Green Party Manifesto 2017 Westminster Election

#PuttingYouFirst Contents

Key Points 4 Your Public Services 8 Introduction 5 Health 8 Brexit 6 Education 9 A Referendum on any Brexit Deal 6 Housing 10 Our Five Key Asks for the Negotiations 6 Benefits and Welfare 10 Representation for 6 Tax 11 within the senior UK negotiating team Your Rights 12 Access to the Single Market 7 Human Rights 12 for Northern Ireland LGBTQ Rights 12 Guarantees for the rights of 7 EU citizens living in the UK Workers’ Rights 13 Ensuring free movement of people 7 Animal Rights 13 across the UK and Ireland Your Environment 14 Maintaining existing environmental, 7 Planning 14 human rights and workers’ Waste and Recycling 14 rights protections Climate Change 16 Energy 17 WE ARE STANDING SEVEN CANDIDATES Transport 17 Your World 18 ACROSS NORTHERN IRELAND – International Relations 18 OUR STRONGEST EVER GREEN TEAM International Trade 18 Defence 19

Your Democracy 20 Democratic Reform 20 #PuttingYo u First Devolution 20 Your Candidates 23

Your Candidates from left: Ricky Bamford Strangford, Tanya Jones Fermanagh & South Tyrone, North Down, Malachai O’Hara North , Ciaran McClean West Tyrone, Georgina Milne East Belfast and South Belfast

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The will: This election is set against turbulent political times. The decision of the UK to back Brexit, against the wishes of the majority of people in • Secure a referendum on any final Brexit deal Northern Ireland, has created huge uncertainty. • Provide a strong voice for Northern Ireland, our people Seven years of Tory austerity has created much inequality. Public services have been put under great strain as a result of this agenda. This has led to a chronic underfunding and businesses in the Brexit negotiations of our schools, hospitals and other vital public services. • Guarantee human rights, workers’ rights and environmental rights With all of this going on, other parties are attempting to use the uncertainty and division to their own advantage, and to suit their own agendas. • Protect vital public services by ending Tory austerity Meanwhile, the Green Party is putting you first. • Promote equality for women and LGBTQ people, and fight We are standing in this election to promote your interests in the Brexit negotiations. against poverty We are standing seven candidates across Northern Ireland to protect your vital public services. • Protect the environment and tackle climate change, ensuring We are standing a majority of women candidates to promote equality for you. that renewable sources of energy are prioritised and transport The Green Party has shown tremendous growth over the past number of years. Our membership is decarbonised has increased dramatically. We are attracting more voters across Northern Ireland with every • Reform the tax system to make it fairer, and ensure that public election. We have had candidates elected when commentators said it would never happen. services are put on a sustainable footing We are part of a global Green movement. There has been a resurgence in Green politics across these islands in recent times. European Greens have taken on right-wing populism and enjoyed • Promote co-operation and peace both locally and internationally electoral victories in recent years, most notably in Austria and the Netherlands. You can continue this growth by voting Green on June 8th. We have never been in a better • Strengthen devolution for Northern Ireland and reform the devolved position to contest a Westminster election, and you can play your part in electing Green MPs institutions to make them more democratic and accountable who will put you first in Westminster. If you want to see a truly progressive, non-sectarian party represent you in Westminster, then the only way to do this is to vote for your local Green Party candidate.

