John,

It’s been a busy time in politics recently! Here are some highlights of my work over the past couple of months.

We’ve now got our third Prime Minister in as many months. And it’s difficult to think of a Prime Minister with less of a mandate to govern than Rishi Sunak – a man who was resoundingly rejected fewer than two months ago by Tory members. Rishi Sunak portrays himself as a ‘grown up’ and a ‘safe pair of hands’, yet his record reveals him to be anything but. He’s for new oil and gas extraction from the North Sea, and against solar farms and onshore wind, he's thrown his weight behind the grotesque Rwanda deportation policy, and has so far refused to uprate benefits in line with inflation. This is a man who continually got all the big calls wrong – a climate-wrecker, human rights destroyer, and Brexit backer. If he wants to get one call right, he should call a general election immediately.   

The cost of living scandal is leaving people with impossible choices about how to make ends meet; we need urgent action, grounded in compassion, to keep people warm this winter. That means a retrofit revolution to insulate homes and slash bills; freezing the price cap at last October’s more affordable level; a a far bolder Windfall Tax on energy companies, with no loopholes; adopting the hundreds of wind and solar projects that are ready to go across the country; and incentivising energy demand reduction for wealthier households. But what we got from this Government was the more climate-wrecking North Sea oil & gas, a tax cut fiasco, and now we face the devastation of austerity 2.0. Hear my recent speech in the House of Commons.

I’m glad to see Rishi Sunak’s screeching u-turn on COP27, and eventual decision to attend the global climate summit in Egypt – but what an embarrassing mis-step on the world stage. Let this be a lesson to him – climate leadership matters. This summit will be crucial: we in the UK must address the loss and damage caused to climate-vulnerable countries; and we must commit to keep fossil fuels in the ground for good, by backing a global fossil fuel treaty. Read my recent Guardian article on why a fossil fuel treaty is so important.

Alaa Abd el-Fattah is a British citizen, a father, a brother, a writer, and a pro-democracy activist. And he’s been unlawfully imprisoned by the Egyptian authorities for nine years. Now he’s on hunger and water strike, protesting against his imprisonment – and he could have just days left to live. COP27 has just started in Egypt, and this is our Government's chance to act urgently to secure his release. This is a crucial battle for climate justice – and there’s no climate justice without racial, economic and social justice too. That’s why Alaa must be freed – and our Government cannot return home from COP27 without him. Read my Guardian article from this week.

One oft-forgotten crisis that desperately needs addressing is the rights of private renters; yet the Tories have utterly failed to do so. I’ve heard from constituents in Brighton who are living with broken appliances, rain water leaks and damage, flooding, and in structurally unsafe buildings. Yet renters are facing soaring rents, and landlords can still kick them out with no warning. So I’ve put forward a motion in Parliament: to ban no-fault evictions, make energy efficiency improvements binding, and freeze evictions and rents until at least May 2023. And crucially, local authorities must be properly resourced so they can fully respond to the demands that arise from this housing crisis. My motion is here – and you can read more in my recent Metro column.

How can we fight to protect nature, when we do not have an intimate experience of it ourselves? We currently only have legal access to 8% of land in England, and 3% of rivers – so only by expanding people’s access to nature beyond footpaths to rivers, woodlands, grasslands and the green belt, and fully immersing ourselves in nature, will we motivate people to care about it, and take action to look after it. I’ve proposed a Bill on extending the right to roam, taking inspiration from the highly successful approach to access in Scotland, which has been encoded in law for two decades. We must also see greater use and promotion of our Countryside Code: to respect the interests of others; to care for the environment; and to take responsibility for your own actions. You can listen to an extract of my speech in the House of Commons here, and read my recent iNews article.

The draconian and deeply undemocratic Public Order Bill which is going through Parliament right now is an outrageous attack on protest, and a rehash of measures voted down in Parliament just months ago. It includes banning orders, more police stop & search powers, and a whole host of new offences. Protest is not a gift from the state, it is our fundamental human right – we won’t let it go quietly. Read my piece in the Daily Mirror.

From nature, to Northern Ireland, to the economy – this Government’s approach on Brexit is utterly reckless and damaging. This is why the Greens agreed at our Party Conference last month that we would seek to rejoin the EU as soon as the political situation is favourable, and the right terms are available. This won't happen immediately – so we must take short-term measures like re-entering the customs union, returning to free movement of people, and rejoining the Horizon Research programme, to help undo the worst impacts of Brexit. The so-called "Brexit Freedoms Bill" risks becoming a bonfire of important EU laws which help protect environmental and workers' rights, and I spoke against it in Parliament. It does nothing to help people through the crises we face right now – it is more cooperation with our closest neighbours, not less, which will help us to rise to those challenges. Read my recent Metro column on Brexit.

Climate-wrecking fossil fuels have caused untold damage to our planet. The alternatives – like Rampion 2 wind farm off the coast of Brighton and Hove, which alongside the existing Rampion 1 could power a million UK homes – are cleaner, greener and cheaper. The solutions are there, we just need to adopt them! I visited Rampion last month, and spoke to ITV News Meridian.

I've written to Royal Mail about postal delivery disruption. I've heard from several constituents about delayed post during the year, which has led to some not receiving important NHS appointment letters in time. With strike action planned over the autumn, Royal Mail need to find a way to end the dispute without delay. Royal Mail staff should be properly remunerated, and the company need to listen to staff concerns about 'Uberisation' and their fears about the erosion of fair terms and conditions if the protections that were agreed when Royal Mail was privatised are ripped up. I also recognise the strength of local feeling on plans to build the new Royal Mail sorting office in Patcham. It’s vitally important that local concerns raised by residents are properly considered, and I’ve written to Royal Mail to highlight some of those specific concerns.

I was proud to stand with CWU South East Central Branch Telecoms last month, and speak with members on The Communication Workers Union picket line in Brighton. I've met some people who’ve spent their whole working lives with BT / Openreach, but have no option left but to strike over a pay offer far below inflation. #FoodbankPhil needs to get round the table and talk!

I was blown away by a visit with George Findlay, CEO of University Hospitals Sussex, to the new Royal Sussex County Hospital site in Brighton – a beautiful state of the art building, light and airy, fabulous sea views, artwork, and green space. And it was great to see the extraordinary 165 year-old Grade 2 listed chapel, moved brick by brick from the old site to the new.

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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