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| Green Party manifesto: The key policies explained | Green Party manifesto: The key policies explained |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The Green Party has launched its 2019 manifesto, called If Not Now, When? It sets out the polices the party aims to introduce should it win the election. | |
| The full document, available here, sets out a "Green New Deal" - proposing measures from replacing fossil fuels to insulating houses and investing in cycle paths. | The full document, available here, sets out a "Green New Deal" - proposing measures from replacing fossil fuels to insulating houses and investing in cycle paths. |
| Set binding targets for a zero carbon economy | Set binding targets for a zero carbon economy |
| Greenhouse gas emissions would be cut to zero, under plans to tackle climate change. | Greenhouse gas emissions would be cut to zero, under plans to tackle climate change. |
| Analysis by Roger Harrabin, BBC environment and energy analyst | |
| All major parties promise strong action on the climate, but the Greens are the most radical by far. | All major parties promise strong action on the climate, but the Greens are the most radical by far. |
| The Conservatives, for instance, passed a law obliging the UK to halt virtually all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This monumental task would reshape the economy and affect many people. The Liberal Democrats are even more ambitious, with a 2045 target. | The Conservatives, for instance, passed a law obliging the UK to halt virtually all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This monumental task would reshape the economy and affect many people. The Liberal Democrats are even more ambitious, with a 2045 target. |
| But the Greens go even further. They say emissions must be eliminated by 2030 - and they will spend £100bn a year on the task. | But the Greens go even further. They say emissions must be eliminated by 2030 - and they will spend £100bn a year on the task. |
| It would mean, within a decade, petrol and diesel vehicles being replaced. Gas heating boilers would be switched for, say, hydrogen. All homes would be well insulated and all emissions from industry avoided or captured in rocks. People would eat less meat, drive less in smaller cleaner cars and curb flying. | It would mean, within a decade, petrol and diesel vehicles being replaced. Gas heating boilers would be switched for, say, hydrogen. All homes would be well insulated and all emissions from industry avoided or captured in rocks. People would eat less meat, drive less in smaller cleaner cars and curb flying. |
| The advisory Committee on Climate Change, which provides independent advice to government, says 2050 is the earliest credible date for achieving net zero emissions for most sectors of the economy. | The advisory Committee on Climate Change, which provides independent advice to government, says 2050 is the earliest credible date for achieving net zero emissions for most sectors of the economy. |
| However, the Greens say risking climate catastrophe is not a credible option. | However, the Greens say risking climate catastrophe is not a credible option. |
| More money for the NHS | More money for the NHS |
| Funding for the NHS would rise by £6bn a year until 2030, with a further £1bn per year for nursing higher education. | Funding for the NHS would rise by £6bn a year until 2030, with a further £1bn per year for nursing higher education. |
| Analysis by Hugh Pym, BBC Health Editor | Analysis by Hugh Pym, BBC Health Editor |
| The Green Party is earmarking £6bn a year of the money raised from its tax policies to increase the NHS budget in England above existing plans. | The Green Party is earmarking £6bn a year of the money raised from its tax policies to increase the NHS budget in England above existing plans. |
| Labour has committed to a similar annual increase by 2023/24, but the Green policy would kick in immediately and run till 2030. | Labour has committed to a similar annual increase by 2023/24, but the Green policy would kick in immediately and run till 2030. |
| But predicting what the NHS will need a decade from now is anyone's guess. | But predicting what the NHS will need a decade from now is anyone's guess. |
| The party wants a "huge" reduction in private sector involvement without saying quite how much will be retained (for example using private hospitals for routine surgery). | The party wants a "huge" reduction in private sector involvement without saying quite how much will be retained (for example using private hospitals for routine surgery). |
| There is a push for devolution of healthcare to local communities. But there can be wide variations in quality in different areas. | There is a push for devolution of healthcare to local communities. But there can be wide variations in quality in different areas. |
| Removing national level scrutiny may not always be in the best interest of patients. | Removing national level scrutiny may not always be in the best interest of patients. |
| Remove fossil fuels from the economy | |
| Tackle climate change by transforming the economy | |
| Analysis by Faisal Islam, economics editor | |
| The Green Party manifesto envisages a significant revolution in how the economy functions, spending over a trillion pounds in the Parliament. | |
| This is clearly a massive amount of money, but reflects dealing with the "climate change emergency" by rapidly attempting to take the fossil fuels out of the economy. | |
| The basic philosophy of spending tens of billions on decarbonisation is common to most of the parties standing for election. The Greens argue that the low interest rates currently charged on government borrowing create "an unparalleled opportunity for public investment". | |
