Coventry South Candidates Responses
When Coventry South candidates’ responses to our 10 questions have been received they are published here.
See this page to find links to their party manifestos and/or policy statements about some of the urgent international issues facing the UK.
Mattie Heaven – Conservative
Anne Patterson – Green
Gaza and Israel
1. Do you believe that UK companies should be allowed to continue to sell arms to Israel?
No, I support the Green Party manifesto which calls for an end to arms sales to Israel.
2. Do you accept the International Criminal Court is justified in seeking arrest warrants for senior Hamas and Israeli officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu?
Yes, the Green Party supports South Africa’s submission to the ICJ that Israel has committed genocide (on the grounds of collective punishment) and the calls for arrests of Israeli and Hamas leaders by the prosecutor of the ICC.
Climate Change
3. Do you agree that climate change is one of the biggest threats to human health and human rights?
Yes
4. If you are elected, what actions will you take to ensure the next government fights effectively against climate change?
If I were elected as a Green Party MP I would call for:
- Wind to provide around 70% of the UK’s electricity by 2030.
- Delivery of 80GW of offshore wind, 53 GW of onshore wind, and 100 GW of solar by 2035.
- The cancellation of recent fossil fuel licences such as for Rosebank and stop all new fossil fuel extraction projects in the UK.
- The removal of all oil and gas subsidies.
- The introduction of a carbon tax on all fossil fuel imports and domestic extraction, based on greenhouse gas emissions produced when fuel is burned.
- Investment in energy storage capacity and more efficient electricity distribution.
- Communities to own their own energy sources, ensuring they can use any profit from selling excess energy to reduce their bills or benefit their communities.
- All new homes to meet Passivhaus or equivalent standards and house builders include solar panels and heat pumps on all new homes, where appropriate.
- For a local-authority-led, street-by-street retrofit programme to insulate our homes, provide clean heat and start to adapt our buildings to more extreme climate conditions. This would mean investment of:
- £29bn over the next five years to insulate homes to an EPC B standard or above as part of a ten-year programme.
- £4bn over the next five years to insulate other buildings to a high standard
- £9bn over the next five years for low-carbon heating systems (e.g. heat pumps) for homes and other buildings
International Law
5. Has a government led by your party ever accepted that it is prepared to break, or has actually broken, international law?
The Green Party of England and Wales has never led a government, therefore this question is inapplicable.
6. If your party is elected to government, how would you try to ensure it abides by the rule of international law?
Green MPs will work for the UK to take the lead in upholding the right to self-determination and the enforcement of international law.
Asylum seekers
7. Do you believe that everyone has the right to seek asylum from persecution?
Yes.
8. What if any changes would you like to see in the way the UK deals with people who wish to seek asylum in the UK?
- An end to the hostile environment.
- Safe routes to sanctuary for those fleeing persecution.
- The dysfunctional Home Office to be replaced with a new Department of Migration, separating this function from the criminal justice system.
- An end to immigration detention for all migrants unless they are a danger to public safety.
- Abolition of the ‘no recourse to public funds’ condition that exacerbates social, economic, and racial inequalities.
- Those seeking asylum and protection to be permitted to work while their application is being decided.
Human Rights
9. Do you accept there is any justification for the views expressed by Amnesty International, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and others that the UK government has imposed serious and undue restrictions on this country’s international human rights obligations?
Yes.
10. If you are elected, what will you do (if anything) to try to ensure the government implements the words of the UK Foreign Secretary in 2006 that “the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms is a moral imperative.”
If elected as a Green MP, I would defend the Human Rights Act, the UK’s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights and continued direct access to Convention rights in the domestic courts. I would call for the scrapping of the Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Act, the Public Order Act and other legislation that erodes the right to protest and free expression.
Zarah Sultana – Labour
Stephen Richmond – Liberal Democrat
The following answers were provided on behalf of Stephen Richmond by Jamie Simpson, Chair of Coventry Liberal Democrats.
Gaza and Israel
1. Do you believe that UK companies should be allowed to continue to sell arms to Israel?
Answer: Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, has called for arms sales to Israel to be halted in response to the deaths of seven aid workers, including three British nationals, in an air strike in Gaza. As Liberal Democrats, we believe in the rule of law and human rights. Therefore, we support halting arms sales to Israel to ensure compliance with international law and human rights standards.
2. Do you accept that the International Criminal Court is justified in seeking arrest warrants for senior Hamas and Israeli officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?
Answer: Yes, the Liberal Democrats believe the UK government should support the legal processes of international courts such as the International Criminal Court. Due process must be followed under international law to uphold the rule of law, whether it involves leaders of Hamas, the Israeli Prime Minister, or other officials accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Climate Change
3. Do you agree that climate change is one of the biggest threats to human health and human rights?
Answer: Yes, I absolutely agree that climate change is one of the biggest threats to both human health and human rights.
4. If you are elected, what actions will you take to ensure the next government fights effectively against climate change?
Answer: If elected, Liberal Democrats will push for investment in renewable energy so that 80% of the UK’s electricity is generated from renewables by 2030. We will support community energy schemes, require new-build houses to be fitted with solar panels, provide free retrofits for low-income homes, and offer generous tax incentives to reduce energy consumption and emissions. Additionally, we will seek to plant 60 million trees a year and support the development of new green spaces and the restoration of woodland habitats. More information can be found at libdems.org.uk/green.
International Law
5. Has a government led by your party ever accepted that it is prepared to break or has actually broken international law?
Answer: Not to the knowledge of the Coventry Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats have always advocated for adherence to international law and have consistently opposed actions that would contravene these obligations.
6. If your party is elected to government, how would you try to ensure it abides by the rule of international law?
Answer: We will take powers away from the Home Office and establish a dedicated unit to examine how legislation interacts with international law, ensuring quicker and fairer decisions. We believe in the rule of law and will ensure that all government actions comply with international standards.
Asylum Seekers
7. Do you believe that everyone has the right to seek asylum from persecution?
Answer: Yes, as Liberal Democrats, we believe that everyone has the right to seek asylum from persecution, in line with Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
8. What, if any, changes would you like to see in the way the UK deals with people who wish to seek asylum in the UK?
Answer: We wish to provide genuine safe and legal routes to sanctuary, as demonstrated by the schemes available to Ukrainian and Hong Kong refugees. This approach will support those in genuine need and help the UK address human trafficking by gangs exploiting refugees and other migrants. We also support the scrapping of the Illegal Migration Bill, which we believe contravenes our obligations under international law.
Human Rights
9. Do you accept there is any justification for the views expressed by Amnesty International, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and others that the UK government has imposed serious and undue restrictions on this country’s international human rights obligations?
Answer: Yes, the Liberal Democrats believe that the Conservative government has damaged the UK’s reputation as an upholder of human rights through its attacks on the European Convention on Human Rights and other measures that restrict freedoms. We are committed to reversing these actions and upholding international human rights standards.
10. If you are elected, what will you do (if anything) to try to ensure the government implements the words of the UK Foreign Secretary in 2006 that “the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms is a moral imperative”?
Answer: If elected, we will champion human rights causes, ensuring that the UK remains a member of the EHRC and that all legislation is fully compliant with it. We will advocate for policies that promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, continuing the Liberal Democrats’ longstanding commitment to these principles.