That’s the second top Tory in recent weeks who has warned that the party has lost the plot when it comes to dealing with the climate crisis. Conservative peer Zac Goldsmith resigned from Sunak’s Government at the end of June, saying the Prime Minister was uninterested in the climate.
And now Lord Deben has accused his own party of “hiding from logic” by backing new coal and oil projects. He is right that the UK and Scottish governments are wasting time instead of properly addressing the issue.
We know that the Tories struggle to listen to experts but you would think that they might listen to high-profile members of their own party. As both Goldsmith and Deben have warned, the climate crisis is the biggest challenge we face.
The economy is vital. If it is weak then all our lives are affected, especially those struggling to make ends meet. But if the climate crisis isn’t dealt with, then the fallout will hit everything.
It is important that the Government heeds Lord Deben’s warnings and starts taking the climate crisis seriously. The Tories should use the current crisis as an opportunity to invest wisely in green energy.
There is a chance to create thousands of secure and well-paid jobs while protecting the planet at the same time. All governments need to wake up and take action before it is too late.
Benefits failure
It is shocking that almost 5000 people died while waiting to receive the Winter Heating Payment. During a cost of living crisis, claimants needed the benefits system to work properly more than ever.
Many Scots were left reliant on support like the WHP to help them with their extra expenses in the winter months. But too many of them were let down in what was one of the most difficult winters we have known.
Global pressure and Tory incompetence left the vulnerable exposed to rising bills and fuel costs. It is a disgrace that some people’s final days were spent cold and miserable, desperate for financial support that never arrived.
It should not be beyond Social Security Scotland to make sure benefits are paid promptly. The challenge must be to shape up and make sure that the same thing does not happen again this winter. Those who depend on these benefits must not miss out.
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