Labour leadership contenders' stance on environmental policies

Environmentally conscious Labour readers of this blog may be interested in the candidates' answers to questions put by Friends of the Earth. Below I republish the original FOE blog that can be found HERE
 

We asked the Labour leadership candidates to tell us where they stand on green issues. Here is what they said (or didn’t say).

Two weeks ago we wrote about the scale of the Government’s destruction of green policies and the urgent need for strong opposition to these changes from the Labour party.

We also set out 10 key environmental policies we think Ed Miliband’s successor must adopt, in order to hold the Government to account on crucial issues like climate change and the depletion of the natural world.

We sent these policies to the four contenders for the Labour Leadership and asked them to get back to us with their responses.

What the Labour leadership contenders think

Despite extending the deadline (twice) and repeated private and public reminders (here and here for instance), we didn’t hear a peep from two of the candidates, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall. (But see note at the end of the article)

Andy Burnham and Jeremy Corbyn did get back to us, but with varying degrees of detail.

Andy Burnham's team provided us with this statement and an accompanying email explaining that many of the “quite detailed” policy positions we put to him “will be subject to the policy review that will take place leading up to the 2020 [general] election”.

The statement makes clear that under Mr Burnham’s leadership “environmental issues will be treated with new energy and will be given a prominent place in what will define the Labour Party” but provides little in the way of detail.

The clearest policy position in Mr Burnham’s statement is that “no fracking should go ahead until we have much clearer evidence on the environmental impact”. This is a welcome commitment, although short of the necessary pledge to oppose fracking full stop because of the unacceptable risks it presents to tackling climate change.

Jeremy Corbyn was the only one of the four candidates who replied in full to our specific asks.

The responses include a commitment to “take action now to keep fossil fuels in the ground” and “end dirty energy handouts, ban fracking and set a target date to end new fossil fuel extraction, and begin to phase out high polluting coal power stations with support for workers to re-train”.

Mr Corbyn said he would “call for unabated coal, the most polluting fossil fuel, to be phased out by 2023” and in a welcome move confirmed that “I am opposed to opencast coal mining which scars our landscape, and disrupts local communities with noise and air pollution.”

+++ UPDATE 24 August: Yvette Cooper gave a speech over the weekend outlining her "six point roadmap" on climate change ahead of the Paris summit at the end of the year. Read our take on it here. +++

Despite Corbyn the impossibility of tackling climate change within capitalism remains the key issue for eco-socialists

The old politics is crumbling, not just in Britain but across our continent. We now have the chance to embrace a movement based not on greed or fear, but on resilient local communities, people working together and a stable economy that works for generations to come. I truly hope you win the contest on 12 September – and I look forward to continuing to work with you to bring about the progressive politics that has inspired us both for so many years...

Caroline Lucas' open letter to Jeremy Corbyn published in the Independent LINK  has created a lot of discussion and comment, not all of it complimentary.

When members of the Labour Party have asked me to join the party I have often replied, only half-jokingly, 'I can't. I'm a socialist!'

Now it looks as if that is what the Labour Party itself is saying to some of those who have joined recently as a result of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership campaign.

I haven't because I am committed to eco-socialism and a member of  Green Left. This is what we said in 2006:

 “Activists in the Green Party have founded Green Left because many Greens believe the only path to an ecological, economically and socially just and peaceful society has to be based on an anti-capitalist political agenda.”

You can read more about Green Left's political position HERE but for me a key issue is that climate change as a result of human activity is such a threat that we have to change that activity. We cannot continue expanding industrial production without limit as the processes involved will accelerate climate change and eventually threaten humankind and other species.

To change to a sustainable economy requires separating wants from needs, ending the artificial creation of demand through advertising,  stopping the plundering of the earth's finite resources, and creating an economic system based on cooperation rather than competition and exploitation.

This is the opposite of neoliberalism which monetises everything from education to water and has no regard for the damage it causes to people and planet.

Corbyn's campaign although sharing many of the Green Party's policies does not address this fundamental issue at the heart of the planetary crisis.  The Labour Party he will inherit as leader, if elected, is still committed to the neoliberal agenda, albeit a slightly softer version than the Tory one, and it will be a huge battle to change that commitment as the reaction of the Blairites, the bulk of the media, and the Establishment have shown.

The Labour leadership campaign has highlighted one issue for me regarding democratic policy making. All the candidates seem to be putting forward policies as individuals, reflecting the party's move away from the sovereignty of conference when members can put forward motions about vital issues and principles, debate and vote on them - it is now a top-down process.  The leadership campaign, rather like a General Election, gives rank and file members just one chance to vote on policy through choosing one of the candidates rather than a say in formulating policy.

The Green Party  still makes policy democratically at its two Conferences a year with a process that includes pre-agenda discussions, pre-conference prioritisation, conference workshops culminating a debate on the floor of the Conference. The leader has no more say in these debates than rank and file members.  The Autumn Conference will be after the winner of the Labour contest is announced and any alliances or pacts will be subject to Conference debate and decision making.

