The Government is failing us on every count. 

Deaths from Covid 19; a recovery plan that allocates billions of taxpayer’s money to the fossil fuel economy; climate and ecological devastation that has destabilised our planet; refugees used by politicians and media to stir up fear and hatred; Public Health England scrapped with zero consultation. 

This list is not exhaustive.

The system is broken and the Government is not protecting us.

Extinction Rebellion has helped push the Government’s failure to act on the climate and ecological emergency into the public eye.   Whether or not we agree with their tactics or their targets, by blocking printing presses and delaying newspaper distribution, they have connected the dots of a broken system.  

For the past 30 years there’s been a woeful lack of serious reporting on the climate and ecological emergency due to the billionaire owners’ vested interests, and a lack of understanding from reporters, to editors to senior executives, about the severity and scale of the crisis.  This has meant a terrifying delay on action to combat climate change. 

Extinction Rebellion are not organised criminals. They should not be the targets of vitriol and anti-democratic posturing. They’re just a group of people who are holding the powerful to account. 

It’s vital that we take this moment to acknowledge that radical change is necessary to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. It’s vital that we apply the lessons of the coronavirus pandemic to avoid paying an even more terrible price for poor preparation and a slow, inadequate response to the climate and ecological emergency.

Signed –

Alice Aedy,

Josh Appignanesi, 

Chloe Aridjis 

Andrea Arnold OBE,

Jake Arnott,

Will Attenborough,

Patrick Brill OBE RA,

Frankie Boyle,

Louisa Buck,

Dame Carmen Callil,

Grace Chatto (Clean Bandit),

Lily Cole, 

Dominic Cooke CBE,

Cookin Vinyl Records,

Lindsey Coulson,

Coldcut,

Mackenzie Crook 

Jill Dawson,

Siobhan Davies CBE,

Jeremy Deller,

Charlotte Du Cann,

Nicola Davies,

Domino Records,

Joe Dunthorne,

Marc Elliott,

Brian Eno,

Paul Ewen, 

Rose Fenton CBE,

Johnny Flynn,

Iain Forsyth,

Bella Freud, 

Stephen Fry,

Joe Goddard (Hot Chip)

Kate Fahy,

Livia Firth, 

Gazelle Twin, 

Polly Gifford, 

Alison Goldfrapp,

Sir Antony Gormley,

Jay Griffiths,

Finn Harries,

Jack Harries,

Melissa Harrison,

Ackroyd & Harvey,

Dr Jason Hickel

Philip Hoare,

Robin Ince,

Bel Jacobs,

Juliet Jacques,

Liz Jensen,

Baroness Jenny Jones,

Kirk Jones,

Sean Jones QC,

Peter Jukes, 

Stella Kanu, 

Baroness Helena Kennedy QC,

Judith Knight MBE,

Peter Kosminsky,

Dr Jason Hickel,

Dr Pam Hogg,

Nick Laird,

David Lan,

Neal Lawson,

Stewart Lee,

Deborah Levy, 

Toby Litt,

Morgan Lloyd Malcom,

Daisy Lowe, 

Caroline Lucas MP, 

Massive Attack,

Francesca Martinez,

Jolyon Maugham QC,

Simon McBurney OBE,

Jeff McMillan,

James Miller (novelist),

Fernando Meirelles, 

Fay Milton (Savages)

George Monbiot,

Braulio Montavani, 

Professor Richard Murphy,

Chloe Naldrett,

Lucy Neal CBE,

Kris Nelson,

Ninja Tune,

Ed O’Brien (Radiohead),

Chris Packham CBE,

Cornelia Parker OBE,

Michael Pawlyn,

Ruth Padel,

Maxine Peake,

Mike Perry,

Philippa Perry,

Jonathan Pie (aka Tom Walker),

Jane Pollard,

Jocelyn Pook,

Max Porter,

Heydon Prowse,

Marie Phillips,

Ian Rickson,

Dr Jane Riddiford

Meg Rosoff,

Sir Mark Rylance, 

Sunetra Sarker,

Manda Scott

Tracey Seaward,

Kamila Shamsie, 

Nicholas Shaxon,

Owen Sheers,

Gillian Slovo,

Simon Stephens,

Juliet Stevenson CBE,

Etienne Stott MBE,

Subathra Subramaniam,

Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE,

Steve Tompkins,

Gavin Turk,

Dale Vince OBE,

Mark Wallinger,

Julie Ward MEP,

Dame Marina Warner,

Dame Vivienne Westwood, 

Dr Rowan Williams,

Rich Wilson,

Jaime Winstone,

Jeanette Winterson,

Farhana Yamin,

Louisa Young.