General Election 2019: Climate crisis at forefront of St Albans environmental hustings

Environmental hustings in St Albans during the 2015 General Election campaign. (Image: Archant)

St Albans Friends of the Earth, Sustainable St Albans, and St Albans Extinction Rebellion have united for the open session on December 3 at Trinity Church in Victoria Road.

Friends of the Earth coordinator said Amanda Yorwerth said: "We've organised environmental hustings for previous elections, but this time it feels like the environment is right up at the top of the agenda - particularly for first time voters. For many people it's the climate crisis that's the big issue."

All parliamentary candidates competing to be MP for St Albans have confirmed their attendance: Daisy Cooper for the Liberal Democrats, Rebecca Lury for Labour, Simon Grover for the Green Party, Anne Main for the Conservatives, and the independent candidate Jules Sherrington.

Colin Hodges from St Albans Extinction Rebellion said: "The hustings provides an opportunity to see how committed the candidates are to telling the truth about the climate emergency and doing something about it now,"

Catherine Ross, from Sustainable St Albans, believes the hustings will provide an extensive opportunity for the local community to raise a variety of environmental issues: "I expect people will submit a really wide range of questions; from global issues around climate justice, to national issues like energy and transport policies, and really important local issues such as air pollution, Luton Airport expansion, and the plight of the River Ver.

"The environment isn't an 'add-on' - to solve the climate and ecological crises facing us we need to look at every policy through the lens of the environment."

Questions for the hustings can be submitted from 7.30pm in writing on the evening, and one question will be reserved for a first time voter.