Greens warn that Brexit negotiators are closely watching Windrush developments

The UK’s Government’s appalling treatment of the ‘Windrush generation’ will not be overlooked by the EU’s Brexit negotiators and Members of the European Parliament, a UK MEP has warned.

Jean Lambert, London’s Green Party Member of the European Parliament, has called on the Government to ditch its damaging ‘hostile environment’ policies, stating:

That some of the Windrush generation have been ‘deported in error’ is appalling, but it’s hardly surprising. Over the past 12 months, the Home Office has admitted to a string of mistakes that have caused immense anxiety, stress and upheaval to the many affected.

This is not mere incompetence from the Home Office; it’s the successful implementation of Theresa May’s pet‘ hostile environment’ project. This callous and inhumane policy deliberately seeks to make life difficult for non-British citizens who have built lives in the UK, depriving them of jobs, healthcare, and homes.

After Brexit, the 3.2 million EU nationals living on UK soil will also become exposed to this policy. It’s no wonder that so many feel anxious about their futures. The Government should take note – the EU’s Brexit negotiators are watching this ordeal closely, as are MEPs who have a vote on the final Brexit deal. This isn’t a good look.

The Prime Minister’s agreement to meet with representatives of 12 Caribbean countries is too little, too late.  And conciliatory gestures from the Government are meaningless so long as people continue to be hauled off to immigration detention at dawn. It’s time for the Government to stop stoking the flames of fear and anxiety, and scrap the ‘hostile environment’ for good.

After Paris Agreement ratified by EU bloc, Green MEPs call for united pressure on the UK government

EU Environment Ministers met today  in Brussels and  announced  that the bloc has agreed to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The UK’s Green MEPs have welcomed the news and are calling on the UK government to now ratify the agreement without delay. The European Parliament is expected to seal the decision in a vote next week. The EU’s ratification must be followed by individual agreement from all member countries.

Jean Lambert, MEP for London, said:

Its good news that all 28 EU member states have agreed to make this move and help the global agreement on climate change enter into force. The timing is important – China and the US are already on board and India says it will sign up this weekend, so the EU’s decision comes not a moment too soon if it is still to be seen as an active force on this vital issue.

With 2016 virtually guaranteed to be the hottest year on record, and new warnings from scientists about the scale of the climate challenge, the action required to meet the 1.5 degrees Celsius target in the Paris agreement cannot be underestimated. There is no time to lose. UK taxpayers’ money needs to stop propping up fossil fuel suppliers with eye-watering subsidies and go instead to a clean energy transition and the green jobs that come with it.

Molly Scott Cato, MEP for the South West, and Green Party’s spokesperson on EU relations, said:

The EU has been crucial for the fight against dangerous climate change and has set targets which prevented our government from totally crushing the renewable energy sector. But as we prepare to leave the EU it is a worrying fact that many of those who campaigned to leave and are now steering our course and are deeply sceptical about climate change and not remotely interested in pushing for a renewable energy transition.

So it is critical at this time that climate campaigners, those from the renewable energy sector, progressive politicians; indeed, anyone who cares about a safe and secure future, work together. We need to pile pressure on the government to sign the Paris Agreement without further delay, to stay within the single market which will protect the most important climate and energy targets, and to bring about the transition that will make climate stability a reality.

Keith Taylor, MEP for the South East, and member of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, said:

Again, the UK is set to follow where the EU leads, with Theresa May announcing her intention to ratify the Paris Agreement ‘sometime before 2017’. Such a loose and lackadaisical commitment demonstrates a failure to understand the importance of the agreement and suggests little intention of honouring it.

With no indication from the government that it intends to drop plans to continue fast-tracking fracking and oil and gas drilling, or reject the ‘airport capacity crisis’ myth and say no to expansion at Gatwick and Heathrow, ratification is empty symbolism. Theresa May can sponsor the development of new fossil fuel reserves and encourage expansion of an aviation industry that already emits more CO2 than 129 countries. Or the Prime Minister can make a genuine commitment to meeting the climate objectives set out in the Paris Agreement. She cannot do both.

