Those are not my words but those of the Lib Dem leader of Gloucester City Council! It would appear
Cheltenham Borough Council, which co-owns Gloucestershire Airport, has been in talks to sell off the
airport without consulting many of their colleagues who represent the other shareholder
…..Gloucester City Council. Are we surprised? Sadly not. This is yet another action being carried out by the borough council
without consultation. We saw much the same with their decision to disband Cheltenham Borough
Homes. The logic for bringing CBH in house remains as clear as the River Chelt after Severn Trent has
discharged more sewerage into it. We need more transparency from our elected officials. Engagement in local democracy is already
low in Cheltenham and that is not a good thing. COP28
As the COP28 climate talks continue, the Green Party has set out three key demands.
First, we need a clear unambiguous commitment from the UK government to the 1.5C Paris
Agreement target which was signed by 196 countries eight years ago at COP21. The government
must do whatever it takes to get this target back on track. An ambitious strategy is now necessary as
a result of dither and delay by countries like the UK in taking the bold action needed. Second, the fair and managed phase-out of all fossil fuels. As one of the rich countries most
responsible for the climate crisis, the UK must stand on the side of future generations and those on
the front line of climate breakdown. The government must resist pressure from the petrostates and
others at COP who wish to continue with business as usual and keep the world hooked on fossil
fuels. At home this means leading by example with an immediate end to all new oil and gas licences
and a rapid acceleration towards renewable energy. Thirdly, these climate talks must recognise that it is a super-rich elite who are super-heating the
planet. The government must be willing to challenge the grotesque inequality driving climate
breakdown and reform our tax system to make the polluter pay. This means taxing the wealth of the
super-rich and introducing a carbon tax on the most polluting corporations and individuals.
Introduced globally these could generate a generous new Loss and Damage Fund to finance climate
action in the poorest countries – those suffering the most from the impacts of climate breakdown
but contributing the least to the crisis.
If you have any questions about this article or want to raise any issues with me as your Green Parliamentary Candidate for Cheltenham, you can contact me at directly at daniel.wilson@cheltenham.greenparty.org.uk