Following the statements by First Minister Mark Drakeford on Friday and U.K Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday evening Anthony Slaughter, Leader of Wales Green Party said, ‘ We fully support Mark Drakeford’s announcement last week of no significant easing of lockdown restrictions in Wales. Now is not the time. Lifting restrictions should only be considered when the World Health Organisation criteria for this have been met. Crucially, this means the ability to ‘detect, trace and isolate every case and track every contact’. Easing lock down too soon could lead to unnecessary deaths, a second peak and the overwhelming of the NHS.

By contrast the Prime Minister’s statement on Sunday was ambiguous and confusing. The shift from the ‘Stay at Home’ message to ‘Stay Alert’ lacks clarity and risks endangering public health with people in England left unclear as to what they are being asked to do.

Public Health is a devolved issue and Wales Green Party is in full agreement with the Welsh Government’s message to Stay at Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives.’

The Future Generation for Wales commissioner Sophie Howe has set out the plan to reshape Wales in a world after coronavirus, and it involves some policies and ideas that we have championed long before the pandemic.

Universal Basic Income and a four-day working week are long-standing Green Party policies and we welcome the Future Generations Commissioner’s support. Wales urgently needs a transition to an economy that focuses on the wellbeing of its current and future citizens. The Welsh Government must act now to adequately support people in a post-coronavirus Wales. 

Lauren James - Wales Green Deputy Leader said “It’s great to see the Future Generations Commissioner’s support for Universal Basic Income, a four-day working week and urgent climate action. Of course, these are all long-standing positions of the Green Party. We urge the Welsh Government to heed her advice and take action to support people through this crisis and beyond.”

What questions would you ask about the Cummings affair?

Fellow Green Party members and activists,

It has been very clear that most Welsh people have heeded the corona virus advice, first from the Prime Minister and then the Welsh Assembly Government.

On the 30^th March the Prime Minister stated in his letter to all households, “I give you one simple instruction - You MUST Stay at Home”, and ended “These rules must be observed”.

However when Mr Cummings drove a stagecoach through that policy we have been left with a breakdown of trust in the Johnson government.  It is my contention that the UK media, particularly in TV interviews I have heard, have let the UK public down in not challenging our leadership on the crisis.  Noam Chomsky refers to this as manufacturing consent, and it is also the case that public debate (TV media e.g. BBC News, Question Time etc) is directed and tolerated in a narrow window of consent.

In regard to the emerging Cummings story many questions, in my opinion, are both obvious and necessary to ask.  To date I have not heard these questions or points being asked.  I have listed below questions I believe need answering, for your consideration?

Gareth Brenton

Swansea and Gower Green Party

1. Week 1 of Lockdown.  We were told, you must - STAY AT HOME - no ifs, ands or buts.  The population was frightened in week 1 and strictly adhered to stay at home and if ill rest and stay at home regardless of symptoms. Cummings decided to drive to Durham. Perhaps to shield his boss, by not being in Westminster to answer questions. (A tale from the Sopranos).

2.  How not to spread a virus!  Why visit your parents home, who are in the at risk category?  Why expose your own child to illness in the confined space of a car for over 4 hours.

3. A teenage relative was available to care for your child, thereby exposing her to the virus and potentially the teenager’s family. Whilst a teenager made that offer why would you think that is a reliable and safe choice, in the sight of a lethal illness?

3. Driving 260+ miles, without a stop?  Does a young child with adults treating themselves for flu/CV need a comfort break, when the advice is surely to drink lots of fluid and rest?

4.  Common practice and courtesy.  Tell your boss where you are, especially if you are sick or going to be out of town, and provide details of how to contact you! Especially when you consider your role is so important.  Answer - Shield your boss by inferring, ’He was unaware, and knew nothing’. 

5. Team Working. He leads a team or many teams, whom did he inform in his team(s) and rule out he’s not in danger? What is the 10 Downing St protocol (Civil Service protocol) in this circumstance? Did he ignore or disregard those protocols.

