King’s Speech

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb Excerpts

Wednesday 20th May 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (GP)]

My Lords, why do we have five days of debate on the King’s Speech but no mention of the environment—it is not included in the issues to cover? I point out that the Conservative Government always put the environment down as an issue that should be debated, but here, Labour has failed, as it always does on the environment. In his speech, the King actually said:

“My Government will remain a leading advocate for tackling climate change”.


That is absolute nonsense. There are no plans in any of the Bills mentioned that will help the environment, help nature or help people to enjoy the environment.

According to the Natural History Museum’s Biodiversity Intactness Index, the UK ranks 189th out of 240 countries and territories for how intact its nature and biodiversity remain. Can a country truly claim to be a global climate leader while its own nature crumbles? Paul de Zylva, Friends of the Earth’s senior nature analyst, explained the gap between the UK’s green rhetoric and the grim reality of its biodiversity collapse. Just 53% of the UK’s original nature is left intact, which is far below the index’s safe limit of 90% and the global average of 79%. The United Kingdom has always prided itself on being a green and pleasant land, and a nation synonymous with rolling countryside, abundant wildlife and environmental stewardship, yet beneath this postcard-perfect image lies a startling reality: the UK is now one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries. As the 2030 deadline approaches, Britain’s natural wealth lies in ruins.

The UK Government track approximately 50 different biodiversity indicators, and the 2025 results paint a troubling picture. Indicators still heading in the wrong direction include the size of fish in the North Sea, the status of pollinating insects—that is bees, hoverflies and moths—and bird numbers on farmland and in woodlands. Perhaps the Minister can tell me the plans to move these figures in the right direction. I accept that we do not have an Environment Minister on the Front Bench, but perhaps I can have a letter explaining that.

Then there is the global threat. We have recently had a Ministry of Defence committee report headed by Lieutenant General Richard Nugee, a former senior British Army officer and a leading voice on climate and national security. He told us that the report clearly states that climate change is now a core national security threat. We have ice melting at a frantic rate in Greenland, an incoming record-breaking El Niño event and species going extinct faster than Labour voters. This all affects our safety.

It is obvious this Government do not really care about rural areas, the countryside, nature, our waterways and “all that green stuff”. They just see newts, hedgehogs and bats as annoying things that get in the way of their bulldozers. I wish this had been a King’s Speech designed to revive the country and help people, especially those living in poverty, but instead it is a set of policies they hope will stop Keir Starmer being evicted from No. 10.

Will any of these government policies deal with the endemic problem of corporate greed that forces up the cost of living and our tax bill, especially the fossil fuel companies that are greedily helping to destroy our planet? Will any of this legislation make fares cheaper by ensuring that the rolling stock of our railways is owned by us rather than rented? Will it become easier for people to leave their cars behind by opting for a superb public transport system—and please do not give me that guff about electric vehicles, because there is a cost to them as well?

Will the water industry be taken into public ownership or will bill payers continue to pay billions of pounds to support a business model that relies on pumping raw sewage into our rivers and on to our seashore? Will taxpayers continue to pay the bulk of the housing benefit budget to private landlords or will we start a mass building programme for council houses, so that the public’s money goes directly into providing well-built homes at reasonable rents, with green spaces that the residents can enjoy? I cannot see any of this happening.

If Labour is looking for a reset under a new leader then we really ought to start with rent controls. Our new Green Party mayors and council leaders want the power to set rents that work for people in their areas. Greens understand that the poorest in society need clean air and green space as much as the richest do.

In short—I am cutting my speech extremely short— this Government urgently need some tuition from climatologists and green economists. I would be very happy to put them in touch with the best.