Jim McMahon – 2022 Comments on Government’s Nature Recovery Green Paper

The comments made by Jim McMahon, the Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on 17 March 2022.

The Government may have set out some flashy headline targets, but this green paper fails to map out a credible way to achieve those targets. It follows a similar pattern, from a government that is big on promises, but small on delivery.

Meanwhile, we’re in a dirty water emergency, poor air quality continues to affect the health of millions and the catastrophic decline of nature, habitats and wildlife continues. The reality is that the Tories have a track record in failing to take our environment and nature seriously.

Labour forced a vote to end sewage discharge into our rivers, lakes and seas and the Tories voted against it. Labour tabled constructive amendments to strengthen the Environment Bill and the Tories voted against it.

Only Labour has a plan to establish a legal right for citizens to breathe clean air by establishing a Clean Air Act. Only Labour has a plan to tackle our climate crisis by investing £28 billion a year until 2030.