Our Green MP
Sian Berry MP
Our Green MP
Since being elected in July , alongside three amazing new Green MP colleagues , I ’ ve been very , very busy in Brighton and in Westminster , with lots of great Green ideas to put forward , and lots to challenge in my first days as an MP , working across the chamber from a new Labour government .
So far in Parliament , I ’ ve personally asked 32 written questions , put questions to ministers in the chamber and spoken in debates 11 times , proposed three amendments to Bills , and signed 76 Early Day Motions ( EDMs ). Green MPs teamed up to propose a King ’ s Speech amendment as one of our first tasks , and we ’ ve written to ministers jointly on topics ranging from healthcare to community energy , to taxes and the Budget .
Green MPs worked together to table the first Early Day Motion of this Parliament on bringing water companies back into public hands .
With Carla Denyer , I have also raised concerns about healthcare for young trans constituents directly with Wes Streeting . Many residents have written to me about this issue too , and I ’ m pleased to have taken action .
Here in Brighton , I have an amazing constituency team and since July , we ’ ve already dealt with over 500 cases from constituents , held weekly surgeries , visited residents and projects to see problems for ourselves , and written to the council about issues ranging from school closures to planning applications . Issues brought to me by residents in West Hill and North Laine have ranged from anti-social behavior in Zion Gardens , to supporting residents in emergency accommodation and with delays in housing repairs . I ’ m also in contact with traders in the North Laine who are experiencing long standing issues with theft and shoplifting . On fire safety issues in West Hill and North Laine , I ’ ve been supporting residents in the New England Quarter and City Point and joined them on ITV calling for action .
At my Parliament office I have been lobbied so far by five constituents in person , and via email I ’ ve received messages related to campaigns , world events and policies more than 4,000 times on more than 240 different issues . It ’ s so valuable to get a clear picture like this of what matters most to so many of the people I represent ! I ’ m taking action , supporting campaigns , attending events and writing back to people with the results as quickly as I can while I build up my final Parliamentary staff team .
In the voting lobbies , I have voted ‘ AYE ’ or ‘ NO ’ 18 times ( abstensions are not recorded ). We ’ ve supported the first stages of several of the Government ’ s Bills , and are preparing to make amendments to improve them , including on the Great British Energy Bill and the Renters Rights Bill . But seeing the Labour Government vote down two very sensible motions and amendments to get rid of the two-child benefit limit and keep the winter fuel allowance for pensioners was bitterly disappointing .
As four Green MPs we are able to share out the main ‘ shadowing ’ duty on different departments and each focus on changing particular policies . My main responsibilities are currently to challenge social housing policy , police and criminal justice , work and pensions , culture , media and sport , disabled people , transport and clean air . I have started work on each of these already , and I am also taking up individual issues where Brighton needs action , such as sewage and pesticides .
I was very happy to introduce a Private Member ’ s Bill , devised by Pesticide Action Network , that would stop public bodies using harmful chemical pesticides in public spaces , streets and gardens and I ’ m looking for cross-party support to take this issue further .
On housing , I have been pushing for investment in buying not just building council homes , action on the fire safety crisis , plus the need for transparency from housing associations - an area I have challenged the Prime Minister on directly .
On media and culture , I have challenged the council to do more to reduce gambling ( and advertising for gambling ) in the city , and I ’ m also doing lots of work supporting grassroots music venues under threat , including the Prince Albert in the North Laine , and working closely with the Music Venue Trust .
On transport I ’ m making it my mission to address the long standing accessibility challenges at Preston Park Station . I ’ ve asked questions and have already tabled more coming up . I have already been pushing for an extension to the £ 2 bus fare cap and , ahead of the Budget , I ’ ve asked ministers and the Chancellor for more long-term investment for local active travel .
On climate and nature , I ’ ve met with local Greenpeace members to sign their pledges to keep up the pressure on the new government to bring climate solutions . All four Green MPs are fully behind the newly tabled Climate and Nature Bill .
Throughout all this time , all Green MPs have been pushing for peace , human rights and justice in Israel and Palestine . Locally , after a strong
campaign , I was pleased that Brighton ’ s war plane part manufacturer L3 Harris had its planning decision refused by the council , but there is still no export ban to Israel on parts for the F-35 fighter , and I have been asking questions about why not , working with Campaign Against the Arms Trade .
I was the only MP to join the local response on our streets to the summer ’ s far right riots and was so proud of Brighton ’ s clear and positive defence of potential targets in the city and our refusal to accept fascists on our streets . In my maiden speech I praised the young people behind Citizens UK Brighton and Hove and joined them to celebrate their victory in winning a citywide counselling pilot in Brighton recently .
And finally , a Green on BBC Question Time is historically quite rare , but in July I was asked to go on right after the election , alongside fellow Brighton and Hove MP , Peter Kyle . Carla Denyer was also asked on the programme two months later - which we hope is a good sign for future chances to talk about Brighton on the national stage .