Cross-party talks needed to tackle climate crisis, say Lib Dems

Andy Burnham urged to seek consensus over response to extreme heat and forthcoming ‘super El Niño’

Published 31 August 2026 108 words
ENVIRONMENT A1
Cross-party talks needed to tackle climate crisis, say Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrats want Andy Burnham to hold a meeting with all political parties. They want to talk about how the UK will deal with bad weather, like the coming ‘super El Niño’.

The weather is getting hotter. There have been many heatwaves. The Lib Dems say the government has not done enough to help. They want more action than just banning disposable barbecues.

They asked Burnham to meet with party leaders to talk about protecting the country from climate change. They have not had an answer yet. They want the same approach to climate as to social care.

Even parties that do not want to focus on climate change should be included. They need to work together to protect the UK. The super El Niño could cause more problems, like floods and storms.

Vocabulary

political parties — Groups of people who have similar ideas about how to run a country.
deal with — To take action to solve a problem or manage a situation.
heatwaves — A period of unusually hot weather.
action — Something you do to achieve a result or solve a problem.
climate change — The change in weather patterns over a long time.

Discussion Questions

  1. Why do the Liberal Democrats want Andy Burnham to have a meeting?
  2. What problems can the super El Niño cause?
  3. What do the Liberal Democrats want to talk about at the meeting?

Based on an article from The Guardian.

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