Green campaigners take their 'Christmas wish list' to Halifax and Calder Valley MPs and councillors

Outside MP for the Calder Valley Craig Whittaker’s office in Brighouse, Calderdale Green New Deal campaigners piled up parcels to represent the gifts that they are hoping to get from the Government in response to the climate crisis.

There were 12 gifts in total – one for each of the 12 days of Christmas: clean energy, warm homes, excellent buses and trains, solar for schools, green spaces for all, clean air, healthy food, plastic phase out, unpolluted rivers, safer bike routes, thriving nature and green jobs.

The campaigners posted their list through Mr Whittaker’s door along with an invitation to discuss what they say are practical policy decisions that could be implemented to ensure these wishes become a reality for the people of Calderdale.

The group then hopped on a train to Halifax and paraded the presents from the station to Halifax Town Hall where they shared a mince pie before posting their list and invitations through the door and in the neighbouring postbox for MP for Halifax Holly Lynch.

One of the campaigners, Hazel Draper, said: “At COP26 this year, our Government stated unequivocally that we must act to ensure that global temperature rise stays below 1.5 degrees.

"We welcome this pledge to follow the science but the policies must also match - we need far more urgent action on policies which will both address the climate and ecological emergency we face and build a better future for all.

"Without the magic of Santa Claus, it might be a tall order to expect these gifts to be with us by Christmas Day, but we are hoping that the Government will make it their New Year’s resolution to deliver on this Christmas list in 2022.”