North Somerset Labour Party marked the beginning of Spring at the Portishead Farmers Market this Saturday, speaking to voters about Labour’s plans for a fairer, greener future.  

With Easter only weeks away and nature emerging from its winter sleep, many people in North Somerset are concerned by the impact of the climate crisis on extreme weather, biodiversity, famine, and conflict.

The Labour Party, determined to deliver a fairer, greener future for Britain, has a five-point plan:

1. A windfall tax on oil and gas companies to use excess profits to support families with the cost of living;
2. Great British Energy – a new publicly owned company to give us energy independence;
3. A National Wealth Fund ­to invest in the jobs that can rebuild Britain’s industrial strength, attract private investment in our ports, gigafactories, hydrogen, and protect our steel industry;
4. Warmer Homes scheme – to upgrade Britain’s cold, draughty homes, cutting bills and creating thousands of good jobs for electricians, engineers, and construction workers across the country; and
5. Clean Power by 2030 by investing in solar, wind, nuclear, and green hydrogen.

On Saturday 9^th March members of the public were asked to choose which of Labour’s five policies they felt was most important. Seventy people stopped to take part. The most popular policy was Labour’s plan for a windfall tax, with 31% of votes, followed by clean power (21%), Great British Energy (20%), the Warmer Homes scheme (16%), and the National Wealth Fund (11%).

Louise Branch, one of the local Labour activists running the stall, said: “we found that lots of people in Portishead are concerned about the environment and were interested in talking to us about Labour’s environmental policies.” She added: “Several disillusioned former Conservative voters in particular were keen to hear about the alternative future Labour is offering.”

Dr Ailsa Milnes, another local Labour activist who spent the morning in Portishead, observed that: “many people across all age groups supported Labour’s entire five-point plan, but the windfall tax was the most popular.”  She added: “I think lots of people in North Somerset understand that Labour is the only party that can beat the Conservatives in North Somerset and deliver fundamental change.”