UPDATE: Green MEPs criticise 'inexcusable' response to 'chaotic situation' in Calais

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Refugees in Calais and Northern France must be treated with dignity and in accordance with international law, and the British and French governments must urgently find long-term humane solutions to their plight, Green MEPs have urged today.

The call comes as the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp is again making headlines on both sides of the Channel: Protests against the camp by local residents have taken place this week; the French Government has announced plans to completely close the camp; there has been fresh disruption to cross-Channel traffic, and now there are Donald Trump-esque plans to build a monstrous wall.

Jean Lambert, MEP for London and Green Party migration spokesperson, said:

“The decision to build a wall in Calais is the latest wrong move in what is the ongoing scandal of the handling of the plight of refugees in northern France. Successive French and British governments have utterly failed to fulfil their responsibilities towards the vulnerable people who find themselves in the camps, especially unaccompanied children. A wall will do nothing to improve the security of vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers or local residents, lorry drivers and cross-channel travellers.

“Adding to the already chaotic situation will only cause more children to go missing and give more control to criminal gangs. The authorities need to gain the trust of people in the camps, provide them with the information they are entitled to, give them a sense of security, and handle their asylum claims properly.

“The UK government must get its act together. Many of the people in Calais have a legal right to be reunited with family in the UK. The slow speed at which governments are dealing with asylum claims is inexcusable. People who find themselves in these camps do not want to enter the UK illegally but they need support to access the asylum system and no matter what they need to be treated with dignity.”

Keith Taylor, MEP for the South East of England, said:

“The situation in Calais is a symptom of a problem; dismantling the camps and removing the last scraps of dignity and security from their residents will not solve the problem. Building a wall is certainly not the answer either. Only through cross-border political cooperation can we hope to alleviate what is a global crisis.

“I empathise with the frustrations of local residents, hauliers, and travellers on both sides of the channel, but we cannot allow this Humanitarian crisis to be exploited by resurgent French or British far right groups. The dehumanising campaigns against camp residents cannot become justification for abandoning our legal and moral duties to approach this crisis with humanity.

“History will not judge our nations kindly if French and British governments refuse to work together constructively on this issue. Attacking the symptoms will never solve the problem.”

Molly Scott Cato MEP, who visited the ‘jungle’ camp in Calais earlier this year and is Green Party spokesperson on EU relations, said:

“The new wall will turn out to be another hugely expensive sticking plaster that will simply result in people going further to get round it and will push up tariffs for people smugglers. Instead, the British Government should be registering applications for asylum in the camps in France to quickly identify those people with a right to enter Britain. Perhaps a wall fits better with the fortress Britain mentality which seems to be at the heart of those pushing for a hard Brexit.”

Mayor's inaction on air pollution is killing people

Today’s research from King's College, London, has estimated London's air pollution caused the early deaths of almost 9,500 people in 2010 LINK and is proof that the Mayor's inaction is killing people, Green MEP Jean Lambert says.  In contrast, MEPs on the European Parliament's Environment Committee voted in favour of a fresh round of air quality standards today, with the committee voting this morning to back a new package of measures requiring member states to meet limits on six pollutants by 2030.

Current estimates already list air pollution as responsible for more premature deaths in the UK than obesity, alcoholism and road traffic accidents combined. 

Jean Lambert responded:

'More proof, if indeed it were needed, that we face a clear crisis. When will London's Mayor realise that his inaction is killing people?'

Greens: Heathrow decision 'deeply disappointing' & shows power of big business

 

Jean Lambert , London Green MEP has issued the following statement on the Davies Commission findings:

'Today’s announcement shows the power and reach of big business. Growth at any cost in our aviation capacity is not compatible with the UK's climate change commitments. Heathrow Airport is already the biggest noise polluter in Europe and with estimates that around 1.1 million people will be affected by a third runway, this is a deeply disappointing decision.’  

