Real leadership at a vital moment for the world

Iwas pleased over Easter to hear the Prime Minister confirm that, with vaccines now given to three in every five adults and cases plummeting, the restrictions are steadily being lifted.

From next Monday all shops reopen and restaurants and pubs are able to serve food and drink to customers outdoors.

For many, the big news will be being able to visit the hairdresser, beauty salon or other close contact service – or two visitors being able to see a care home resident.

While we look forward to enjoying newly regained freedoms these remain difficult times for many in the hospitality, aviation and leisure sectors which support so many jobs in West Sussex.

We all know that there is no substitute for busy venues or full aeroplanes but I welcome the continuing packages of taxpayer grants and loans.

Restart Grants of up to £18,000 are available to provide support for businesses previously forced to close.

There are also similar discretionary grants, which are for those businesses not eligible for the rates-based Restart Grants, such as taxi drivers, market stall vendors, or those that trade from shared premises.

I would encourage all eligible businesses across West Sussex to apply for these packages – details are available now on your local district council’s website.

A story not often told is that this is not only the greenest government ever, but that Britain is a genuine world leader on climate action.

Whilst some talk about climate emergencies, this country is quietly getting on with tackling it.

The UK was the first to bake a 2050 net zero target in law and our target of a 68 per cent reduction in our 1990 carbon emissions by 2030 is one of the most ambitious of any country on the planet.

Britain has the fastest growth in renewable energy of any G20 nation and by far the fastest per capita reduction in greenhouse gas emissions – more than twice the rate of the next best major economy.

As of this week, more than 56 per cent of all electricity used in the UK was generated from renewable sources and this government plans to phase out coal for electricity completely within the life of this current parliament.

That is way faster than many of our European neighbours.

By contrast, a German child born today will be leaving school before her country stopped burning coal in the year 2038.

So, as we look forward to the UN Global Climate Summit in November – an event which John Kerry has called the world’s last best chance to tackle the climate crisis – be reassured that the UK is providing real leadership at this incredibly important moment for the planet.