Yesterday several thousand children chose not to go to School in order to campaign about the need for greater focus on climate change by our nation and in particular our Government. It is tragic that Andrea Leadsom ignored this specific question raised by Caroline Lucas and refused to offer to have a debate on the threat to our world via climate change. In particular to ignore the reference to “demonstrate to young people that we are listening and we take their concerns very seriously”. Andrea is clearly not fit for her role as Leader of the House given this. By the same token the Prime Minister whose spokesperson stated “Everybody wants young people to be engaged with the issues that affect them most so that we can build a brighter future for all of us. But it is important to emphasise that disruption increases teachers’ workloads and wastes lesson time that teachers have carefully prepared for.” missed the point and focused on the negatives of a days disruption. On the other hand the interview on yesterdays Radio 4 Today Programme which was carried out by Justin Webb showed that at least one Minister gets it and understands how Parliament needs to respond.

JW: Claire Perry, The Minister of State for Energy  and clean growth what is the Government’s view of the Schools strike

CP: I suspect that if this happened 40 years ago I would be out there too, I am actually incredibly proud of the young people in the UK, first of all who are highly educated about this issue, the schools have done an amazing job through the curriculum and also feel very strongly quite rightly that we do need to take action because it is their generation that will bear the consequences. I do want to slightly caution that with perhaps a more official view that we can’t put any more burdens on our superb teachers and teaching staff I do hope anyone who is missing school today does get their homework and assignments done.

JW: So if the teachers and parents say ok you are pretty supportive of  the children not being in school today

CP: I think that we have got to wake up to this emergency

So let us hope that Claire Perry and Caroline Lucas are able to overrule Andrea Leadsom and Theresa May as unlikely as that is!