Former ‘Red Wall’ seats demand action on climate

New survey evidence shows overwhelming demand across the former ‘Red Wall’ seats for Chancellor Rishi Sunak to take firm action on the climate emergency in this week’s budget.

The Centre for Local Economic Strategies claims that 84 per cent of respondents in former Red Wall constituencies – seats in the Midlands and North that the Conservatives gained from Labour in the 2019 General Election – believe it is important that the Chancellor announces substantial investment to support measures to prepare for the impact of climate change.

Furthermore, 76 per cent want more powers and resources to be given to local councils in the North and Midlands to deal with the climate emergency.

However, the Survation research for CLES found that there is widespread disapproval in these former constituencies for how Boris Johnson’s government has responded so far, with 75 per cent of respondents agreeing that the ‘UK could have been better prepared for the recent floods’.

For voters across the whole of the North and Midlands, the survey found: support for more resources and funding for action on climate change is spread across all parties. In fact, 87 per cent of 2019 General Election Conservative voters, 90 per cent of Labour voters, 94 per cent of Liberal Democrat voters and 76 per cent of Brexit Party voters said it is important that the upcoming budget includes ‘substantial investment to support measures to prepare for the impact of climate change’. Additionally, 69 per cent of Conservative voters and 75 per cent of all people surveyed believe that the UK could have been better prepared for the floods.

Neil McInroy, chief executive of the Centre for Local Economic Strategies, said: “These results show strong public support for more robust interventions to protect communities from the effects of the climate emergency and ensure a just transition to more sustainable local economies. The government should take note that the public want their local authorities to take a more active role in this process.

“Rather than handicapping localities with ongoing austerity and reduced powers, national government must work with metro mayors and local authority leaders to ensure that localities have the fair financial and devolution settlement they need to achieve this. If the government is serious about ‘levelling up’ the country, it must get serious about a rapid climate transition through a Green New Deal.”