Latest news from Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP

City Euro-MP backs EU plan to close tax havens

Jean Lambert — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:00:00 +0100

LONDON MEP Jean Lambert has called on EU leaders to adopt a common strategy for closing tax havens which are costing European taxpayers almost a trillion pounds a year.

The Green MEP said they should adopt a European Commission proposal to adopt a common definition of tax havens, blacklist these havens and revise tax agreements with all non-EU states.

Ms Lambert, speaking after a debate on stamping out tax avoidance, said: "Adopting a common strategy to deal with international loopholes and tax havens must be an absolute priority for David Cameron.

"Instead of trying to save public money by privatising public services and shaving the benefits bill he should be concentrating on making sure profitable corporations pay their fair share towards the exchequer.

"The European Commission has set out ways in which this can be done - international co-operation at EU level is the only realistic way to achieve this and I hope he follows the EU proposals quickly."

The Greens also called for a common EU approach for addressing the harmful effects of tax evasion in the developing world, and more transparency in the often-murky world of offshore investments and overseas ownership of companies operating anywhere in the EU.

Greens call for raft of measures to prevent repeat of Bangladesh factory disaster

Jean Lambert — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:00:00 +0100

LONDON MEP Jean Lambert has joined fellow Greens from across the EU in demanding a raft of measures to prevent a repeat of last month's Bangladesh factory disaster.

The Rana Plaza factory complex on the outskirts of the Bangladesh capital Dacca - which contained several garment factories making clothes for sale on the British High Street - collapsed on April 24th, leaving more than 1,000 dead and over 2,500 injured.

Green MEPs are demanding that all retailers sourcing their clothes from Bangladesh sign up to the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement - and contribute to compensation to all the disaster's victims and their families.

Greens are calling for health and safety agreements to form a binding part of all trade deals between the EU and other nations - and for Bangladesh to step up its efforts to prevent illegal building construction, and to ensure that workers' rights to play a role in improving workplace safety becomes a reality.

Ms Lambert said: "Our first thoughts about this disaster are, of course, with the victims and their families.

"But we must recognise that the government of Bangladesh is making great strides in this area - and we must share some of the responsibility, and work towards solutions to prevent any future factory disasters, here in the EU.

"After all, 80% of Bangladesh's exports are garments, and most of those are eventually sold here in the EU: many women, in particular, rely on this work for their living.

"We must make sure health and safety, and union rights, are at the core of this trade, and that all retailers play their part too: improving the standards they insist on from their suppliers and working with the authorities, workers and producers to achieve that goal.

"It would cost them only 8p per garment sold, for example, to meet the costs of elevating safety standards to western levels within five years."

MEPs are due to debate a formal EU response to the disaster - and consider the Green proposals - tomorrow.

MEP joins 7,000-strong rally to defend London's NHS

Jean Lambert — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:00:00 +0100

LONDON'S Green MEP Jean Lambert has called on the Government to protect London's NHS from budget cuts and privatization of services at a 7,000-strong ‘Defend London's NHS' rally in the centre of the capital.

The London MEP made her comments as it was revealed that nine A&E wards - as well as maternity services and thousands of hospital beds - are facing closure in the capital as hospital trusts struggle to balance the books.

Ms Lambert said: "This Government promised to defend the NHS - but the reforms it has introduced have done exactly the opposite.

"Greens believe in an adequately-funded publicly-provided NHS, run in the interests of people - not profits - and I was delighted to see so many Green Party supporters at Saturday's rally.

"But this isn't just a London issue - and I hope the ‘Keep Our NHS Public' coalition organises a national demonstration soon, both to increase awareness of the Government's health cuts and reforms and to ramp up the pressure on Health Minister Jeremy Hunt to ensure local services aren't sacrificed for short-term financial gains."

London MEP calls on Government to halt A&E closures in the capital

Jean Lambert — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:00:00 +0100

LONDON'S Green MEP Jean Lambert has called on the government to halt the closure of up to nine accident and emergency wards in hospitals across London.

The wards are scheduled for closure, as well as thousands of hospital beds, in what the Keep Our NHS Public coalition has described as ‘the biggest attack on our NHS in a generation'.

Ms Lambert, who will tomorrow (Saturday, May 18) join thousands of people from across the UK in a march to the Department of Health to protest against the closures - and the threat of hospital and community health services being taken over by private companies, said:

"This Government promised to defend the NHS - but the reforms it has introduced have done exactly the opposite.

"As well as privatising services - allowing Tory donors like Care UK to offer public health care - its cuts and austerity program has caused plans to close hospital wards across the capital.

"Greens believe in an adequately-funded publicly-provided NHS, run in the interests of people - not profits - and I will be proud to march tomorrow alongside some of the millions of NHS workers and patients who agree."

