The four newly elected Green Party Members of Parliament, Sian Berry MP, Ellie Chowns MP, Adrian Ramsay MP, and Carla Denyer MP, arrived at Parliament today, marking a significant moment in the party’s history after they quadrupled their representation in the Commons at the elections. The MPs pledged to hold the Labour government to account, urging them to adopt bold and necessary changes to improve Britain.
In their opening move, the Green Party MPs have laid out a clear and achievable ten-step plan, which they describe as a “litmus test for the direction this government plans to travel.” These steps, the Greens argue, are essential for demonstrating the Labour government’s commitment to serious and progressive change within their first 100 days in office.
Ellie Chowns MP commented after their arrival in parliament that “We are here to ensure that the Labour government doesn’t just talk the talk about change but walks the walk. Our ten steps are practical, achievable, and necessary and can all easily be delivered within 100 days with political will. They will stand as a signpost for whether Labour are serious about changing Britain for good. Our message today is that we will be relentless in both holding them to account and driving forward positive good ideas.”
The 10 steps the Greens say the new Labour Government must take in its first 100 days:
- Settle a Pay Deal with Junior Doctors: Properly value their work and ensure fair compensation.
- Remove the Two-Child Benefit Cap: End this policy to support families more equitably.
- Prosecute Major Water Companies: Bring criminal charges against companies persistently discharging sewage into rivers and seas.
- Mandatory Solar Panels and Wind Power: Make solar panels compulsory on new suitable homes and reverse the de-facto ban on onshore wind projects.
- Local Rail Link Plan: Develop a comprehensive plan to reopen local rail links to enhance connectivity.
- Emergency Dentistry Summit: Address the urgent crisis in dental care with an emergency summit.
- Restore Public Sector Workers’ Right to Strike: Re-establish the right to strike and improve public-sector workers’ conditions.
- Recognise the State of Palestine: Officially recognise Palestine and end arms sales to countries at risk of violating international law.
- Introduce a Natural History GCSE: Enrich education by including a natural history course in the curriculum.
- Strengthen Renters’ Rights: End no-fault evictions and provide local authorities with new powers to control rents.
Adrian Ramsay MP and Co-Leader of The Green Party emphasised the importance of these steps, stating, “These are not lofty ideals but practical actions that can be implemented quickly. They will have a real, positive impact on people’s lives and the environment. I am delighted that as we meet to enter parliament Labour have already committed to reversing the de facto ban on onshore wind. Now they must go further and faster still and make solar power mandatory on all suitable new build homes. They can, and they must do this in their first 100 days.”
Green Party Co-Leader, Carla Denyer MP added, “We have a clear mandate from our voters to push for these changes. Every one of our record-breaking number of Green votes was one for real hope and real change. We will push Labour every day to make sure we see the transformation of Britain that we are all so desperate to see, that our frontline workers are paid properly, that our public transport is fit for purpose and that we have a foreign policy built for peace not profit.”
Sian Berry MP concluded, “Today we carry on the work of Caroline Lucas but with the strength of four times the number of voices in the House of Commons. Today is a new beginning. Greens will work tirelessly to ensure that the Labour government is bolder and does better than its promises. The country needs it to deliver more affordable and comfortable council homes, give local authorities the power to introduce rent controls, and do more to support those struggling every day to get by.”
