AS a member of Gloucestershire Climate Action Network I met Neil Carmichael twice this year to discuss measures to combat climate change, locally and nationally.

He told us he supported renewable energy, and mentioned developing carbon capture and community energy schemes as good things.

Within months the government had axed support for both of these.

Not to mention their prematurely ending support for wind and solar energy sectors, losing thousands of jobs and investment in the process.

David Cameron made a warm and fuzzy speech at the Paris climate change conference about his grandchildren.

Meanwhile Minister Amber Rudd played a leading role in the final negotiations which ended just over a week ago with the world agreeing that Something Must Be Done to combat climate change by reducing our carbon emissions and ending dependence on fossil fuels.

So will the UK now lead the way to that future?

Doesn’t look promising.

This week the Government forced a vote through parliament without debate to allow fracking in national parks going back on an earlier promise.

Neil Carmichael voted for it.

And the next day licences to prospect for oil and gas across the country were granted including in our own Forest of Dean.

Stroud can now look forward to a future caught in a dirty pincer movement with fracking and the incinerator to the west poisoning our air and water and to the south a nuclear power station part-funded by a Maoist one-party state.

What a charming legacy the Tories will leave us.

They say it is all done to save us consumers money on our energy bills.

We could lead the world in an energy revolution but all we get from our Government is fine speeches and hot air.

If only we could use that for something useful.

Cllr Doina Cornell

Dursley