Bath’s MP, Wera Hobhouse has called on the Government to stop burying its head in the sand when it comes to ‘Climate Change’.
During an Urgent Question in the House of Commons, Mrs Hobhouse – who is Lib Dem climate change spokesperson – called for the Government to set an end date for oil and gas exploration between now and 2050.
The call comes after temperatures in the UK reached record high levels with the Met Office issuing a red warning alert. Ms Hobhouse has slammed the Government for allowing new fossil fuel projects to go ahead, such as gas drilling in Surrey and a new coal mine in Cumbria.
The Liberal Democrats are calling for a £150 billion green recovery plan, to create thousands of jobs while cutting emissions and ensuring the UK is leading the world in green energy..
Liberal Democrat Climate Change Spokesperson, Wera Hobhouse MP commented:
“This is climate change. Pure and simple. The Government must get its head out of the sand. Will the Government set an end date for all UK oil and gas exploration between now and 2050?
“This is a stark reminder of the dangers of climate change. We must not just laud this as ‘fun in the sun’. Yet, we have a Conservative leadership contest with climate change seemingly at the bottom of the pile of issues. This is a disgrace. From planting trees to insulating homes, the failures of this Government are making people more vulnerable to extreme heat.
“It’s clear that urgent action is needed to reduce emissions, fund adaptation programmes and to better prepare our homes for sharply rising temperatures which are becoming more frequent. The Conservatives’ catalogue of failures is pouring more misery onto millions of people suffering from the extreme heat.”
The transcript is below
Wera Hobhouse MP
This is climate change, pure and simple, and the Government must get their head out of the sand. Beyond the transition period and all the rest of it, will the Government set an end date for all UK oil and gas exploration between now and 2050?
Kit Malthouse, Cabinet Office Minister
I do not know whether the hon. Lady can cast her mind back, but I remember that the Conservative slogan more than 10 years ago was “Vote blue, go green.” The battle against climate change has been central to Conservative party policy for well over a decade now. I realise that there is a battle to claim it, as there is a battle to claim any kind of compassion, but in fact we should all be working together on climate change.
