Lib Dems put 10:10 motions to Parliaments and Mid Sussex District Council

10.03.00pm GMT Wed 28th Oct 2009

Lib Dems call for real action on climate change

Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats have placed the party at the forefront of the debate on climate change by putting the most ambitious policy motion to date before the House of Commons.

Nick said: "We endorsed the 10:10 campaign at our recent federal conference and many Liberal Democrat run councils have shown the way. Now we are calling for the whole public sector to sign up. Once again, the Liberal Democrats are demonstrating leadership on the environment."

On 21st October, the Liberal Democrats secured a debate in the House of Commons on climate change. The motion called for Parliament and the Government to sign up to the 10:10 campaign and commit to achieving a 10% reduction in emissions by the end of 2010. In the end, the motion was defeated by just 71 votes - 226 to 297.

Local parliamentary campaigner, Serena Tierney said:

"Gordon Brown's warning of climate catastrophe if there is no agreement at Copenhagen would be more credible if Labour's policies were consistent with the Prime Minister's words. An additional runway at Heathrow and continued plans for dirty coal power stations are not the policies of a government with the authority to lecture the world on averting the climate crisis.

"Labour MPs voting in Parliament to back Liberal Democrat proposals to make 10% cuts in public sector emissions by 2010 would have been a much stronger sign that Labour understands the urgency of the climate crisis. Instead, Gordon Brown's government instructed its MPs to vote against it. Shame on them."

Here in Mid Sussex, local Lib Dem councillors Janice Henwood and Kathy Dumbovic proposed a similar motion committing MSDC to cutting its emissions by 10% by the end of 2010. Thanks to an attempt by the local Tories to amend the motion, the council ran out of time before voting on it. See the related link below to see the full wording of the Lib Dem motion.

Lib Dem leader on the council, Graham Knight said: "The climate change issue is too important and too urgent for playing party politics. I hope that when the motion comes up again at the next council that all councillors of whatever party will vote for it."

You can get involved by signing up to 10:10 yourself (see previous news items about the campaign dated 8th September), or by asking your councillors to vote in favour of this motion. Over 50 other councils have already signed up. If enough councils join us then we can make a huge change to Britain's future. If you don't know your councillors' contact details, you can email them through their website - http://www.midsussex.gov.uk/page.cfm?pageID=1690.

Related Link:

[10:10 motion]