Jack Letts, Islamic State recruit: 'I was enemy of UK' - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Jack Letts, who left the UK to join the Islamic State group as a teenager, has said he had been an "enemy of Britain".

The Muslim convert, who is in custody in a Kurdish jail, admitted he was once ready to carry out a suicide attack.

The BBC interviewed the 23-year-old in October but it can only be reported now after his parents were convicted of funding terrorism by sending him cash.

The Home Office did not comment but has previously said it would try to block IS recruits hoping to return to the UK.

The interview is the fullest account yet of the Briton's time with IS in Syria, and Jack Letts said he was not speaking under duress.

Dubbed "Jihadi Jack" by the media, he converted to Islam aged 16.

Two years later, in 2014, he dropped out of studying for his A-levels at a school in Oxford, moved to Syria and joined IS - the jihadist terror group which became known worldwide for its brutal mass killings and beheadings.

He married a woman whose family were influential in the group in Fallujah, Iraq. He had a child, who he has never seen.

In 2017 he left IS, but was captured and is in a Kurdish-run jail in northern Syria.

The Briton, who has not been stripped of his UK citizenship and is a dual Canadian national, agreed to speak to the BBC, saying he wanted to come clean about his role in IS.

'I did what I did'

Reporter Quentin Sommerville, who interviewed the IS recruit while Kurdish security forces were present, said there were gaps in his story.

Challenged on whether he was a traitor, the IS fighter replied: "I know I was definitely an enemy of Britain.

"I did what I did," he added. "I made a big mistake, and that's what happened."

Pressed on why he abandoned the UK to join the jihadist group - which has carried out terror attacks across the world - he said: "I thought I was leaving something behind and going to something better."

He said his home life had been comfortable, adding: "I had a very good relationship with my mum, especially, and my dad as well, actually.

"I used to work with my dad. He was a farmer... I used to love actually working with him. I had a very good relationship."

He said he thinks the decision to travel to Syria was a "weird combination of thoughts" and "weird sort of confusion".

"I thought it was some sort of morality actually at the time," he said. "Why do I have this nice life, and others don't? And then, on top of that, the idea of it being an Islamic state and it's actually your duty to do this.

"I think it was probably just a very emotionally-driven period of my life. I'm just glad that I didn't die."

'I wouldn't give me a second chance'

The former IS member said the group used to "encourage you in a sort of indirect way" to put on a suicide vest. He said he made it obvious to militants that "if there was a battle, I'm ready".

"I used to want to at one point, believe it or not" he added. "Not a vest. I wanted to do it in a car. I said if there's a chance, I will do it."

He said he now believes suicide attacks are "haram"- meaning forbidden in Islamic law.

He said at the start he loved living in Raqqa. He fought on the frontlines and was badly injured in Iraq.

One of the main reasons he left IS, he said, was because they started to kill people who he knew were Muslims.

"I didn't have a full plan. I thought I'd just get to Turkey and ring my mum, and just be like, 'I want to meet you somehow'."

'Poster boy'

His parents, John Letts, 58, and Sally Lane, 57, faced trial, accused of sending or trying to send their son money after he had joined IS.

On Friday, they were found guilty of one charge of funding terrorism by sending £223 in 2015. They were cleared of sending him a further £1,000 and the jury could not reach a verdict on a third charge related to an attempt to send £500.

• Where is IS still active around the world?

When told that there was very little appetite in the UK to give him a second chance, Mr Letts said: "It's not like I'm appealing to the British public to give me a second chance.

"If I was a member of the British public, I wouldn't give me a second chance probably."

Challenged that his recruitment to IS - as a Westerner who travelled from Britain - was a rallying cry for the terror group, he said he realised it "had more meaning" than for a Syrian recruit, and added that IS used him as a sort of "poster boy".

"The fact that I came from England, et cetera, I understand that it made a big difference."

Although admitting he fought for IS, he said he did not believe he killed anyone.

As a dual national, he has been in touch with Canadian authorities and they are believed to be considering allowing him to leave Syria for Canada.

The Home Office did not comment on the case, but believes that anyone who travels to Syria is putting themselves in danger and could pose a national security risk to the UK.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has previously said he would "not hesitate" to prevent the return of people who travelled to support IS.

