Queen’s Speech bills could ‘level down’ environmental protection

Today’s news reports suggest the UK government is preparing to unveil legislation in the Queen’s Speech that will make it easier for ministers to amend or get rid of EU rules automatically carried over into UK law with Brexit, including many key environmental protections. According to one article, the government “plans to remove hundreds of pieces of EU law from the statute book, cut regulations for small businesses and remove environmental restrictions that can delay or prevent infrastructure projects”.

Commenting on these reports ahead of tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech, Greenpeace UK’s head of politics Rebecca Newsom said:  

“It looks as if Boris Johnson’s ‘levelling up’ agenda is little more than a soundbite, while when it comes to our environmental standards, a levelling down may be on the cards. All too often, bonfires of so-called ‘red tape’ end up incinerating vital green rules to protect wildlife and its habitats from concrete and bulldozers. This move would benefit the regressive bit of the construction lobby and a handful of firms profiting from grubby trade deals, but it’s not what the vast majority of people want or voted for. Instead of watering down environmental standards, the UK government should bring in measures to help families struggling with sky-high energy bills, protect coastal communities from industrial fishing, drive major investments in renewable energy and cut energy waste from our draughty homes. There’s real levelling up potential in all of them.”