Burnham failing public over heat threats, says Green leader

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has accused Labour of a "dereliction of duty" in its handling of this summer's extreme heat and subsequent wildfires. He urged Mayor Andy Burnham to implement more robust measures in response to the escalating climate threats, which Polanski described as the "biggest threat to this country since the Second World War."

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The threat to public health and food supplies posed the "biggest threat to this country since the Second World War".

Polanski emphasized the need for immediate action, citing record temperatures and drought conditions that strain water supplies and impact food production. He proposed creating publicly accessible "cool spaces" in every local area and offering financial support to help households adapt their homes against heat. Polanski criticized the government for not convening an emergency Cobra meeting on the issue, stating that "extreme weather is now the new normal" and inaction will have "unimaginably grave" consequences.

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Extreme weather is now the new normal – and without action, the impact on the people of this country will be unimaginably grave.

Among other proposals, Polanski called for blocking new oil and gas drilling licenses, including for the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields, and developing a new strategy to prevent wildfires, potentially using "firefighting helicopters where needed." He also reiterated his party's policy of bringing the water sector back into public ownership to increase investment in new reservoirs, arguing it would help prevent future droughts.

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The response from our government is to pretend none of this is happening. It's an astonishing dereliction of duty from those whose first responsibility is to keep us safe.

In response, Labour criticized the Green Party's environmental record, accusing them of repeatedly opposing new developments like reservoirs and clean energy projects at the local level. A Labour spokesperson stated that such opposition "makes it harder to achieve what they say they want," citing Green Party members' objections to a planned mega-reservoir in Oxfordshire and solar farms in Norfolk. The spokesperson urged Polanski to encourage his party colleagues to align their actions with their stated goals.

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If Zack Polanski wants to tackle the climate crisis, he should start by telling his fellow Green Party politicians that actions speak louder than words.