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After just one week of protests led by the Extinction Rebellion group, top MP’s have began taking the campaign seriously by calling for tougher action on climate change. William Hague, Jeremy Corbyn and Ed Miliband are just a few leading MP’s who have called on the UK to “step up” it’s commitment to dealing with climate change. The environmental protests commenced on Monday April 15 and saw a series of staged protests, which included climbing on trains at the Docklands Light Railway, blocking the junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street with a pink boat and occupying Waterloo Bridge.

Despite several MPs, such as Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, condemning the climate protests, other prominent politicians have joined in the calls to take the climate crisis seriously. In an article for the Daily Telegraph, former Tory leader William Hague said: “It is time to recognise that these young activists are indeed focused on the right issues. “The solutions presented by protestors in London or by Green parties around the world may be ill thought-out, but the analysis is now hard to gainsay.” He called on conservatives around the world to “wake up” and listen to the protestors; adding that they were “right” to be passionate about the issue.

MPs have started to call for tougher action on climate change

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has also spoken out on the issue, calling on the Government to “step up” and declare a “climate emergency” in the UK. Speaking in Parliament earlier today, Mr Miliband said it was “no wonder” activists were taking such a stand given the seriousness of the threat. He said: “The truth is the planet is warming far faster than we are acting… it will get far worse if we do not act with much greater urgency. “In these circumstances it is no wonder people are disrupting the traffic and school children are striking... the only credible answer of democratic politics in response to these protests is to admit that we need to raise our game and show that we can act."

The environmental protests commenced on Monday April 15 and saw a series of staged protests

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has also spoken out on the issue, calling on the Government to “step up” and declare a “climate emergency” in the UK. Speaking in Parliament earlier today, Mr Miliband said it was “no wonder” activists were taking such a stand given the seriousness of the threat. He said: “The truth is the planet is warming far faster than we are acting… it will get far worse if we do not act with much greater urgency. “In these circumstances it is no wonder people are disrupting the traffic and school children are striking... the only credible answer of democratic politics in response to these protests is to admit that we need to raise our game and show that we can act."

Emma Thompson joined the activists on the weekend

The climate protestors caused chaos in London last week

Mr Gove and Mr Miliband both met with 16-year-old environmental activist Greta Thunberg in the House of Commons today, alongside several other high-profile politicians. John Bercow, Jeremy Corbyn, Caroline Lucas and others welcomed the Nobel Peace Prize nominee to Parliament, where she made a speech about climate change and got a rapturous round of applause. Miss Thunberg came to Britain on Sunday to speak to protestors camping out in Marble Arch and has refused to go to school as part of the protest. Mr Gove responded to the schoolgirl’s speech, and assured her that she had been heard.

Senior MPs met Greta Thunberg in Parliament today