Words from our trustees, post election.

People

By Susannah Baker MBE

We wake today to a Labour Government as elected by the British public.?

With regard to their immigration policies, we are still very unsure as to what these will be, other than a commitment to bring down the immigration numbers and crack down on criminal gangs working at the borders.?

Bringing down immigration will need to be looked at quite carefully. We have an increasing ageing population who no longer work or contribute to the economy and many require support and care. Alongside this we have a massive skills shortage for many industries. We need immigration to hold the country and economy together.?

We welcome the forensic and collaborative approach to end the nightmare of people trafficking and smuggling gangs in their role in exploiting the world’s most vulnerable people.

However, this all has to run alongside a broader controlled and compassionate humanitarian and safe approach to immigration for those who need protection. This is the area that we have no commitments in so far from the Labour manifesto.?

We look forward to working with colleagues in Government to continue to hold them to account in both the areas we care about - the climate and displaced people.?We are grateful for Carla Denyer (newly elected green MP for Bristol and Co-leader of the Green Party) who said today ‘the Greens will hold Labour’s feet to the fire on immigration and Climate Change’.?

So all power to the Greens, and to Labour, as we put our hope in all the elected seats to do the right thing for people who move here.

Planet

By Richard Elliott

Labour have said that they want to restore our position of climate leadership and to get back on track with our legally-binding??emissions targets.

We look forward to them delivering their manifesto commitments to - rapidly upgrade the national grid; to completely decarbonise our energy system; to immediately ban new oil and gas licences; and to scale the long overdue insulation of our inefficient housing stock.?

We hope that they will make themselves properly accountable to?the scrutiny of the Climate Change committee and look to implement the widest range of their recommendations possible.?

?We are mindful of the balance of the opposition parties in the new parliament and??are expectant that they will keep up the pressure on the government to raise their ambition on climate, nature, biodiversity and the health of our water systems.”

The Pickwell Foundation team - We have work to do!

Immediate action you can take....

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