In an interview with the Times, Mr Javid said that a range of measures were available to "stop people who pose a serious threat from returning to the UK, including depriving them of their British citizenship or excluding them from the country".

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48624104

2019-06-22 05:42:45Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay00ODYyNDEwNNIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNDg2MjQxMDQ

Jack Letts, Islamic State recruit: 'I was enemy of UK' - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Jack Letts, who left the UK to join the Islamic State group as a teenager, has said he had been an "enemy of Britain".

The Muslim convert, who is in custody in a Kurdish jail, admitted he was once ready to carry out a suicide attack.

The BBC interviewed the 23-year-old in October but it can only be reported now after his parents were convicted of funding terrorism by sending him cash.

The Home Office did not comment but has previously said it would try to block IS recruits hoping to return to the UK.

The interview is the fullest account yet of the Briton's time with IS in Syria, and Jack Letts said he was not speaking under duress.

Dubbed "Jihadi Jack" by the media, he converted to Islam aged 16.

Two years later, in 2014, he dropped out of studying for his A-levels at a school in Oxford, moved to Syria and joined IS - the jihadist terror group which became known worldwide for its brutal mass killings and beheadings.

He married a woman whose family were influential in the group in Fallujah, Iraq. He had a child, who he has never seen.

In 2017 he left IS, but was captured and is in a Kurdish-run jail in northern Syria.

The Briton, who has not been stripped of his UK citizenship and is a dual Canadian national, agreed to speak to the BBC, saying he wanted to come clean about his role in IS.

'I did what I did'

Reporter Quentin Sommerville, who interviewed the IS recruit while Kurdish security forces were present, said there were gaps in his story.

Challenged on whether he was a traitor, the IS fighter replied: "I know I was definitely an enemy of Britain.

"I did what I did," he added. "I made a big mistake, and that's what happened."

Pressed on why he abandoned the UK to join the jihadist group - which has carried out terror attacks across the world - he said: "I thought I was leaving something behind and going to something better."

He said his home life had been comfortable, adding: "I had a very good relationship with my mum, especially, and my dad as well, actually.

"I used to work with my dad. He was a farmer... I used to love actually working with him. I had a very good relationship."

He said he thinks the decision to travel to Syria was a "weird combination of thoughts" and "weird sort of confusion".

"I thought it was some sort of morality actually at the time," he said. "Why do I have this nice life, and others don't? And then, on top of that, the idea of it being an Islamic state and it's actually your duty to do this.

"I think it was probably just a very emotionally-driven period of my life. I'm just glad that I didn't die."

'I wouldn't give me a second chance'

The former IS member said the group used to "encourage you in a sort of indirect way" to put on a suicide vest. He said he made it obvious to militants that "if there was a battle, I'm ready".

"I used to want to at one point, believe it or not" he added. "Not a vest. I wanted to do it in a car. I said if there's a chance, I will do it."

He said he now believes suicide attacks are "haram"- meaning forbidden in Islamic law.

He said at the start he loved living in Raqqa. He fought on the frontlines and was badly injured in Iraq.

One of the main reasons he left IS, he said, was because they started to kill people who he knew were Muslims.

"I didn't have a full plan. I thought I'd just get to Turkey and ring my mum, and just be like, 'I want to meet you somehow'."

'Poster boy'

His parents, John Letts, 58, and Sally Lane, 57, faced trial, accused of sending or trying to send their son money after he had joined IS.

On Friday, they were found guilty of one charge of funding terrorism by sending £223 in 2015. They were cleared of sending him a further £1,000 and the jury could not reach a verdict on a third charge related to an attempt to send £500.

• Where is IS still active around the world?

When told that there was very little appetite in the UK to give him a second chance, Mr Letts said: "It's not like I'm appealing to the British public to give me a second chance.

"If I was a member of the British public, I wouldn't give me a second chance probably."

Challenged that his recruitment to IS - as a Westerner who travelled from Britain - was a rallying cry for the terror group, he said he realised it "had more meaning" than for a Syrian recruit, and added that IS used him as a sort of "poster boy".

"The fact that I came from England, et cetera, I understand that it made a big difference."

Although admitting he fought for IS, he said he did not believe he killed anyone.