UK MEP calls for zero tolerance on homophobic bullying in schools as Europe celebrates IDAHO

Jean Lambert — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:00:00 +0100

LONDON'S Green MEP Jean Lambert has called for zero tolerance on homophobic bullying in schools as Europe celebrates the International Day Against Homophobia.

IDAHO marks 23 years since the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders.

LGBT rights have come a long way in the past few decades, with homosexuality legal in all European Union (EU) states.

However, there is still a long way to go as discrimination in daily life and law continues within the European Union and across the globe.

EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has today published a report detailing the results of a survey covering the EU with over 93,000 respondents, to discover the everyday issues affecting LGBT people.

This survey, which is the most extensive of its kind to date, collected comparable data on LGBT people's experiences of hate crime and discrimination, as well as their level of awareness about their rights.

While the UK has a strong record on legislation, there is still a significant problem for young people at school: 95% of responders for the UK said they had heard homophobic insults used at school and 68% said they had hidden their sexual orientation at school at times.

There is a real need for continued action from Government and a concerted strategy in all schools to change this threatening culture.

Ms Lambert said:

Today is International Day Against Homophobia, and the release of the EU survey gives us a chance to review progress in tackling gender and sexual identity discrimination and recognise there is still much work to do in delivering equality.

"We must stand in solidarity with all LGBT people winning fights for equality across the world whilst not forgetting the continued discrimination and prejudice faced by many.

"The figures show that homophobic and transphobic violence is still at shocking levels.

"There is no excuse for members of our communities living in fear because of their sexuality or gender orientation. Governments across the EU, including our own in Britain, must take these findings seriously and ensure that LGBT people are given the full protection of the law."

London MEP calls for abolition of City of London: 'a tax haven on our shores'

Jean Lambert — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:00:00 +0100

LONDON'S Green Party MEP Jean Lambert has called for the abolition of the City of London Corporation, calling the banking district ‘a tax haven on our shores'.

Speaking at ‘Making Banks Work For Us' a discussion of how to reform the banking and financial sectors yesterday, she said:

"The City of London Corporation is a mediaeval institution - and it helps to protect many of the banks and finance houses that have driven the latest worldwide economic meltdown: in that sense it's a tax haven on our shores.

"We need to ensure that the banks are motivated by what's good for society and the environment - not just their bottom line.

"This means radical reform of the sector, starting with the Government reviewing all the legal permissions by which banks lend money in the first place - and encouraging diversity in the sector: with local banks, credit unions and complementary currencies all plating a significant role.

"Abolishing an anti-democratic symbol of all that has gone wrong with banking in the UK is a useful place to start."

Ms Lambert, who hosted the discussion at her Hackney office, was joined by the Philippe Lamberts MEP , the spokesperson on banking for the Greens / EFA group in the European Parliament, and Tony Greenham , Head of Finance and Business at the new economics foundation.

Mr Lamberts, who has spearhead EU action on limiting bankers' bonuses and transparency in the sector, said reforming the banking sector was essential if we are to diffuse the ‘two time bombs sitting under all societies: worsening social inequality and environmental collapse'.

Mr Greenham, himself a former investment banker, said that fully 97% of the UK money supply was created by private banks - mostly operating in The City - for profit: "The social and environmental dimension is just missing from the debate over banking reform.

"The City does indeed create jobs, but only in the sense that thieves and pirates have jobs.

"The financial sector should work for our economy, which should work for people: not the other way round."

‘Making Banks Work For Us' took place on the eve of a European Parliamentary debate on tax avoidance and breaking up the banking sector. Both will be considered by the Economic Affairs Committee in Strasbourg on Monday.

The debate was the first in a series: the next will take place this autumn.

Green MEP calls on GAP and Wal-mart to sign Bangladesh safety agreement

Jean Lambert — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:00:00 +0100

LONDON MEP Jean Lambert has added her name to calls for all British clothes retailers importing textiles from South Asia to sign up to an accord promoting fire and building safety in Bangladeshi factories.

Ms Lambert welcomed the recent decision of H&M and Primark to sign up to the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement - but said she was disappointed the prominent retailers GAP and Wal-Mart had so far failed to do so.
The agreement calls for better training, regular safety inspections, and a greater role for trade unions and the International Labour Organisation.

The Green MEP said: "In the wake of the tragic loss of more than 1,000 lives in the tragic collapse of a building housing textile factories in Bangladesh, the consumer has spoken.

"The Bangladeshi Government is now making progress in the area of protecting workers from unscrupulous building owners and predatory clothes retailers, but there is real work to be done and that needs the co-operation of all stakeholders.

