1st February 2022, 14:45pm
Four Insulate Britain defendants – a GP, a councillor, a programmer and a property maintenance worker – have defied the High Court today by failing to return to the afternoon session of their committal hearing. In a powerful show of resistance, Theresa Norton, 63, Dr Diana Warner, 62, El Litten, 35 and Steve Pritchard, 62, are now sitting in resistance outside the Royal Courts of Justice. They, along with 16 others have been charged with contempt of court relating to the government’s M25 injunction.
The four are now risking prison sentences for non attendance at court in order to demand the government take the first no-brainer step to tackle rising energy bills and the climate crisis by insulating Britain’s leaky homes. They are asking for a fully funded nationwide retrofit programme, starting with social housing, which would save millions of families from the misery of fuel poverty whilst also lowering the UK’s carbon emissions.
Speaking outside The Royal Courts of Justice today, Theresa Norton, 63, a carer and local councillor from Scarborough said:
“We have a treasonous government who are deliberately not protecting us. They put our lives at risk and are throwing away the future of the next generation, for profit. Boris Johnson says the right words but then creates policies that are in direct contrast to those empty promises. I’ve had enough.
“I have contempt for the court process and feel I must make a strong statement against what is happening. The government would rather pursue us through the civil courts than insulate our homes; during a fuel crisis, this is completely unacceptable. Our government has made legally binding climate commitments. They signed the Paris Agreement in 2015 and now they must live up to those promises and start by insulating our homes.”
Dr Diana Warner, 62 a retired GP from Bristol said:
“I was in prison for one month and was released just two weeks ago. To go back to prison will be very hard for me. I am acting for nothing less than to protect our right to life, for all of us. We need to use every nonviolent means available. The court process itself, and any punishment, are also opportunities to show the need for change. No one person can change the world; no one person can take on that awful responsibility. We need governments to respond. But if we show care for others, if we pull together, we can change everything.”
‘We need the government to get on with the job of insulating homes to the best standards, using the best techniques that cause zero damage to the environment. This would provide thousands of local, worthwhile jobs, show commitment to tackling climate change and show that the government really cares about people and can deliver on its promises.”
El Litten, 35, a programmer from Luton, said:
“It’s frustrating that our society allows politicians and businesses to lie with impunity, to make pretty speeches while the truth is that their actions and decisions are causing harm and death on a massive scale. I’d ask the government to do what is right, to act in order to protect lives, not to protect their own power.”
“I cannot stand by whilst our government causes so much damage and so many deaths, both in the UK and on a much bigger scale around the world. I don’t want to be part of the terrible injustice of the climate crisis, with the worst effects always landing on those who have done least to cause them.”
Steve Pritchard, 62, a property maintenance worker from Bath, said:
“I am proud of my actions. I am ashamed of our government. I acted, and will continue to act out of love. I have a friend who can not sleep at night because he is so cold and cannot afford to heat his uninsulated flat. As a Parish Councillor I frequently meet people who have to make a choice between heating and eating and my deep regret is that I can’t tell young people that everything is going to be alright.”
“Does this court possess the combination of moral courage and imagination required now of each and everyone of us at this point in history? I like to think this court will use it’s agency to fight climate breakdown and fuel poverty. However I expect an irresponsible ruling in support of business as usual.”
The group have stated they will remain outside of the court until they are removed or the court is no longer in session. We understand it is likely that the court will issue a warrant for their arrest and that the police will be called to attend.
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/
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/insulatelove
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Notes to Editors
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.