Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News Now 20240907

With his Co Leader but he will be delivering a speech on his own because she has covid symptoms. The Green Party looking to position themselves as a challenge the Labour Government from the left so i think we can expect them to say that labour should be bolder and braver in their words more ambitious. And criticise what they say is labour � s doom and gloom. We had from Keir Starmer a few weeks ago saying things will get worse before they get better. The argument from the Green Party in manchester is that this is not necessarily the case and are not calling for a Wealth Tax on the very wealthiest. They are saying that by those measures, more investment could be made immediately in public services. I think we can also expect criticism of the Winter Fuel Allowance cut and also to the two child benefit cap. Those are the kind of organs are expecting to hear the next few minutes as the conference for the Green Party gets under way. What difference does it make having four mps, what difference is the Green Party thinking that having four mps in westminster will give them in westminster will give them in terms of influence was yellow i think that is a really good Question. I yellow i think that is a really good Question. Yellow i think that is a really good Question. I think there is a Question good Question. I think there is a Question about good Question. I think there is a Question about how good Question. I think there is a Question about how they good Question. I think there isi a Question about how they use those four mps, what kind of things they focus on. We have a ready Scene Criticism of Adrian Ramsay over opposing Electricity Pylons in his constituency. Labour argue that is hypocrisy because you need that kind of infrastructure to get to clean energy and Adrian Ramsay argues there are alternatives like putting the pylons underground or under the sea. So there are Questions about how they use those four mps, how this in their time. From seniorfigures i have been speaking to in the last few hours, they argue that those mps pose a bit of a challenge because they won in seats both in places like brighton and bristol, the Student Hubs as it were aware the Green Party has traditionally been quite strong, but also in places like East Anglia and north herefordshire, former tory stronghold, attracting people who had voted conservative in the past but are concerned about climate. The concerns the Green Party have got at the moment are a coalition of voters, people primarily concerned about the climate, people who have joint from the left, who were possibly disaffected by kiss,� s disaffection with fiscal rules. Youve also got people who have joined the Green Party with their stance on gaza, they were one of the first to call for a ceasefire and they have been very strong in that pro palestinian stance there. You have got a range of voters and there is a challenge for The Party and how they keep that coalition and how they even build on it. One senior Party Figure said they have to acknowledge that and have a reset what the Green Party stands for, what the Green Party advocates with that newcomer may be very different base of support. Just newcomer may be very different base of support. Base of support. Just to remind viewers, base of support. Just to remind viewers. We base of support. Just to remind viewers, we are base of support. Just to remind viewers, we are awaiting base of support. Just to remind viewers, we are awaiting age. Viewers, we are awaiting Age And Ramsay to take the podium there in manchester at The Green Party Conference. I was just looking at the write up on the Bbc News website, talking about the fact that Adrian Ramsay has onlyjust managed to move into his westminster office. It is empty apart from two desks, is either underfed and he hasnt had time to unpack. It isjust and he hasnt had time to unpack. It is just a and he hasnt had time to unpack. It isjust a reminder that he really is, along with his colleagues, new bees Into Westminster and here he is, going to be making his first Party Conference speech. I5 Party Conference speech. I3 exactly right and there is an element of that wide eyed excitement here at the conference, the first time they have had four mps, nearly 7 of the vote as well, which was a record high for the Green Party from that there is an element of that freshfaced excitement about what they could do. I think they are underlying that initial excitement. There are also elements of attention that we have ready picked up here, as a caning earlier this morning, there was a protest outside from a group calling themselves greens in exile, people say they have been expeued people say they have been expelled from the Green Party for their views. Adrian ramsay says that people should be able to express gender critical visas on it is done respectfully. Those will perhaps be discussed, largely Behind Closed Doors in the next few days in manchester. The Green Party excited about the opportunities it has, the new mps it has a westminster but also facing issues and challenges about the stances it takes, there is internal debate i think we can expect to hear and see over the next few