Extinction Rebellion throw paint on Cambridge Labour Party offices after climate bill vote

Climate activists Extinction Rebellion (XR) threw green paint over the Cambridge Labour Party offices in Alex Wood Hall on Saturday night following a City Council vote.

The activists say they acted in protest of councillors who rejected support for the Climate & Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill.

XR Cambridge said that the green paint symbolises 'greenwashing' by the Labour councillors.

A parliamentary bill, the CEE Bill would force the UK to take responsibility for its entire carbon footprint.

Labour councillors instead voted for a wrecking amendment to the motion, which expressed support for the Conservative government's Environment Bill.

The Labour group have a majority on the council, meaning that they could have stopped the original motion from passing.

The local Labour Party say climate change is a priority for them and they have reported the incident and passed CCTV on to the police.

An XR activist, and recent Labour voter said:

Labour Leader of Cambridge City Council, Cllr Lewis Herbert said:

"We are really disappointed to see this act of vandalism, especially when we have a record of action on reducing carbon emissions in Cambridge. As a party we remain committed to open, constructive dialogue and working together to find the best way to tackle the climate emergency.  

"We are fully committed to tackling climate change. We now source 100 per cent of the council's energy from renewable sources and we've reduced our carbon emissions by almost 30 per cent since taking control of the council. We've also invested heavily in making our council homes and swimming pools more energy efficient. There's lots more to do, of course, and that's what we will be focusing on now."