Climate minister's 7,000-mile round trip to vote on Rwanda bill

Minister of state for energy, security and net zero Graham Stuart

The minister of state for climate change has left the COP28 conference and embarked on a near 7,000-mile round trip to vote on the Rwanda bill.

Graham Stuart, the MP for Beverley and Holderness, left Dubai on Tuesday, a government spokesperson confirmed.

MPs were due to vote later on a bill that seeks to declare in UK law that Rwanda is a safe country to send refugees to.

It is understood Mr Stuart will fly back to the summit after the vote.

A government spokesperson told the BBC: "Minister Stuart has returned to the UK to attend parliament in his role as an MP.

"There will continue to be full official representation on the ground at the summit, including by Lord Benyon at ministerial level."

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The spokesperson confirmed Mr Stuart would continue to be the lead UK minister for negotiations and was "in constant contact" with the UK lead climate negotiator.

Asked about the carbon emissions from the flights, the prime minister's official spokesman said: "This government is not anti-flying.

"We don't lecture the public to that regard. The most important thing is the outcomes of COP, which Minister Stuart is obviously leading for the UK on."

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Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, called Mr Stuart's departure a "dereliction of leadership at the most critical point".

Ms Denyer told the BBC: "And all this jetting backwards and forwards sends out the wrong signals about the government's commitment to cutting emissions.

"Graham Stuart is returning to London so he can prop up Sunak's flagging leadership by voting on the Rwanda bill - a cruel and inhumane piece of legislation that represents performative politics at its worst."

Labour's Kerry McCarthy said in the Commons on Tuesday that Mr Stuart should explain to everyone why he had left Dubai, saying he would not be able to approve any decisions made by the UK team while on an aeroplane.

Andrew Mitchell, speaking on behalf of the government, replied: "While the minister for climate change is anxious to support the government in the important legislation tonight, my noble friend Lord Benyon - one of the UK's greatest experts on climate change - is in Dubai today at the COP to ensure that a senior minister is representing Britain in these vital negotiations."

Delegates at COP28 are awaiting the publication of the next draft version of the final agreement, with the deadline having already passed on Tuesday morning.

The previous version published on Monday made many countries and NGOs furious for excluding a commitment to phase out fossil fuel use, suggesting instead that countries "could" do so within an undefined time.

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