| They propose replacing most benefits with a "universal basic income" of £89 per week for everyone, with extras for families and pensioners, at a cost of £86bn a year. | |
| A carbon tax will apply to all oil and gas extraction and to the use of petrol, diesel and aviation fuels, raising consumer prices. Frequent flyers will face a levy. Petrol and diesel cars will be phased out by 2030. | |
| The manifesto focuses on the new jobs in new clean and green industries, but clearly under these plans many jobs will be lost in currently existing carbon-intensive sectors - from manufacturing to automotive to aerospace. | |
| Transform for agriculture and the countryside | Transform for agriculture and the countryside |
| Plans to plant millions of trees, encourage farmers to adopt greener working practices, and reduce meat in our diet. | Plans to plant millions of trees, encourage farmers to adopt greener working practices, and reduce meat in our diet. |
| Analysis by Roger Harrabin, BBC environment and energy analyst | |
| The Greens' policies would transform the countryside. They want to plant 700 million new trees by 2030 to soak up greenhouse gas emissions and curb climate change. | The Greens' policies would transform the countryside. They want to plant 700 million new trees by 2030 to soak up greenhouse gas emissions and curb climate change. |
| This is more than the Lib Dems propose (60 million a year) and more than twice what the Conservatives are offering (30 million a year). | This is more than the Lib Dems propose (60 million a year) and more than twice what the Conservatives are offering (30 million a year). |
| The Greens want 50% of farms to be doing agro-forestry in a decade - that's growing vegetables or raising livestock between rows of trees. This would change the way the countryside looks, but the farmers' union say it's not impossible. | The Greens want 50% of farms to be doing agro-forestry in a decade - that's growing vegetables or raising livestock between rows of trees. This would change the way the countryside looks, but the farmers' union say it's not impossible. |
| The Greens insist the UK must reduce emissions of methane from cows and sheep. | The Greens insist the UK must reduce emissions of methane from cows and sheep. |
| They say they will support the transition to plant-based diets by phasing in a tax on meat and dairy products over 10 years. This will be controversial. | They say they will support the transition to plant-based diets by phasing in a tax on meat and dairy products over 10 years. This will be controversial. |
| But they say they'll use the revenue to help farmers transition to more sustainable farming methods. | But they say they'll use the revenue to help farmers transition to more sustainable farming methods. |
| Transforming the political system | Transforming the political system |
| The Green Party would scrap the current first-past-the-post voting system and replace it with a "fair and proportional" alternative. | The Green Party would scrap the current first-past-the-post voting system and replace it with a "fair and proportional" alternative. |
| Analysis by Tom Barton, political correspondent | |
| The Greens tell us they want to reform the UK's "disgustingly unfair" first-past-the-post voting system. Under it, the candidate with the most votes in a constituency becomes MP, with no benefits from coming a close second. | The Greens tell us they want to reform the UK's "disgustingly unfair" first-past-the-post voting system. Under it, the candidate with the most votes in a constituency becomes MP, with no benefits from coming a close second. |
| In 2017 the Green Party won more than 500,000 votes, but had just one MP elected. | In 2017 the Green Party won more than 500,000 votes, but had just one MP elected. |
| Voting reform is a cause celebre of smaller parties across the political spectrum and is perhaps the only issue that unites the Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party. | Voting reform is a cause celebre of smaller parties across the political spectrum and is perhaps the only issue that unites the Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party. |
| They argue they are motivated not simply by self-interest, but by a desire to ensure a full spectrum of views is represented in Parliament. | They argue they are motivated not simply by self-interest, but by a desire to ensure a full spectrum of views is represented in Parliament. |
| The public has been asked what it thinks about one proposal, introducing the Alternative Vote system - under which voters would rank candidates - at a referendum in 2011. However, 67% voted against change. | The public has been asked what it thinks about one proposal, introducing the Alternative Vote system - under which voters would rank candidates - at a referendum in 2011. However, 67% voted against change. |
| But a lot has happened in UK politics in the last eight years, and the Greens are likely to propose a markedly different voting system. | But a lot has happened in UK politics in the last eight years, and the Greens are likely to propose a markedly different voting system. |
| Scrap tuition fees | Scrap tuition fees |
| Scrap university tuition fees for undergraduates and write-off debt for ex-students who paid a £9,000-a-year fee. | Scrap university tuition fees for undergraduates and write-off debt for ex-students who paid a £9,000-a-year fee. |
| Analysis by Branwen Jeffreys, BBC education editor | |
| The big offer from the Greens to young people is their promise to scrap university tuition fees. | The big offer from the Greens to young people is their promise to scrap university tuition fees. |
| The cost to cover a single undergraduate year group during their whole time at university costs about £9bn. | The cost to cover a single undergraduate year group during their whole time at university costs about £9bn. |
