17 November 2021, 11:15am –
“We have to move quickly. What we do in the next three to four years, I believe, will determine the future of humanity”. Sir David King, 2021.
Today in the High Courts, the government has shown its cowardice. Nine ordinary people have been committed to prison for demanding that the government fulfil its election pledges by insulating Britain’s homes. [1]
The nine, aged between 20 and 58 years old, were convicted of contempt of court for breaking the National Highways’ M25 injunction and were sentenced to between three and six months in prison. Ana Heytawin and Louis McKecknie received sentences of three months, while Ben Taylor, who had announced to the court his intention to continue, received a sentence of six months. The other defendants were sentenced to four months. The judge ordered that all the defendants should serve at least half of their sentence.
After the sentencing, As Emma Smart, 44, announced her intention to go on hunger strike, the following letter from the nine was read aloud from the steps of the High Court by an Insulate Britain supporter:
Over the last 9 weeks, 174 ordinary people have held the government to account, asking that they deliver on their most basic of duties, to protect the British people, the economy and all we hold dear in our society. Your government has now chosen to act. It has chosen to imprison us for this demand.
By imprisoning us, the government shows its cowardice. They would rather lock up pensioners than insulate their homes. They would rather lock up teachers than create thousands of proper jobs. They would rather lock up young people than take practical steps to reduce emissions. They will lock us up and leave thousands to die of cold this winter. We knew we would face prison when we took this action, but we could not stand by while the government betrays the general public.
Following the widely recognised failure of our government at COP26, we are continuing to ask them to get on with the job: of cutting carbon emissions; of insulating cold and leaky houses; of protecting the people of this country from climate collapse, because the lives of our children and those of all future generations hang in the balance.
To the government we say, you can’t imprison a flood, there are no unlimited fines against a famine, you can’t bankrupt a fire.
To the public we say, no one is coming to save you. In the past, when governments have failed to protect their people the right thing to do is to highlight this injustice, breaking the law if needed, this is what the suffragettes and Martin Luther King did and it is what Insulate Britain has done.
We call on you to recognise that you also have a duty to act, as our government is betraying us. They can’t even act to insulate Britain. What hope do we have of them protecting our children, our economy or our country?
We say to those who look on in fear and denial: this will impact you and all that you love and look at what we did. A few hundred people captured the country’s attention for months. Think what 1000 people can achieve? You have a choice. To act, to come and join us help change the tide of history, or to be a bystander and be complicit in enabling genocide.
This tide will not come again, will you join us?
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] The nine are Dr Ben Buse 36, Ana Heyatawin 58, Louis McKenchnie 20, Roman Paluch 28, Oliver Roc 41, Emma Smart 44, Tim Speers 36, James Thomas 47, Ben Taylor 27.
[2] Our supporters will meet on the steps of the High Court at 12pm on Saturday 20th November to continue our campaign of nonviolent civil resistance.
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.