XR groups protest outside Philip Dunne's office in Ludlow

XR Ludlow and Leominster and XR Bishop's Castle and Clun Valley grouped outside Ludlow MP Philip Dunne's office on Friday to protest against the effects of climate change on the local area, and persuade Mr Dunne to back the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, which had its first reading in Parliament on September 2.

As Extinction Rebellion's September rebellion gathers momentum in major cities, and the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill reaches Parliament, members of local climate action groups, including Extinction Rebellion and South Shropshire Climate Action took action in their own area.

The group placed a row of deckchairs outside Philip Dunne’s Ludlow office and distributed postcards illustrating the Ludlow floods last year.

The Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill is a Private Member’s Bill, introduced by Green Party MP Caroline Lucas. It proposes radical measures to deal with the escalating climate emergency, calling on the UK to make and enact a 'serious' plan.

Ludlow resident Linda Senior said: "I'm doing this because Ludlow is just one small town and it has already suffered from the disastrous consequences of weather and climate change. Our MP’s need to sign this Bill as it strengthens the actions needed urgently to combat this, and will give the people a voice.

"Up to now they’ve really just tinkered around the edges and it’s time to take it really seriously. That’s what this Bill does."

A spokesperson for the South Shropshire Climate Action group said: "We are still hurtling towards climate breakdown and this Bill looks like a really practical way to grab the last chance to avert disaster.

"Philip Dunne is chairman of the environmental audit committee, so he is fully aware of the scale of the problem. As this is not a two-party issue, we think he should be able to support the Bill. He will be introducing his own Private Members’ Bill on water pollution later in the year, and we will fully support that."

The South Shropshire Climate Action Conference will take place on September 26. It will be held online, and the objective is to create a climate action plan for the Ludlow constituency outlining how it is to get to net zero carbon by 2050, including the scale of the activity and investment needed, along with a roadmap on how to achieve that. There are three key themes; land and biodiversity, energy and buildings, and transport.

Attendance is free. Visit shropshireclimateaction.co.uk to register.