Monmouthshire’s MP, David Davies, complains that he’d be forced to use a horse and cart to placate ‘climate fanatics’. Through his arguments, he poses a hypothetical choice - horse and cart vs the ‘freedom’ of car ownership and ‘cheap’ air travel - clearly designed to frighten voters. He does not admit awareness of alternatives, innovation or the benefits that developing sustainable forms of transport could bring to Wales.  

We need an MP that looks after our climate, our health and the wellbeing of future generations: We don’t need an MP who sees driving as an ‘entitlement’ and cheap foreign holidays as a ‘need’. We don’t need one that takes the Trump-esque tack of ridiculing talk of climate breakdown and pursuing policies that deepen ongoing environmental harm for the sake of reactionary voter approval. Indeed, championing cheap air travel as way to ‘mitigate the short-term challenges of a hard Brexit’, and comparing Wales to other, larger and less developed, countries to downplay the harm we are responsible for (Beacons 28/8/19 & 4/9/19) is downright disingenuous.

Mr Davies says cutting carbon emissions would leave us ‘dependent’ on public transport. I’d love to be able to depend on public transport! Is the option available? Monmouthshire needs an MP with realistic plans to introduce frequent and reliable public transport, including improved access to trains and funding for greener transport technology. 

Madeleine Boase (Llanfaenor)