Teen climate change activist Greta Thunberg tells MPs: 'Our future's been sold'

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has told MPs her future and those of her fellow youngsters has been "sold".

Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, the 16-year-old Nobel peace prize nominee, said: "We probably don't even have a future any more.

"That future has been sold so that a small number of people can make unimaginable amounts of money.

"It was stolen from us every time you said 'the sky is the limit'."

Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who listened to Miss Thunberg in parliament's Portcullis House, told her: "We have not done nearly enough."

He added: "Suddenly in the past few years it has become inescapable that we have to act.

"The time to act is now, the challenge could not be clearer, Greta you have been heard."

Miss Thunberg had earlier met party leaders in Westminster as the Extinction Rebellion group continued their climate change protests in London into a second week.

The teenager held talks with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable, Green MP Caroline Lucas, the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford, and Plaid Cymru's Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts.

Theresa May was "empty chaired" during the discussion, with organisers saying no response had been received to their invitation to the prime minister, who was leading cabinet talks in 10 Downing Street on Tuesday morning.

Miss Thunberg started a school strike movement by skipping lessons to demonstrate against climate change outside the Swedish parliament.

Mr Corbyn told her: "Well done for what you have done."

At the weekend, Miss Thunberg addressed Extinction Rebellion demonstrators in London, when she told a crowd of hundreds that humanity was at a crossroads.

The Metropolitan Police announced on Tuesday they have charged 71 people in connection with the group's protests that have caused disruption across London for more than a week.

Extinction Rebellion's disruptive protests have seen 1,065 arrests as of 10am on Tuesday.

Those charged in connection with the group's demonstrations have been accused of various offences including breaching public order legislation, obstructing a highway and obstructing police.

The vast majority are due to appear at Westminster Magistrate's Court between 14-31 May, while those arrested but not charged have been released under investigation.

Scotland Yard said: "This number of arrests is unprecedented, and is diverting officers from their vital duty of tackling crime and keeping London safe, but they will continue to arrest those who occupy illegal protest sites and refuse to stop causing widespread disruption to the communities of London."

Elliott Cuciurean, 20, is believed to be the first activist to be successfully prosecuted over the latest wave of Extinction Rebellion protests.

At Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, the 20-year-old was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs after pleading guilty to a public order offence.

But he avoided a fine of up to £1,000.

Three other protesters, who later appeared at the court together denied separate charges and face trial this summer.

Godfrey Whitehouse, a 70-year-old retired energy manager at Exeter University, and Tristan Strange, 37, were arrested on Waterloo Bridge, while University of East Anglia student Saul Kenrick, 22, was detained near the Houses of Parliament.

More than 10,200 Met Police officers have so far been deployed as part of the operation over the protests, with 350 officers being drafted in from neighbouring forces over the Easter weekend and throughout Tuesday.

The Met Police held a meeting with the protests' organisers on Monday, during which they advised that while Scotland Yard has "a duty to ensure the right to peaceful protest the widespread disruption already caused by the demonstrations, especially on illegal protest sites, is unacceptable and will not be tolerated".

"A clear warning was issued that if the behaviour demonstrated by protesters over the past week continues, it will result in further arrests and charges," Scotland Yard added.

Officers were deployed to Heathrow Airport over the weekend to prevent demonstrators causing serious disruption to air travel.

On Tuesday, Extinction Rebellion staged a new demonstration by marching from Marble Arch to Parliament Square, where they then planned to give letters to MPs to invite them to a "people's assembly" to discuss the "climate and ecological emergency".

It coincided with MPs' returning to Westminster following their 11-day Easter break.

The protesters have been restricted to a certain area outside parliament and the demonstration has been ordered to be completed by midnight, with the conditions "necessary in order to prevent the demonstrations from causing serious disruption", Scotland Yard said.

The first week of Extinction Rebellion protests saw Waterloo Bridge, Oxford Circus and Parliament Square blocked, as well as a "die in" at the Natural History Museum in London.

On Wednesday, protesters are planning to gather again in Parliament Square following Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.

On Thursday, they are understood to be planning a march towards London's financial district, although it is not clear whether this means the City of London or Canary Wharf, where many banks are based.

Among the campaigners' demands are for the government to declare a climate emergency, for the UK to be carbon neutral by 2025, and to create a citizens' assembly to discuss the issue.

They have warned the disruption could get "much worse" if politicians were not open to their calls for negotiation.

Oxford City Council has said it will become the first UK local authority to set up a citizens' assembly to discuss climate change.

A randomly-selected representative sample of residents will consider a range of potential environmental policies covering energy, transportation and housing.

Public disapprove of Extinction Rebellion's methods - Sky poll

The British public disapprove of Extinction Rebellion's methods, but support their aims - and more have been inspired than put off by their protests, a Sky Data poll shows.

The majority of Britons - 53% - oppose the tactics employed by the climate change activists, while 29% approve of them - nine percent neither approve nor disapprove, and another nine percent are unsure.

Extinction Rebellion have disrupted roads and public transport in London and Edinburgh to draw attention to their campaign to tackle climate change.

They are demanding immediate government action to reduce UK carbon emissions to net zero by 2025.

While the public are unimpressed by the manner of their protests, a clear majority are sympathetic to the policies they are pushing for - 60% approve of their aims, while just 20% disapprove.

And their protests appear to have had a beneficial effect for their cause, with more inspired to do more to combat climate change than discouraged.

Three in ten (31%) say they have been inspired to do more by Extinction Rebellion, while 26% have been put off by the protests - though the plurality, 38%, have not been affected in either direction.

Sky Data interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,022 Sky customers by SMS on 23 April 2019. Data are weighted to the profile of the population. Sky Data is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

For full Sky Data tables, please click here