Candidates Clash Quietly at Youth Strike’s ‘Clustings’ on Climate

Published on: 30 Nov, 2019
Updated on: 1 Dec, 2019

By Hugh Coakley

Differences in climate emergency policies were exposed at yesterday’s (November 29) climate hustings or “Clustings”, organised by Youth Strike and attended by all five of Guildford’s Parliamentary candidates.

At the Climate husting in Holy Trinity church. From left to right, Zoe Franklin (Liberal Democrat), Anne Milton (Independent), John Morris (Peace Party), Angela Richardson (Conservative) and Anne Rouse (Labour).

Each candidate was asked to outline their own and their party’s climate credentials during the one-hour event.

A passionate cry from an audience member on the need for urgent action was met with a huge cheer from the partisan audience of about 200, many of whom went on the climate protest march immediately after the meeting.

A lone call of “Fake news” from the back of the church produced a moment of anxious silence but, perhaps sensing his lonely position, the dissenter did not persist.

John Morris (Peace Party) stands up to give his one minute introduction.

In a clear demonstration of how the climate crisis has risen up the political agenda, all candidates acknowledged the situation was serious, but with differing levels of concern.

Zoe Franklin (Liberal Democrat), a former borough councillor for Stoke, was contrite. “I want to apologise that politicians have let the young down.” Anne Rouse (Labour) said: “We have to change. Activists are making a difference.”

Zoe Franklin (Liberal Democrat) with the oversized sand timer in the foreground which helped keep all of the politicians to their strict one minute time limit.

There was unanimous agreement on the need for citizens’ assemblies, representative bodies randomly selected to recommend actions. After the meeting, all candidates signed a petition calling on Guildford Borough Council to convene a citizens’ assembly to set out recommendations for GBC to be carbon-neutral by 2030.

Angela Richardson (Conservative) had some hostile reactions to her responses.

But there were other differences. Angela Richardson (Conservative) disagreed that the voting age should be reduced to 16, saying 18 was the right age.

Inevitably, Brexit was raised. The EU’s record on environmental issues and whether leaving would adversely affect the UK was questioned. Ms Franklin, Ms Rouse, Anne Milton (Independent) and John Morris (Peace Party) thought that working with other countries was key. Mr Morris said: “The EU enables us to talk together for solutions. The apparatus is all there to do the job.”

Anne Rouse (Labour) explaining the Labour position on the Green New Deal.

But Ms Richardson said the UK standards were “already higher”, adding: “We need to innovate and invent our way out of the crisis.”

The non-appearance of the Prime Minister at Thursday’s Channel 4 climate debate was raised and drew loud boos from the audience when Ms Richardson said Boris Johnson still had a job to do as PM and Michael Gove had been sent to attend on his behalf. Mr Gove was rejected.

Ms Milton, well-versed in parliamentary games after 14 years at Westminster, said: “Boris had got what he wanted. It was a stunt.”

Anne Milton (Independent) said that with her 14 years experience, she could take an independent stance on climate.

The first-past-the-post voting system in the UK and a link to the climate crisis was questioned. allowing a similar demarcation between the Tory candidate and the others to surface again. Ms Milton repeated: “We need to break down the party barriers.” Ms Franklin added: “The best decisions are made when parties work together.”

But Ms Richardson thought there was, “no proven link” between inter-party collaboration and better decision-making, saying the UK compared favourably on some environmental measures to Germany, which had a proportional representation system.

The Youth Strike organisers, including Joe, Naomi and Petra, were widely praised after the event for the organisation of the hustings.

After the hustings, Petra Todd, one of the Youth Strike organisers, said: “It’s an amazing step from where we were in February when we started. Climate emergency is in the top four election issues now.”

She wouldn’t be drawn on who she would vote for if she was old enough, but she added: “We hope that people will decide their vote on the different climate policies.”

John Pletts, the Green Party candidate for Guildford in the 2015 general election, said: “There was only one environment question in 2015. The Youth Strikers have leapfrogged a generation. Their parents must be asking whether they have been outflanked by their children.”

Girls from Tormead School said that they had bunked off to attend the Youth Strike hustings and the protest march. “It’s really important to us,” they said.