days. Although we have been talking about the fact they are a small presence in westminster, they are a powerful presence In Local government and they had another Record Set In Local election results common more than 800 councillors across the country, including ilii than 800 councillors across the country, including mi in the east of england, which as he said, Adrian Ramsays part of the world and by The Greens are doing increasingly well . That is exactly doing increasingly well . That is exactly right. Doing increasingly well . That is exactly right. As doing increasingly well . That is exactly right. As well doing increasingly well . That is exactly right. As well as i is exactly right. As well as those councillors, they also tell me that they have had an increase in membership in the last few months. 2000 more since the election itself. The Green Party, there is a sense here of a party on the up, on the rise but there is a challenge as well of the new coalition of voters that it has. And i was speaking to one senior Party Figure he said that the reason The Party is so much focusing on labour is because they know that they have been around a0 or so seats, they came second to labour. This is a party he wants to build from that base, it is labour mps they are targeting, even though you might think politically they are more aligned with the Labour Party, that is very much the focus of the critique that we can expect from Adrian Ramsay in his speech in the next few moments or so and making a case that they offer bolder, what they call bold and brave alternative to sur Keir Starmer� s Labour Party. Tote brave alternative to sur Keir Starmers Labour Party. We are awaitin starmers Labour Party. We are awaiting age starmers Labour Party. We are awaiting Age Ramsay starmers Labour Party. We are awaiting Age Ramsay taking starmers Labour Party. We are awaiting Age Ramsay taking to | awaiting Age Ramsay taking to the podium. We arejust awaiting Age Ramsay taking to the podium. We are just going to move away to another story but we will come back as soon as Mr Ramsay does take to the stage. Forthe as Mr Ramsay does take to the stage. For the moment, as Mr Ramsay does take to the stage. Forthe moment, Harry Farley at The Green Party Conference, thank you. A man who set fire to a Hotel Housing Aslyum seekers has been handed the Longestjail Sentence for the Uk Riots over the summer. Thomas birley has beenjailed for 9 years for taking part in a riot in rotherham on ath august. He was part of a group which smashed windows at the Holiday Inn express in manvers and added wood to a fire against the building. The riots started after Disinformation Online that the suspect in the Southport Attack in which three girls were killed was a muslim asylum seeker. The judge said Thomas Birley was intent on spreading a hateful message of violence and racism. Jess lane reports. Rioters starting fires and forcing their way into this Holiday Inn express last month. Police officers were attacked and injured in the violence at the hotel in manvers, near rotherham, which had been housing more than 200 Asylum Seekers. Today, 27 year old Thomas Birley, from rotherham, has been sent to prison for nine years, the longest sentence given to anyone involved in the riots so far. After pleading guilty to arson with intent to endanger life, violent Disorder And Possession of an offensive weapon, the court was shown this video of him wearing a black hooded coat and red mask, placing wood on top of the fire started in this bin, which was later pushed through the door. He shouts abuse at police before putting a large piece of chipboard onto the fire, which takes hold quickly. He was also accused of Throwing Items at the police and squaring up to officers with riot shields. This is the second sentencing in three days following the disorder which took place at the hotel in rotherham. Creighton mckenzie, from barnsley, was sent to prison for three years. The Unemployed Labourer was one of the first people to enter the Holiday Inn. This video was shown in court of mckenzie walking through the hotel as terrified staff hid in the kitchen. The court Heard Mckenzie was also in a crowd attacking a group of Riot Police with Fire Extinguishers and other weapons, amid shouts of Burn It Down nearly five weeks after the violent scenes in rotherham and around the country, people who were involved are still being told theyll be found and punished. Jessica lane, Bbc News. Our north of England Correspondent Danny savage is at sheffield crown court, where Thomas Birley was sentenced. When many people think back to the unrest over the summer, the pictures from outside that Holiday Inn express in manvers, near rotherham, are those that spring to mind for many people, and he was the latest person to be sentenced. But as the judge said today, it was by far the most serious one of its kind to come from that case. Thejudge spoke for over half an Hour Sentencing Thomas Birley this afternoon. He said. He went on to describe the feelings of people inside the hotel at the time. He said. And after that, he went on to say that birley was encouraged by malicious and ignorant posts on social media, that he followed racist accounts and he was sentencing him on the basis