Guest essay by Eric Worrall
British Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas has urged members to vote on 23rd June to remain part of the European Union. Her concern appears to be that if Britain leaves the EU, democratically elected British politicians might be emboldened to dismantle EU inspired environmental regulations.
Caroline Lucas has today called on Green voters to back remaining in the EU on June 23rd, declaring the imminent vote a “climate referendum”.
Lucas, who is a board member of Britain Stronger in Europe and Another Europe is Possible, as well as the Green Party’s only MP, warned a vote for Brexit would undermine efforts to tackle climate change and build a greener economy.
“June 23rd is a climate referendum,” she said. “Leaving the EU could wreck our chances of playing a part in the fight against this existential threat – and hand the country to people who don’t even believe climate change is happening. But by staying as a member of the EU we can build on the progress already made in Paris earlier this year and continue making strides towards a fossil-free future.”
She reiterated her view the EU is in need of sweeping reform, but insisted it remained the “best hope we have when it comes to tackling climate change and protecting our environment”.
The latest intervention came as the Green Party launched a new online video urging its supporters to back a Remain vote.
Read more: http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2461374/caroline-lucas-declares-eu-vote-a-climate-referendum
Why is Lucas so concerned that politicians elected by the British People, liberated from the shackles of the European Union, might repeal green policies? Is the leader of the British Green Party worried that the people do not want more green? Or does she think that using the undemocratic might of the EU bureaucracy to suppress voter choice, is a more certain route to a low carbon future?
At least one prominent member of the British Green Party has a different view. Baroness Jones thinks the fanatically green European Union is not anti-CO2 enough to deserve her support.
… Writing in the Guardian last week, the Green Party’s Baroness Jenny Jones, set out her reasons for backing a vote for Brexit, arguing the EU has become “a super-sized top-down dogmatic project of endless industrial development and growth” that remains resistant to any attempt to reform it. …
Read more: Same link as Above
Recent polling suggests the leave vote may have developed a commanding lead, over fears about uncontrolled immigration.
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It’s not just green measures that Lucas doesn’t trust our democracy for, it’s also Labour’s line that they don;t trust UK voters to maintain and increase their portfilio/definition of ‘worker protection’. Sorry Ms Lucas, but there’s no way I’m having an unelected, bureaucratic and anti-democratic rabble override my democratic vote.
The only reason that Lucas (and Labour) are taking this line and turning to the EU, is that they know the British electorate have already rejected it, but can’t accept it. It’s the same as the EU apparatchiks not accepting referendum votes in several countries until they got the answer they wanted.
I think Green Politicians are by nature dictatorial and anti-human and prove it by their actions.
Just some thought on the worst case, these things never work out as well as the optimists think they will. Hopefully not as badly as the pessimists think.
Considering the facts
The population of the UK is roughly 63.5 million broken down in rough figures as
England 53 Million
Scotland 5.25 Million
Wales 3 Million
Northern Ireland 1.6 Million
Population of US states
California 40 Million
Texas 28 Million
Florida 20 Million
New York 20 Million
Colorado 5.5 Million
Utah 3 Million
West Virginia 1.8 Million
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have strong separatist movements, Colorado, Utah, and West Virginia wanting to leave the US in population terms, I don’t know the breakdown of populations within US states to get a better analogy. England has a slightly larger population than California the UK less than California and Texas combined. Having set the precedent of leaving a Union of States what logical argument is there against further separations.
The USA is governed by someone with supreme power and who can be elected on a minority of those who voted, can appoint supreme court judges who are political appointees, set up organisations such as the EPA over which the voters have no control. Yet the USA is regarded as a model of democracy which the EU is not.
It’s very much a case of be careful what you wish for.
After exiting the EU you can make a case for a couple of things happening Scotland and Northern Ireland leaving the UK, several countries leaving the EU and then breaking up, Spain, France and Italy both have or had in the recent past strong separatist movements, most EU member states have groups who want more power to their “nation”. Just for starters Catalonia, Basque Country, Galicia, Corsica, Brittany could demand independence. It’s unlikely the US could get involved in sorting the mess out, and a rapid end to NATO is likely leaving Putin to rebuild the former Soviet Union unhindered.
If that happens who’s to say how the US would react with Trump as a second term POTUS, more power devolved or centralised?
What will be true is that people will have taken power from the bureaucrats.
WTF is a “separatist movement”? omg are you about to take over the Nakatomi building?
Think Sandy meant nationalist movements. Dunno if that applies to Northern Ireland, however they may now consider it. There are smaller and less populous EU member states, Malta and Luxembourg, for instance.
Gabro, I can’t imagin your ignorance or Sandy’s over your views, I have watched Die hard, it’s one of my favroute films of all time and when Hans Gruber makes his demands and mentions Northern Ireland I always thought being so ignorant was deliberate, and always laugh at that 🙂 but now I know better and it’s so much funnier.
I’d love to discuss Irish history with you sometime, but remember this, it was my generatation who worked hard and brought about peace in Ireland, I know some asshole politictians like to take credit for it, as they do, but it was us under no lable who got it done. 😉
Considering the UK “Climate Change Act” goes much further than currently required by the European Union, I don’t think that Brexit changes anything
Caroline Lucas is the MP for Brighton Pavilion which is about 11 miles along the coast from here. Rumour has it that she got elected by standing in front of the Royal Pavilion and talking to people until she had met almost the entire electorate personally. Amazing dedication, you can’t help being impressed even if she is Green. How many politicians connect on that level? She may be unique.
She really really wanted that new car, yes I agree some “Greens” and people are unique.
Today, I hear ‘Jerusalem’ very softly wafting in my Texas window…
24 June 2016 is officially Independence Day.
The United Kingdom has voted to leave the EU. The first country – but not the last – to vote ‘OUT’.
That will sign the death knell for the whole corrupt, unaccountable, undemocratic kleptocracy.