/r/UKGreens
A home for anyone interested in the Green parties of the UK.
Green Party of England & Wales
Green Party in Northern Ireland
/r/MHOC (Model House of Commons)
/r/UKGreens
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It's Budget week.
Rachel Reeves takes to the dispatch box on Wednesday for the new government's hotly awaited first fiscal event. Here's a list of what we might expect to hear from the chancellor.
Great British Energy takes another step towards becoming a reality on Tuesday.
MPs debate the bill at report stage and third reading. Lots of amendments have been tabled, including making it a priority to reduce energy bills by at least £300 and setting a goal of upholding human rights in energy supply chains. The speaker will decide which get debated.
And Tuesday also brings the first ten minute rule motion of this Parliament.
Alberto Costa will re-introduce a long-standing proposal on microplastics. He'll have ten minutes to present it, and if MPs don't vote it down the bill goes to second reading.
No votes scheduled
Microplastic Filters (Washing Machines) Bill
Requires manufacturers to fit microplastic-catching filters to new domestic and commercial washing machines, among other things. Ten minute rule motion presented by Alberto Costa.
Great British Energy Bill – report stage and 3rd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Establishes Great British Energy, a new, publicly-owned energy production company which will own, manage, and operate clean power projects. It will also help to get newer technologies such as carbon capture and hydrogen off the ground in order to make them commercially viable.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing
The Budget
The chancellor delivers her Budget, followed by debate.
Budget debate
Continued.
No votes scheduled
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Click here to join more than 5,000 people and get this in your email inbox for free every Sunday.
Two more bills get their first debate this week.
On Monday MPs will discuss employment rights, and on Tuesday they cover plans to reclassify two organisations: the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
A couple of motions get moved on Wednesday.
One gives the Infected Blood Compensation Authority powers to pay compensation to people affected by the infected blood scandal. The other approves a new round of sanctions against senior Iranian military figures and organisations.
And Budget rumours continue to swirl.
This is the last week before Chancellor Rachel Reeves takes to the dispatch box to announce the government's spending plans.
Employment Rights Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland (part), Northern Ireland (part)
The government's flagship workers’ rights bill. Makes workers eligible for sick pay from day one – currently they have to wait for three days. Bans zero hour contracts and ‘fire and rehire’, where workers are sacked and then re-employed on a worse contract. Protects workers from unfair dismissal from day one – currently this kicks in after two years. Requires employers to give a reason for refusing flexible working, among other things.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Changes the status of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross so the government can treat them like international bodies the UK is part of. This means the government can grant them certain privileges and immunities. Started in the Lords.
Draft bill / Commons Library briefing (PDF)
No votes scheduled
No votes scheduled
No votes scheduled
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Click here to join more than 5,000 people and get this in your email inbox for free every Sunday.
MPs debate two new bills for the first time this week.
The first aims to improve the security of public events from the threat of terrorism, while the other finishes what Tony Blair started by removing the remaining hereditary peers from the House of Lords.
We should find out the private members' bills for this session on Wednesday.
Labour MPs won all of the slots in the ballot, and many among them were elected in July, so this should give us an idea of their policy priorities.
Wednesday is also an Opposition Day.
This time the Lib Dems have the chance to choose a topic for debate.
Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
Requires venues where large groups gather to implement protective measures against terrorist attacks. The level of protection required depends on the size of the venue and nature of the event. Known as Martyn's law after Manchester Arena attack victim Martyn Hett, whose mother has campaigned for stronger security measures at venues.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing
House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
Removes the last remaining hereditary peers from the House of Lords. Follows on from the House of Lords Act 1999, which capped the number of hereditary peers at 92.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing
No votes scheduled
No votes scheduled
No votes scheduled
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Hello fellow UK Green Party members,
About 20 members from around the UK want to establish a Greens for a Republic group to rival the Labour for a Republic group.
We have written to the Green Party secretary about setting up this group and are waiting for a reply.
In the meantime, we have a WhatsApp group. Please message me if you are interested in joining.
While Republic UK is focused on protest, our focus would be on the political side including reform of our hereditary principles guidance.
In Solidarity, Danni
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Parliament is back.