As a dual national, he has been in touch with Canadian authorities and they are believed to be considering allowing him to leave Syria for Canada.

The Home Office did not comment on the case, but believes that anyone who travels to Syria is putting themselves in danger and could pose a national security risk to the UK.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has previously said he would "not hesitate" to prevent the return of people who travelled to support IS.

In an interview with the Times, Mr Javid said that a range of measures were available to "stop people who pose a serious threat from returning to the UK, including depriving them of their British citizenship or excluding them from the country".

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48624104

2019-06-22 03:37:02Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay00ODYyNDEwNNIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNDg2MjQxMDQ

Jack Letts, Islamic State recruit: 'I was enemy of UK' - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Jack Letts, who left the UK to join the Islamic State group as a teenager, has said he had been an "enemy of Britain".

The Muslim convert, who is in custody in a Kurdish jail, admitted he was once ready to carry out a suicide attack.

The BBC interviewed the 23-year-old in October but it can only be reported now after his parents were convicted of funding terrorism by sending him cash.

The Home Office did not comment but has previously said it would try to block IS recruits hoping to return to the UK.

The interview is the fullest account yet of the Briton's time with IS in Syria, and Jack Letts said he was not speaking under duress.

Dubbed "Jihadi Jack" by the media, he converted to Islam aged 16.

Two years later, in 2014, he dropped out of studying for his A-levels at a school in Oxford, moved to Syria and joined IS - the jihadist terror group which became known worldwide for its brutal mass killings and beheadings.

He married a woman whose family were influential in the group in Fallujah, Iraq. He had a child, who he has never seen.

In 2017 he left IS, but was captured and is in a Kurdish-run jail in northern Syria.

The Briton, who has not been stripped of his UK citizenship and is a dual Canadian national, agreed to speak to the BBC, saying he wanted to come clean about his role in IS.

'I did what I did'

Reporter Quentin Sommerville, who interviewed the IS recruit while Kurdish security forces were present, said there were gaps in his story.

Challenged on whether he was a traitor, the IS fighter replied: "I know I was definitely an enemy of Britain.

"I did what I did," he added. "I made a big mistake, and that's what happened."

Pressed on why he abandoned the UK to join the jihadist group - which has carried out terror attacks across the world - he said: "I thought I was leaving something behind and going to something better."

He said his home life had been comfortable, adding: "I had a very good relationship with my mum, especially, and my dad as well, actually.

"I used to work with my dad. He was a farmer... I used to love actually working with him. I had a very good relationship."

He said he thinks the decision to travel to Syria was a "weird combination of thoughts" and "weird sort of confusion".

"I thought it was some sort of morality actually at the time," he said. "Why do I have this nice life, and others don't? And then, on top of that, the idea of it being an Islamic state and it's actually your duty to do this.

"I think it was probably just a very emotionally-driven period of my life. I'm just glad that I didn't die."

'I wouldn't give me a second chance'

The former IS member said the group used to "encourage you in a sort of indirect way" to put on a suicide vest. He said he made it obvious to militants that "if there was a battle, I'm ready".

"I used to want to at one point, believe it or not" he added. "Not a vest. I wanted to do it in a car. I said if there's a chance, I will do it."

He said he now believes suicide attacks are "haram"- meaning forbidden in Islamic law.

He said at the start he loved living in Raqqa. He fought on the frontlines and was badly injured in Iraq.

One of the main reasons he left IS, he said, was because they started to kill people who he knew were Muslims.

"I didn't have a full plan. I thought I'd just get to Turkey and ring my mum, and just be like, 'I want to meet you somehow'."

'Poster boy'

His parents, John Letts, 58, and Sally Lane, 57, faced trial, accused of sending or trying to send their son money after he had joined IS.

On Friday, they were found guilty of one charge of funding terrorism by sending £223 in 2015. They were cleared of sending him a further £1,000 and the jury could not reach a verdict on a third charge related to an attempt to send £500.

• Where is IS still active around the world?

When told that there was very little appetite in the UK to give him a second chance, Mr Letts said: "It's not like I'm appealing to the British public to give me a second chance.

"If I was a member of the British public, I wouldn't give me a second chance probably."

Challenged that his recruitment to IS - as a Westerner who travelled from Britain - was a rallying cry for the terror group, he said he realised it "had more meaning" than for a Syrian recruit, and added that IS used him as a sort of "poster boy".

