A Fairer Future Means Fighting for the Climate and the People Who Live in It

For years, our environment was treated like a side issue.

Coal mines reopened. North Sea drilling extended. Rivers polluted. Targets missed, then rewritten. A decade where environmental justice was not just delayed. It was denied.

But none of this was inevitable. It was political. It still is.

We were told we had to choose. Between growth and green space. Between decent housing and clean water. Between energy we could afford and energy that would not cost the planet.

I have never accepted that choice. And neither does the Labour government now.

We now have a government that sees climate action as economic strategy. Its 10-year mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower is already underway. A National Wealth Fund is investing £7.3 billion to create 650,000 good green jobs across the country. That includes roles in clean power, home insulation, green hydrogen and carbon capture. These are the industries of the future, and they should be rooted in the places that need them most.

That matters. But it must mean something here.

Across Hertfordshire, we are home to some of the rarest chalk streams in the world. These ecosystems are quietly extraordinary and increasingly vulnerable. Their protection cannot be left to chance. It must be part of how we plan, build and govern.

We need investment in blue infrastructure. Reservoirs, flood resilience and water security. And we need green infrastructure that delivers clean air, warm homes and reliable public transport.

And we need that investment to reach every community across Hertfordshire.

We need a green jobs revolution that is visible in our towns, our high streets, our colleges and our supply chains. That means:

• Training and apprenticeships in retrofit, renewables and environmental restoration

• Support for workers transitioning from fossil fuel industries, with real protections and pathways

• Funding for local authorities to lead on clean transport, energy efficiency and nature recovery

• Backing for community energy projects so residents can generate and benefit from their own power

This is not abstract. It is about fairness. It is about health. It is about the future.

Because if we do not invest in our communities, we risk leaving them behind. And if we do not invest in people, we lose the trust and the talent we need to build what comes next.

That is the kind of leadership I believe in. Grounded. Forward-looking. County-wide. Built with and for the people who live here.

A climate plan without people will fail. And a politics without climate justice has already failed us all.