Local MP has unblemished Climate Record

PLAID Cymru MP, Jonathan Edwards has scored 100% in national analysis on commitment of MP’s to tackle climate change issues.

Following the Westminster Parliament declaring a Climate Emergency in May, a report in the Guardian newspaper has examined the voting record of the commitment of Members of Parliament to tackling climate issues.  The scoring system that has been applied has taken each MP’s record on 16 indicative votes between 2008 and 2018 across a variety of climate issues with the higher the score, the better the record.

The 16 votes that have been analysed cover a number of climate-related issues such as fracking, airport expansion, onshore wind subsidies and decarbonisation targets.

Plaid Cymru MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, Jonathan Edwards has scored 100% – giving him a perfect pro-climate action record.  In contrast, the remaining Carmarthenshire MPs have weaker climate records with Labour MP for Llanelli, Nia Griffith, scoring 85% and Conservative MP for Carmarthen West and Pembrokeshire South, Simon Hart, scoring just 15%.

Responding to the Guardian analysis, Jonathan Edwards MP said:

“I am proud of my voting record across a number of issues within Westminster but particularly on climate issues I can look back and say to the future generation that I am on your side.

“Across a broad range of issues debated in Westminster – including carbon capture and storage, decarbonisation and investment in renewable energy – I have voted positively as I understand we need to put the brakes on the climate crisis now.

“Last month, I proudly marched in solidarity with constituents in Llandeilo on a day marked as international Climate Strike.

“In the 2016 Welsh Assembly election, analysis by Friends of the Earth Cymru declared Plaid Cymru’s manifesto the greenest of all of the political parties – even greener than the Green Party manifesto.

“Last year, we were greeted at our autumn Conference by the news that the former leader of the Green Party in Wales, Grenville Ham, had joined Plaid Cymru because Plaid was the only party focussed on the future of Wales.

“Fiscal policy must be directed towards de-carbonising the Welsh economy. Wales is one of the worlds largest exporters of electricity and we should use this as the foundation for a new Welsh economy that helps tackle climate change, strengthens the Welsh public purse and deals with the scourge of fuel poverty in our country.

“Plaid Cymru has shown through its actions that we have the energy within our movement to develop some of the most radical and innovative policies to building a greener economy and safeguarding the future of the next generation in Wales.”