Tory minister Johnny Mercer faced a withering response – twice – after clashing with writer and activist George Monbiot on BBC Question Time over the government’s record on climate change.

Graeme Demianyk www.huffingtonpost.co.uk 

Appearing on the broadcaster’s flagship politics show, which this week came from Petersfield, the pair clashed amid recent questions over Rishi Sunak’s commitment to the environment.

The prime minister was criticised for spending just 11 hours at the COP28 climate conference, though he argued the UK has a better track record than any other major economy in decarbonising.

Yet he has faced a backlash for scaling back a host of pledges designed to help the UK reach net zero by 2050 and vowed to “max out” the UK’s oil and gas reserves by granting new North Sea drilling licences.

After facing criticism on the BBC show, Conservative MP Mercer claimed that the government had made “extraordinary progress” on climate change.

But Monbiot responded: “No, extraordinary progress has not been made under this government. It has deliberately trashed some of the progress even that was made under Boris Johnson’s government.

“There are such simple things we could do. For example, the government is currently spending £78 billion across two years in subsidising people’s energy bills. But for £8 billion it could insulate the three million homes most in need. Greatly cutting people’s bills and greatly cutting our emissions.

“We now have a situation where renewables are much cheaper than fossil fuels but the government is deliberately trying to lock us into fossil fuels, not for the sake of the people of this country, not to cut our bills, it does exactly the opposite, for the sake of the oil and gas industry. The Tory party has taken £3.5 million in donations from polluting industries. This is the quid pro quo.”

Mercer then asked: “Do you honestly sit there and think that in Number 10 every day, the prime minister and the government wake up and think, we are just going to torch the world?”

Monbiot replied: “Yes, roughly.”

He added: “They just don’t care. The fact is they don’t care. Sunak flew to COP28 in a 200-seater jet, but he was the only minister who flew in that jet. Other ministers flew in a separate private jets.

“He doesn’t care. He treats this whole country like a flyover state, going backwards and forwards in his helicopters and private jets.”

Monbiot also picked apart the “sadistic” government’s Rwanda deportation policy, arguing the driving force was to “performatively beat up some of the most vulnerable and traumatised people on earth”.

But it’s the first in 15 years.

“We really need to encourage younger people to come forward to stand for election regardless of their political affiliations. This is a move I believe in the right democratic direction.” Eileen Wragg

Another legacy problem tackled. – Owl

East Devon councillors have given themselves a 20 per cent pay rise. 

Will Goddard, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

They are called ‘allowances’, not salaries, and the basic annual rate has gone up for the first time since 2008 from £4,360 to £5,260. 

Additional payments for special responsibilities have also risen, such as the council leader’s allowance on top of the basic rate, which is up £56 to £14,477, and the leader of the opposition’s, which has risen by £907 to £4,928.  

Cabinet portfolio holders will also see a rise of £726 to £6,910 to their special responsibility allowance and the chair of the overview committee a rise of £1,787 to £3,797, amongst others. 

Councillors voted to accept the figures suggested by an independent panel this week. 

Every council relies on a remuneration panel, completely independent of the council, to work out how much members get. 

Cllr Alasdair Bruce (Independent, Feniton) was worried about how the public would see the rises.  He said: “I think we all know realistically this is going to be a hard sell and it’s partly our own fault because we’ve let this slide for so long.” 

Cllr Eileen Wragg (Lib Dem, Exmouth Town) was pleased with the increases. 

She said these changes are long overdue. “I think what a lot of members of the public don’t realise [is] that we are actually taxed on these allowances and they are allowances. They’re not salaries, they’re not wages.  

“We really need to encourage younger people to come forward to stand for election regardless of their political affiliations. This is a move I believe in the right democratic direction.” 

But Cllr Roy Collins (Liberal Party, Honiton St Michael’s) was concerned younger people would not be able to afford to serve as a councillor.  

He said: “I’m the Liberal Party nomination officer for the south west. I wouldn’t dream about trying to get working people to stand for this council for such a low amount of money. 

“My son, if you wanted him to stand for the council, he couldn’t survive on that little pittance. He’d want at least minimum wage. 

“I’ve studied this council since it was formed. And in the early days we had… lots of business people, factory owners, several hoteliers were on this council. I don’t believe there’s any now. 

“Half the council was made of farmers. I’m the only farmer left. Farmers can’t afford it. I’m struggling to come here. I was paying a man £60 to milk the cows so I could come here.” 

The basic allowance rise will be backdated to last May’s election, and the special responsibilities allowances to 1 June 2023.  

From next year, the allowances will go up annually and will be reviewed every four years. 

On Tuesday Week, 19 December, on transport infrastructure in Cullompton