 In 2014 Jean Lambert  submitted a joint response to a major Government consultation on airport expansion. In it, she highlighted the impact of aviation on meeting our climate change targets and on local communities. She also submitted a response to a separate consultation on state aid for aviation, in which they called for an end to state subsidies to the aviation industry

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for South East England said:

“Despite three long years of the Commission looking at all the evidence, we still cannot build a third runway at Heathrow otherwise we will fail to meet our climate change targets.

It is and has always been a myth that the UK faces an airport capacity crisis and we already fly more than any other country.

Instead of expanding our airports the Government should introduce a frequent  flyer tax which would tax aviation much more fairly and at the same time  reduce the demand for new runways".

Green MEPs call for compassion in Strasbourg migration debate today

MEPs will give their views on the European Agenda on Migration presented by the Commission in a debate with Vice-President Frans Timmermans, Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos and the Council Presidency this morning in Strasbourg.

Ahead of the debate Jean Lambert, Molly Scott Cato and Keith Taylor, Green MEPs for London, the South West and the South East of England united in saying:

The European Commission seems, at least, to have understood that EU Member States must together face up to their collective responsibility for refugees.

More opportunities for legal access to the territory of the EU and greater commitment on combating the underlying reasons why refugees flee their country of origin are needed. Along with this, a humane and compassionate response should frame the debate, not a competition to see who can talk toughest.

Seizing and sinking smugglers' boats may have a short term effect, but it also risks more injuries and deaths. Rather than grab headlines, what is needed is a well-resourced, internationally co-ordinated effort to improve the quality of life in departure countries and put people smugglers out of business.

Jean Lambert: Ongoing EU-funded search & rescue programme needed in the Mediterranean

A ten-point action plan has been revealed by the European Union in the wake of large-scale loss of life in The Mediterranean, promising to both increase control as well as rescue operations. The European Commission said the plan, approved by EU Foreign and Interior ministers at an emergency meeting in Luxembourg, will be presented at a summit today, Thursday the 23rd. Commenting, Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London said:

It could not be clearer that immediate action is needed to prevent further loss of life. We need an ongoing EU-funded programme for search and rescue of refugees because individual governments can no longer cry crocodile tears while at the same time refusing to support rescue missions. We must of course work to combat despicable smugglers, but acknowledge that desperate people take desperate measures. What worries me about this plan is the focus on smugglers and on return programmes. It looks as if we are just pandering to fears instead of really getting to the root of the problem.

No-one should be fooled, FRONTEX is border control, not a rescue operation. Unless Libya and Syria can experience prolonged stability people will continue to do what they have always done throughout history: try and reach safety. While the EU is not above criticism, it is our own Government that decides the level of support for the Italian Government.

The European Parliament will have a co-decision role on any proposal to adapt the EU budget, and Greens call on all political groups to consider this in the ongoing negotiations on the 2016 EU budget and put pressure on the European Commission and EU governments.

Next week the plenary agenda of Parliament in Strasbourg will include a formal  Oral Question ( for which Jean was a co-signatory) with Council and Commission statements on the situation, Jean concluded:

We need a common European approach based on solidarity and humanity. The overwhelming majority of refugees are not in the EU: if Germany had the same proportion of refugees as Lebanon, there would be more than 20 million to support. The real crisis here is for those seeking sanctuary, not for the EU.

Greens welcome European Parliament vote on recognition of Palestinian statehood

The European Parliament yesterday adopted a resolution with a large majority ( 498 in favour, 88 against, 111 abstentions) calling for the Palestinian state to finally be recognised.

 Immediately in response to the vote, Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London said:

The European Parliament has today joined the growing international momentum for the recognition of the Palestinian state. The Greens/EFA group has long supported a two state solution and views the recognition of Palestine as an important step towards a peaceful solution of the Middle East conflict, which puts pressure on both sides to this end.

For too long, Palestine has received mixed messages from Europe so I also welcome that MEPs supported a Green proposal to set up a 'parliamentarians for peace' initiative with deputies from Europe, Israel and Palestine.’

