by Labour is “getting it wrong” in “so many areas” and the Greens will “hold the new government to account”, the party’s co-leader Adrian Ramsay has told its conference in Manchester.
In his first such speech since the Greens’ major advance in July’s general election, when it went from a single MP to four MPs, he said the party would challenge Labour where it was “off track” and “should be doing more” to deliver “positive, inspiring change”.
Mr Ramsay highlighted cutting winter fuel payments to millions of pensioners, sticking to the two-child benefit cap, and airport expansion.
Co-leader Carla Denyer was unable to appear in person because she was unwell, and sent a video message instead.
Nearly two-million people voted for the Green Party of England and Wales in July – the Scottish Greens are a separate party – and Mr Ramsay said the four MPs would be be raising their voices in Parliament.
As well as winning four seats, the Greens came second in 40 constituencies – second to Labour in all but one of them – suggesting the path to future electoral progress lies in concentrating its political fire on Sir Keir Starmer’s party.
Labour “knows the price of everything and the value of nothing”, Mr Ramsay said, as he condemned the government’s approach to the NHS, housing and climate change.
Taking to the stage alone on the opening day of the conference at the Manchester Central venue, after Ms Denyer developed Covid-like symptoms, the Waveney Valley MP accused Labour of “an obsession with growth at any cost”.
He also attacked the government for its “half-hearted, partial suspension of arms sales to Israel” and continuing to prevent asylum seekers being allowed to work.
No new policies were announced, but – in a further assault from the left on Labour – Mr Ramsay renewed his party’s call for a wealth tax.
He predicted that when Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her first Budget at the end of next month, she would declare there was “no money”.
She was “not looking in the right place” and should “ask the wealthiest in society to pay a little more”, he argued.
He would champion a wealth tax to pay for “the necessary climate action, or to make sure everyone has a safe, warm affordable home, or to fund our much loved NHS”, he added.
Mr Ramsay’s speech focused more on economic issues than climate change, but he urged the government to halt the the development of the Rosebank oil field off Shetland.
Labour has said it will not issue any new oil or gas licences, but will honour existing ones.
The Green co-leader argued the climate science was “super clear – there must be no new oil and gas”.
“Letting existing oil and gas wells run for a few more years until the transition is complete is one thing, but opening the UK’s biggest undeveloped oil and gas field will result in nearly 500 million barrels of oil being burnt.”
Mr Ramsay also used his speech to call for water companies to be renationalised and criticised Labour’s housing policy as lacking incentives to build affordable homes.
The Green conference will continue over the weekend and see the party urge the chancellor to announce a series of tax rises in the Budget, aimed at increasing health spending, reforming social care, and embarking on a nationwide home insulation programme.
As well as a wealth tax on billionaires and multi-millionaires, and increasing National Insurance for people earning more than £50,270, the party is calling for reforms of capital gains tax and inheritance tax, and the closing of loopholes in the windfall tax on fossil fuel producers.