6. Special Phone? Govt officials have special private messaging systems and phone systems. Cummings would have at least privately messaged his team and therefore, by association, his boss.  His PMs office phone would have been given to him whilst receiving security services scrutiny that it was in compliance as a safe device.  The Civil Service has strict rules on this matter on personal phones.

7. Personal Security.  As the most important SPAD what are the terms of reference for his ‘minders’, especially as he says his home was under threat.  Yesterday’s BBC footage seemed to show a minder on his doorstep.  Where were his minders? Were they in London and Durham; does HMG security leave its most important clients to wander off for a couple of weeks, not knowing where?

8. ’Exceptional circumstances’.  I don’t see the word ‘exceptional’ in the guidance  - Stay at home: guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection [1].

9.  Gender choice.  Throughout Cummings sees the females as having to supply the caring roles, and his insistence as having to return back to work, as the man, as the bread winner was more important than maintaining the family’s safety. He also justified what he did, was what any dad would do. What about what mothers would do?

10.  Only 22 days more, to achieve Herd Immunity (Save the Economy)?  The Sunday Times article, ‘22 days of dither and delay’ reveals the number of cases evolving when the policy is ‘free expansion of a virus’ i.e. attaining Herd Immunity.  Perhaps Cummings was 22 days short of attaining Herd Immunity (Save the Economy)?  Cummings, Vallance and Johnson all proclaimed the power of the Herd Immunity solution!  Video evidence tells that story.  The free expansion of the virus allows it to double every three days, at the lockdown.  It’s estimated there were 1.5 million infections then, even with a self-limiting restriction coming into play due to a reduction in the numbers of unaffected people available. In three more weeks the UK might have had three quarters of the population infected.  46 million infected. The penny had dropped.  46 million times x% is genocide.

Is this the real story behind the UK disaster! A miscalculation that Herd Immunity (Save the Economy) was the way forward.  Any thoughts?

11.  So what if a few old people die?  It is alleged he said this in a private meeting earlier on when discussions concerning herd immunity were taking place.

12.  Driving 60 miles to test eyesight, with your 4 year-old child and wife in the car?

13. The Cummings story is a distraction from the real story.

On the 30^th March the Prime Minister stated in his letter to all households, “I give you one simple instruction - You MUST Stay at Home” and ending “These rules must be observed”.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection ‘If you are living with children - Keep following this advice to the best of your ability, however, we are aware that not all these measures will be possible.  What we have seen so far is that children with coronavirus (COVID-19) appear to be less severely affected. It is nevertheless important to do your best to follow this guidance.’

Wales Green Party has criticised the decision to re-open all schools in Wales on 29th June.

Deputy leader Lauren James argued that the decision is “a reckless gamble that could cost lives”.

“The decision to reopen schools in Wales to all pupils on 29th June is based on assumptions. We don’t know what the infection rate will be. We don’t know how effective the new track and trace system will be. We don’t yet have guidance from the Welsh Government. We should know these things before we take risks with our children’s health.

“The decision by the Education Minister today isn’t in line with the Welsh Government’s recent traffic light system and by her own admission isn’t for educational purposes. We can let children check in and catch up without opening schools to all pupils and putting people at risk.

“A phased return when the scientific data is clear and when the test and trace systems are fully operational is the only sensible way forward. It shouldn’t be on an arbitrary date. In the meantime, more support for vulnerable children to access education online or in hubs is crucial.

“Children should only go back to school when we know it is safe to do so. Re-opening schools before we know those systems are in place is a reckless gamble that could cost lives. It is not a risk I’m willing to take with my children.”

Today on World Environment Day Wales Green Party join thousands of organisations and people across the globe celebrating the natural world and raising awareness of the threats facing the environment.

Anthony Slaughter, Leader of Wales Green Party, said,

‘World Environment Day is an opportunity to highlight the natural world, the environment, and our place within it.

At a time of climate emergency and global biodiversity crisis there is growing awareness of the fragility of our eco system on which all life depends. We are witnessing an acceleration of species extinction, rapid habitat loss and an increase in extreme weather events. The 2019 ‘State of Nature’ report showed that here in Wales one in six species are at risk of extinction.

