Sammy Wilson has been urged to ‘look at the world around him’ after dubbing a parliamentary debate about ‘extreme heat preparedness’, hysteria.
The North Antrim DUP MP’s comments came after Green Party leader Caroline Lucas tabled an urgent question on rising temperatures which have since seen the mercury reach 40C for the first time in UK recorded history yesterday.
During the discussion on Monday, he asked the UK’s Secretary of State for Health, Steve Barclay, if he agreed “most of our constituents, if they are not working, are probably out enjoying [the heat]? When it gets too hot, they will go and sit in the shade, have a cold drink and cool down”.
Read more: Northern Ireland "not prepared" for extreme weather like heatwaves, says expert
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was shaking his head in disbelief on the bench behind him.
Mr Wilson later tweeted a video of his speech saying “climate policies are costing my constituents a fortune and draining their pockets during a cost of living crisis”.
“Don’t listen to the heatwave hysteria,” he added.
We asked for an explanation of the statement, but did not receive a response.
SDLP South Belfast MP Claire Hanna says Mr Wilson’s “long-standing refusal to acknowledge the reality and dangers of the climate crisis in light of the mounting evidence is irrational and dangerous”.
“Rather than continuing to stick his head in the sand about the dangers of the climate crisis, Sammy Wilson would do well to look outside at the world around him and the record-breaking temperatures that we are experiencing in London and the sweltering heatwave sweeping Ireland,” she told Belfast Live.
“Warning people to take care in this weather is nothing to do with ‘heatwave hysteria’, rather a genuine attempt to keep people safe from the serious potential harm associated with these kind of temperatures.
“This isn’t just good weather, the heat is a warning symbol and has already had a serious adverse impact on transport infrastructure and it is creating serious challenges for vulnerable people, animals and those trying to go about their everyday lives in such heat.
“At a time when train tracks and airport runways are literally melting due to the spiralling temperatures we should all be waking up the massive challenges we face to deal with this issue and it’s a stark warning about what will happen to our planet if we don’t take radical action now.”
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