THE MP has hit out after a national newspaper's study of voting records landed him with a 'climate ranking' of 0 per cent.

The Guardian created the grading system, which rates all MPs on their record in 16 indicative climate votes between 2008 and 2018, with each MP rankied from 0 to 100 per cent.

South Somerset's Marcus Fysh is sat at rock bottom alongside Taunton Deane MP Rebecca Pow, who is the current environment minister, and Boris Johnson.

"This analysis is meant to be a starting point, rather than the final word," said the article from the Guardian.

"Due to the party whip system and arcane parliamentary rules, it cannot be a definitive guide to an MP’s climate credentials. But it is a tool for voters to question whether their MPs are representing their climate concerns.

"The votes and a list of relevant interests were chosen by the Guardian and DeSmog (an organisation which analyses environmental issues), who also determined whether votes were pro-climate or not."

Mr Fysh was voted in in 2015, so was only eligible to vote in six of the 16 decisions the Guardian looked at.

He attended all six of these votes, but was judged to have not voted 'positively' in a single one.


RELATED: Guardian ranks Somerset MPs on environmental voting records - and it isn't pretty


In response to the report, Mr Fysh said: "This is an extraordinary warping of statistics by the Guardian.

"The votes since 2015 were against impractical opposition amendments to Government legislation with the exception of one supporting a third runway at Heathrow."

He also said he was 'proud' of the Conservatives' environmental track record.

"The Government is taking action to end UK’s contribution to global warming by legislating to go Net Zero by 2050," Mr Fysh added.

"This includes phasing out coal power completely by 2025 and the UK has gone record periods without using coal at all throughout 2019 so far."

Renewable energy now generates 37.1 per cent of the UK’s electricity, up from 6.1 per cent in 2010, and greenhouse gases have been reduced by a quarter, Mr Fysh claimed.

He said: "We’ve reduced total greenhouse gases from 600.2 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent by 25 per cent, to 448.5 million tonnes in 2018, and are reducing emissions faster than any other G20 country.

"The campaign against single-use plastics has changed attitudes and 15.6 billion fewer bags have been handed out by the seven main retailers since the introduction of the plastic bag charge in 2015."