of it being a racist incident. He was jailed for nine years. Thats the longest sentence handed down for any of the civil unrest that weve heard about in the previous couple of months. He was sentenced to nine years, but that was extended for five years as well. He will be on licence for five years once he comes out. So effectively it is a ia year sentence. Suspended Labour Councillor rickyjones has pleaded not guilty. Video had emerged online of mrjones appearing to tell a crowd in walthamstow in North London that far right demonstrators should have their throats cut. Lets go straight back to manchester because the Co Leader of the Green Party is just about to take to the podium at The Green Party Conference. Thank you so much. What a wonderful opening, hannah. Applause and wishing colour well. It certainly does show yet again the benefit of having party Co Leaders. And what an exciting conference this is for the Green Party. What an amazing yet it has been so far. I am so happy to be standing here notjust as a Co Leader of this party but also as one of your new green mps. Applause people have been waiting so long for this moment and however long you have worked for it, in my case 26 years since ijoined The Party, it is such a huge Breakthrough And Celebration for all of us and lets make the most of this weekend together. Along with carlo, sian and ellie, i cannot be more grateful to be representing our party in parliament. Together, we have achieved so much. We have broken records and made history. And we have done it by believing in better politics, one that is positive, inspiring and ambitious. And we were not afraid to put that belief into action. With every leaflet delivered, every door knocked, every social Media Video posted, every poster in a window. Voters were left in No Doubt of our commitment to a better future. Doubt of our commitment to a betterfuture. And doubt of our commitment to a better future. And friends, thatis better future. And friends, that is down to you. This victory belongs to every single person in our party, volunteers, staff, party offices, our counsellors and campaigners on the ground for everything you have done. Applause thank you for uniting behind our shared vision of what really matters, propelling together and sharing what we can do mummy on our differences and believe in our common purpose. Thank you. We went into the General Election in july into the General Election in july clear that only the Green Party was offering a real hope and Real Change that people want to see. And voters responded to that. They desperately wanted to see the back of the conservatives, didnt we all . But they were inspired by the lacklustre offers and new turn is coming from the Labour Party u turns. People up and down our country were looking for something different. We are happy to say that 2 Million people found it with us. They found it with a party that shows there is a big positive, inspiring alternative to Business As Usual and that is how to create a better future that we all deserve. The new Labour Government has won the opportunity to change our country and we will work with them to do that. We will collaborate with them and with other parties where we agree. So where they are hiding in the right direction on lifting the onshore Wind Band or renationalising the railways, we will support them. That is the kind of politics we promised voters throughout the campaign. But we promised more than that too. We promised to hold the new government to account where they are off track, where they should and could be doing more, when we take great ambition is needed to deliver the positive, inspiring change that people urgently want to see. Because in so many areas, ones that matter deeply to so many of us, labour is getting it wrong. Like denying Winter Fuel payments to millions of pensioners, giving The Green light to new climate destroying Airport Expansion and sticking with the cruelty of the two child benefit cap. Applause like the welcome that half hearted partial suspension of Arms Sales to israel and the continuing of the nonsensical ban of Asylum Seekers being allowed to work. So conference, we will be using our voices in parliament to raise up the voices of the 2 Million green voters who want so much better, to raise up the voices of everyone across our country who wants a fairer and greener future. The voices of all those who believe in our positive alternatives and who know that we represent real hope and Real Change. Applause we know that our cherished nhs is in urgent need of that hope and that change. It is nothing new to say to set our health and social Care System is at breaking point. It is more than eight years since any of the key Waiting Time targets for ana, Hospital Cancer Care have been met in england. Eight years. We know patients are being treated in hospital corridors, i have seen it with my own eyes. We know getting to see a gp can routinely be a struggle. We know there are queues around the block for an nhs dentist. We know surgery are being performed in Operating Theatres with leaks in the ceiling. And we know, and so does labour, and yet they are not prepared to do what is required to fix it. In fact, labour might answer to this problem