Today local volunteers have unveiled a guerrilla billboard in Southport to send a message to local politicians on the climate. The billboard, created by Greenpeace, warns candidates in the constituency to ‘listen or lose’, revealing that of those who had an opinion, 68% of people in Southport say they will vote with climate and environment in mind at the general election.
Photos of the local campaigners and billboard can be found here
The local ‘Climate Voters’ have also today written to local political candidates requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the climate and urge them to push for better climate policies in their respective party manifestos.
The local volunteers are part of a growing army of Climate Voters, who have been mobilising across the country for Project Climate Vote, Greenpeace UK’s nationwide mass door-knocking programme. It aims to recruit one million Climate Voters ahead of the next election to force UK political parties to strengthen their plans to tackle the climate, nature and cost of living crises now, at the election and in years to come.
Greenpeace UK is mobilising its entire volunteer network on Project Climate Vote. The door-knocking campaign will see thousands of people holding conversations about climate on the doorstep, over the phone and on social media, with a focus on dozens of key marginal seats, from now until the election. People will be encouraged to register to vote ahead of the election and to hold the government to account afterwards.
Greenpeace UK Climate Campaigner, Georgia Whitaker, said:
“We are out here today in Southport to send a message to political candidates that local people care deeply about the climate, and it will affect how they vote at the next election. So if they don’t listen, they’ll likely lose out at the ballot box.
“We’ve spoken to tens of thousands of people already about becoming Climate Voters. And we are going to turn these numbers into a political force all parties will have to reckon with, especially in key marginal seats. We have to make sure that the next government listens to voters’ concerns on the climate.
“We urgently need a government that will insulate our draughty homes and prioritise renewables to get our energy bills down. This will help people struggling now by tackling the climate and cost of living crisis at the same time.
On Damien Moore MP, Whitaker said:
“Southport’s current MP is part of the scientifically baseless Net Zero Scrutiny Group. Climate sceptics couldn’t be further from the type of leaders we need as extreme weather, made worse by climate change, sweeps across the UK ruining homes and lives.”
Local Greenpeace activist and Climate Voter, Linda Bacon, who was born and raised in Southport said:
“It’s clear that local residents in Southport want stronger action on climate, for now and for future generations. They’re fed up with being ignored by politicians, and they want to make sure their voices are heard.
“For too long politicians have served the interests of the elite, making fossil fuel giants and water companies ever richer at the expense of ordinary people, climate and nature. This has to stop at the next election. We don’t have another five years to waste.
“I’m calling out to local Southport residents to join me and thousands of others to become Climate Voters so that we can make sure our next MP takes the climate and nature crisis seriously.”
Similar billboards were also unveiled today in Stevenage and Stoke on Trent.
Climate Voters will do everything they can to make climate and nature count in the national debate now, at the next election, and in the years to come. They’ll vote with these issues in mind and will hold the next government’s feet to the fire.
In its manifesto asks, Greenpeace UK is calling for the next government to prioritise:
- Fixing our energy-wasting homes, unlocking affordable renewables and making public transport cheaper for everyone;
- Boosting the economy, creating thousands of jobs and supporting communities dealing with climate impacts by channelling investment into green industries and taxing the biggest polluters more;
- Protect nature at home and abroad from sewage and plastic pollution, destructive fishing and industrial agriculture.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- The data for the billboard was taken from detailed, constituency level polling of people across Great Britain by Survation, which factors in the new boundaries for the next General Election. It showed strong support for climate and environmental policies across the country. Nationwide, it showed that of those who had an opinion, more than two thirds (70%) stated that climate and environment policies are important and will influence how they vote in the next election. The full national report can be found here. Full polling results including the constituency level breakdowns are available from press.uk@greenpeace.org
- Greenpeace’s manifesto recommendations are here – https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/resources/manifesto-recommendations/
- Greenpeace spokes and local climate voters and volunteers are available for interview. Contact Greenpeace UK Press Office – press.uk@greenpeace.org or 07971177378
