OTLEY'S MP Alex Sobel has been appointed Shadow Minister for Natural Environment and Climate Change in Labour's shadow cabinet reshuffle.

Mr Sobel's new role will include, nature, flooding, rural and coast, climate change lead for DEFRA and biodiversity lead for the Environment Agency and Natural England. The role will also cover forestry and water.

The Leeds North West MP said: “I am delighted with the new appointment. I look forward to continuing engaging with Rural and Coastal Communities which was a key part of my Tourism and Heritage role and will form a key part of my brief in the Shadow Defra Team.”

He added: “I am also really pleased that my new role involves flooding within the shadow DEFRA team, given the flooding issues in Otley and the work set to be completed this month on the Otley Flood Alleviation Scheme.

"Back in October I was fortunate enough to be part of the delegation who met the Pope ahead of the Cop26 climate summit, in my role as the Cop26 Rapporteur for the British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union.

"Speaking at the gathering, I called on politicians to 'utilise all the influence in our collective Parliaments' to take on the problems, and that this should be 'not just to reaffirm and set the track for 1.5C, but all the effects of a warming planet including disease, habitat and biodiversity loss, climate migration, flooding, wildfires, loss of small island states, falling and failing crop yields and much more which will make our planet uninhabitable'."

Mr Sobel has campaigned on the issue of climate change and the environment since before being elected to office, in early 2020 he launched his cross-party group to achieve net zero carbon emissions in the UK. He set up the All Party Parliamentary Group to bring together politicians from across the political divide to try and secure a clean industrial and economic future for the UK. The group will also push the Government to bring forward their commitment to deliver net zero.

Last year he was also named MP Climate Champion at the Climate Coalition’s Green Heart Hero awards. Mr Sobel has been a champion for the environment locally, pushing for greater flood prevention resources, protecting green spaces, and securing £29 million in clean air funding. He has also produced a transport strategy for Leeds North West. He has made the protection of the planet his top parliamentary priority.