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

Andy Burnham is urged to seek agreement on how to respond to extreme heat and the coming ‘super El Niño’.

Published 31 August 2026 192 words
ENVIRONMENT A2
Cross-party talks needed to tackle the climate crisis, say Lib Dems

Liberal Democrats say that Andy Burnham should arrange a meeting with other political parties to discuss how the UK can deal with worse weather.

They want to talk about the hot weather and a coming weather event called ‘super El Niño’. The prime minister recently had a meeting about the drought, but the government has not said much about the dangers from five heatwaves since May. There are also worries about food shortages and higher prices around the world.

Pippa Heylings from the Liberal Democrats said that Burnham is good at talking about important issues. However, she feels he has been too quiet about the extreme heat. She said that banning disposable barbecues is a good step, but more action is needed.

Heylings and the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, asked Burnham to meet party leaders. They want to discuss long-term ways to protect the UK from climate change and extreme weather. They have not received a reply yet.

Heylings noted that Burnham is focused on social care and wants agreement on that. She said they want the same approach for the climate. She believes even parties that want to stop climate action plans should join discussions to protect the UK.

The coming El Niño could cause bigger problems. Heylings explained that this ‘Super El Niño’ is very unusual and will make extreme weather in the UK worse, like more floods and storms in autumn and winter. She called it a ‘double whammy’.

She added that these talks should also look at how to stop the climate crisis from getting worse.

Vocabulary

political parties — Groups of people who have the same ideas about how to run a country.
extreme weather — Weather conditions that are unusual and very severe, like very hot days or heavy rain.
food shortages — When there is not enough food for everyone.
drought — A long period with very little or no rain.
climate change — The change in the Earth's weather, especially over a long period, often caused by human activities.
double whammy — Two bad things happening at the same time or one after another, making a situation much worse.

Discussion Questions

  1. Why do the Liberal Democrats want a meeting with other political parties?
  2. What are some of the problems caused by extreme weather mentioned in the article?
  3. What does Pippa Heylings mean by a ‘double whammy’?

Based on an article from The Guardian.

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