In the papers

Kier Starmer had an article in this morning’s Guardian about climate change. He’s gone up to Glasgow prior to COP26, to achieve what I’m not quite sure. The conference doesn’t start until November. What does he say? Nothing new I’m afraid. Such articles usually have three components: how serious the problem is; how badly the government is responding and a hint of what we would do. Not always in that order. It seems Johnson is ‘missing in action’ on climate change which is, sad to say something we all learnt a while back. As regards Labour’s plans, it’s the usual commendable stuff about skills and technology. I don’t deprecate that but it isn’t enough. The situation is now so dire it needs behavioural change too, brought on by carbon rationing (but we don’t have to use the word ration, ‘allowance’ would serve equally as well). Naturally this will not happen (yet) since despite being very fair (the wealthy would have to give up the most) it is assumed nobody would vote for it. I notice Starmer didn’t mention Labour’s introduction of the Climate Change Act in 2008. The Act was a step in the right direction, but maybe Starmer reckons it’s a bit old Labour now. That would be ironic.
 
At least the letter I co-signed to the Financial Times which I blogged about a couple of weeks ago got published today.