Greenpeace protesters climb on top of Tory battle bus

Greenpeace activists have climbed on top of the Conservatives’ campaign bus in Nottinghamshire as they called for more attention to climate change in the election.

A protester was seen on top of the bus, holding a banner saying “clean power not Paddy Power” in an apparent reference to the election betting scandal.

One of the protesters told Sky News that the tactics were “an important way to make our point”.

Mark Spencer, a local MP, told Politico it was hypocritical, because the protesters had apparently arrived in a diesel van.

“They came to protest at an event where the Conservative MP came in a rechargeable vehicle, but they came in a diesel van,” he said.

Greenpeace said it was protesting against the Conservative party’s “persistent failure to tackle the climate and nature crises while in Government, which was repeated in their election manifesto”.

The campaign group is urging the public to vote for policies that would deliver clean energy, lower bills, more energy security, and economic prosperity in the general election.

‘We’ve had enough’

Amy Rugg-Easey, the activist who climbed on to the roof of the bus, said: “We’ve had enough of this Government lurching from one scandal to the next, while gambling with our future. We need clean power, not Paddy Power.

“Fourteen years of Conservative governments has left this country broken. Sunak has gone backwards on climate action, ditching key pledges and promising to ‘max out’ the climate-wrecking oil and gas that are the cause of the cost of living crisis and our unaffordable bills. Our rivers are awash with sewage, and our economy, NHS and public services are on their knees.

“Enough is enough. We’ve climbed onto Sunak’s battle bus today to remind the British public that it is the Conservative Government’s consistent failure to deliver greener, fairer policies that has created the mess we’re in. Don’t back the wrong horse – a vote for the climate is a vote for a better future.”