Over the last 13 years the Conservatives have shown little regard for the environment. This has been topped off with Rishi Sunak reopening coal mines - for foreign export - as well as exploiting North Sea fossil fuels. Having failed to meet their environmental targets, rather than scale up projects that would help, they've moved the goalposts.
It doesn't need to be like this. We shouldn't need to decide what's more important, protecting our environment or supporting our economy. We shouldn't need to decide between our rivers and building decent housing. These choices are entirely political and are part of a Conservative regime that takes money from taxpayers yet provides nothing in return.
We have several rare chalk streams in North East Hertfordshire that have been neglected for far too long. Their ecological and environmental value cannot be understated and it is up to us to work together to protect them. I will continue to call for better protection for these, and all rivers and waterways. There are few resources that we can not live without, and water is one of them. We must invest in blue infrastructure across our country, including new large-scale projects such as reservoirs.
We need to invest in a green jobs revolution that provides workers with a real living wage and protects and provides for our environment. Making sure that the move to renewable energy allows industry workers to smoothly change jobs through retraining is incredibly important. We must ensure that no one is left behind and out of work as we decrease our reliance on the fossil fuel industry.
Reducing our reliance on fuel fossils should also include supporting community energy projects that put control in the hands of local people. With energy prices increasing to unaffordable levels, it has never been more important that we invest in cheap, renewable energy produced locally for local people.
These are all things that I will fight for as your Parliamentary Candidate and MP.