Insulate Britain supporters purchased George Eustice’s constituency offices and donated his rent for a legal fund for activists.
A coalition of investors was formed by supporters of the activist group. They made headlines last January when they blocked major roads and called on the government for retrofits of all British homes to make them more energy-efficient.
They purchased the property at 13 Commercial Street, Camborne (Cornwall) last October for 51,000. Their company, Cawton Ltd has received 2,820 rent from the House of Commons since then. This was donated to pay the legal costs of Insulate Britain Defendants in court cases.
Cawton Ltd can be anagram for Act Now, one the three key demands of Extinction Rebellion protest organizations.
Sally Wright of St Day, in Redruth, Hayle, and MPs Camborne constituencies, said: “I invested because I am sick & tired of it.” [the environment secretarys]Complete refusal to make any decision that would change business as usual when faced with a catastrophic climate crisis that could lead to the death millions of people if we don’t act immediately.
We are glad to use his rent to pay the fines for those who risk their livelihoods, reputations, or personal safety in order to give hope that change can be made.
Insulate Britain stated that Eustice has taken many actions in recent times that they disagree with. This included authorizing the use of a bee-killing pesticide and encouraging MPs not to vote against an amendment to a bill on the environment that would have required water companies to stop dumping untreated wastewater into our rivers and oceans. After public outrage, the government was forced to reverse course.
This use of funds is unlikely to please Eustice. He has done it before. Speak outThey voted against the activists and called them highly irresponsible.
According to the campaign group 28 Insulate Britain supporters have been indicted for contempt of court since November 2013. They were accused of defying orders banning them from protest blocksades during a civil disobedience campaign last autumn. 25 of these were found guilty, 13 were sent to prison and 12 received suspended sentences. They claim that the courts have already awarded 84,000 in costs to Insulate Britain defendants. Next week, a claim for 159,216 will be made by lawyers representing the government.
Brenda Shrewsbury from Budock Water in Cornwall, 65, stated that the rent from Georges gaff was small compared to what it would cost for the people who were persecuted for demanding insulation. However, I hope that others will be inspired by this move. We must act quickly on the climate emergency.
The group has decided that future rent money will be donated to local food banks and community initiatives in order to help those affected by the cost-of-living crisis and faced with the decision of whether to heat or cook.
Eustice spokesperson stated that: We live in a free nation and investors can freely invest in property, regardless of their political views. There is no law that requires tenants and landlords to have the same political views.