"The fact that I came from England, et cetera, I understand that it made a big difference."

Although admitting he fought for IS, he said he did not believe he killed anyone.

As a dual national, he has been in touch with Canadian authorities and they are believed to be considering allowing him to leave Syria for Canada.

The Home Office did not comment on the case, but believes that anyone who travels to Syria is putting themselves in danger and could pose a national security risk to the UK.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has previously said he would "not hesitate" to prevent the return of people who travelled to support IS.

In an interview with the Times, Mr Javid said that a range of measures were available to "stop people who pose a serious threat from returning to the UK, including depriving them of their British citizenship or excluding them from the country".

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48624104

2019-06-21 23:57:07Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay00ODYyNDEwNNIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNDg2MjQxMDQ

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt Face Brexit Catch-22 - The Atlantic

In Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, the anarchic anti-hero Captain John Yossarian marvels at the beauty of the trap he finds himself in. To escape the war he is being forced to fight, he must prove he is crazy. But asking not to fight proves he is not crazy. Therefore he has to fight.

The trap is inescapable. “Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle,” Heller wrote. “‘That’s some catch, that Catch-22,’ he observed.”

The two remaining contenders to replace Theresa May as Conservative Party leader and, by extension, British prime minister—Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt—now find themselves in a trap of almost equally simplistic beauty. To win the Conservative leadership race they must promise to succeed where May failed and take Britain out of the European Union, ideally by October 31, the new, twice-delayed deadline. But how?

The trap is this: There is no majority in Parliament to agree May’s negotiated deal enabling the United Kingdom to leave the EU in an orderly manner, with opposition centering around a 39 billion pound ($49 billion) divorce settlement and the “backstop” which ties Britain into the EU’s customs union after Brexit. And yet, there is also no majority in the House of Commons to leave without a deal because of fears over  damage to the country’s economy and standing in the world. (Though Britain leaves the EU by default on October 31, with or without parliament’s consent, members of parliament have shown they are willing to enact legislative barriers to stop this happening.)

It’s the Brexit Catch-22 and it’s driving Britain’s political class crazy.

Read: The time Boris Johnson thought Trump was ‘out of his mind’

The race to replace May has—so far—been mired in this seemingly intractable riddle to which no candidate has shown a convincing solution. Neither of the final two contenders have shown they have any clear idea of how to do so. Johnson has simply said the U.K. “must” leave by October 31, deal or no-deal; Hunt, a multi-millionaire businessman, claims he has the entrepreneurial skills to change the withdrawal treaty, a deal the EU has said, repeatedly, cannot be changed.

The only candidates in the race offering different solutions, however unlikely, were knocked out in earlier rounds of the Conservative leadership race: the hardliner Dominic Raab suggested suspending parliament to bypass opposition to no-deal, but this was seen as too extreme (and anti-democratic) for most Tory MPs; and the dovish Rory Stewart who said the only solution was to stick with May’s deal and simply try to push it through parliament again, even though it had failed three times already.

To those inside 10 Downing Street who have tried, and failed, to escape the trap for the last two years, the unfolding scene is like watching a TV history documentary on repeat, only this time run as farce. The reality, say some of those involved in the negotiations with the EU, is that unless the equation changes, whoever succeeds May as prime minister will find themselves back in the same tangled web which suffocated her premiership. The crisis, like Catch-22, is one that cannot be escaped until the catch itself is changed—and, like Yossarian, that is not in the gift of the British prime minister. It is the system which is in control.

Only two bodies can undo this catch: the British Parliament, by changing its collective mind on the deal, allowing it to pass, or, alternatively, acquiescing to no-deal; or the European Union, by changing the terms of the divorce to make it easier for Parliament to agree to it, or by cutting the cord and ejecting Britain from the club unilaterally. Ultimately, if the British political class has not found a way out of the riddle, European leaders can simply refuse to extend the country’s membership of the EU and, at 11 p.m. U.K. time on October 31, Britain will no longer be a member of the EU, deal or no deal. Catch-22 resolved.

