Guest election blog – Alliance Party by Dara McAnulty

I am an author and environmental activist from Northern Ireland who believes that the environment must be protected both to help preserve the natural world and to protect the people who live in it.

In the past, I have participated in a local Stormont election where my single transferable vote preferences included Alliance party, Sinn Fein, Green Party and the SDLP. I am not a member of any party and have no real political connections other than support for parties that I believe can make a positive impact on the natural world and help people live in mutual coexistence.

This is my review of the environmental policies set out by the Alliance Party in their election manifesto.

Things I like:

• We can see throughout this manifesto a focus on a ‘Green New Deal’. This shows at least on some level a desire to prioritise the environment within their policy making. This green new deal covers mainly the economic plan for a just transition to a fossil-fuel-free energy framework. This will be funded via tax rises on the super-rich who have benefited from the fossil fuel economy. This is a welcome statement considering the hellish climate cliff we are no longer teetering but charging off.
• They also wish to pursue an end to the cruel and ecologically harmful practice of dog-hunting and also increase the protection of animal welfare. In addition to this pledge, the Alliance Party also states that it would ask for more funding for the Office of Environmental Protection. This will allow for a greater level of enforcement for environmental crime which has some of the lowest prosecution levels despite being a highly serious and damaging form of criminal activity.

Things I don’t like:

• Although there are no policies that are directly in conflict with the environment, there are many key omissions. One of these key omissions is that there is essentially no mention of biodiversity or the natural world. The Green New Deal that they are showing support for mainly consists of ways of transitioning to a fossil-free economy and transforming agriculture.
• They seem to have very little to say on local issues in their manifesto that they could be representing on a UK level such as the dire situation of Lough Neagh. However, it does seem to be a key issue for the Minister of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has made various pledges on. This may be me being highly cynical but they appear to be campaigning on environmental issues that cannot be achieved by a small Northern Irish party and not on presenting the ecological situation of Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK.

Overall assessment: this manifesto does not appear to be in any direct conflict with the natural world. There is a very welcome and much-needed commitment to the transition away from fossil fuels and a greener more sustainable economy. We can also see that there is a focus on animal welfare and a ban on hunting with dogs which is an area where Northern Ireland trails behind the UK. There are, however, a lot of omissions in this manifesto with very little mention of conserving the natural world and key habitats such as Lough Neagh. These are issues that require a voice on a UK level to draw in a greater amount of nationwide support.

I see many policies necessary for the protection of the natural world but not a lot of bravery.

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