Jeremy Corbyn has accused Boris Johnson of “failing spectacularly” to measure up to the scale of the climate crisis, after the sacked president of COP 26 revealed the UK was miles behind in getting ready for the November summit.

Speaking at prime minister’s questions, Corbyn raised the government’s failure to organise COP 26 properly, after Johnson’s team sacked Claire O’Neill as the summit’s president just days before its formal launch.

Corbyn highlighted O’Neill’s criticisms that “there has been a huge lack of leadership and engagement from this government” over the climate crisis conference.

But Johnson dismissed the attack, saying all that Corbyn would produce on tackling global heating was “a load of hot air”.

“If you look at what this government is achieving and already has achieved on climate change, it is quite phenomenal,” Johnson claimed.

The international COP 26 summit is due to take place in November in Glasgow but is without a leader after David Cameron and William Hague both turned down the vacant role of president.

Corbyn noted that two former Conservative leaders had turned down the job, joking that “maybe it could be third time lucky”, as he suggested Sir Iain Duncan Smith for the role.

Labour said its suggestion would be for Ed Miliband, the former energy secretary and ex-Labour leader, to take over the presidency as he had the experience. Read more

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