Guest election post – Labour by Jonathan Fox

I was a rapid response paramedic working in London for over 37 years until my retirement from the NHS in 2016. I was national press officer for my ambulance union for 21 years, combining this role in a voluntary capacity with my front-line paramedic career.

I have always been actively engaged with the environment and wildlife. Like many, I am extremely concerned about our prevailing climate and biodiversity crisis. I am frustrated that we are currently on a road map to a global temperature which will exceed the stated objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement, which pledged to keep global temperatures to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

The failure of countries to act decisively and collegiately is both enormously worrying and frustrating; especially as there has been scientific consensus over climate for a long time. The technology to mitigate the most severe climate consequences is there: whether there is the determination at an international level to fix it, is another matter.

There is a monumental desire for political change in the UK. The environment and climate rarely commands the exposure it needs from our politicians.

I shall be voting in the North West Essex constituency.

This is my review of, and my thoughts about, the environmental implications of the Labour election manifesto.

Things I like:

• The creation of UK Energy.
• No new oil and gas licences.
• The promise of putting failing water companies into special measures.
• The promise to make the UK the green finance capital of the world. The reference to the clean energy transition representing a huge opportunity for growth is encouraging. The UK must see Net Zero as a great opportunity; rather than a mechanism for cynically weaponising climate; as we all too often see in the right wing media and right of centre politics.
• The acknowledgement that the badger cull is ineffective.

Things I don’t like:

• The ditching of Labour’s £28bn yearly green investment plan, watering it down to an £8bn a year commitment to green policies. One can only hope that Labour might be become fiscally bolder over environment expenditure should they form the next government.
• Refusing to rescind oil and gas licences recently issued by the Tories. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) in 2023 made it clear that while there is an ongoing need for some oil and gas moving forward, it said it doesn’t justify the need for any new oil fields; which the CCC also states is  incompatible with Net Zero. This is an opportunity missed as Labour could have used this statement as cover to make a far bolder position on fossil fuel licences.
• Measures on water don’t go far enough. Labour should have retained their pledge to renationalise our failing water industry. Our rivers and seas are in crisis: reflecting the mantra of profits before investment; the sewage discharges at record levels, are testimony to this breathtaking dereliction of duty by water companies to maintain the health and the promotion of biodiversity in our rivers and streams.
• Not committing to ending the badger cull now! Research and vaccination strategies being supported while maintaining the discredited status quo is to my mind, both unscientific and illogical.

Would I vote for these environmental policies? I can only hope that 5 July brings the change of government needed to bring our climate and biodiversity to the top of the political agenda. There really isn’t any time to lose!

This is one of a series of opinion pieces on the political parties’ 2024 general election manifestos. This piece was not originally commissioned by Wild Justice but was submitted by a newsletter subscriber. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Wild Justice.

If you think you could produce a review of one of the 2024 general election manifestos then we would need to receive it as soon as possible, but in any case before 26 June, in a similar format to that above, as a word file and with a .jpg or .png image of yourself, the author. Send any potential texts to admin@wildjustice.org.uk and we will look at them. We’ll let you know if we want to publish your piece and we may be able to pay you a small amount for it.