Ridiculously, I was told in the House of Commons today that I 'lacked humanity' for linking Hurricane Irma with climate change

In the moment I was shocked – but I shouldn't have been

Earlier today, as news about the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma filtered through to us here in Britain, MPs gathered in the House of Commons to hear a Government statement on the issue.

As you’d expect, the Government was quite rightly expressing sympathy to the victims of the disaster, as well as laying out what plans they would put in place to help.

But as I listened to his words, I couldn’t help but think that Alan Duncan, the minister sent to speak on the issue, was glossing over a crucial aspect of the debate. In response to earlier questions about the impacts of climate change on this disaster, he swerved to focus entirely on immediate disaster relief “rather than engage today in a debate on the broader issues”.

So I stood up, and made what I thought was a polite intervention.

After welcoming the Minister’s commitment to immediate relief, I added: “With respect, I think that today is precisely the day on which we need to talk about those broader causes.

“Gaston Browne, the leader of Antigua and Barbuda, is talking about climate change today. Will the Minister reassure the House that we will not have to wait for a hurricane to hit the UK before we have the policies we need from this Government to tackle climate breakdown? Without that, we will not see the climate leadership that his Government like to claim in theory being shown in practice.”

His response was astounding. He accused me of “deeply misjudging the tone of the House” and went on to demand that I “show a bit more urgent and immediate humanity, rather than making the point that she has made today”.

In the moment I was shocked, but I shouldn’t have been.

Because the truth is that the Government doesn’t want to admit that its reckless attitude toward climate change has real effects. The most powerful people in the UK right now don’t want to acknowledge that our failure to sufficiently cut climate changing emissions contributes to sea levels rising, and oceans becoming warmer. They don’t want to face up to the fact that warmer oceans and higher sea levels make storms like Irma even more devastating, and more frequent.

Gaston Browne put it perfectly on the radio this morning when he said: “The science is clear. Climate change is real – in the Caribbean we are living with the consequences of climate change. It is unfortunate that there are some who see it differently.”

I hope that Minsters heard him. Because when they cut support to solar energy, plough ahead with fracking or effectively ban onshore wind farms, they might comfort some of their backbenchers and the more right-wing sections of the press – but in doing so they condemn people across the world to suffering the worst effects of climate breakdown.

Alan Duncan’s comments were just one outburst – but they reveal a deeply damaging attitude to climate change that is pervasive within our politics. They don’t want the link between their own policies and “natural” disasters to be highlighted.

The truth is that we simply can’t ignore climate breakdown anymore. We need to talk about it – and we need to act on it.

What kind of country would we be if we didn’t step up at this most crucial moment? Especially given how much we’ve contributed to the chaos.

The Government needs to stop shutting down the debate. Ministers need to stop slashing green measures. They need to halt the ban on onshore wind and end fossil fuel subsidies. They need to get serious about supporting solar. And they need to stop sitting on their hands while hurricanes plough through people’s houses and ruin livelihoods.