| There's also a promise to write-off existing debt for graduates who have paid fees of £9,000 a year or more. The outstanding debt for these graduates is estimated by economists at about £33bn. | There's also a promise to write-off existing debt for graduates who have paid fees of £9,000 a year or more. The outstanding debt for these graduates is estimated by economists at about £33bn. |
| Education is fully devolved to each part of the UK. | Education is fully devolved to each part of the UK. |
| Improve energy efficiency in millions of homes | Improve energy efficiency in millions of homes |
| To get 10 million homes to the top energy rating within 10 years. | To get 10 million homes to the top energy rating within 10 years. |
| Analysis by BBC Reality Check | |
| This is an ambitious goal. Your Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC, is a measure of how energy-efficient your home is. Almost every building has one, and you can check your rating online. | This is an ambitious goal. Your Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC, is a measure of how energy-efficient your home is. Almost every building has one, and you can check your rating online. |
| The average rating is D. Very few homes get the highest A rating, which is what the Green Party is aiming for. | The average rating is D. Very few homes get the highest A rating, which is what the Green Party is aiming for. |
| In 2018, just 3,080 out of 1,376,991 "dwellings" on the register in England and Wales had an A rating - just 0.22%. | In 2018, just 3,080 out of 1,376,991 "dwellings" on the register in England and Wales had an A rating - just 0.22%. |
| The Greens are particularly interested in fixing existing buildings. When you take out new builds, there were 1,131,068 existing dwellings put on the register last year. | The Greens are particularly interested in fixing existing buildings. When you take out new builds, there were 1,131,068 existing dwellings put on the register last year. |
| Just 557 had an A rating - 0.05%. The Greens call this plan "a deep retrofitting", which along with better insulation in every home, will cost £24.6bn. | Just 557 had an A rating - 0.05%. The Greens call this plan "a deep retrofitting", which along with better insulation in every home, will cost £24.6bn. |
| Going to war on plastic | Going to war on plastic |
| Ban single-use plastic and extend plastic bag tax to bottles, single-use plastics and micro-plastics. | Ban single-use plastic and extend plastic bag tax to bottles, single-use plastics and micro-plastics. |
| Analysis by Roger Harrabin, BBC environment and energy analyst | |
| There's been huge public concern about plastics in seas and rivers, following David Attenborough's distressing TV images of wildlife suffering as a result. | There's been huge public concern about plastics in seas and rivers, following David Attenborough's distressing TV images of wildlife suffering as a result. |
| All major parties now have plans to curb plastic waste. | All major parties now have plans to curb plastic waste. |
| The Conservative government proposed to ban single use plastic stirrers, straws and cotton buds - all small items that easily find their way into waterways. | The Conservative government proposed to ban single use plastic stirrers, straws and cotton buds - all small items that easily find their way into waterways. |
| The Greens want to extend the plastic bag tax to plastic bottles, single-use plastics and microplastics - and to expand plastic bottle deposit schemes. | The Greens want to extend the plastic bag tax to plastic bottles, single-use plastics and microplastics - and to expand plastic bottle deposit schemes. |
| They would ban the production of single-use plastics for use in packaging. | They would ban the production of single-use plastics for use in packaging. |
| Some experts fear that that apparently straightforward policies developed at a time of political stress can lead to the use of other materials which might be worse for the planet in different ways. | Some experts fear that that apparently straightforward policies developed at a time of political stress can lead to the use of other materials which might be worse for the planet in different ways. |
| Glass bottles, for instance, don't typically harm wildlife, but they are much heavier than plastic, so they create higher carbon emissions when they are transported. | Glass bottles, for instance, don't typically harm wildlife, but they are much heavier than plastic, so they create higher carbon emissions when they are transported. |
| More cycle routes and axe HS2 | |
| Spend £2.5bn a year for cycle routes and footpaths and electrify the rail network | |
| Analysis by Tom Burridge, BBC transport correspondent | |
| The Greens' pitch on transport has some bold, stand-out headlines. Money for cycle routes would represent a massive increase on previous governments' spending. | |
| They're not just arguing that the car shouldn't be king. They want the car to be increasingly seen as out-dated. | |
| A rail network which runs solely off electricity is a noble promise, however, at present roughly two thirds of the UK's network is not electrified. And their wish for more train services hits a more basic problem: in a lot places there simply isn't any spare capacity. | |
| That takes us to one of their other grabby proposals: scrap HS2. | |
| The project hasn't been well-managed and will possibly cost more than £100bn. But the scheme is in motion and has already cost more than £7bn. Proponents say it's needed to free-up capacity for more passengers and freight. | |
| The Greens' transport wish-list feels revolutionary, but some of it will be hard to achieve in a quick timeframe and without spending large sums of public money. |