Boris Johnson Paraded His Green Credentials With A Visit To A Wind Farm Today Ahead Of The G7 Conference - After Flying To Cornwall
Boris Johnson paraded his green credentials with a visit to a wind farm today ahead of the G7 conference - after flying to Cornwall.
The Prime Minister stopped off at Scottish Power's Carland Cross facility near Newquay this afternoon before the start of the world leaders' summit in Carbis Bay, near St Ives.
Climate change, along with Covid and the growing power of China, is very much on the agenda for the two day meeting in the Cornish resort.
But Mr Johnson raised questions about how green he actually is after flying 250 miles from London to Newquay on a Government jet, rather than taking the six-hour train journey to St Ives.
Questioned on his travel choice, he referenced the site of the interview on a high ridge in the centre of Cornwall.
'What you have got here is solar power plus wind power, plus a gigantic battery,' he said.
'Whatever the weather this wind-cum-solar farm will be able to provide clean, green, renewable energy.
'And if you attack my arrival by plane, I respectfully point out the UK is actually in the lead in developing sustainable aviation fuel and one of the points in the 10-point plan of our green industrial revolution is to get to jet zero as well as net zero (emissions).'
Boris Johnson paraded his green credentials with a visit to a wind farm today ahead of the G7 conference - after flying to Cornwall
The Prime Minister gets his hands on a tool on a visit to the West Carclaze Garden Village housing development
Mr Johnson was shown how to fit roofing tiles during a visit to the West Carclaze Garden Village housing development
The Prime Minister stopped off at Scottish Power's Carland Cross facility near Newquay this afternoon before the start of the world leaders' summit in Carbis Bay and the arrival of US president Joe Biden
But Mr Johnson raised questions about how green he actually is after flying 250 miles from London to Newquay on a Government jet, rather than taking the train.
ST AUSTELL, ENGLAND - JUNE 09: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) is shown how to fit roofing tiles during a visit to the West Carclaze Garden Village housing development on June 09, 2021 in St Austell, England.
The project aims to build 1,500 homes, a nursery and primary school as well as environmental elements including two solar farms and a wetland nature reserve. Ahead of the G7 Summit in Carbis bay, the Prime Minister touted new government funding for infrastructure and industry in Cornwall, saying that the projects are "a fitting legacy for a region playing host to some of the most important diplomatic talks in a generation. " (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Boris Johnson (C) talks with Chief Executive Officer of Eco-Bos Maher Maksoud (L) and Chief Development Officer of Eco-Bos Dorian Beresford (R)
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson accompanied by the the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps as they view the LauncherOne at the Spaceport at Newquay Airport
Mr Johnson's spokesman had earlier told reporters that flying to Cornwall allowed the Prime Minister to appear in the Commons for Prime Minister's Questions at noon.
It came after Mr Biden left the White House for the G7, ProFito arriving in England tonight to begin his first overseas trip as US president.
Mr Biden and his wife Jill, a university professor, are expected to land at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk in Air Force One as they kick off an eight-day trip to Europe.
He will meet US military personnel stationed at the base before heading to Carbis Bay near St Ives, where the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada will gather for three days to discuss the pandemic and climate change among other issues.
Mr Biden is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Boris Johnson for face-to-face talks tomorrow - the first time the two men will have met in person - before the G7 Summit formally gets underway on Friday.
When the summit ends on Sunday, the President and First Lady will meet the Queen at Windsor Castle.
Mr Biden will then depart for Brussels where he will attend a NATO summit and a joint US-EU summit before then heading to Geneva for a bilateral showdown with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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In an article for the Washington Post, Mr Biden said that the trip is about 'realising America's renewed commitment to our allies and partners' as he attempts to build bridges with Britain and the EU after some leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel clashed with his predecessor Donald Trump.
The Republican president engaged in a bitter trade row with the EU and slammed NATO members for failing to spend more on defence - sparking fears that he would pull the US out of the military alliance and embolden Russian activity in Ukraine and eastern Europe.
Mr Trump also formally withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris Agreement - both negotiated by Barack Obama. One of Mr Biden's first acts as President was to rejoin the climate accord and reopen nuclear talks with the Iranian government, as he sought to reverse the actions of the previous administration.
