*Tories and Climate Change

Guest post from a Barnet Green Party member.

Did anyone else hear this gem during PMQs on Wednesday? Lifted from Hansard, the word Laughter in brackets doesn't begin to convey the volume of howls of derision Ann Winterton received for her stupid question. I would love to have seen Cameron's smug face as she spoke...

Q6. Ann Winterton (Congleton) (Con): Bearing in mind the failure of Copenhagen and the current weather cycle, which clearly indicates a cooling trend- [ Laughter. ] Mr. Speaker: Order. The more noise, the less progress we make. I want to reach other Back Benchers.

Ann Winterton: Will the Prime Minister reconsider the proposed wasteful expenditure of £100 billion on offshore wind farms, which will be incapable of delivering sufficient energy but will result in excessively exorbitant charges for electricity users?

The Prime Minister: The idea that the Conservative party could take a lead on climate change when they cannot even convince their own Back Benchers of what is necessary- [ Laughter. ]

The Conservatives cannot make up their mind about nuclear. We are now the leading power in the world for offshore wind. We will soon be making announcements that will make it clear that massive numbers of jobs will come as a result of offshore wind. That is the right policy if we are going to have 15 per cent. renewables by 2020. I cannot understand where the Conservatives' energy policy comes from. If they take out nuclear and they take out offshore wind-and every Conservative local authority is opposing onshore wind as well-they have no policy whatsoever.



Thankfully she is standing down at the next election. Still, I wrote to her thus...


Ann,

Just to say how much you cheered me up on Wednesday with your question to the Prime Minister. I almost choked on my sandwich as I sat in my freezing van at lunchtime listening to PMQs.

The amount of laughter you received gave me hope that so many other MPs actually understand about Global Warming and Climate Change. The UN stated that in 2008 over 300,000 people died worldwide due to changes in climate.

May I suggest you look beyond your own snowy back garden and listen to the testament of Inuit Indians, Himalayan tour guides, and citizens of Lima in Peru etc., before you make such a misjudged statement in the Commons again.

Despite George Bush's denial of the subject, all the best data on Climate Change actually comes from American Universities. The truth is out there, go find it.

All the best on your future career,

Donald Lyven - Barnet Green Party