Climate activists in Penrith have staged a protest after it was revealed that Mark Jenkinson has been selected by the Conservative Party for the new Penrith and Solway seat.
Gathering at Penrith Town Hall today, they held a banner that read ‘Penrith needs a MP who understands the urgency of the climate crisis’.
Mr Jenkinson, who currently represents Workington, hopes to be elected MP for Penrith and Solway, a proposed new constituency, in the next General Election.
They said they were concerned about Mr Jenkinson as Theyworkforyou.com, based on his voting record in Parliament, said he ‘generally voted against measures for climate change.
Mr Jenkinson also signed a letter sent to the Daily Telegraph from the Net Zero Scrutiny Group – a group of Tories sceptical about the Government’s net zero targets.
Danny Smith, of Penrith, said: “If we don’t take sensible measures to move towards net zero in the UK, greenhouse gas emissions will continue at current rates, and the horrors of a world with 4°C of warming could be reached within my children’s lifetimes. We have gathered here today because we believe local people deserve to know that Mark Jenkinson intends to delay any action on climate change.”
They added that Mr Jenkinson supported plans for the West Cumbria coal mine, which protestors say will emit 220 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