Read: Britons can’t help but make the European elections all about Brexit

In European capitals, notably Paris and Dublin, this is increasingly seen as the likely way out of the crisis. Arriving in Brussels yesterday, the Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said while he had “endless patience” to keep extending negotiations with Britain to avoid no-deal, he was fast becoming a minority voice. Extensions, he continued, would likely only be granted if circumstances changed, and if time was needed for a general election or another Brexit referendum to break the impasse. “Some of my colleagues have lost patience, quite frankly, with the U.K., and there is enormous hostility to any further extension,” Varadkar said.

In Downing Street, an election has long been seen as the only way out of the crisis—if Parliament cannot bring itself to choose between deal or no-deal, a new parliament is needed. Yet for the Conservatives, even this escape hatch looks lethal. The party’s failure to deliver Brexit has seen its support in the polls collapse, sparking warnings from Hunt and others that should an election be called before Brexit, the party would be “annihilated.”

It means the one potential solution to the Brexit Catch-22—winning an electoral majority to take Britain out of the EU— might be its own such trap: Until the Conservatives manage to take Britain out of the EU, they will be punished at any general election for not having done so. (A significant number of Conservative MPs believe, however, that Johnson’s celebrity gives them a chance at any national poll.)

Is the next British prime minister really as trapped as Yossarian, though?

The quirks and flexibility of Britain’s unwritten constitution mean the answer to the question is unclear, but many Brexit supporters insist that the only reason the U.K. has not already left the EU is because May was insufficiently committed to the project to face down parliament’s opposition to leaving without a deal—a claim supported by some experts. They claim that Johnson—most of them support him over Hunt—simply has to refuse to bow to parliament and Britain will leave the EU by law on October 31.

Of course, parliament will always have the option of forcing a general election by voting down the government, or of organizing a second referendum, which, as Varadkar and other EU leaders have made clear, Brussels would be prepared to delay Brexit for.

The reality is no-one is certain. Whether Johnson or Hunt emerges as Britain’s next prime minister, the Brexit crisis is only likely to roll on because the catch remains—for now.

We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.

Tom McTague is a London-based staff writer at The Atlantic, and co-author of Betting the House: The Inside Story of the 2017 Election.

Twitter Email

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/06/boris-johnson-jeremy-hunt-brexit-catch-22/592258/

2019-06-21 13:53:38Z
CAIiEK1m8H8rQPCIMKzT3Z7voY0qFggEKg0IACoGCAowm_EEMKAiMMSWmwM

U.K. Official Suspended for Forcing Out Climate Protester by the Neck - The New York Times

LONDON — A British official was suspended from the Foreign Office after he grabbed a Greenpeace U.K. protester by the neck and forcibly ejected her from a black-tie dinner in London’s financial district, the prime minister’s office said on Friday.

Video of the encounter on Thursday night showed the official, Mark Field, a Conservative member of Parliament, jumping from his seat, grabbing the protester and shoving her against a post. She and fellow climate activists, all dressed in red gowns with sashes declaring a “Climate Emergency,” had flooded the room where the chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, was delivering his annual address on the state of the economy.

The footage drew outrage, and Greenpeace U.K. accused Mr. Field of assault, with one of the activists taking part, Hannah Martin, telling BBC Radio on Friday “What he did, as anybody can see from the video, was completely disproportionate and unacceptable, particularly for a sitting member of Parliament.”

She later posted on Twitter: “There’s nothing like a female led peaceful protest to bring out the true character of an entitled man.”

Mr. Field later apologized, saying in a statement to the British TV network ITV on Friday, “I deeply regret this episode and unreservedly apologize to the lady concerned for grabbing her, but in the current climate, I felt the need to act decisively to close down the threat to the safety of those present.”

He called the presence of the Greenpeace activists a “major security breach,” adding: “In the confusion many guests understandably felt threatened and when one protester rushed past me towards the top table I instinctively reacted. I was for a split-second genuinely worried she might have been armed.”

Image

Mark Field has been a Conservative lawmaker for the Cities of London and Westminster since 2001. His portfolio as a Foreign Office minister includes climate change.CreditNiklas Halle'N/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Mr. Field said he had referred himself for an official investigation. His parliamentary office did not respond to a request for further comment on Friday. The City of London Police said on Friday that it was looking into “a number of third-party reports of a possible assault,” according to the BBC.

