Ciarán Cuffe, Co-Chair of the European Green Party, said: ‘Under Starmer, bills went up and wages stayed too low, while the oil and gas industry made record profits. Inequality has been rising; the UK’s 50 richest families now possess more wealth than half of the population. The country needs a bold change of direction.'
'Starmer’s resignation is also an opportunity for the UK Labour Party to demonstrate their European credentials under a new leader, reset their relationship with the EU, and reverse the damage caused by Brexit. There is much public support for a new PM to take the first steps towards returning to the EU. The challenges of our time cannot be solved by an isolated nation-state alone. Let us hope that the UK Labour Party is willing to engage with the EU. A new Labour prime minister must call Ursula von der Leyen and tell her that they are willing to rejoin.'
Vula Tsetsi, Co-Chair of the European Green Party, added, ‘Starmer promised change, but too many people saw more of the same. He has left the vast majority in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis and a climate and nature crisis. He has failed to provide answers to the housing crisis, growing inequality and failing public services. More and more people in the UK are looking for political solutions that address the root causes of their daily concerns, something reflected in the Green Party's best-ever election results in May.'
‘The verdict on Brexit is no longer ideological; it is increasingly based on lived experience. Even former Leave voters view Brexit negatively, according to ECFR research. Far-right firebrands like Nigel Farage sold Brexit as a path to stability and control, but it has brought years of chaos, economic decline, political instability and diminished influence.
‘At our Green Leadership Conference in May, the European Green Party formally invited the UK to rejoin the European Union. If the British people decide that their future lies within the European family once again, they will find Green partners across Europe ready to welcome them. The time has come to start the journey back to Europe’, Tsetsi concluded.