is the welcome and lie the map rely even heavier. Theyjust lie the map rely even heavier. They just lack the lie the map rely even heavier. Theyjust lack the Ambition And Vision to do things differently. Investing in our Health Service in the level needed to make it healthy again and join it up with a reasonable fair offer on social care is possible. We have listened to the experts and the numbers stack up. Greens know there are positive alternatives. Real change, paid for through a fair tax system. In a few weeks, we will see the first budget from this new government and we expect to predictably hear that there is no money. And in a few weeks time, i will stand up in the House Of Commons at the new green mp for Waverly Valley and tell the chancellor that she is not looking in the right place. We need to invest in defending public services and protecting our environment. Applause and we can do that with some changes to the tax system, asking the wealthiest in society to pay a little more. Applause changes that are modest by the standards of other european countries, he recognised that having high Quality Public services and a green economy needs investment. I proudly championed a Wealth Tax during the general Election Campaign and i will do the same on Budget Day and i will do the same every single day. I hear this Government Claim that we cant afford to pay the necessary Climate Action or to make sure everyone has a safe, affordable warm home or to fund our much loved nhs. Applause because we can tackle poverty and inequality, improve Well Being and protect our environment. These are political choices. What we chooseis political choices. What we choose is to pester people to have a safer, cleaner, better future push people. We will not make anyone in our country a scapegoat for the choices that successive governments over decades not invest property in our nhs, or in School Or Housing or our local government services. Other politicians routinely peddle a narrative that pits people against one another, in a queue for a council home, for a Dentist Orfor a job. It for a council home, for a dentist or for a job. It is a dishonest and narrative that is designed to distract from the failings of successive governments and it is a deeply dangerous one that has taken hold. The Writing And Disorder in the summer was organised political violence, fuelled by racism and homophobia. Rioting. Islam a phobia. There we have named it, something we have to do to understand it and clearly work out how to defeat it. Only pay challenging the kind of inflammatory language that is given The Green light to those racist views that we can start to change the system that i fuelled the of racism. While we welcome the steps to take those responsible for instigating the violence to justice, this responsible for instigating the violence tojustice, this might be enough to defeat an Ideology Thatis be enough to defeat an ideology that is all about undermining our society, which seek to divide communities and compromise the state and its institutions. Compromise the state and its institutions. �. , institutions. And as greens, we resist being institutions. And as greens, we resist being divided, institutions. And as greens, we resist being divided, we institutions. And as greens, we resist being divided, we stand. Resist being divided, we stand in solidarity resist being divided, we stand in solidarity with resist being divided, we stand in solidarity with all resist being divided, we stand in solidarity with all those resist being divided, we stand in solidarity with all those In L in solidarity with all those in our communities in solidarity with all those in our communities who in solidarity with all those in our communities who have i in solidarity with all those in our communities who have united peacefully our communities who have united peacefully against our communities who have united peacefully against this our communities who have united peacefully against this hate peacefully against this hate and we peacefully against this hate and we will peacefully against this hate and we will continue peacefully against this hate and we will continue to peacefully against this hate and we will continue to do. Peacefully against this hate. And we will continue to do that and we will continue to do that and core and we will continue to do that and core on and we will continue to do that and core on each and we will continue to do that and core on each other and we will continue to do that and core on each other to and we will continue to do that and core on each other to do. And core on each other to do the same and core on each other to do the same and core on each other to do the same. , the same. Our government needs to be ambitious the same. Our government needs to be ambitious in the same. Our government needs to be ambitious in behalf the same. Our government needs to be ambitious in behalf of the same. Our government needs to be ambitious in behalf of my i to be ambitious in behalf of my constituency in Waverley Valley and millions of people right across this country. Ambitious to meet their needs and give them the quality of life they deserve. Ambitious to fix the critical public services that are needed every