“Pleased” vs “shit”: Extinction Rebellion meet McDonnell and Gove

Activists from the Extinction Rebellion network, which has helped put climate change firmly on the political agenda in recent weeks through nonviolent direct action, met with top figures from the Labour Party as well as Michael Gove today.

First, members of Extinction Rebellion (or ‘XR’) held a meeting with opposition frontbenchers John McDonnell and Sue Hayman at 8.45am. The Shadow Chancellor promised that he would get XR to present its case to the whole shadow cabinet, the shadow environment committee and the shadow Treasury team.

Attendee Savannah Lovelock, a 19-year-old dance student and co-ordinator of Extinction Rebellion Youth, commented: “I’m pleased with discussions that took place today and that we were met at the appropriate level by John McDonnell. However, I am still yet to see politicians listen to young people and do everything within their power to protect our future.”

McDonnell said Labour would consider a new greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 2030, and did not firmly commit to bringing forward the target from 2050 to 2025 as requested. But the reaction from Extinction Rebellion was much more positive than the comments that followed their meeting with government minister Michael Gove.

14-year-old Felix Ottaway O’Mahony, a member of XR Youth, said he was “frustrated” by Michael Gove’s responses as the Environment Secretary “avoided our demands and just spoke about what they’re already doing”.

Similarly, XR activist Clare Farrell said: “It was less shit than I thought it would be, but only mildly.” Although Gove apparently acknowledged the problems of a debt-based economy: “Unfortunately what failed to emerge was an actual way forward.”

According to the activists, the meeting with Gove “ended without the promise of concrete action”. Gove only committed to “discussing” the idea of a citizens’ assembly with London mayor Sadiq Khan, who agreed to explore the proposal in his own XR meeting yesterday.

On Wednesday, Labour will use an opposition day debate to force a vote on declaring a national environment and climate emergency, which would make the UK parliament the first in the world to do so.