Steven Agnew We are standing a majority Green Party Leader of women candidates

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Brexit

Access to the Single Market Ensuring free movement of people A Referendum on Our Five Key Asks for Northern Ireland across the UK and Ireland any Brexit Deal for the Negotiations • Many different industries and sectors • Free movement is not just about tourism and operate on an island-wide basis. It is vital convenience. For many people in Northern Democracy did not end on the day of the EU The Green Party wants to put the best possible that those industries maintain access to the Ireland it is vital to their way of life, especially referendum in 2016. The Brexit process is still choices before you in a referendum on the Republic of Ireland market. This will require in border communities. Families are spread ongoing, and we are now well into the two-year final deal. We have five key priorities for the Northern Ireland to remain a part of the across the border; people live in one negotiation process outlined in Article 50 of the negotiations: Single Market. jurisdiction and work in another; and even EU Treaty. Representation for Northern Ireland • Agriculture will be particularly affected parts of the same property can be in both The Green Party is: within the senior UK negotiating team by Brexit, and the ability to move livestock the UK and the Republic of Ireland. • Taking the “Dublin case” in the Irish Courts to • Northern Ireland’s voice has not been heard as and produce across the border freely • We need to make sure that Brexit does establish that Article 50 is reversible. loudly as it should when it comes to Brexit. needs to be maintained. not impact on people who rely on the free movement across the border • Calling for a referendum on the • Transport, haulage, energy and tourism • The Green Party will look to rectify the on a regular basis. final Brexit deal. failures of the traditional parties on Brexit and could also see very detrimental effects put you first by ensuring that Northern Ireland from Brexit. Maintaining existing environmental, is represented at the top negotiating table. • Even a relatively ‘soft’ border could have human rights and workers’ rights protections • We will empower the First & Deputy First massive impacts on these sectors, as both Ministers to nominate a representative to the tariff and nontariff barriers could be put in • The EU has played a massive role in negotiations. In the absence of a functioning place, and border checks reintroduced. advancing equalities, rights and protections. Executive, this responsibility will fall to the Guarantees for the rights of EU Much of the rhetoric around Brexit has been Secretary of State. citizens living in the UK on rolling these protections back, claiming they are “red tape”. • It is shameful that people’s lives and livelihoods are being used by the Tory • The Green Party is clear, we put you first. government as bargaining chips in the To this end, we will ensure that all existing EU negotiations. protections that we have from the EU are protected in domestic law. • We will immediately ensure that anyone currently living legally in the UK is given reassurances that they will be allowed to remain here in the event of the UK leaving the EU.

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Your Public Services

Health Education The Green Party is a proud supporter of the The Green Party sees education as a right; National Health Service, and is committed to something that should be accessible and freely putting you first in providing a world-class health available to all. service for the UK, free at the point of use. The Green Party will put you first in delivering The Green Party will: increased investment in schools and • Oppose the privatisation of healthcare services. universities. • Provide the £10bn short-term increase in However, education is more than just formal spending that the British Medical Association education. All the evidence suggests that the says the NHS needs across the UK to ease years between birth and starting school are key the current funding crisis. We will listen to the for learning and development. experts and put you first. The Green Party will: • Provide a real-terms budget increase • Introduce a universal early years provision, year-on-year to meet the demands so that all children receive high-quality of an ageing population. pre-school education. • Look to rebalance health spending with focus • Introduce a flexible school starting age, on prevention, reducing the need recognising that a one-size-fits-all approach THE GREEN PARTY for costly treatments in the future. to education does not put children first. WILL END • Promote community healthcare as a key THE GREEN PARTY • Increase school funding by £7bn. part of the healthcare system. Local medical • Introduce free, nutritious school meals for UNDERGRADUATE practitioners are best placed to identify WILL PROVIDE THE all primary school pupils. the key health issues and solutions in their TUITION FEES AND communities. £10BN SHORT-TERM • Remove charitable status for private schools. • Ensure that intervention is provided earlier, • Recognise that an academic route is not REINTRODUCE A leading to better health outcomes for INCREASE IN for everyone. We will revalue our Colleges a lower cost. of Further and Higher Education. The skills, STUDENT GRANT SPENDING THAT THE crafts and trades that they teach are of • Train enough new medical and nursing vital importance. We want to prioritise • End undergraduate tuition fees and students to ease the current staffing training in the skills needed for a future NHS NEEDS ACROSS reintroduce a student grant. crisis in the NHS. low-carbon economy. • End tuition fees for taught postgraduate • Require NHS staff to declare financial THE UK TO EASE • Require ‘social clauses’ in all government courses, which are now becoming an essential conflicts of interest, including private contracts, to ensure skills training and requirement by potential employers, which, healthcare work they undertake, to ensure THE CURRENT apprenticeships. that they are putting you first. given there is limited financial assistance, perpetuates intergenerational income inequality. • Treat drug addiction as a health problem, FUNDING CRISIS not a criminal one.

