Labour sideline Scotland at climate conference

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2009-09-27
Labour have been accused of putting political grudge before global action on climate change, after Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy defended the decision of the UK Government to refuse a seat to a Scottish Government Minister at the UK climate change summit in Copenhagen.

Speaking on the BBC Politics Show today (Sunday) the Scottish Secretary said the Scottish Government could only send an official to observe at the summit, in line with practice in previous years.

SNP MSP, and member of the Scottish Parliament’s Climate Change Committee, Shirley-Anne Somerville, condemned the decision to sideline the world leading Scottish legislation.

Ms Somerville said:

“It is pathetic, but sadly predictable that Labour have chosen to sideline world leading legislation on climate change because they could not stand to see a Scottish Government Minister centre stage.

“For Jim Murphy to try and defend this decision as being in line with the practice in previous years is simply woeful. The difference from previous years is that Scotland today has the most ambitious statutory emissions reduction target of any country in the world.


“Scotland has a great story to tell on climate legislation, and our voice should not be excluded from those heard at the Copenhagen summit.”

Note:

Commenting on the decision to exclude the Scottish Government from the Copenhagen delegation, Dr Richard Dixon, director of WWF Scotland and board member of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said:

"At a time when the world desperately needs good examples, it is clearly ridiculous that Scottish ministers will not be allowed to be part of the official UK delegation. The negotiations for Copenhagen are finely balanced and Scotland's excellent Climate Change Act could make a difference, but only if people actually get to hear about it."