Andrew welcomed Climate Change secretary Ed Miliband to Oxford today, to discuss the threat of a Lib Dem/Tory government to tackling climate change.  

Mr Miliband spoke about the danger of the Lib Dems, who fail to rule out a deal with the climate-change denying Tories, and the consequence of a Tory government for international action on climate change.  He highlighted Labour’s record on the world’s first-ever Climate Change Act and its plans to create thousands of green jobs.

Mr Miliband fielded questions on nuclear power, land fill, and the problem of those who oppose action on climate change, in a forty-minute question session.  More than 150 people filled the room at the Asian Cultural Centre, and the meeting ended with a standing ovation.

Franny Armstrong, director of the film Age of Stupid, also attended the event.

Speaking at the start of the meeting, Mr Miliband said: “Andrew has been fantastic in the House of Commons, fighting incredibly hard for this constituency and particularly on the environment.  He is always pushing us to do more and to go further on tackling climate change.”

Voting Lib Dem could mean ending up with Cameron as Prime Minister, said Mr Miliband. “The Liberal Democrat party has not ruled out getting into bed with the Tories,” he warned.

Andrew spoke of the risk of global catastrophe if we fail to act now on climate change.  “The scale of the calamity would be so great that not to act is a risk we cannot afford to take.” 

Andrew has long campaigned for action on climate change, and voted against a government three-line whip to oppose building the Heathrow Third Runway.  He said: “I care passionately about the environment and believe we must all act to avert a climate change crisis. 

“The Lib Dems have shown their true colours in pledging to put the Conservatives in power in a hung parliament.  Labour is the only party which will take action to build on the progress already made towards a greener, cleaner Britain.  We need to lead the global action to combat climate change.”

The event was part of Mr Miliband’s ‘Green Day’, travelling from Birmingham to London via Swindon, Oxford and Milton Keynes and speaking to people in each place about the environment.