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Housing Benefits & Welfare Tax The UK is facing a housing crisis. Young people The Green Party will continue to oppose the Tax should be fair and fall on those with the are particularly affected, thanks to rising house unnecessary and ideologically driven welfare greatest ability to pay. Instead of allowing prices, high cost of living and punitive student cuts and their extension to Northern Ireland. the wealthiest to avoid tax and giving large debt. They find it much harder to get on the The Green Party wants to put you first, and corporations tax perks, the Green Party will put property ladder than previous generations. demands a society where everyone earns a fair you first and deliver radical reform to the tax Government after government has failed to wage, and those in need receive the help and system to make it truly progressive. put you first on housing, instead focussing on support they deserve. The Green Party will: enabling property developers and investors to The Green Party will: profit from your needs. • Implement a Wealth Tax of 2% per year on • Set a national minimum living wage for all the wealthiest 1% of people. This will ensure The Green Party will: ages. This will be equal to the living wage, a fairer distribution of wealth. The super-rich • Provide 100,000 new units of social housing, as calculated by the Living Wage Foundation. must pay their fair share. including at least 2,000 in Northern Ireland, • Establish an affordable system of high-quality • Introduce a Robin Hood Tax on bonds, per year. pre-school childcare, integrated with early equities and derivatives, replacing stamp • Maintain the social housing stock by freezing years education. duty on share transactions. the Right to Buy scheme. • Raise Child Benefit. • Invest more resources into collecting existing • Protect the budget for supported housing. • Ban exploitative zero-hour contracts. We will unpaid taxes. • Reduce VAT on housing renovation and also end the exploitation of interns, placing • Abolish the employees’ National Insurance repair work to 5%, to incentivise renovating a maximum limit on the period of time unpaid upper threshold on those on higher incomes. existing buildings, rather than building new internships can last. This will also make the • Abolish the Capital Gains Tax personal buildings, and to make energy efficiency job market more accessible to those from allowance. retrofits more cost-effective. low-income backgrounds. THE GREEN PARTY • Scrap the planned reduction in Corporation • Reform the private rented sector by introducing • End workfare programmes, which act as Tax, and increase it to 30% for larger WILL SCRAP THE longer tenancy agreements and rent control a subsidy for unscrupulous companies who companies. caps limited to inflation. We will also put you don’t want to pay staff a fair wage. • Radically reform Inheritance Tax, making TWO-CHILD LIMIT first by abolishing landlord perks, such as tax • Promote shared parental leave after the birth of deductions on mortgage interest relief. the level of tax paid dependent on the a child. This helps the child’s development and wealth of the recipient to reduce FOR CHILD TAX CREDIT • Abolish the “bedroom tax”. removes gender barriers in the labour market. intergenerational inequality. • Bring Housing Benefit, for all age groups, in We will also extend parental leave for the parents of premature babies. • Scrap the two-child limit for Child Tax Credit, line with average market rents. and make the horrific “Rape Clause” obsolete. • Ban discriminatory letting practices whereby landlords refuse to accept people in receipt of Housing Benefit, students and those with pets.

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Your Rights

Human Rights LGBTQ Rights Workers’ Rights Animal Rights Human rights are the foundation of a The Green Party has led the way on LGBTQ The Green Party is committed to putting you We share our planet with millions of other progressive, modern society. Everyone deserves rights, from bringing marriage equality before first and protecting and enhancing your rights species. It is important that they have the rights to be treated with respect and dignity. The Green the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time, in the workplace. they deserve. Party will put you first in defending, promoting to fielding the first openly transgender candidate The Green Party will: To this end, the Green Party will: and expanding these rights. in any election on the island of Ireland. We will • Reform Company Law to require board-level • Improve the welfare standards of farm The Green Party will: continue to put people first by promoting LGBTQ issues. worker representation in larger companies. animals by introducing mandatory CCTV • Defend the UK Human Rights Act. This is a feature in some of Europe’s most in slaughterhouses. The Green Party will: • Decriminalise abortion. The UK is not meeting successful economies, including Germany, • Impose tougher rules on animal transportation. its minimum human rights requirements for • Introduce marriage equality to Northern France, Sweden and Denmark. Ireland. • Reform agricultural subsidies to incentivise people across the UK in this regard, and • Require at least 40% of all members of higher agri-environment and animal welfare especially in Northern Ireland. • Improve the asylum process for LGBTQ public company and public sector boards standards. people who face persecution in other to be women. • Ensure that the UK takes in its fair share • Support mandatory licensing of dog breeders of refugees, and meets its prior commitments countries and who seek refuge in the • Promote carer-friendly employer practices, United Kingdom. and ban the sale of young puppies unless their to this. including flexible and home working mother is present, and tackle over-selective • Ensure that treatment for refugees after arrival where possible. dog breeding that leads to breeds with severe fulfils good human rights practice. • End policies which place artificial limits on new health problems. • Introduce a UK-wide strategy to tackle regulations, including workplace health and • Support an extension of the ban on hunting violence against women, including domestic safety, and instead base decisions about with dogs to Northern Ireland. and sexual violence and human trafficking. new regulations on available evidence, This will include consistent long-term funding and the precautionary principle. for a nationwide network of Rape Crisis Centres. • Immediately ratify and implement the Istanbul Convention on Women’s Rights. THE GREEN PARTY • Make human rights compliance a red line in WILL INTRODUCE any international trade deals. MARRIAGE EQUALITY TO NORTHERN IRELAND

