The state we're in MPs answer questions

WHAT do our parliamentary representatives really think about climate change, covid-19, mass immigration and transgenderism? In the April edition of The Light, I presented ten questions for readers to send to their MP. Fifteen sets of answers were received, including from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The respondents comprised ten Conservative, one SNP and four Labour MPs, with only one female respondent. The answers are a revealing guide to the state we are in.

- NIALL McCRAE

1. Do you believe that there is a climate crisis?

MPs were unequivocal on anthropogenic climate change. Sunak emphasised the urgency:

'The UN's International Panel on Climate Change has concluded that the world is warming faster than anticipated, the effects of which are being seen in every single region of our world. Immediate action is needed to limit warming, heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and loss of Arctic Sea ice, snow cover and permafrost.'

Rachael Maskell (Labour, York Central) even foresaw famine: 'Across the planet, the failed crops due to the changes in the climate is resulting in parts of our globe becoming uninhabitable.'

What they didn't say: notably, only one MP mentioned the contentious 'Net Zero'; they talked of carbon targets but not the ultimate aim of total resource control.

2. Do you believe that covid-19 was a deadly pandemic?

According to Sunak, covid-19 'was one of the greatest challenges this country faced since the Second World War'. This is ironic, given his party's expulsion of Andrew Bridgen for a similar comparison. The SNP respondent replied: 'having lost friends to this deadly disease, my answer is an unequivocal yes'. Bill Wiggin (Conservative, North Herefordshire) wrote: 'I caught covid and was very seriously ill, Boris nearly died, many others were not so lucky'.

What they didn't say: symptoms and mortality were similar to that of influenza, which magically disappeared for three years.

3. Do you believe that lockdown was necessary?

Two years after schools, churches and pubs were forced to close, there is little remorse from MPs, although John Redwood (Conservative, Wokingham) had voted against the draconian legislation. All others thought that lockdown saved lives.