Queen’s Speech

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle Excerpts

Monday 16th May 2022 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (GP)]

My Lords, I declare my membership of Peers for the Planet and I shall speak chiefly to my amendment. I tabled this amendment because, during recess and subsequently, on school and community visits, in the light of the fact that the World Meteorological Organization has just predicted that there is a 50% chance that in the next five years the world will break 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels—the maximum that Paris identified as bearable for people and planet—I saw a huge amount of fear and despair, and desperation about the climate and nature crises. We need to acknowledge the impact of that on mental health and well-being, as well as the very great dangers, highlighted by the right reverend Prelate in his powerful maiden speech.

The ways forward are known; they have been worked through and worked out. Indeed, I have to make mention, since it is my first time back in the House, that they proved very popular, as reflected in the wonderful Green Party local election results that we have just enjoyed.

I will run very briefly through the four elements of this amendment. The first is the climate and ecology Bill, which I believe the noble Lord, Lord Redesdale, has indicated that he plans to bring before your Lordships’ House. It acknowledges that the climate and nature crises are deeply interrelated. I must note at this point that the Office for Environmental Protection, created under the Environment Act, in its first major intervention and report, has warned the Government in the strongest terms that our nation’s nature is at risk of desperate tipping points. It warns of a massive loss of wildlife further to our already depleted levels, of a fisheries collapse and of dead rivers. To quote Dame Glenys Stacey:

“A sustainable environment is not just nice to have but essential for human wellbeing, progress and prosperity.”


I do hope the Government will listen to that report.

Also in the amendment is the green new deal, acknowledging the need for investment in energy efficiency, as the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, set out. The noble Baroness, Lady Hayman, spoke about onshore wind and the noble Baroness, Lady Whitaker, spoke about harnessing the power of our oceans.

The amendment also calls for abolishing the maximising economic recovery duty. I note that we have just marked our six-month anniversary as chair of COP 26. I look back to that meeting in Glasgow, where global experts and independent people said, “You, the UK, as chair of COP 26, must commit to no new oil and gas”.

Finally—this might be the surprising element—the amendment calls for the extension of the right to roam. That reflects the fact that our Environment Agency has been slashed back and is desperately struggling to protect our natural world. Indeed, we have more threats to it. Citizen scientists are out there right now sampling our rivers, looking at our wildlife populations and doing huge amounts of work. The right to roam gives people the chance to fill in where the Government have failed and also of course gives them the chance to develop a love of nature to protect it.

I have two final extra points. The opening words of the Speech were:

“My Government’s priority is to grow … the economy”.


I question the deliverability of that, as other noble Lords have done. But, more, I strongly question its wisdom. We have been chasing growth, with varying levels of success, for decades—and look at the state of our society. The cost of living crisis is not a new thing arising from energy crises but a decades-long struggle, as marked by the rise of food banks. Who are we growing the economy for? Are we just making the few even richer?

Finally, I do have to point to one of the many signs of intellectual incoherence in the Government’s programme. The Speech contains the financial services and markets Bill, where we hear talk of increasing competitiveness and cutting red tape, but also the economic crime and corporate transparency Bill, which acknowledges the fact that we have a huge corruption problem in the UK and that the City of London is not just a creaking galleon with a few rotten apples in its barrels but a ship rotten to its timbers and decaying in its sails. Avoiding shipwreck and protecting the security of us all requires strong medicine and controls, not setting sail for the open seas on course for one of our nation’s many tottering tax havens.

--- Later in debate ---

Tabled by

[Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle]

At the end of the Address insert:

“but regret the failure of Her Majesty’s Government to deliver the urgent transformative action required in response to the climate and nature emergencies if the United Kingdom is to do its fair share to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius; further note with regret that one million species face extinction and that access to nature is profoundly unequal; and therefore call on Her Majesty’s Government (1) to bring forward a climate and ecology bill to provide an evidence-based statutory framework to meet international climate and nature responsibilities, (2) to enact a Green New Deal to restructure and decarbonise the economy, (3) to abolish the Maximising Economic Recovery duty, and (4) to extend the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to include rivers, woods, grassland and Green Belt”.

[Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (GP)]

My Lords, I thank the many noble Lords from all sides of your Lordships’ House who have raised the issues covered in my amendment. Given the hour, I will not move it tonight.

Debate adjourned until tomorrow.