Welcome

The Liberal Democrat MEPs have elected Catherine Bearder MEP as the leader of the Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament following the first meeting of the MEP group today.

Following the best ever European Election result in the party's history, Catherine Bearder MEP will lead a group of 16 Liberal Democrat MEPs as the party continues to campaign to stop Brexit.

Speaking after the announcement, Catherine Bearder MEP said:

"I am delighted to be elected as the leader for the Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament.

"Our main priority will be to stop Brexit and with 16 MEPs we will ensure our message is heard loud and clear in Brussels.

"We will also fight for those EU and UK citizens who were denied a vote on this election."

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable MP added:

"Catherine led the charge for British liberalism in Brussels during a difficult five years for the party.

"She has consistently kept the Remain flame alight, as well as being a leading voice on environmental protection and the fight against wildlife trafficking.

"With a firm grasp of how the EU institutions work, and how to get things done, I know she will lead our new team of 16 with distinction. She has a group with an impressive body of experience in the European Parliament to complement the talent of our many new MEPs.

"We are now the second largest liberal delegation in the European Parliament, and I look forward to our MEPs making a real mark as the Union sets its agenda and chooses a new Commission for the coming five years."

Gove clutching at straws with new plastic strategy Responding to the Government's proposals to bring in new controls on plastic items, Liberal Democrat DEFRA spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: "It is good to see that the Government finally conceded that there is a need to get serious about plastic pollution, but this plan is not ambitious enough to save our seas. "We need to tackle our throw-away culture, and this new government strategy doesn't come close to taking the steps we need to take. If we are waiting a year to bring in these changes, 4,700 million straws and 1,800 million plastic cotton buds will be thrown away before we get real about tackling it. "Instead of reheating old press releases about taking action in a years time, they should take action now to protect our environment for future generations."

LDAT Special for Green Lib Dem Conference

You will probably have seen already that we have organised a session covering "Nuclear Weapons and the Environment" at the Green Liberal Democrat conference in Nottingham on Saturday 15^th June. The speakers for this session are CND General Secretary, Kate Hudson and our own Baroness Sue Miller, so I hope this will tempt Liberal Democrats Against Trident (LDAT) members to come along.

Lib Dems call for EU-wide fracking ban The Liberal Democrats have today [16 May 2019] committed to campaigning for an EU-wide ban on fracking because of its negative impacts on climate change, the energy mix and our environment. Lib Dem Leader Vince Cable will be discussing the party's commitment to the environment with shoppers at a Zero waste shop 'Unwrapped' in Sheffield later today. He will say the Lib Dem manifesto is a "blueprint for what the UK could achieve if Brexit was stopped." The party is calling for Europe to adopt a net zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050, higher EU standards of and greater investment in energy efficiency, an ambitious EU-wide action plan on deforestation and immediate action to tackle the use of plastics through a new binding international treaty. Leader of the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable said: "We are unequivocal in our commitment to an EU-wide ban on fracking. "But we can only achieve what is needed to face up to the climate emergency by working together with our international partners as a leading member of the European Union. "To proceed with Brexit would be to throw away the biggest tool we have in the battle against climate change. "Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to Stop Brexit and protect our planet for the future generations."

Special! Special! Special! Special! Special! Special!

GLD Conference! Special Rate for New Lib Dem Councillors! £35

GREEN Workshop arranged.

What a fabulous set of results in the Local Elections on 2nd May. So many NEW councillors - Congratulations. Have you got your GREEN plans set out for when you go to your first council meetings? No…? We`d like to help.

(What follows is personal opinion)

Climate Change has enormous momentum. It is a runaway train with gigatonnes of carbon emissions pushing it along every year, from every part of the globe. How do you stop a runaway train?

In the 2010 film about an out of control train with dangerous chemicals on board, Unstoppable, officials (after clearing the tracks) tried small, ineffectual measures, such as trying to board it, or derail it. None of them worked because they were about minimising financial loss, not about acknowledging the problem. They failed because they didn't grasp the immensity of the technical challenge. In the end it was stopped by an expert and a young rebel, both dismissed by the officials as irrelevant. They chased down the train, hooked on, and slowed it down by a mixture of guts and persistence.

Focusing on Nature - the 2019 Green Lib Dem Conference

Planning for the 2019 Green Liberal Democrat conference in Nottingham on 15^th June is now hotting up and will take off rapidly once the Local elections are done and dusted. I have just finalised my leaflet for the last week of my campaign and sent it off to the printers and, although I am planning a canvassing trip later, I have found a few minutes to update you on how the conference is coming along. My leaflet (this will not surprise you!) concentrates on the Climate Change emergency and our response to the XR activity over the last couple of weeks - I will let you all know how it works out in next week`s vote.

Lib Dems lead debate to end fracking

Today the Liberal Democrats led a debate in the House of Commons calling for an end to fracking because of its adverse impact on the environment and its incompatibility with tackling the climate crisis. Liberal Democrat Climate Change Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse, who is leading the backbench debate, is also expected to warn the Conservative Government's proposed changes to planning permission for fracking sites would deprive local authorities of their "historic rights of self-determination." The debate comes hot on the heels of the #FridaysForFuture movement which saw Swedish student Greta Thunberg inspire hundreds of thousands of school pupils across the world to strike in aid of tackling climate change, including in the UK. Speaking before the debate, Liberal Democrat Climate Change Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said: "There is no doubt that fracking causes a massive amount of harm to both the immediate environment and our wider countryside, bringing with it the potential threat of earthquakes, water pollution, and green spaces transforming into industrial landscapes. "Since the Conservative Government's proposals on shale gas were announced, 300,000 people have signed petitions against their plans and forty councils have passed motions to reject them. They rightly demand better and it would be criminal to ignore them. "The Liberal Democrats stand with the tens of thousands of young people march ing to demand the climate crisis is adverted. We are categorically against fracking, and the damage it would inflict on our environment. It's time Conservative Ministers listened, and ushered in an age of renewables." The motion that was debated is: That this House has considered use of permitted development and the nationally significant infrastructure project regime for shale gas exploration and production. Relevant Documents: Eighth Report of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Session 2017-19, Planning guidance on fracking, HC 767 Notes: The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee

Spring conference Motion F8 [See Conference Extra Page 11]

14:55pm Saturday 16th March, York Conference

Cleaning Up the Air We Breathe: How to Tackle Road Pollution

• FACEBOOK DISCUSSION OF THIS AT: https://greenlibdems.org.uk/en/article/2019/1297737/gld-amendments-to-pollution-motion-f8-cleaning-up-the-air-we-breathe-how-to-tackle-road-pollution