First Email to my New MP

Starting off gently:


Dear Ms Richardson,

This being my first communication with you may I offer my congratulations on your becoming MP for Guildford earlier this year?

As I write we face a global existential threat in the form of climate change and the near-term crisis that is the SARS-CoV-2 induced Covid-19 pandemic.

The latter has resulted in the postponement of COP26, due to be held in Glasgow in November. This was clearly the right thing to do, given the attention that there necessarily has to be on managing Covid-19. However, it should not prevent the underlying preparative work from taking place. Indeed, it provides an opportunity for the UK to catch up from the chaos surrounding the sacking of Claire O'Neill and the general unpreparedness that has been evident since that time. There is much heavy lifting for the UK to do to ensure that this, the biggest moment in climate change negotiations since the 2015 Paris agreement, is a success. The near 200 countries who signed up to the Paris agreement are due to upgrade their emissions plans at COP26 in line with the agreed target of less that 1.5 degC global temperature rise. A mere 6 have so far presented their plans and at least one, that from Japan, has been universally described woefully inadequate. The leg work required of the UK to ensure that COP26 members bring forward, and subsequently undertake, realistic and robust plans should not be underestimated. I will be interested to hear how you will be encouraging the achievement of this goal over the next year.

Having said that delaying COP26 was the correct thing to do I am mystified as to why the UK Government is sticking to its end of 2020 target for concluding Brexit negotiations. The financial and commercial damage being done by the Covid-19 emergency is such that the UK needs to conclude a deal with the EU that maximises the long term health of the country's economy. I do not see how rushing to an end-point while so much time and effort is being expended on managing the on-going health crisis will achieve this. I will be pleased to understand your take on this.

Yours sincerely