The end for Just Stop Oil? Green pioneer Dale Vince to stop funding eco group
Green energy industrialist Dale Vince has said he will stop funding eco-activists Just Stop Oil, saying he believes further protests would be “counterproductive” and “pointless” given the Government’s stance on drilling in the North Sea.
The Ecotricity founder, who has donated to both the Labour Party and Just Stop Oil, said he will instead focus on a new campaign called Just Vote, which aims to encourage people to exercise their democratic right.
“It’s a fact of our electoral system that only one of two parties can form the next government; we want to bring a focus to this reality and to the opportunity that we have – to elect a green government, one that will embrace the opportunities we face, rather than make an enemy of them – and use them to tackle the long list of issues we face as a country,” he said in a statement.
He said recent actions by the Government make it clear “no amount of protesting will prevent them from drilling in the North Sea”.
Mr Vince said: “And while I understand the frustration that people feel, I believe that further protests and the disruption that comes with them are pointless.
“I would go further and say they would be counterproductive. This Government is intent on drilling come what may and will welcome further protest as it feeds their new culture war.”
In July it was reported the Metropolitan Police spent £7.7m policing 13 weeks of Just Stop Oil protests over the summer.
In a statement to Morning Wire, Just Stop Oil said: “We are grateful to Dale Vince for his amazing financial and moral support over the past year. He has willingly given up his time to help mobilise hundreds of people to take action to end new oil and gas.”
It added that the group “remain convinced that politics is utterly broken and the Labour Party is tinkering around the edges while the world burns. More and more people are coming round to what really works – civil resistance.”
Earlier in the year, Just Stop Oil demonstrators disrupted a speech by Labour leader Keir Starmer.
Labour has been approached for comment, as to whether it still funds the group . It was also asked if the party is taking any precautions to stop disruptions at its conference, which starts in Liverpool over the weekend.
Press Association