The Conservatives and the Lib Democrats are now in charge of the country. What does that mean for an environmental justice agenda traditionally most comfortable with red – green politics? Truth is I don’t know and nor does anyone else – yet. But according to the new Prime Minster, David Cameron - this government will be green - or at least he wants it to be - ‘the greenest government yet’. But in practice will ‘green’ be sympathetice to ‘red’.
Let’s face it we’ve all watched the shanigans of the election and the building of a hung parliament with the kind of fascination we’d reserve for the landing of aliens. What is this ‘hung parliament’ creature. Does it come in peace? Is it friendly? Meanwhile the political hacks continue to dissect the workings of said parliament.
Most of the NGOs and Think Tanks can only check out the history of the relevant minsiters to see how they might be able to reel one of the them in to support their cause. And it’ s no different for the environmental justice agenda. There is a heartening narrative – so far – from the new government that it will be seeking to build a fair and responsible society. One that helps the most vulnerable. And as Nicholas Schoon suggests in his political analysis – there have been green words a plenty in the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats manifestos. Not a bad start?
This may mean a government sympathetic to the basic foundation for action on environmental justice brought in by a Labour Government: the Aarhus Convention, the Equalities Bill, the Climate Change Act, equalities impact assessments and the environmental equality indicator.
Can we go one step further and assume that it will be a government supportive of initiatives that ensure the most vulnerable communities’ equal rights and (of course responsbilities to protect) a clean and healthy environment are safeguarded? So the Hung might come in peace? After all the new Justice Minister Kenneth Clarke, has in the last two days dropped the misguided Conservative pledge to scrap the Human Rights Act.
Not a bad start? Yes. Will a coatliton government make the greenest bit of difference? It’s early days. There’s still more to play for.
