Newark and Sherwood Green Party councillors have raised serious concerns following the appointment of Reform UK councillor Bert Bingham as the new cabinet member for the environment at Nottinghamshire County Council. Cllr Bingham, who has publicly claimed that man-made climate change is a “hoax” and pledged to “end the net zero crime,” has drawn sharp criticism from environmental leaders.
Emma Oldham, Leader of the Green Group at Newark and Sherwood District Council, and multi-award-winning environmental campaigning and conservation biologist, said:
“I strongly recommend Cllr Bingham visit the communities already living with the consequences of climate change. He should speak to families who’ve been flooded out of their homes, farmers who are struggling to grow food in increasingly erratic weather, and the businesses that have been forced to close due to repeated flooding. Ask them if this feels like a hoax.
As the county’s lead flood authority, he must answer this: What will he do when unseasonal rainfall once again brings devastation to our doorsteps? His comments show a shocking disregard for the lived experiences of Nottinghamshire residents.
I urge him to sit down with his officers and review the scale of flood recovery grants, damage assessments, and the countless hours lost to emergency response. Denying climate change isn’t just irresponsible, it’s dangerous.
This isn’t about belief. This is about science, duty and safeguarding the public. Climate change is not a matter of opinion, it’s a matter of action. And by refusing to act, Bert is failing in the most fundamental duty of his office: to protect the people he serves.”
Matthew Spoors, Green Party candidate for Newark West in the upcoming May 1st by-election, added:
“While Bert dreams of England 2,000 years ago, the climate crisis is happening right now. In just the first five months of 2025, the UK has already experienced the most intense wildfires on record¹—burning more land than in the entire year of 2019.
The path forward is clear: create new jobs, upskill our workforce, deliver cleaner air and secure affordable, renewable energy. Or continue clinging to polluting, volatile fossil fuels linked to between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths each year in the UK². It’s a no-brainer—but perhaps that’s the problem.”Spoors is standing in the Newark West by-election on 3rd July, called after Reform UK councillor Desmond Clarke resigned just days after being elected, leaving taxpayers with a bill of between £20-25k.
Sources:
¹ BBC News: UK Wildfires
² UK Government: Air Pollution – Applying All Our Health