Congratulations to new Labour Leader and frontbench ‘green team’

On behalf of all of our members, SERA would like to congratulate Keir Starmer on his election as Labour Leader and Angela Rayer as Deputy Leader. This election, along with the appointment of a strong frontbench ‘green team’ in the Shadow Cabinet, gives Keir has a strong mandate for action on the environment, with the support of the membership, the Parliamentary Labour Party, unions and affiliates. We look forward to working with him and his team.

During the leadership campaign, Keir strongly outlined the importance of the environmental emergency we face and the need to take the necessary action. The climate emergency has not gone away and the COVID-19 crisis has highlighted many long standing issues including the nature of the food chain and food insecurity, pollution, availability of public space and inequality. As we recover from this terrible pandemic we need to make sure that this recovery is a secure, green one, rather a return to business - so heavily dependent on volatile oil prices - as usual.

We are particularly delighted to see so many SERA members in the new shadow team - including Kier himself, as well as Anneliese Dodds (Shadow Chancellor), Luke Pollard (Shadow DEFRA Secretary), Ed Miliband (Shadow BEIS Secretary), Emily Thornberry, (International Trade Shadow Secretary), David Lammy (Shadow Justice Secretary) and Nia Griffith (Shadow Wales Secretary). In particular, SERA executive members have taken on a series of shadow environmental ministerial roles - Kerry McCarthy as Shadow Green Transport Minister, Daniel Zeichner Shadow Food, Farming and Fisheries Minister, and Alan Whitehead Shadow Green New Deal and Energy Minister. Alex Sobel also joins the frontbench as a Shadow Culture Minister. We're thrilled to see further SERA members on the frontbench, including Matthew Pennycook as Shadow BEIS Climate Change Minister, Bill Esterson as Shadow Trade Minister, and Anna McMorrin and Stephen Doughty as Shadow International Development Ministers.

We look forward to working with Keir, Angela and the green Labour team to prepare the party for government and keep the green recovery and climate emergency at the forefront of Labour’s programme.

Melanie Smallman & Jake Sumner

SERA Co-Chairs

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Jude Watson commented 2020-04-15 22:46:19 +0100
Great to see the work you’re doing in Sera! And welcome to Keir as new Leader and Angela as Deputy.
Welcome to Keir calling for an exit strategy for covid19 lock down. Can Sera ask him to make sure it’s a green exit strategy! We need all the PPE but let’s think about how to dispose of all the plastic. Could it be used wisely and safely? How about using it after sterilisation in house insulation? Let’s think imaginatively, greenly and wisely to a time when we move out from lock down into a new way not going back to a planet doomed for our futures. Thank you Sera for speaking up for us all.
Jude