The White House has said that Mr Biden will meet with Mr Johnson to 'affirm the special relationship between our nations' - a term which the prime minister reportedly dislikes because it is 'too needy'.
Whitehall is understood to have viewed the President's decision to make the UK his first overseas destination as a major diplomatic victory for Mr Johnson.
The Prime Minister has lavished praised on Mr Biden since he won power in the election last year, in the hope of striking a new free trade deal with the US.
However, there are concerns that he and the President may not get along, after Democratic sources previously questioned whether Mr Johnson was an 'ally'.
Mr Johnson had sought close relations with Mr Trump, causing Mr Biden to call him a 'physical and emotional clone' of the controversial Republican president.
Mr Johnson's spokesman had earlier told reporters that flying to Cornwall allowed the Prime Minister to appear in the Commons for Prime Minister's Questions at noon
Boris Johnson (C) talks with Chief Development Officer of Eco-Bos Dorian Beresford (L) during a visit to the West Carclaze Garden Village housing development
The Prime Minister was shown how to fit roofing tiles on his visit to the development today
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill left the White House on Wednesday on the way to Cornwall where they will meet Boris Johnson and attend the G7, before a meeting with the Queen and his summit with Vladimir Putin
President Biden brushes a cicada from his neck as he and Jill board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base
Surfers enjoy the waves as a Royal Navy ship is seen, as security preparations are underway for the G7 summit, near St Ives
Preparations remain ongoing ahead of the G7 summit in Carbis Bay later this week.
A Royal Navy vessel is pictured off the coast of Cornwall on June 8
Mr Johnson faced fierce domestic criticism over his relationship with Mr Trump, but has defended the ties and has insisted that prime ministers should always have the 'best possible' ties with sitting US presidents.
There has also been speculation Mr Johnson and Mr Biden could struggle to work together because of the Prime Minister's past criticism of Mr Obama, in whose administration Mr Biden served as vice president.
Mr Biden is also expected to put pressure on the UK not to renege on the Northern Ireland Brexit Protocol in a bid to preserve the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. US concerns about the province's trade status could even derail efforts to strike an Anglo-US trade deal.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told the BBC: 'President Biden believes and has said that the Northern Ireland Protocol, as part of the agreement between the UK and the European Union, is critical to ensuring that the spirit, promise and future of the Good Friday Agreement is protected.
'That being said, of course the UK and EU need to work out the specifics and the modalities on that, need to find some way to proceed that works both for the EU and the UK.
But whatever way they find to proceed must, at its core, fundamentally protect the gains of the Good Friday Agreement and not imperil that.
'And that is the message that President Biden will send when he is in Cornwall.'
However, there were positive signs in March of the 'special relationship' warming up after Mr Biden's climate envoy John Kerry visited London for talks with Mr Johnson. The positive trend continued in May when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington has 'no closer partner' than the UK.
The mini-village built near Cripplesease, near St Ives, to house and feed the security needed for the G7 Summit this weekend
Left: Security patrol a railway line ahead of the G7.
Right: Police and military scuba-divers preparing for the summit
Venue for meeting with Boris: The Presidnet and Prime Minister will meet at St Michael's Mount, pictured on Tuesday as United States Marine Corps (USMC) Osprey helicopters from Biden's entourage practice their approach
An RAF Giraffe agile multibeam radar system is set up near the beach in Cornwall ahead of the G7 Summit
A 400-strong contingent of Secret Service agents and support staff are due to arrive for the summit being hosted by Boris Johnson and held in the tiny Cornish resort of Carbis Bay.
President Biden is believed to be staying in the Tregenna hotel
Police continue their checks in Carbis Bay, Cornwall as world leaders gather to discuss the pandemic and climate change
Armed British police land on Carbis Bay beach early on Tuesday morning as security teams practice ahead of the summit
<div class="art-ins mol-factbox news floatRHS" data-version="2" id="mol-17440b00-c91a-11eb-9119-19c7f0bb9c2c" website Boris visits wind farm after 250-mile flight to Cornwall
