WOMBLES OF WIMBLEDON COMMONS
180 MPs follow litter-pickers’ lead and join Great British Spring Clean
NEARLY 200 MPs have pledged to join the Great British Spring Clean and fight the blight of rubbish in our streets and countryside.
More than 180 Tory, Labour, Lib Dem and SNP MPs have signed up to the campaign, backed by the Daily Mail.
Representing more than a quarter of the House of Commons, they have pledged to organise or take part in a clean-up, contact their local councils to urge them to participate, and spread the word on social media. They have been given branded litter-pickers and encouraged to pledge the number of minutes they will commit to picking up litter while dog-walking or running.
Those who have signed up to do their bit include Boris Johnson and his Environment
Secretary, Theresa Villiers. Both posed with veteran litter-picker Orinoco – a Womble of Wimbledon Common – at the launch of Keep Britain Tidy’s campaign. The Wombles, who found fame on TV in the Seventies, have come out of retirement to back the Spring Clean and encourage others to join in.
Former international trade secretary Liam Fox, former culture secretary John Whittingdale and former immigration minister Caroline Nokes have already answered the call.
Other volunteers include Damian Green, who was effectively deputy prime minister to Theresa May, chairman of the 1922 backbench committee Graham Brady, and deputy Labour leadership candidate Dawn Butler.
This year’s Spring Clean campaign has already attracted support from twice as many MPs as last year, when 89 pledged their support.
MPs were also urged to join the Tidy Britain All-Party Parliamentary Group – and 125 have duly agreed to participate.
The Daily Mail is urging its big-hearted readers to make the 2020 Spring Clean the best ever. In its fifth year, the clean-up will take place from March 20 to April 13.
Tory MP Victoria Prentis, chairman of the Tidy Britain APPG, said: ‘ It was great to see so many colleagues come to meet Orinoco, support Ke e p Britain Tidy, and pledge to clean up our beautiful country. We are all looking forward to the Great British Spring Clean when we will join thousands of volunteers who work to pick up other people’s mess... I hope all MPs will sign up to this fantastic campaign.’
Allison Ogden-Newton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: ‘We’ve been blown away that more than 180 MPs have already backed the Spring Clean.
‘MPs matter because they’re able to shine a light on littering and back changes that reduce the stuff that’s being littered.’
More than 150 councils have already agreed to supply or lend equipment and arrange for safe disposal of the rubbish collected and effective recycling.
The campaign has also received the blessing of the country’s religious leaders, including those of the Church of England and Muslim Council of Britain.
Last year, more than half a million volunteers signed up for the campaign to clear streets, parks, beaches and the countryside of litter last year. Working with campaign group Keep Britain Tidy, volunteers organised 17,097 clean-ups, collecting 957,377 bags of rubbish.
The Daily Mail has had a series of successes with its landmark environmental campaigns, including Turn the Tide on Plastic, Be a Tree Angel, and Curb the Cups.
Our campaign for a charge on plastic bags has dramatically reduced the number going to landfill and generated millions for charity.