15 November 2021 13:30
Nine ordinary people from Insulate Britain face trial at the High Court tomorrow for breaking the M25 injunction granted to National Highways in September. They have been summoned on a charge of contempt of court and if found guilty could be subject to unlimited fines, seizure of assets and prison sentences of up to two years. [1][2]
Insulate Britain’s campaign, which began in September, has involved disrupting traffic on and around the M25, roads in London, Dover, Birmingham and Manchester, to demand that the government gets on with the job of insulating Britain’s leaky homes. The campaign has continued for nine weeks, with those knowingly breaking the injunction saying that they are more scared of climate breakdown than they are of an injunction.
A further 23 Insulate Britain supporters, who have also openly defied one or more of the four recent injunctions granted to Transport for London and National Highways, are expected to be summoned to court in the coming days. This brings the total to at least 32 ordinary people who are due to face contempt of court proceedings.
Louis McKechnie, 20 said
“If the government chooses to imprison us, so be it, this will show their cowardice. They would rather lock up pensioners than insulate their homes. They would rather lock up teachers than create thousands of proper jobs. I face the prospect of being sentenced to prison on my 21st birthday – this government would rather lock up young people than take steps to reduce emissions. They will lock us up and leave thousands to die of cold this winter, and millions to face climate chaos in the coming decades.”
James Thomas, 47 said
“I’m scared about potentially going to prison. But I’m more scared of this government’s complacency and lies about the climate. They are kicking the can down the road. We are running out of road.”
Insulate Britain’s campaign of nonviolent civil resistance has exposed the government’s refusal to act on home insulation as cowardly and vindictive and their refusal to protect our country and our children from the climate crisis as genocidal and treasonous. Ordinary people have been sitting in the road forcing the government to face up to its responsibilities and get on with the job of insulating Britain’s homes, but this government has refused to do the right thing. It couldn’t even bring itself to make a meaningful statement we can trust on insulation, never mind start the enormous task of retrofitting 29 million homes.
As will become clear after the failure that was COP26, our government has no intention of taking the necessary action to protect its people. It has failed at its most basic of duties to protect the people. When governments endanger their citizens, the moral and just thing to do is to highlight this injustice by breaking the law, this is what the suffragettes and Martin Luther King did. This is what we are calling on everyone to do. Don’t be a bystander, come and join us and we will change the tide of history. What more meaningful thing can you do with your lives, at this time when everyone and everything you love is in mortal danger?
ENDS
Press contact: 07737 457105
Email: insulatebritainpress@protonmail.com
High quality photos and video footage available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Kucq-NfhnZLGJWwLx1HX03cWR7M9Y2-m
Website: https://www.insulatebritain.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insulatebritain
Twitter: https://twitter.com/insulatelove
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8N5mAeeCLbD-AFUqtPaF0g
Notes to Editors
[1] Press Meeting – the 9 named defendants 8-9am in Pret a Manger – opposite the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand.
The Committal Hearing will take place on Tuesday 16th October at the Royal Court of Justice in Courtroom 4, with overspill and video link in Court 20.
[2] The nine named defendants are Dr Ben Buse 36, Ana Heyatawin 58, Louis McKenchnie 20, Roman Paluch 27, Oliver Roc 41, Emma Smart 44, Tim Speers 36, James Thomas 47, Ben Taylor 27.
About Insulate Britain
Insulate Britain is a new campaign group that is calling on the UK government to put in place policy and funding for a national home insulation programme starting with all social housing.
We demand the Prime Minister and the government to #getonwiththejob, face up to their responsibility and lead our country through the climate crisis.
We are ordinary British citizens with simple and achievable demands to #INSULATEBRITAIN
The UK government must immediately promise to fully fund and take responsibility for the insulation of all social housing in Britain.
We demand a national home insulation strategy that gives British people the justice they deserve: a future for our loved ones, lower energy bills and safer living conditions.
We are scared: our livelihoods are at risk and the futures of our children are uncertain
The Climate Crisis is a threat to all: we demand the government to act now.
Our Demands
1. That the UK government immediately promises to fully fund and take responsibility for the insulation of all social housing in Britain by 2025;
2. That the UK government immediately promises to produce within four months a legally binding national plan to fully fund and take responsibility for the full low-energy and low-carbon whole-house retrofit , with no externalised costs, of all homes in Britain by 2030 as part of a just transition to full decarbonisation of all parts of society and the economy.
Further information about Insulate Britain and our demands here: https://www.insulatebritain.com/
Technical Report on home energy efficiency here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jt5FI-kinEXoqZtPDrCvnAVQ2EFn8Aea/view
Insulate Britain ‘Blue Lights’ policy: our policy is, and has always been to move out of the way for emergency vehicles with ‘blue lights’ on.