Jeff Smith, Labour MP for Manchester Withington, has pledged to support efforts to bring back nature, harness the power of nature to tackle climate change, and to stop its destruction.

Jeff recently joined leaders from across business and farming, as well as participants of the UK’s first ever People’s Assembly for Nature, in the heart of Westminster, to support the Save Our Wild Isles campaign, hosted by WWF, the RSPB and the National Trust.

Following the stunning BBC One series Wild Isles narrated by Sir David Attenborough earlier this year, which highlighted the beauty and fragility of UK nature, the Save Our Wild Isles partnership is calling on politicians to show their commitment to tackling the drivers of nature loss and ramp up ambition for its restoration. 

Nature is our life support system. When we work with nature and not against it, we have cleaner air to breathe, better water to drink, and healthier food to eat. And science shows that time spent in nature makes us happier and healthier.

But nature in the UK is under threat: a quarter of all our mammals are at risk of extinction; over the last 50 years we’ve lost 38 million birds from our skies; 97% of our wildflower meadows have disappeared since the 1930s; and 92% of the UK’s seagrass meadows, which can absorb carbon more efficiently than some tropical rainforests, have been lost in the last century.   

The campaign asks politicians across all parties to prioritise three areas where change is most vital:

1. Stop the destruction: Act now to strengthen and enforce environmental protections. Environmental protections must be strengthened, not scrapped.
2. Bring nature back: Act now to make space for nature and safeguard our food security by doubling the public payments that farmers receive for protecting and restoring nature. 
3. Harness nature’s power: Act now by investing in the power of nature to fight climate change.  Public and private finance must be redirected to put nature at the heart of solutions to climate change by making transition plans mandatory and integrating nature.

Katie White, Executive Director of Advocacy and Campaigns at WWF, on behalf of the partnership, said: 

“The UK is in the top 10% of the most nature depleted countries in the world, but together we can make the changes necessary to save our wild isles.  

We’re delighted to see MPs from across the UK give their support to the campaign and pledge to protect our planet. We hope they will be a champion for nature both in Parliament and their communities throughout the year and inspire their constituents and colleagues to act now to restore nature.”  

Jeff Smith MP said:

“It was a pleasure to attend this important event, bringing nature to the heart of Westminster, and to hear the clear recommendations of the People’s Plan for Nature.

I agree with the campaign that it is time to act with the urgency that the nature crisis requires, to ensure we turn the tide, and restore UK species and habitats, so that future generations can enjoy and access nature, as well as nutritious, sustainably grown food.

The event demonstrated a breadth of energy and commitment to act, across business, farmers and within communities – I commit to work with fellow parliamentarians to likewise prioritise this important issue.”