"The consumer has spoken: no British shopper wants 'blood on their hands' - and it's now time for all British retailers importing textiles from the region to sign the agreement and take real steps towards preventing another terrible industrial accident in Bangladesh."
The Green MEP's call comes just days after the Trade Union Congress revealed research showing it would only add 2p to the price of a T-shirt sold on the British High Street to double the wages of workers in Bangladeshi textile factories.

Just last week the Bangladesh Government agreed to raise the minimum wage for textile workers, and to increase the reach of trade unions in the country, in line with calls from the European Parliament spearheaded by Green MEPs.

Ms Lambert, who chairs the European Parliament's Delegation to South Asia, added: "It is essential that international labour and health and safety standards are met - and that the EU does everything it can to help bring that about.

"As consumers, we should be confident that the clothes we are wearing have not put someone's life at risk, wherever they work."

Green MEP slams EU funding for bullfighting

Jean Lambert — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:00:00 +0100

AS thousands of Londoners prepare for holidays in Spain, Jean Lambert, the Green MEP for London, has criticized the European Union for propping up the bullfighting industry in Spain.

Ms Lambert's criticisms follow the publication of a report which suggests that bullfighting would be unviable without the generous subsidies given to the industry by the European Union.

The report estimates that bullfighting receives over £100m worth of subsidies from the EU, predominantly through the Common Agricultural Policy.

They are not given specifically for the bullfighting industry - but are channeled into it by the Spanish Government which, along with the European Commission, could stop the flow of EU cash.

Ms Lambert has joined other MEPs in writing to the EU's agriculture minister calling for an end to EU subsidies for bullfighting.

Commenting on the report Ms Lambert said:

"Whilst people across Europe are wondering where they're going to get the next meal from the EU continues to pour our money into bullfighting: this has to stop.

"Bullfighting is barbaric and cruel and, without the prop of EU farming subsidies, it's a failing business. The EU must immediately withdraw funding from bullfighting and redirect the money towards sustainable agriculture producing affordable food."

Another member of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, Raul Romeva, said:

"It is unacceptable that EU funds continue to be used to prop up this brutal practice, which flies in the face of EU commitments on animal welfare. This report makes clear that bullfighting would not be financially viable without subsidies, with public interest and support seriously waning.

Given EU funds of at least €130 million per year - and probably much more - continue to be channeled to the bullfighting industry, it is clear that this is also a question for the EU and the Commission must stop trying to duck responsibility for the issue."

MEP calls on Boris to block burner

Jean Lambert — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:00:00 +0100

LONDON MEP Jean Lambert has called on London Mayor Boris Johnson to block one of the country's biggest waste incinerators being built just metres away from South London homes and schools after planners on Sutton Council gave the scheme the green light yesterday.

The Green MEP said: "This decision, just three weeks after many of the same councillors voted against the proposed incinerator, appears to have been motivated by the fear of Sutton Council having to bear the costs of any expensive appeal.

"The councillors seem to have ignored all the real issues - the increased traffic, noise, air pollution, and impact on nearby homes and schools - and instead concentrated on the likely cost of any appeal against their decision.
Ms Lambert, who visited the Beddington Lane site earlier this year, added: "This incinerator would lock the councils in the South London Waste Partnership (SLWP) - Sutton, Merton, Kingston and Croydon - into high levels of waste generation to meet the terms of their contract - making it impossible to adopt waste reduction measures for the life of the contract.

"This decision is a blow for the local people and groups who have worked so hard to oppose this plan for a single incinerator with capacity to burn 300,000 tonnes of waste from across London - and even further afield - in the shadow of South London homes and schools."

Now planning permission has been granted, a final decision rests with London mayor Boris Johnson.

EU membership and migration 'good for London business', says London Chamber of Commerce

Jean Lambert — Mon, 13 May 2013 23:00:00 +0100

LONDON MEP Jean Lambert has welcomed a new report from the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) which says an exit from the EU would be bad for London's business interests.

The report argues that restrictions on EU migration would result in a skills shortage in the capital, and that the majority of its members welcome continued membership of the EU - but are calling for reform.

Ms Lambert, a Green MEP who sits on the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affair Committee, said:

"More than a million Londoners were born in other EU countries - and mostly they have come here not just to enjoy their rights and freedoms to do so but to earn a decent living and contribute to the British economy.

"As this report from LCCI makes clear, many British firms just couldn't function without access to EU markets and employees who were born outside the UK.

"It is important that all politicians take note of its findings, especially those Tory ministers who have this week added their names to calls for the UK to leave the EU, and that we adopt policies to ensure all migrants are treated fairly and are helped to access their rights to benefits, employment, housing, schooling and healthcare when they arrive, just as British citizens would hope for should they move to another country in the EU."