Green Party mailing
It's been a very busy last few days at Westminster with the resignation of
Theresa May, Boris Johnson's succession and the subsequent appointment of
one of the most right-wing governments we've seen in years. I shall be kept
busy fighting for the progressive causes and action on climate that I know
many of you want.

HOLDING THE PRIME MINISTER TO ACCOUNT

Stopping airport expansion is vital in the fight against climate chaos.
Boris Johnson famously said he'd lie down in front of bulldozers to stop a
third runway being built at Heathrow, and I questioned him in his first
statement to the Commons on whether he was going to hold good to that now
he was prime minister. You can see his response here [1]

HOLDING MINISTERS TO ACCOUNT

I raised a number of other issues with ministers

* On DEEP SEA MINING, I asked the Secretary of State to end government
sponsorship of deep sea mining exploration licences. The government refuses
to do this, but the minister did say that it didn't expect to be granting
any licences soon, apart from the two 15-year permits already in place
* On MENTAL HEALTH, I asked for details about the waiting time for
appointments with adult community mental health teams, including for people
seeking help with eating disorders. NHS England is planning pilot schemes
with four-week waiting times in local areas, but this will need to be
funded out of the planned additional investment in mental health services.
* I had tabled a parliamentary question about the Government's response
to a UN report finding bomb parts in YEMEN that were manufactured in
Brighton - many of you had been in touch with me about this. The government
was forced to stop issuing licences for weapons sales to Saudi Arabia which
might be used in Yemen after a court ruling last month. The Government is
lodging an appeal with the Supreme Court. It should accept the ruling and
stop British companies contributing to civilian deaths in Yemen.
* Many of you will have read or heard about the controversy over TEACHING
MATERIALS in primary schools portraying the full range of human
relationships. I want to ensure that teaching materials are inclusive of
LGBT people and was given assurances that they would be.

I've also been busy in the constituency, meeting some wonderful people who
are doing so much to make Brighton the welcoming community it is.

BRIGHTON PRIDE 

Following Disability Pride early in the month, I was honoured to speak at
Trans-Pride. Our city was also home to the first-ever Trans Pride event in
the UK, seven years ago, and it's been incredible to watch it grow year
after year. A wonderful celebration of all that's been achieved but with
transphobic hate crimes on the rise it was also a powerful a reminder of
how much further we have to go in the fight for equality.

HANDS OFF MOULSECOOMB CAMPAIGN

It was inspiring to meet some parents from Moulsecoomb Primary who are such
passionate advocates of all it achieves. The Government maintains that
academisation gives schools more freedom, despite evidence that shows this
to not be true. Issuing schools with forced academisation orders completely
disregards community choice and the 'freedom' it spouts, and fails to
address what is so clearly obvious to parents, and teaching staff; that the
Government needs to address cuts to education funding, and properly invest
in education and young people. Forcing academisation on a school that
should be championed and better supported is nothing more than a
smokescreen for the Government's continued failing education policies.

JING MASSAGE FUNDRAISER FOR RISE 

I spoke at 'Jing in Jubilee Square'. A huge thanks to the amazing Jing
Massage team for organising such a wonderful fundraiser with all the
proceeds from massages are going to support the brilliant work of Rise.
Fundraisers like this are essential in supporting organisations like Rise,
who do so much to supporting women's services in Brighton and Hove. The
need is growing too. Last year there were 2,777 referrals to Rise compared
to around 2,000 the previous year.

FUEL POVERTY MEETING

In Parliament, I chaired a joint meeting bringing together the Fuel Poverty
and Energy Efficiency Group and the All-Party Climate Change Group. Around
4 million households in the UK struggle with energy bills and yet home
energy efficiency measures have fallen sharply. This needs to be made a
national infrastructure priority, both for the sake of those living in
these homes, and to help meet our climate targets. In the short term, we
want to see a fund which would help the poorest households living in
hard-to-heat homes, especially in rural areas.

Finally, as I take a few weeks break and Parliament goes into recess, I
just want to wish you all a wonderful summer. The next newsletter from me
will be in early September.



Links:
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[1] [link removed]

Contacting Me

If you are a local resident and need help with case work or to find out more about my activities locally please do contact me at the office of: Caroline Lucas MP, Brighton Media Centre 15-17 Middle Street, Brighton BN1 1AL.
Tel: 01273 201 130. Email: [email protected]

I hold regular surgeries across the constituency. If you would like to book an appointment at a forthcoming surgery please call Liz Collis on 01273 201130.
She coordinates my constituency office and is able to help with most local enquiries.

If you would like to know about my parliamentary work please get in touch at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.
Tel: 020 7219 7025. Email: [email protected]

You can also keep up to date with my news on:

Twitter: @carolinelucas

Facebook: /carolinelucas.page

My Website: www.carolinelucas.com

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