In an interview with the BBC on Friday, the protester, identified as Janet Barker of Wales, said she would not file a complaint with the police.

“I want him to reflect on what he did and not do it again,” Ms. Barker said. “Maybe he should go to anger management classes.”

Several of Mr. Field’s fellow lawmakers condemned his actions. In a post on Twitter, Tonia Antoniazzi, a Labour lawmaker, said he should “resign and be arrested.” George Freeman, a Conservative lawmaker, said the footage looked “appallingly rough,” but called for restraint from “instant armchair judgment.”

Others defended Mr. Field’s actions, with a Conservative member of Parliament, Peter Bottomley, saying that Mr. Field deserved “to be congratulated” for his actions. Mr. Bottomley told the BBC that his colleague’s reaction had been appropriate and proportionate, adding: “I would’ve done the same. Most other diners there would have done the same.”

Invoking the fatal shooting of the politician Jo Cox in 2016, Mr. Bottomley said that if someone had intervened before Ms. Cox had been killed, “that would’ve been good.”

But Ms. Martin countered that the Greenpeace protesters had declared immediately who they were, and that anyone watching the video could see that the woman had posed no threat. She said the protester had been walking “peacefully” behind Mr. Field, that her hands had been clearly visible, and that she had been handing out leaflets.

Image

Hannah Martin of Greenpeace U.K. was one of the protesters who interrupted Philip Hammond’s speech in London’s financial district and was escorted out on Thursday.CreditPool photo by Simon Dawson

Instead, she said, Mr. Field slammed the protester against the pillar and pushed her out by her neck. “Many other people blocked or prevented us from delivering our speech,” Ms. Martin added, without “slamming us against poles.”

In the footage, Ms. Barker could be seen grimacing and shouting, “It’s a peaceful protest” as Mr. Field shoved her past a row of diners and toward the door.

According to Greenpeace, 40 of its volunteers had crashed the chancellor’s speech, which was being broadcast on live television. The women began reading an alternative speech calling for more decisive action to stop the effects of climate change.

Thursday night’s event, known as the Bankers’ and Merchants’ dinner, is held each year in a gilded hall at Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London, the leader of the city’s financial district. It is notable for speeches from the chancellor of the Exchequer and the governor of the Bank of England, but it has come under scrutiny in an age of austerity for gathering together the leaders of the city’s biggest banks and financial institutions in a luxury setting.

In 2017, the dinner was canceled out of respect for the victims of the deadly Grenfell Tower fire.

Mr. Field has been a Conservative lawmaker for the Cities of London and Westminster, among the richest constituencies in Britain, since 2001. As a Foreign Office minister, his portfolio includes climate change. But in April, Mr. Field — citing the disruption to local residents and businesses — asked the Metropolitan Police for “a much firmer grip” on climate protesters who were blocking traffic in the center of London this spring.

After the protesters had left the dinner, Mr. Hammond, looking calm and composed, continued his speech, saying to cheers from the audience, “The irony of course, is that this is the government that has just led the world by committing to a zero carbon economy by 2050.”

This month, Prime Minister Theresa May proposed legislation to bring Britain’s net production of greenhouse gases to zero by 2050. This would make the country the first of the world’s major economic powers to end its contribution to global warming.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/21/world/europe/mark-field-climate-protester-uk.html

2019-06-21 13:04:32Z
CAIiELiIQtmBSi3nXAX_h_61ZCkqFwgEKg8IACoHCAowjuuKAzCWrzwwt4QY

British lawmaker grabbed protester by neck and removed her from event. He's facing an investigation - USA TODAY

The Associated Press

Published 7:51 AM EDT Jun 21, 2019

LONDON – British Prime Minister Theresa May’s office says Foreign Office Minister Mark Field will be suspended while an investigation takes place into his treatment of a protester at the gala Mansion House dinner.

Her office says Friday that May saw the footage and found it “concerning.” City of London Police, the Cabinet Office and the Conservative Party are all investigating the Thursday night incident.

Video of the incident shows the protester walking behind the seated guests and approaching the head table when Field stops her, pushes her into a pillar and places his hand firmly on her he leads her away.

The protester was from Greenpeace, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

The demonstration comes at a time when climate change activists have disrupted life and travel in London, sometimes for days.

