Oral Answers to Questions

John Whitby Excerpts

Wednesday 17th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I am hugely grateful for the work of the Home Secretary and the previous Home Secretary in putting neighbourhood policing back at the heart of our communities and putting in extra policing across the country. We on the Labour side remember the decisions by Boris Johnson to cut policing across the country—I will take no lectures from the hon. Gentleman.

[John Whitby (Derbyshire Dales) (Lab)]

Q6. A film called the “People’s Emergency Briefing” is being shown in communities up and down the country. I recently attended a screening in Wirksworth, and there is another one next week in Bakewell. The film educates us and reminds us of the climate emergency that we all face. Yet, inexplicably, the Conservatives have basically given up on the climate, and Reform continues to act like modern-day flat-earthers, refusing to accept science and to accept the bleeding obvious. Will the Deputy Prime Minister please assure me that this Labour Government will continue to do everything they can to combat man-made climate change?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for campaigning on this issue. I am very proud of the fact that this Government have restored the UK’s position as a global leader on climate action. That includes ambitious targets to reduce climate emissions and restore nature, and seizing the opportunities of clean, renewable power.

“The net zero economy now supports 1.1m UK jobs and generates £105bn in economic value—proof that tackling climate change & growing the economy can go hand in hand.”

Those are not my words; they are from Baroness Theresa May in the past fortnight. The Tories used to believe in this agenda, but they have forgotten because they are chasing Reform Uk.