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Your Environment

Planning Waste & Recycling The natural environment is defined by the impact Our society throws away far more food than it that human decision-making has on it. The needs to. At the same time, many people are Green Party will put you first by ensuring that all going hungry because of Tory cuts. The Green planning decisions take into account the impact Party will put people first by ensuring that all on your natural environment. leftover resources are reused where possible. The Green Party will: The Green Party will: • Designate more areas as Marine Conservation • Legislate to ensure that unwanted Zones, and offer more areas protection from supermarket food is given to food banks. development through the European Union’s • Ban food waste being sent to landfill. Birds Directive, Habitats Directive and Ambient Air Quality Directive. We will also introduce • Extend the plastic bag levy to all National Parks to Northern Ireland. non-recyclable packaging, essentially introducing a Plastic Tax. • Transpose these Directives, and the EU’s Water Directive, into UK law to maintain the same level of protection in the event of Brexit.

THE GREEN PARTY WILL LEGISLATE TO ENSURE THAT UNWANTED SUPERMARKET FOOD IS GIVEN TO FOOD BANKS THE GREEN PARTY WILL BRING EU LAW INTO DOMESTIC LAW TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT IN THE EVENT OF BREXIT

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Climate Change Energy Transport Climate change is one of the greatest threats to The UK needs an energy revolution. We recognise that the world is more connected our society. Its effects include rising food prices, Many countries are now powering themselves than ever before, and transport links need flooding and poor health. To date it has not solely from renewable energy. The UK must to keep up with that. However, growth in been given the attention it deserves by any UK join this club. movement of people needs to be sustainable. government. The Green Party will put you first The Green Party will: The Green Party will: by taking immediate actions to tackle the threat • Introduce free bus travel for young people and of climate change. • Ensure that all public buildings and new social houses are powered from renewable students, creating a life-long habit for using The Green Party will: energy sources. more environmentally friendly means of travel. • Ban fracking and other unconventional fossil • Maintain and improve upon current grants for • Introduce a pay-per-mile road pricing scheme fuel extraction in the UK. energy efficiency measures. for HGVs. It is only right that businesses who • Continue to ensure that the UK commits to require roads to generate profit pay their fair THE GREEN PARTY • Split up large energy companies, so that share for the upkeep of the road network. the targets in the Climate Change Act and they cannot both produce energy and supply cuts carbon emissions by 80% on 1990 levels WILL BAN FRACKING it to consumers. • Subsidise ferry journeys between Northern by 2050. Ireland and Great Britain, encouraging more • Recognise that the energy market in Northern people to switch from aeroplane to boat. • End favourable tax treatment for aviation. AND OTHER Ireland operates on an all-island basis, and • Provide large-scale investment for research ensure that this market is protected in any • Promote investment in cycle infrastructure and into new technologies that will reduce UNCONVENTIONAL Brexit negotiations. aim to make cycling the norm in urban areas. our carbon footprint and impact on the environment. FOSSIL FUEL EXTRACTION IN THE UK THE GREEN PARTY WILL INTRODUCE FREE BUS TRAVEL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND STUDENTS

