The Communist Party of Britain salutes the courage, resilience and dedication of firefighters battling devastating wildfires across England and Wales.
These workers have seen the fire service cut to the bone over the past fifteen years as UK governments forced fire authorities to close fire stations, lease fire tenders and reduce headcounts to pursue austerity. From Kent, to Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Leicestershire and Scotland, the Fire Brigades Union has campaigned against cuts to the fire service and the men and women who deliver it.
Frontline firefighters protecting communities that the state has left dangerously exposed, are under resourced, underfunded and exposed to increasing risk from extreme weather events driven by climate breakdown.
Widespread evacuations have been carried out in the West Midlands and South Wales with military personnel, including Gurkha teams, deployed for the first time on British soil because over a decade of austerity has completely gutted our emergency services.
Britain is not experiencing a freak, isolated weather event. There have been 1,528 wildfires across Europe so far this year. France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Greece and have all experienced devastating wildfires in recent weeks.
Britain’s first-ever national emergency alert this week was necessary, yet also an admission – our preparedness has failed to match a crisis that has long been foreseen. Scientists have told us for decades; the climate data is unambiguous.
Now the results are drought, water restrictions for millions, tinderbox conditions, and a record-breaking fire season that is not over yet.
Yet capitalist parties put political opportunism before climate science. New AI data centres in England consume millions of litres of water daily for cooling, with usage projected to triple by 2030.
The National Energy System Operator projects electricity consumption by data centres to quadruple by 2030. Fossil fuel giants contribute to climate crisis by funding climate denial and blocking political action.
Paid-for politicians in Westminster offer mainly empty gestures, modest EV subsidies, and disposable barbecue bans. That’s not enough.
The Communist Party says fighting the consequences of climate crisis must start with affected communities and restoring funding for firefighters who are working exhausted and under-equipped to save lives right now.
The FBU demands investment to fund 5,000 additional firefighters. The FBU deserves our full respect and a commitment from every political leader to treat this summer’s wildfires as a turning point.
No more delays. No more green lights for AI data centres No more greenwashing new fossil fuel projects. The hydrocarbon lobby won’t fix the crisis it helped create.
The Communist Party of Britain understands that the real options facing humanity are socialism or extinction. A socialist Britain is necessary to fight climate change.
Join us.
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