The recent months of lockdown have made us all more aware of the importance of green spaces and wild places for both our health and mental wellbeing. We need nature, and nature needs us.

World Environment Day is a time to pause and reflect on our impact on this beautiful planet we call home, a time to raise our voices and call for the urgent action needed to halt this devastating decline and build back better for people and planet, for future generations. This World Environment Day, it is time for nature.’

Following a ballot of members in the region, Wales Green Party has announced that party Leader Anthony Slaughter will be the lead candidate on the South Wales Central regional list in next year’s Senedd election when the party is aiming to make a historic breakthrough by winning its first seats in the Senedd.

Anthony Slaughter was elected Leader of Wales Green Party in 2018 and has previously served two terms as Deputy. Anthony has lived in the Vale of Glamorgan for 16 years and has extensive experience of campaigning for environmental and social justice. He has been a candidate for elections at every level of government and his work has significantly grown the party’s vote share and visibility across the region.

Anthony said, ‘This election is taking place in challenging times. Growing awareness of the urgency of the Climate Emergency together with the global Covid pandemic, which has exposed the serious structural flaws in our society, highlight the damaging failure of ‘Business as Usual’ politics.

This is why our radical Green voice is so crucial. Our vision of a just, sustainable society is truly transformative, it is the change the planet and our communities are crying out for. Next year is our opportunity to get our Green message heard across the country and get the elected Green representation that Wales so desperately needs.’

Helen Westhead, Cardiff resident and local party activist, is second on the list for South Wales Central. Helen is an Environmental Consultant who works on policy and strategy to drive decarbonisation. She has previously stood as a candidate in council elections and is engaged with underrepresented groups on equality, diversity and inclusion issues.

Helen said’ ‘We are at a pivotal moment in human history. We must rebuild our fragile economy based on climate and social justice. I believe that Greens have an obligation to step up, be bold and be heard. The global pandemic is a wake-up call. It has shown us that society is strong, that we can act quickly, and that we can make greener choices. Wales has a strong foundation for a green recovery in the Well-being of Future Generations Act but must now take further decisive action.

I am standing for Senedd elections because I passionately believe that Greens have an obligation to society to be bold and outspoken at this critical time’

Cardiff based engineer David Griffin is the third candidate on the list. David joined the Green Party a few years ago inspired by his children who are actively engaged with the youth climate strike movement. David was the Green Party candidate for Cardiff West in the 2019 General Election and also stood in a Cardiff Council by-election earlier in 2019.

David said, ‘The Covid crisis has shown us that large interventions are possible once a government recognises a crisis is real, and that a society isn't resilient unless everyone has a secure basic income to fall back on in times of severe disruption. But in the post COVID19 slowdown, these messages could easily be forgotten as the big political parties return to their normal behaviour, neglecting the climate emergency and social justice in favour of an outsized focus on economic growth.

In 2021 we have a real chance to add a Green voice to the Senedd, and keep the most important long term issues front and centre, and to make sure the Welsh Government lives up to the promise it has made to Future Generations.’

Cardiff Green Party member Debra Cooper is the fourth candidate on the list. Debra has worked in primary and secondary education for 35 years and is a trained Forest School Practitioner. She has also worked closely with the Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service and in Special Education. Debra is currently drafting an updated Education Policy for Wales Green Party.

Debra said, ‘In recent months much has been said, and indeed felt about the meltdown of the economy and the climate crisis we now most certainly face. We recognise that the power to address this must be taken into our own hands. We do this with our vote to influence change within Welsh Government. We do this with our individual actions. We have to change how our Welsh Government thinks. A vote for Wales Green Party has never been more vital.

Greens will invest in people, creating jobs and apprenticeships which prepare for the future of our nation and lives worth living. Wales Green Party will support socially responsible small businesses, and job creators. We will position Wales globally, whilst building a resilient economy and protecting our environment.’

Wales Green Party will be standing candidates in all eight constituencies in the South Wales Central Region. These candidates will be announced in the coming months.