The process means that our leaders cannot make up major policy on the hoof without it first having been decided by the membership. This probably led to some of the difficulties experienced by Natalie Bennett during the General Election campaign when the media expected her to have the same freedom to make policy as other party leaders.

These differences in the process of policy making will present some difficulties if a Corbyn led Labour Party and the Greens set up some kind of 'progressive' alliance ('progressive' is a vague label claimed by many often conflicting groups - anti-austerity or socialist alliance may be better as a guide to action in this parliament).

The undemocratic structures of the Labour Party, the dominance of the far from radical Parliamentary Labour Party, the behind the scenes machinations of the Establishment and intelligence services (cf my previous article on Harold Wilson and my prediction of dirty tricks over Corbyn's support for Palestine LINK) and media hostility all lead me to fear that Andy Burnham will end up as Labour Party leader but, along with Caroline Lucas, I wish Corbyn well.

After Tariq Ali, the thoughts of Chairman Mo on Labour Leader election

Chairman Mo

As voting begins for the Labour leadership the Burnham Campaign has sent Brent Labour Party voters this message from  Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council. Note that Muhammed appears to have made a mistake in the spelling of his own name.
  

In the next few days, you should be receiving your ballot papers for the Labour Party leadership contest. I wanted to write to you to explain why I absolutely believe that Andy Burnham is the right choice.

This election is now a contest between two big visions for the future of our Party and our country.

I've worked closely with Andy and we know he has what it takes to lead our Party; someone who is Labour through and through, who can unite us and who can win back the support that we’ve lost.

Andy’s vision is one that our movement can believe in. His manifesto offers credible economic alternative based on a high-wage, high-skilled economy. An economy that drives growth through a new industrial strategy, where unions are partners, not demonised by government. A truly comprehensive education system with opportunity for every child that isn't determined by the postcode of the bed they are born in. An ambitious house-building programme to ensure that everyone has an affordable home to own or rent. And a national health and care service that is there for you from cradle to grave, with social care full integrated into the NHS.

This is a vision built on true Labour values. It can win in 2020 and deliver the Labour Government that our country so desperately needs. Repeated polls have shown that Andy is the only candidate who Labour voters and the general public will get behind.

As a council leader, I have seen first-hand what five years of Tory policies have done to the capital - we can’t go on opening more food banks than schools. We need a Leader who can take the Tories to task, fight for Labour values and deliver a Labour victory. That leader is Andy. So let’s unite together, move forward and move our focus to beating our real opponents: the Tories.

Will you say you’re with Andy and be part of the change?

I'M BACKING ANDY

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Best wishes,

Muhammad Butt
Leader of Brent Council 

Butt also signed this statement on Labour List LINK

Brent North nominates Jeremy Corbyn for leader

Rather unexpectedly, Brent North CLP backed Jeremy Corbyn for Labour leader this evening. Yvette Cooper was in second place, followed by Andy Burnham with Liz Kendall last.

This completes the Brent constituences. Brent Central also backed Corbyn and Hampstead and Kilburn backed Yvette Cooper.

Hampstead & Kilburn back Yvette Cooper for Labour Leader by just one vote

Hampstead & Kilburn Labour Party yesterday narrowly backed Yvette Cooper for the Labour Leadership, by just one vote in the third round.

This is how the process of distributing second choice  votes  of the lowest candidate in each round after Jeremy Corbyn achieved the most votes in the first round. Corbyn only acheived one extra vote in the distribution:

First round

Burnham 7
Cooper 24
Corbyn 34
Kendall 11

Second Round

Cooper 28
Corbyn 34
Kendall 11

Third round

Cooper 36
Corbyn 35

This is interesting if a similar pattern were to occur in the national one person one vote poll.

Hunt dashes hopes for clear Labour support for democratically accountable schools

With the last non-faith secondary school in Brent about to be forced to become an academy and four free schools in the pipeline for the borough, many teachers, trade unionists and parents have been looking to Labour to propose an alternative.

They have been disappointed locally by the Labour Council's failure to support the campaign against forced academy status for the popular Gladstone Park Primary School and its sacking of the governing body at Copland High School.

Nationally there was much impatience with Stephen Twigg's failure to take on the Coalition over education with the same energy and commitment as Andy Burnham had done with health. He failed to adopt a clear position on free schools, academies and privatisation and became known on Twitter as the 'Silent Twigg'.

However any hopes that his post-reshuffle successor would be any better have been shattered by Tristram Hunt's statements on free schools over the weekend. He came out in support of free schools with a few caveats, and failed to address the issues of democratic accountability and supporting the role of local authorities..

After his appearance on the Andrew Marr show my Twitter feed was full of disillusioned comments. Here are a few of them:

alistair smith ‏@alatalite 1h

I read this and despair! Its a free for all! Hunt signals Labour policy shift on free schools

 Amy. ‏@thisisamy_ 1h

Dear Labour, if I wanted Tory style welfare policies, I'd vote Tory.

Jim Clarke ‏@Jorvic_JJC 2h

Where is the evidence based policy?Why aren't we comparing with other countries? Failure of Free Schools in Sweden and Charter schools in US

 Tom Miller ‏@TomMillerUK 2h

So given today's announcements it's a pretty bad day to be on the Labour left. Remind me how the reshuffle was a cull of Blairites?

