13th September 2022
“We write at a time of national and global grief, as we remember our Queen, her long reign and legacy, and as we prepare to look forward; we are sure you will agree, this is truly a pivotal moment in our history.
One year ago today, on Monday 13th September 2021 at 8am, seventy eight supporters of Insulate Britain began a campaign of nonviolent civil resistance on the M25 to demand that the government insulate Britain’s cold and leaky homes, starting with social housing by 2025.
Against all the odds, we had hoped that after we left the roads our government would get on with the job. But a year on, millions and millions of families are worse off than ever and are fighting for their lives in a cost of living crisis. It seems that Britain needs us back more than ever.
Over the winter, whilst our supporters were sent to prison, thousands of people in the UK died because they could not afford the basic means to look after themselves, and to eat and keep their homes warm. [1]
As our new Prime Minister’s v takes office, Insulate Britain wants to reaffirm that we will not stand by as millions of people are terrorised by fuel poverty this winter because our politicians are either too stupid or too scared to do what is right.
How many millions of people will be pushed over the edge into devastating poverty by the Cost of Greed crisis whilst Prime Minister Truss continues to try to convince us that it’s just a fact that we have to suffer?
How many parents will go without meals to make sure that their children can eat? How many families will struggle to afford the most basic of essentials to keep themselves clean, clothed and well? How many of our loved ones won’t make it through this winter and will die prematurely in cold homes?
We are not all in this together. Energy bosses and shareholders are cashing in at our expense. Since we asked them last September, the government has chosen not to roll out a national programme to insulate and retrofit our homes. They have chosen not to spend the estimated £9 billion required to fix energy bills in the long term by insulating social housing and instead have offered a short term fix in the form of the £9.1 billion Energy Rebate Scheme. This is a measure that will line the already bulging pockets of energy companies. [2][3]
Last year when we called for insulation and retrofitting for all, starting with the most vulnerable in our society, Ministers responded by calling for our imprisonment and encouraged road management agencies to seek private injunctions to try to stop us. [4]
Rather than considering that ordinary people like us – retail workers, local councillors, builders, parents and students – may be worth listening to, politicians and commentators stoked up public anger and squandered the opportunity to prepare for this winter. The nation is outraged.
As part of the Just Stop Oil Coalition of groups, Insulate Britain is asking our government to end their genocidal death project and take swift and robust actions that will reduce our carbon emissions. Two ‘no-brainer’ first steps that Prime Minister Truss could commit to today are to halt new oil and gas projects in the UK, and to fully fund and take responsibility for, with no externalised costs, a nationwide programme to retrofit and insulate Britain’s cold and leaky homes. These steps have to happen in order to protect our lives, those of our families, friends and colleagues, and the very fabric of our society.
We love all of you. We love this country. It is from this place of love, for everyone living in Britain today, and people around the world, that we prepare to once again risk our liberty to demand that we, the public, get what we all deserve – a safe home and a decent standard of living.
We take no pleasure in causing disruption, far from it, our supporters find it deeply uncomfortable, scary and upsetting. However, there is nowhere we would rather be than on a road peacefully resisting this government criminality. We must face the reality: as the Government’s own former scientific advisor has warned, what we do in the next 2-3 years is going to determine the future of humanity. [5]
We urge the Government to release a meaningful statement that we can trust to commit to the demands of the Just Stop Oil Coalition; until this happens we commit to resume our campaign of nonviolent civil resistance from 1st October. [6]
We will take it one day at a time as we did last year. Insulate Britain will be joining the Just Stop Oil Coalition from Saturday 1st October 2022 to occupy Westminster. [7]
We anticipate thousands of ordinary people, like you and us, will be there. We know collectively we can meet the trying challenges of our time but we will only be effective if we stop pretending and face our reality.
Let us be clear: for us the ordinary public of Britain, this is our final hour. We all now have a duty to make sure our government commits to do what is right at this point in history, what the nation is urging them to do.
We must Insulate Britain in order to Just Stop Oil because Enough is Enough so let’s Don’t Pay UK!”
A public reading of this letter by Cameron Ford and Tracey Mallaghan from Insulate Britain took place this morning at 10am outside the gates to Downing Street.
END
Press contact: 07762 987334
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/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insulatebritain
Twitter: https://twitter.com/insulatelove
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8N5mAeeCLbD-AFUqtPaF0g
Notes to Editors
[1] https://www.nhsconfed.org/publications/letter-chancellor-exchequer-0
[2] https://www.thfcorp.com/insight/retrofitting-social-housing-what-you-need-to-know/
[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-to-receive-350-boost-to-help-with-rising-energy-costs
[4] The first Crown Court trial of Insulate Britain supporters is due to begin on Monday 14th November 2022 at Inner London Crown Court
[6] Just Stop Oil Coalition demands;
1. NO NEW OIL: Don’t destroy our kids’ future
2. TAX BIG POLLUTERS & BILLIONAIRES: Make them pay
3. ENERGY FOR ALL: End choosing between heating and eating
4. INSULATE OUR HOMES: Lower bills, less CO2 & lots of good union jobs
5. CHEAP PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Make it cleaner and easier to get around
More info here: https://www.weallwanttojuststopoil.com
[7] About Insulate Britain
Insulate Britain is a 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 cost of living crisis and the climate crisis.
We are ordinary people with simple and achievable demands to #INSULATEBRITAIN
The UK government must immediately promise to fully fund and take responsibility for the insulation and retrofit 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.