation Herefordshire's Green Party MP Ellie Chowns said she was glad the "government had seen sense" on making solar panels mandatory but was also cautious."We should be making sure they're properly insulated, we should be making sure they're flood resilient, and [that they're] prevented from overheating," she added. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