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Your World

International International Trade Defence Relations With a potential Brexit, international trade The military and security services play an agreements will be a key part of the next important role; however, this role has often been Brexit and the election of Donald Trump show government’s priorities. warped by previous governments. that we are in a fast-changing world. The Green The Green Party will: The Green Party will: Party is offering a fresh, progressive voice for the UK in the world, putting people first. • Reject any trade agreement that will lead • Scrap Trident and get rid of the UK’s nuclear to public services being eroded in the UK, weapons, and other weapons of mass The Green Party is part of a global movement. including privatisation of the NHS. destruction. THE GREEN PARTY There is a Green Party in almost every country. We are used to working together with other • Make human rights, workers’ rights, • Limit potential future military involvement WILL SCRAP TRIDENT people. This is the approach we want the UK sustainability and equality red lines in any purely to humanitarian commitments. government to take. trade negotiations. We will not enter into • Ban the sale of arms from the UK and AND GET RID agreement with governments who harm their The Green Party will: companies based in the UK to countries own, or other countries’ citizens. that do not meet international human rights • Work with the EU during Brexit negotiations, OF THE UK’S • Increase the international aid budget to 1% of standards. not take the current government’s antagonistic GDP, and allocate resources based on need, approach. NUCLEAR WEAPONS not on potential financial gain for the UK. • Condemn hatred, human rights abuse and • Promote fair trade in all trade negotiations. demagogism when we see it, not cosy up to it for economic gain. • Work to reform and strengthen the United Nations, and make it more representative of the whole world, including scrapping permanent seats on the Security Council. THE GREEN PARTY WILL REJECT ANY TRADE AGREEMENT THAT WILL LEAD TO PUBLIC SERVICES BEING ERODED IN THE UK, INCLUDING PRIVATISATION OF THE NHS

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Your Democracy

Democratic Reform Devolution The UK has a proud tradition of democracy. This election comes at a perilous time for However, that is not to say that it cannot Northern Ireland’s devolution settlement. The improve. The democratic institutions of the UK Green Party are fully supportive of the existing have often been co-opted by powerful special institutions, and are committed to devolution for interests. With the emergence of new political Northern Ireland, which allows us to put you first forces, they have not always kept up with at a local level. changes in public opinion. The Green Party However, we must also have stable government will put you first by promoting radical reform in Northern Ireland. The failure of the traditional of these institutions. parties to come to an agreement and form an The Green Party will: Executive has led to thousands of people facing • Move to a system of proportional job losses and massive cuts to public services. representation for Westminster elections, The Green Party will: and will make the a fully • Increase the block grant through the ending elected body. of Westminster austerity and the associated • Lower the voting age to allow 16 and 17 year Barnett consequentials. olds to vote. • Establish a constitutional convention to • Require all parties to publish donations they reform, refresh and revitalise the existing receive, as the Green Party does. devolved institutions, making them more • Create a level playing field for all parties democratic and accountable in the long-term. and limit the undue influence that wealthy • Immediately release funding for inquiries individuals and corporate backers can have into Troubles-related deaths promised on the democratic process by introducing in the Fresh Start Agreement, accept the UK state funding of political parties. government cannot be an independent arbiter • Require all parties to field at least 1/3 female and establish an internationally-chaired candidates in all elections, with a reduction in talks-process involving politicians, civic funding for those who fail to comply. society and victims to resolve legacy issues once and for all. • Repeal the Lobbying Act and replace it with a new Act which actually tackles the issue of corporate lobbyists, whilst still allowing THE GREEN PARTY WILL LOWER charitable and community organisations to campaign properly. THE VOTING AGE TO ALLOW • Reform libel law in Northern Ireland, which can 16 AND 17 YEAR OLDS TO VOTE be used to stifle open debate and democracy, by bringing it in line with the law in England and Wales.

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East Belfast North Belfast South Belfast Georgina Milne Malachai O’Hara Clare Bailey

Fermanagh & South Tyrone North Down Tanya Jones Steven Agnew

THE GREEN PARTY IS STANDING SEVEN CANDIDATES ACROSS NORTHERN IRELAND

TO PROTECT YOUR VITAL PUBLIC SERVICES Strangford West Tyrone Ricky Bamford Ciaran McClean

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