Bolton XR and Green Party Protest Against Chris Green and Mark Logan
Key Highlights :
The Bolton branch of Extinction Rebellion (XR) has made their voices heard by staging protests outside the offices of Chris Green and Mark Logan, two Conservative MPs in Heaton and Tonge Moor. The protests, which were attended by members of Bolton XR and the Green Party, were in response to the MPs' voting record on the Environment Act, which aimed to tackle the number of spills from storm overflows.
The Conservative Party argued that some of the proposals were already covered by the act, while others would cost billions of pounds, but the protesters were not satisfied with this explanation. Wendy Maycraft, a spokesperson for Bolton XR, said: "These plaques shine a light on the government’s failure to protect our waterways, the world, and all of us."
Statistics have revealed that Bolton North East and Bolton South East were the top two areas in Greater Manchester for the number of spills from storm overflows in 2022. In comparison, Bolton West saw more than 800 spills last year, putting it 14th in the region, according to Top of the Poops.
Mr Green, the MP for Bolton West, acknowledged this is an important issue but he challenged the Green Party in particular for its approach to tackling this issue. He said: "The Green Party are right to highlight these concerns over the standards of our waterways but the government is taking action on this. We've increased fines for companies when they release into the waterways. There will be investment and this will become less of a problem.
"The Green Party have been low key and if they want to make these arguments, rather than protesting outside my office, they ought to be on the campaign trail, choosing their candidate and championing their cause."
The protests outside offices in Heaton and Tonge Moor demonstrate the strength of feeling towards the government's failure to protect our waterways. Both Bolton XR and the Green Party have shown that they are not willing to accept the status quo and are determined to make their voices heard. It remains to be seen whether the government will take action to address the issues raised by the protests.
