Sir Keir Starmer has called on the government to enshrine all existing EU environmental law in primary legislation when Britain leaves the bloc. Yesterday the shadow Brexit secretary told the SERA (Labour’s Environment Campaign) AGM:

“A hard Brexit – removed from the single market and outside of common regulations and minimum standards – could be hugely damaging for our environment, our climate and our wider politics and society.

“Labour will fight for a Brexit deal that puts the economy, jobs and living standards first and makes sure there is no watering down of key environmental protections or standards.

“We will call for all existing EU environmental laws to be put into primary legislation through a new Act of Parliament. This would make it far harder for future governments to weaken environmental legislation. And it would enshrine EU minimum standards in UK law.

“But protecting what we have already gained from the EU should not be the summit of our ambitions.

“We should make the case for more progressive, more ambitious domestic environmental policy too. Not to match EU standards but to go beyond them.

“There is now a strong case for a Clean Air Act for the 21st century and to provide greater support for low carbon technologies, investment and research.”