The mayor of London and a Tory MP have teamed up to fight “climate delayers” who are trying to thwart green policies.
Chris Skidmore, the Tory net zero tsar, and Labour mayor Sadiq Khan today write in the Guardian that they are putting party politics aside to defeat those politicians who are trying to delay climate action.
Skidmore, MP for Kingswood, began locking horns with his colleagues in 2021 after the Guardian exposed links between net zero-sceptic Tory MPs and a climate denying thinktank. After reading the coverage, he decided to set up a net zero support group of MPs and fight to keep climate action on the agenda.
Khan has faced similar issues in London, and says a group of climate deniers and conspiracy theorists has piggybacked on genuine cost of living concerns about expanding the Ulez charges for polluting vehicles to greater London.
Today, they write: “Neither of us are under any illusion that achieving our goals will be easy. The same old naysayers in politics and punditry may have stopped overtly questioning the science of climate change, but they remain hostile to the actual action needed to prevent it destroying our world. They are becoming classic climate delayers.”
And despite their political differences, they are hoping their show of unity will inspire similar cross-party working: “As politicians from different political parties, we want to set an example of what’s possible. We want to work together to remind investors that net zero is a huge opportunity, and that London is always open to it. We want to work together to inspire other politicians, at home and abroad, to follow our lead by putting tribal politics to one side.”
Next week, the government is set to respond to Skidmore’s review of net zero, which criticised politicians for a lack of action and ambition on the climate emergency.
It is unclear whether ministers will accept its 130 recommendations, ranging from the highly specific, such as bringing forward the end of routine flaring by oil and gas companies from 2030 to 2025, to vaguer hopes, such as central and local government working more closely together.
If they do not, it is likely Skidmore will once again have to speak out against his own colleagues, as he did on fracking under Liz Truss, but at an event at which he spoke alongside Khan on Monday he said he had no qualms about doing so. He told an audience of green campaigners and experts: “I now care more about conserving the environment than Conservatism.”