 

Greens welcome new report showing net contribution of EU nationals in UK

At an event yesterday in the European Parliament to launch a new report, [1] Jean Lambert said of the study:

This study shows, yet again, that the Government’s portrayal of EU nationals in the UK as being takers rather than givers is just not backed by evidence.

Covering the period from 2007 – 2013, the findings from four countries: the UK, Austria, Germany and The Netherlands shows that EU migrants made a positive contribution to their respective state budgets. The total taxes paid in exceeded the total benefits received by EU migrants by between 0.2 and 0.9 % of GDP, on conservative estimates.

Directly responding to some member states, the UK included, who want to restrict the right to free movement of people in the EU, the new report from the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) [2] further showed that:

·      EU migrants received, on average, 50% less in terms of social benefit expenditure than the average citizen of the countries studied

·      Even when pension-related benefits and contributions are not taken into account, the net positive contribution remains for the UK

Hosting the launch event in the European Parliament, Green London MEP Jean Lambert concluded:

While these findings are welcome the conclusion isn’t new, and you certainly wouldn’t know it based on the reporting of the mainstream UK press.

If the Prime Minister really wants to reduce benefit payments, he should concentrate on ensuring people are paid decent wages so they don’t need state top-ups. Pay is a national responsibility.

[1] http://www.ecas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Fiscal-Impact-of-EU-migrants.pdf

[2] http://www.ecas.org/

At an event yesterday in the European Parliament to launch a new report, [1] Jean Lambert said of the study:
‘This study shows, yet again, that the Government’s portrayal of EU nationals in the UK as being takers rather than givers is just not backed by evidence.’
Covering the period from 2007 – 2013, the findings from four countries: the UK, Austria, Germany and The Netherlands shows that EU migrants made a positive contribution to their respective state budgets. The total taxes paid in exceeded the total benefits received by EU migrants by between 0.2 and 0.9 % of GDP, on conservative estimates.
Directly responding to some member states, the UK included, who want to restrict the right to free movement of people in the EU, the new report from the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) [2] further showed that:

• EU migrants received, on average, 50% less in terms of social benefit expenditure than the average citizen of the countries studied

• Even when pension-related benefits and contributions are not taken into account, the net positive contribution remains for the UK

Hosting the launch event in the European Parliament, Green London MEP Jean Lambert concluded:
‘While these findings are welcome the conclusion isn’t new, and you certainly wouldn’t know it based on the reporting of the mainstream UK press.
‘If the Prime Minister really wants to reduce benefit payments, he should concentrate on ensuring people are paid decent wages so they don’t need state top-ups. Pay is a national responsibility.’
-ends-
Notes To Editors
[1] http://www.ecas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Fiscal-Impact-of-EU-migrants.pdf
[2] http://www.ecas.org/
- See more at: http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/2014/11/13/eu-migrants-pay-take-another-study-finds/#sthash.OeInKzTv.dpuf

London marches for urgent action on climate change

Thanks to Lewisham Green Party for this video which shows the energy and urgency demonstrated on the streets of London on Saturday as we march to bring the attention of world leaders to the need to act quickly on climate change.

Greens celebrate election of three MEPs in Euro poll

I was relieved this morning this morning to find that Jean Lambert had been re-elected as a London Green MEP.  In the face of UKIP's gains and signs that the other parties are moving right in an effort to match their anti-immigrant policies, it is important the Jean's principled anti-racist voice has a platform.

In spite of the national swing to UKIP, the Green Party has been able to overturn the odds and now has triple the number of MEPs that the Lib Dems do. The wins, powered by 1.2 million people voting Green on May 22, come on the back of extremely positive local elections results which saw the Greens become the official opposition on Solihull, Liverpool, Lewisham, Norwich and Islington Councils.

Jean Lambert, who has been Green MEP for London since 1999, said:

I am delighted and honoured that Londoners of all backgrounds have supported the Greens in this European election and voted again for a strong Green voice in the European Parliament. Greens will continue to put forward positive policies to tackle the growing inequalities between rich and poor, whether in London or beyond, and to continue the push to a low carbon economy, which combats climate change while creating new jobs.