day, like dentistry. One man i spoke to makes a four Hour Round Trip to get to the dentist. Over a quarter of the residents that i survey last winter have given up survey last winter have given up on Health Care altogether because it is just too stressful and soul destroying to try to get access. And then there are those people who tell me they have had to resort to pulling out their own teeth. The same horrors are repeated across the country. With so many areas now classed as dental deserts. So as a local mp and as you Co Leader, i am determined to make this one of my top priorities. Nobody should be facing such dreadful choices over their own teeth. Applause nobody should be suffering because of the broken dental Contract And Dentist leaving the sector in droves. Everybody should have access, guaranteed to an nhs dentist. Applause that is the kind of Bakery Ambition that is inspiring people and that can help us deliver Real Change big grain. There are more areas but we need more ambition. Labours for you to the Housing Prices just doesnt cut it. We have million households on council waiting list. We also have A Million empty homes. And another million that planners have allowed but the developers have allowed but the developers have not yet built, because they want to keep prices high. The labour� s decision to hand over more power and profits to private developments just doesnt make sense. Where is the incentive to bailed affordable homes . There is none. He said it is a gateway to more Executive Homes and luxury flats which price people out of their communities instead it is. This is not Real Change. It is another example of a focus on Growth And Profit that serves few and keeps the wheels of inequality turning. And we see the same lack of ambition when it comes to sustainable farming. In Waverley Valley and other committees allow farmers what i need more support to transition to nature friendly farming with all the benefits that brings. And yetjust all the benefits that brings. And yet just this all the benefits that brings. And yetjust this week, we had from labour that they intend to do the exact opposite, to cut the nature of any Farming Budget in england by £100 million. When we are one of the most Nature Depleted Countries on earth, when the government has its own legally binding targets on improving nature and when leading nature charities are calling for the budget to be doubled, it is a devastating move. A political choice which chose a lack of ambition. A willingness to pull the rug from Critical Green Measures from Critical Green Measures from rural areas and a severe misunderstanding of the climate and nature crisis. Nature is a priority for my constituents. They tell me so. Real change would look like stopping rivers and seas being pumped full of sewage. Applause the River Raven Knee gave its way to my constituency and it is a source of Pride And Part of our community identity. No wonder people are so angry that both companies are allowed to pollute it with. Pollute it but both companies are allowed to pollute it but labour and are prepared to either countenance the one positive solution we know would end the Pollution Scandal once and for all, Public Ownership they are not prepared. Applause so this is the promise i make to waveney valley and it is one i make to you today. I will not rest until our waterways are clean, until shareholders and corporate bosses are not rewarded for their failures and tell waters back into public hands where it rightfully belongs. And until water is back into public hands. I am passionate about delivering Real Change. And all four of The Green mps want to make sure ambitious, positive, inspiring Climate Action is at the top of the new governments agenda. Ambitious because we are in a climate emergency. We are moving further into this critical decade where it is still possible to reverse the unprecedented decline of nature and prevent runaway climate down. And because while labour is starting to grasp the scale of what is required when it comes to clean electricity, they have not yet yet Billy Matt understood the need to understand each section of our economy, fast and fairly. Applause positive because this is an opportunity to tackle other connected crises like inequality, just last month we saw the Energy Price Cap lifted, putting £150 on the average Household Bill and a Labour Chancellor denied one fuel payments, petting to million pensioners at risk of fuel poverty. Instigating homes is a Win Win when the climate, our pockets and our quality of life. The same wins are possible across our economy, the right price, right Place Approach to the crisis and we must not let the crisis and we must not let the positive story around Climate Action be left untold. We must not let it cede ground to those who wont make it more expensive for the poorest all those who deny us our freedoms. The work we do need to be inspiring, too, because the other Political Parties show us how hard. Applause sir, yes, we welcome the steps towards a positive energy transition, weve seen them from labour and they say they will not issue new licences from Oil And Gas but we need more, we want them to stop the huge new Rosebank Oil Field going ahead. Cheering applause