Conference season is over and MPs are knuckling down from now until Christmas.
Renters' rights are on the agenda this week.
The government is building on the previous administration's Renters (Reform) Bill to introduce legislation that gives tenants much stronger powers.
And Tuesday is an Opposition Day.
The Tories will have a chance to set the agenda, though their motion hasn’t been announced yet. Politico reports Sunak won’t choose to talk about the Chagos Islands handover to avoid getting drawn into his party’s leadership contest, where it’s been a hot issue.
No votes scheduled
No votes scheduled
Renters' Rights Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland (part)
Scraps 'no fault' evictions. Limits rent increases to no more than once per year and requires landlords to give two months' notice. Bans landlords from renting for more than the advertised asking price. Stops landlords from reasonably refusing tenants from having a pet. Makes it illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants who receive benefits or are disabled, among other things. Builds on the Renters (Reform) Bill that was introduced by the last government but didn't make it through Parliament before the general election.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing
No votes scheduled
No votes scheduled
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Click here to join more than 5,000 people and get this in your email inbox for free every Sunday.
It's a brief return to Parliament for MPs after summer recess.
But they'll only be back for two weeks before they break again for conference season.
Great British Energy is debated for the first time.
MPs will vote on the government's plan to create a public clean energy company, which has its second reading on Thursday.
And two other bills are fast-tracked through Parliament.
Plans to nationalise the railways and get more analysis of big spending decisions from the Office for Budget Responsibility are debated on Tuesday and Wednesday.
No votes scheduled
Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill – committee of the whole House, report stage, 3rd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland
Brings rail contracts into public ownership when they expire or if private operators fall short of their obligations. Effectively the first step towards re-nationalising the railways, but avoids ending existing contracts early which would mean paying compensation to operators.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing
Budget Responsibility Bill – committee of the whole House, report stage, 3rd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Requires the government to request a forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) before making major fiscal announcements, such as budgets and autumn statements. Seeks to avoid a situation like the 2022 'mini budget', where the then-chancellor didn't ask the OBR to scrutinise permanent tax changes that spooked financial markets.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing
Great British Energy Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Rstablishes Great British Energy, a new, publicly-owned energy production company which will own, manage, and operate clean power projects. It will also help to get newer technologies such as carbon capture and hydrogen off the ground in order to make them commercially viable.
Draft bill (PDF)
No votes scheduled
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In last month's general election, an underreported result was the encouraging movement toward the Green Party in Northern Ireland, following a series of disappointing election results. The party ran more candidates than ever, compared to just three at the last Westminster election. Overall, they increased their share of the vote by 0.9%. Here's hoping the good fortune for the Greens continues into local and Assembly elections in 2027!
i just want to thank everyone here, especially with everything going on in the country. Thank you for caring about your fellow person, thank you for caring about your planet, thank you for taking. notice in the things happening around us. It is a great deal being on the right side of history. Thank you - a fellow green, Sushi :)
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What a few months it's been.
The last time I posted, it was May and Rishi Sunak was still in Number 10. Now Keir Starmer is prime minister, Labour has laid out its plans in the King's Speech, and the first of those bills are being debated this week.
We're straight into it, with two major bills.
The first kicks off the long-term project of renationalising the railways by making sure expiring operator contracts go into public ownership rather than being re-awarded to a private company.
The second forces the government to have its big spending decisions independently assessed, a level of scrutiny that chancellors have sometimes avoided in the past.
MPs leave for summer recess on Wednesday.
They were called back to Parliament for a bit after the election to get things going, but now they'll take a break in earnest and return in September.
Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland
Brings rail contracts into public ownership when they expire or if private operators fall short of their obligations. Effectively the first step towards re-nationalising the railways, but avoids ending existing contracts early which would mean paying compensation to operators.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing
Budget Responsibility Bill – 2nd reading
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Requires the government to request a forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility before making major fiscal announcements, such as budgets and autumn statements. Seeks to avoid a situation like the 2022 'mini budget', where the then-chancellor didn't ask the OBR to scrutinise permanent tax changes that spooked financial markets.
Draft bill (PDF) / Commons Library briefing
No votes scheduled
No votes scheduled
No votes scheduled
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