Andy Burnham must act fast on the climate – or risk getting stuck in a ‘derailment’ doom loop

A helicopter works to extinguish flames after wildfires in Sorbas, Almeria, Spain, 10 July 2026. Photograph: Jon Nazca/Reuters

Recent unprecedented heatwaves in the UK may have killed thousands of people. Children are suffering in overheating schools. NHS trusts are straining under record-breaking demand. This all comes after climate extremes have even affected national security, with three of Britain’s five worst harvests coming since 2020, impairing food security.

This is what life looks like in the “adaptation gap”.