I was delighted to see Molly Scott Cato elected as the new MEP for the South West and reacting to her win she said:

It is fantastic that the South West now has a Green voice in Europe. I would like to thank everyone who voted Green on Thursday and I am looking forward to representing the South West in Brussels.

Keith Taylor was also returned again as Green MEP for the South East region. He tweeted:

So very proud to be re-elected as an MEP. Will stand up for my constituents, wherever they come from, every single day.

Green Party Leader, Natalie Bennett, put the wins in context:

The growth of our number of seats in the European Parliament reflects growing support for Green Party policies and values around the country. Increasing numbers of voters are inspired by our message of positive change for the common good. They support, as do a majority of the public, our views on many issues, from renationalising the railways and reining in banks, from banning fracking to making the minimum wage a living wage.

Give voice to the alternative-vote Green in Euro & local elections

Greens are polling ahead of the Lib Dems in the Euro elections and because of the voting system every Green vote counts towards increasing our number of MEPs. This interview on Open Democracy with Jean Lambert MEP gives more information on our European record and stance: LINK

Here again is our local election manifesto for Brent:

We will:
· Campaign for REAL accountability
· Fight cuts to local services
· Tackle climate change
· Combat air pollution
· Press for affordable housing for local people
· Oppose bedroom tax evictions
· Support our local schools and oppose their privatisation
· Protect and enhance our local green and  urban spaces
· Press for restoration of  local library provision

Safeguarding local services Brent has already lost millions in funding under the Coalition. The 2015-2016 Brent budget is likely to require cuts that will cause untold damage to the local population. The Green Party is anti-austerity and pro-social justice and so opposed to the Coalition’s attack on the poor and vulnerable. We will oppose any such cuts.

Accountability and Transparency  Many residents have experienced being ignored, bulldozed or mislead by Brent Council. We will make sure the Council is accountable for its  actions and transparent in its dealings with the public. We’ve signed up to Keep Willesden Green’s pledge to submit ourselves, if elected, to recall by 51% of the votes cast in a ward at this election.

Climate Change Greens are working at a national and international level to combat climate change. We will also press for local action including, encouragement of green jobs through a Brent Green Industries zone with start-up subsidies, a programme of energy  efficiency in council and BHP properties including double glazing, insulation and solar panels and a pilot Low Carbon Zone.

Clean Air Air pollution is not just an irritant, but an unseen killer, strongly linked to asthma, lung cancer and cardiovascular illness. Over 4000 Londoners die early each year as a result of it. We will work with Green Assembly members for action at the London level to tackle high polluting vehicles and reduce dependency on cars. Locally we support the London Cycling Campaign’s ‘Space for Cycling’ initiative, will press for better public transport to reduce car use, especially the ‘school run’, and encourage a diversity of shops in our local high streets to encourage ‘walkable’ local shopping.

Housing We will support local developments on viable brown field sites that include at least 50%         genuinely affordable housing and that are accompanied by infrastructure improvements including health and education facilities to support the additional population. We will press for the urgent  delivery of the delayed family housing in the Wembley Quintain development. We will oppose evictions of tenants who have defaulted on rent payments because of the unfair bedroom tax.

Education We would strengthen the role of the local authority and its accountability in terms of school improvement and Special Educational Needs provision and campaign for it to be able to build new schools where needed, rather than rely on the costly and undemocratic free schools and academies. We will support the emerging collaborative arrangements between schools that aim to improve the quality of teaching and learning across the borough.

Green Spaces Brent’s increasing population makes green and urban open space even more important and extreme weather requires flood management for Brent’s streams and rivers. We will defend those green open spaces where they exist and insist on their sustainable maintenance as well as supporting the creation of new pocket parks and town squares. New developments will be required to provide play spaces for children and growing spaces for residents. The new Chalkhill Park has shown what a major impact a green space can make on a community both environmentally and in terms of bringing a community together.

Libraries We will press for restoration of accessible local libraries across the borough.

