Rishi Sunak could U-turn and attend the COP27 climate summit after a major Tory backlash, it emerged today.
The Prime Minister pulled out of next week’s talks in Egypt due to “pressing domestic commitments” like the November 17 Autumn Statement.
But No10 sources and a minister have now opened the door to him going – if he gets enough work done.
It comes after Tory anger and reports his rival Boris Johnson – who took a leading role at last year’s COP26 in Glasgow – was planning to go.
Environment Department minister Mark Spencer told Sky News: “He’s come into office, he’s got an inbox which is full to the brim.
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REUTERS)
“Clearly he wants to concentrate on the financial statement and that’s what he’s doing.
“But if he’s able to get through all of that, you know, COP is very important. It’s important to the government, it’s important to our future, and so we’ll send out senior ministers.
“That’s yet to be decided who’s going to go.”
Asked if he would like to see Rishi Sunak attend, Mr Sunak said: “Well, if he’s got time.
“Only he will know what he’s got in his inbox and in his diary, if he has the time. But he’ll make that call and I’m sure it’ll be the right one.”
It came after COP26 President Alok Sharma, a Tory minister, said he was “disappointed” while ex-Chancellor George Osborne said the PM had “mishandled” the situation.
Mr Osborne told Channel 4’s The Andrew Neil Show: “Why trash that because you don’t want to get on a plane to Egypt?”
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Amanda Rose / Avalon)
Lord Deben, chairman of the Climate Change Committee, said it would be “very valuable” for the PM to attend as the UK’s bid to tackle emissions was “off track”.
Even controversial Tory MP Nadine Dorries joined the chorus on Friday, tweeting: “The Prime Minister is WRONG not to go to COP. Global warming is the biggest crisis facing our planet.”
Mr Sunak today vowed to protect the environment as he sent congratulations to left-winger Lula da Silva for triumphing in Brazil’s presidential election.
The PM tweeted they would work on “growing the global economy to protecting the planet’s natural resources and promoting democratic values.”
It comes after it emerged King Charles will host a climate change reception at Buckingham Palace after he was stopped from attending a summit in Egypt.
The monarch pulled out of the Cop27 meeting, which begins in Sharm El-Sheikh next weekend, on the advice of the government.
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But it was announced yesterday he will hold his own gathering on Friday to bring together hundreds of business leaders and climate campaigners.
The King’s reception at Buckingham Palace on November 4, on the eve of the UN conference in Egypt, will “bring together over 200 international business leaders, decision makers and NGOs to mark the end of the United Kingdom’s presidency of Cop26 and look ahead to the Cop27 summit in Egypt,” the Palace said.
Guests will include US climate envoy John Kerry and Mr Sunak will “say a few words”.
Charles is a long-time champion of environmental causes and spoke at last year’s Cop26 event in Glasgow.
But Downing Street on Friday said Liz Truss’s Government had agreed with the monarch that it was not the “right occasion” for him to go to Egypt.