The Govertaker ‏@Bedtonman 1h

Seen as Labour are determined to be the same as Gove on education I think it is time to leave the Labour party & join the Greens

 Michael Rosen ‏@MichaelRosenYes 2h

How many media interviewers will ask Hunt why he has rejected the democratic model of a 'free school' and adopted a Tory one?

 Michael Rosen ‏@MichaelRosenYes 2h

Tories co-opted and distorted democratic localism in schools and turned it into market localism controlled by Sec of State = totalitarianism

 Martin Maloney ‏@MartinGMaloney 3h

@TeacherROAR @TristramHuntMP I'm 52 a teacher I have only just joined the Labour Party, and now I have to tear up my card, shame on you Hunt

 sue shanks ‏@ShanksSue 3h

Looks like only #Green party believes local authorities should be in charge of schools now.#laboureducationpolicy

 Christine Townsend ‏@IfBChristine 3h

@bevclack @TeacherROAR @TristramHuntMP what experience of state education have u got? were u state educated? ever taught in a state school?

 Rachel Ellis ‏@60isnew18 3h

@IfBChristine @TeacherROAR @bevclack @TristramHuntMP Not good one of his first comments should be to support Free schools. shame on him!

Tom Copley ‏@tomcopley 4h

Very disappointed by Tristram Hunt's "parent-led academy" idea. Local authorities need a stronger role in education, not a weaker one

 Charlie Kiss ‏@charliekiss 6h

Don't expect change from Labour- they're keeping free schools and so continuing with destruction of local democracy http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/oct/13/tristram-hunt-labour-free-schools?CMP=twt_gu …

 Itsmotherswork ‏@itsmotherswork 7h

Naturally if Tristram Hunt knew anything at all about state education he would know that local authorities haven't "run" schools for years.

Natalie Bennett: The trouble with Labour... public sector pay freeze, NHS privatisation, green economy

Natalie Bennett on Huffington Post

As October begins, and the Labour Party conference is in the headlines, people across the country are preparing to unite for a march in London to stop austerity's attack on the UK.

And while the two are in the news, the obvious question is: 'Will Ed Miliband, Ed Balls and other shadow cabinet members express unequivocal support for the March for a Future That Works?'

The march, which takes place on 20 October, has been organised by the trades union movement and will see thousands of members of the public, union members, political organisations and campaign groups show their opposition to the Coalition's heartless, failed, false economies.

The government's cuts have not only failed the most vulnerable, who are forced to watch as the services on which they rely are taken from them, or even those who have lost their jobs as the government sets about trying to make the economy grow by removing money from it.

They have failed everyone. Even those of us fortunate enough not to have lost our job, or a benefit on which we relied, must face the fact that the coalition's policies have not even achieved what Osborne promised.
In June 2010, he told us that the cuts would hurt. They have. He told us that they were necessary. The Green Party disagrees, but if the chancellor lacks the imagination even to consider a 'plan B', he can perhaps be forgiven for thinking that they were.

But he also told us that his cuts would reduce the deficit. They have done the opposite. Instead of reducing the deficit by 4.6%, as the Chancellor promised, his economic illiteracy has instead forced it to grow by 22%t between April and August.

The Coalition promised 'change'. Instead, the government has given us more of the same privatisation, casualisation, and demonisation of the poor, people with disabilities, and public sector workers.
So much for the Coalition. But isn't this where we would expect the Labour Party to step in?

To take care of its traditional supporters, those who work, or want to but cannot, to build a better future for us all?

The opposition is in the middle of a 'policy review'. So far, it has taken since February 2011.

Nobody expects rebalancing the national finances to be straightforward. And nobody believes it's in Labour's interests to reveal policies which could be 'stolen' from them - even though it could be in the nation's interests to hear them.

But the problem with Labour at the moment is not what it is NOT saying: it's with what it IS.

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls was RIGHT to warn that the coalition's austerity plans would crush any chance of a 'recovery'. But he has recently told us he would stick to public sector pay freezes, which will leave thousands of workers worse off, year on year, in the face of inflation.

And while Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham tells us he will 'repeal the Health and Social Care Act. Full stop,' the party's leader seems not yet to have made up his mind whether to reverse the effective privatisation of almost half of the NHS.

Perhaps he doesn't know. Maybe his Party hasn't yet made up its mind. But on 20 October, I and other members of my Party will be out on London's streets, supporting working people and making it clear that we understand you cannot put an economy back on its feet by throwing people out of work and undermining the public services that keep society ticking.

We believe that the green economy - vital in any case to avert international climate disaster - holds one key to tackling the deficit. The government's own figures show green business is the only sector bucking the recession, with 4.7% growth from 2010-11, providing an extra £5.4bn of economic activity.

We must get serious about reviving our manufacturing industries and bringing food production back to Britain. That's essential - environmentally and economically. And we need workers to be able to buy the goods and services they need. The Labour Party may not agree, although we hope it does. But whatever its view is, now is the time its traditional backers - and the country as a whole - need help.

We will be marching on 20 October. Will the Labour Party?