There’s more to this election than TV debates. Tristan finds out more about the election meetings Oxfam have been organising around the country to “ask the climate question”.
In an election in which a series of historic leadership debates takes place on TV, it could be easy to think they were the only events that mattered. That’s not the case. On the 21st April Oxfam hosted the hustings (political meetings between candidates and voters) in the South Ribble Banqueting Hall in Lancashire.
Following its success, next week on the 28th we’re hosting another one, this time in Bury North, at the Fusilier Museum in Bury itself. These debates challenge parliamentary candidates in two of the country’s most closely fought constituencies to explain where they stand on the issue of Climate Change and could potentially prove crucial come May 6th.
These are just two of a series of events taking place across the country as part of the national ‘Ask the Climate Question’ Campaign. Supported by ten different environmental and development Non Government Organisations (NGOs) and charities, it aims to make climate change an election issue and ensure our next government, whichever party gets into power, is fully committed to UK emissions reductions and a ‘fair’ and ‘adequate’ international agreement on climate change.
As you might have guessed from the campaign’s name, it asks voters to join in by simply ‘Asking the Climate Question’ to their local candidates, be it on the doorstep, at a local hustings or even in writing. Its both an easy and effective way to raise a crucially important issue and draw attention to what is arguably the greatest threat to the world’s poor.
As a self-confessed politics geek with a passion for tackling climate change it’s been a joy to be charged with helping organise the debates in the North West and come Wednesday 28th I’ll be there in Bury climate change question to hand and listening carefully.
Find out more about Oxfam’s work on climate change