Home > Press releases > 2001
05 Jun 2001
Leading environment groups including the Labour Party-affiliated Socialist Environmental Resources Association (SERA) and the Green Lib Dems, today called on the Party leaders to stop ignoring environmental issues in the Election campaign. The call comes on World Environment Day (Tuesday June 5th).
Click on images to download high resolution copies:
800K 
950K
Blair and Hague impostors demonstrate their commitment to the environment outside Parliament
Images: © Jenny Bates/Friends of the
Earth
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Worldwide Fund for
Nature, CPRE,SERA, Green Lib Dems and Friends of the Earth (FOE) have
signed the following statement:
“Our environment is being degraded as never before - and we are
all suffering as a result. Floods caused by climate change; the crisis
in our farming industry; air pollution that kills 24,000 people in the
UK every year; cold, draughty homes that cannot be kept warm in winter;
the build up of toxic chemicals in our bodies; the gridlock and congestion
on our roads - environmental policies are required to address and tackle
them all.
Taken as a whole, these environmental problems cause tremendous social
and economic problems. Yet solving them brings tremendous economic and
social advantages: to competitiveness, efficiency, costs, public health,
social inclusion,quality of life and standard of living, creating hundreds
of thousands of jobs. And of course, they ensure we leave a world worth
inheriting for future generations.
Despite this, we regret that these issues have not really been covered
during the Election campaign. Even though almost 3.5 million people
belong to environmental organisations in the UK, the arguments have
remained unheard.
World Environment Day is an ideal opportunity for all three major UK
political parties to debate these important issues. We all believe that
policies to protect our environment, will provide benefits for jobs,
for the economy, for our health and our society. The challenge to the
parties is to show leadership on this agenda and make it happen.”
Commenting, FOE Executive Director Charles Secrett said:
“This has been one of the least green Election campaigns in living memory. The two big Parties have effectively colluded in a conspiracy of silence, by refusing to discuss environmental issues. Voters need to know whether chemical pollution will still threaten Britain's poorest areas, whether GM crops will be introduced unchecked into our countryside, whether nuclear power will be resurrected, whether new incinerators will be built across the country, and what Britain will do to fight dangerous climate change. The Labour and Tory refusal to debate these issues is a betrayal of the public interest.
Mr Blair promised last October to move the environment up the political agenda. Yet he has not bothered to make a single speech on green issues throughout the campaign. Mr Hague waited until the last possible moment to publish an environment policy statement, which still failed to address some of the most important green issues.
World Environment Day offers them both perhaps the last chance to show voters that they have green credentials worthy of the name.”
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