Conservative Party chair Brandon Lewis says that lawmaker Mark Field referred himself to an investigation after he was filmed grabbing the woman.

Lewis told ITV it was “very hard to defend” the footage, but says the investigation will look into the “full details of what happened.”

Fellow Conservative Peter Bottomley defended Field, saying he “did what any sensible person would have done” in ejecting the protester.

Bottomley told the BBC the demonstrator could have been “carrying a collapsible truncheon.”

Treasury chief Philip Hammond continued his speech and defended the government record on climate change.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/06/21/mark-field-grabbed-climate-protester-neck-faces-investigation/1521322001/

2019-06-21 09:47:00Z
52780318260766

'Clean electricity' will dominate power supply - BBC News

For the first time since the Industrial Revolution, Britain is obtaining more power from zero-carbon sources than fossil fuels.

The milestone has been passed for the first five months of 2019.

National Grid says clean energy has nudged ahead with 48% of generation, against 47% for coal and gas.

The rest is biomass burning. The transformation reflects the precipitous decline of coal energy, and a boom from wind and solar.

National Grid says that in the past decade, coal generation will have plunged from 30% to 3%.

Meanwhile, wind power has shot up from 1% to 19%.

Mini-milestones have been passed along the way. In May, for instance, Britain clocked up its first coal-free fortnight and generated record levels of solar power for two consecutive days.

Why does it matter?

The shift is being driven by the need to cut emissions of the greenhouse gases that are over-heating the climate. The electricity sector was seen as the easiest place to start.

John Pettigrew, CEO of National Grid, told BBC News: "Over the last 10 years there’s been real progress in de-carbonisation of the energy system – but 2019 is going to be a key milestone.

"It's the first time since the Industrial Revolution that more electricity has been produced from zero and low-carbon sources rather than fossil fuels. It's tremendously exciting because it's such a tipping point."

National Grid says it is confident to make predictions for Britain's whole year power generation based on figures so far and on historical patterns.

In years to come, more energy storage will be needed as the share of wind and solar energy swells further.

Can cars help with electricity supplies?

Mr Pettigrew told us some of the renewable energy generated when the wind is blowing or the Sun is shining will be stored in the batteries of people's electric cars for use later.

The cars' charging systems will be reversed so their batteries can feed electricity back to the grid when demand peaks – like when people are cooking supper.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

"One of key attributes of electric vehicles is they have a battery and therefore they can be used as a source of energy on to the network," he said.

"We could aggregate all the cars and use that electricity to support the grid when it’s needed. It's going to be a really effective tool for us to keep costs down."

The firm estimates this vehicle-to-grid technology (V2G) could solve 10-15% of the UK's demand for storage.

But it's hard to be confident about projections because autonomous vehicles may disrupt patterns of car usage and ownership.

How much energy will we buy from Europe?

Another way of filling in the gaps in energy when the wind's not blowing is by trading with continental neighbours.

National Grid expects that giant cables from continental Europe will soon supply enough to power eight million homes.

The firm says 63% of electricity imported through interconnectors this year has come from zero-carbon sources – much of it from French nuclear.

The zero-carbon share should increase to 90% by the 2030s as the UK trades more electricity with Norway’s vast hydropower system.

There's still major uncertainty about low-carbon energy, though, with no clarity over nuclear power, and increased expected demand from motorists.

Mr Pettigrew has joined the chorus of critics warning government that the progress of electric vehicles is too slow – and urging much more effort to decarbonise heat.

Has technology cracked the climate problem?

The veteran energy analyst Tom Burke from e3g told BBC News: "Today's landmark is a real tribute to technologists. We have cracked technical problems of dealing with climate change.

"The problems we face are political. As we move towards Net Zero (carbon emissions), jobs will be lost in fossil fuel industries and created in low-carbon industries.

"The government has blown hot and cold on climate policies – and it's shown no sign of thinking about managing the politics of this."

A government White Paper on energy is due soon.

Follow Roger on Twitter @rharrabin

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48711649

2019-06-21 08:57:04Z
CBMiNWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9zY2llbmNlLWVudmlyb25tZW50LTQ4NzExNjQ50gE5aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvbS9uZXdzL2FtcC9zY2llbmNlLWVudmlyb25tZW50LTQ4NzExNjQ5