YOUR GREEN CANDIDATES

Alperton - Yusuf Akram, Barnhill - Giovanna Dunmall,  Brondesbury Park- Rai Shamon, Dollis Hill - Pete Murry,    Dudden Hill - Simone Aspis, Fryent - Claire McCarthy,   Harlesden - Simon Erskine, Kensal Green - Sally Ibbotson, Kenton - Graham Allen,

Kilburn - Nas Belazka,   Mapesbury - Scott Bartle, Northwick Park - Mimi Kaltman, Preston - May Erskine,

Queensbury - Adlen Biloum,  Queens Park - Alex Freed, Stonebridge - Brian Orr,   Sudbury - Manish Patel, Tokyngton - Khalid Akram, Welsh Harp - Jafar Hassan, Wembley Central - Kolos Csontos,

So what have Greens been doing since the last election?

Brent Greens  have campaigned on library  closures , the loss of the Willesden Bookshop, the forced  academisation of Gladstone  Park Primary School,  the Harlesden Incinerator, the free schools shambles,  protecting the Welsh Harp from over-development , construction of Chalkhill Park, and the  building of affordable housing rather than luxury  housing for overseas buyers. We opposed the cuts in street cleaning that have left our roads litter strewn. We have relentlessly  tried to hold the council to account despite not holding office. We work WITH campaigns and don’t try to take them over. Elected or not, our campaigning will continue.

London Green MEP urges support for tomorrow's 'Space for Cycling Big Ride'

London Green MEP Jean Lambert has urged cyclists to support candidates who have pledged improvements to London's cycling infrastructure in this week's council elections.

Speaking ahead of  Satuurday's  'Space for Cycling Big Ride' , she said:

A sustainable transport policy means more facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.

We know that if more people get around the city by bike or on foot it's better for everyone – both in terms of improving London's appalling air quality, and the direct health benefits enjoyed by the people concerned.

I am proud that all the Green Party candidates asked by the London Cycling Campaign support local measures to make cycling safer and easier in their boroughs – and I hope all the suggested measures can be put in place soon.

Meanwhile, I hope many thousands of Londoners get out and support tomorrow's event, which takes place between 11 and 2pm tomorrow across the capital.

Greens surge in Ipso MORI poll

Hot on the heels of the Greens surge in the polls ahead of the May 22nd European Elections, polling out today shows the Greens have jumped five points and are polling at 8% in non-European polling  ahead of next summer’s General Election.

Reacting to the Ipsos MORI polling, a Green Party spokesperson said:

“The Greens have not polled this strongly in non-European polling ahead of a General Election since 1989, the year the Green Party secured 15% of the vote. Our message of real change for the common good is clearly striking a chord.”

Reacting to the Ipsos MORI poll, The London Evening Standard  reported that, “today’s big winners are the Greens, whose support has shot up from three to eight points on the back of higher exposure in the campaign period.”

Green leader Natalie Bennett attributed the strong polling to the popularity of Green Party policies when given more media exposure and to voters’ disenchantment with the big parties. Speaking from Leeds, she said the polls “chime with what I am hearing around the country”.

According to ICM’s European Elections polling released on May 12th, the Green Party is polling at 10% ahead of the May 22 European Elections, putting it firmly in fourth place and three percentage points ahead of the ailing Liberal Democrats (7%).

The Greens are within touching distance of meeting their target of trebling their number of MEPs from two (Jean Lambert, London, and Keith Taylor, South-East) to six. Based on a national swing the latest poll would give the Greens five seats in England plus one in Scotland. The Lib Dems would have zero seats. Among 18-24 year-olds the Greens are the second most popular political party.

Green MEP condemns 'xenophobic' UKIP poster campaign

LONDON'S Green MEP Jean Lambert has pointed to the chasm between UKIP claiming to defend British workers jobs, while doing nothing to defend their rights at work.

Speaking on the BBC today, she said:

Today an anti-EU poster campaign has been launched, suggesting that UK jobs are under threat from EU migrants.

