UK accused of ‘rank hypocrisy’ over Cumbria mine as it hosts coal phase-out summit

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The government has been accused of “rank hypocrisy” as it today opened a global summit aimed at encouraging countries to shift away from using coal-fired power – despite repeatedly denying calls to intervene in plans for a new coking coal mine in Cumbria. Speaking at the first global meeting of the alliance on Tuesday evening, Alok Sharma, the UK minister appointed president of Cop26 – a key round of global climate talks to be held in Glasgow later this year – said countries “must consign coal power to history”. However, politicians and campaigners told The Independent that it was “hypocritical” for ministers to “lecture others on the need to phase out coal” while refusing to intervene in plans for a new coking coal mine in Cumbria. “The UK government is hosting a global summit on phasing out coal, while at the same time giving the green light to a new deep coal mine being built here in Cumbria – you couldn’t make it up,” he said.