There is no fixed number of jobs so it is misleading to assume that a British worker loses out every time a non-UK national gets a job. We should also not assume that every vacant job has a local applicant with the necessary skills.

We should be ensuring everyone in work has the same rights and earns a living wage. UKIP has not once defended workers' rights in the European Parliament and frequently speaks of such rights - to control working time, to parental leave, to equal treatment - as "barriers to business".

These posters represent crocodile tears for British workers.

She added:

This xenophobic campaign is just nasty: it is anti-foreigner and leaves many EU migrants - that's more than a million people in London alone, and British citizens from diverse backgrounds, wondering whether they should be here at all.

The Green Party believes the UK should be at the heart of the EU, with a prime seat at the decision-making table: not only to boost employment and workers' rights, but to ensure we influence EU standards on air quality, its responses to climate change and that the UK has a voice on key decisions about how and where we get our energy from in future.

Greens join those standing up to racism and fascism

Hundreds marched from Parliament Square and rallied in Trafalgar Square today to demonstrate against racism and fascism ahead of the local and Euro elections. Many speakers expressed concern about how, in the wake of Ukip, the three main parties were pandering to racism and xenophobia.  Jean Lambert Green MEP urged everyone to vote for whatever progressive party, although she herself was a Green, to keep the extreme right from increasing their representation in the European Parliament.

Young Greens and an 'Old Green'

Jean Lambert MEP on the big screen

Green MEP warns on trade deal threat to NHS

Jean Lambert MEP has warned that the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) damages democracy, threatens the future of the NHS and should be scrapped.

Speaking as negotiations between the European Commission and the US enter their fourth round in Brussels, Lambert said the free trade agreement could override important EU and UK laws which set standards and protect services – on issues such as food safety, data protection, health and the environment.

The London MEP was speaking at the launch of a joint report from her and Green MEP colleague Keith Taylor, which highlights some of the many dangers of the agreement to UK sovereignty.

The right to access public procurement – government spending, which could include the NHS – forms a major part of negotiations.

Transnational corporations from the US would have the right to enter the UK market – with 'regulatory harmonisation' between the EU and US companies leading to standards being watered down.

There is also the prospect that the UK government could be sued if it introduces regulations that might limit the future expected profit of services, making the liberalisation of services virtually irreversible.

Greens are the only major group in the European Parliament which currently opposes the trade deal.

Lambert said:

“These deals being made behind closed doors will have serious consequences for our rights - they will see democracy losing out to corporate power.

“We already know the Tory-Lib Dem coalition don't care about our public services staying in public hands – but this deal could stop future governments reversing their damaging privatisation agenda.

“The deal threatens to open the NHS to US companies, and close the door on a future government putting patients back before profits.

“This trade deal is not about free trade, but a free-for-all, slashing regulations in favour of big business.

“Greens are the only party putting human rights before corporate rights. This deal must be scrapped.”

'EU measures aimed at deflecting attention from benefit cuts'-Lambert

Information you don't often see

London’s Green MEP Jean Lambert has accused Tory PM David Cameron of trying to deflect attention from his own government’s benefit cuts by announcing measures to reduce benefit payments to nationals of other EU countries - over a million of whom live in London.

“This is all about deflecting attention from benefit cuts, and not really about protecting UK benefits and public services at all,” she said.

“People should bear in mind the principle that EU nationals are entitled to treatment on the same basis as a national, including access to social security- so what is Cameron’s message to us, if he’s planning to change the rules? That you will lose your right to benefits if you have no realistic chance (defined by whom?) of finding work after six months? That if you are homeless, you cannot be looking for work and will be punished accordingly?

“’Benefit Tourism’ is a myth - not borne out by the facts at all, as the EU Commission and the OECD have made clear. In fact, those born outside the UK tend to pay more tax, and claim fewer benefits, than those born here – they are, as a group, net contributors to the public purse.

“Overwhelmingly, people come here to work and some come because they feel safer here than in their home-country: both of these say very positive things about the UK. David Cameron prefers not to recognise that - he’s too busy looking for the next set of benefit cuts.”