We want to be Global Britain but are acting like Little Britain

The COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow is not just another international talking shop for heads of state looking to strut about on the world stage.

The meeting in November has been billed as the last chance to prevent a catastrophic increase in global warming.

At the Paris Accord in 2015 the participating countries  (America has since pulled out of the deal)  agreed to take measures to limit the rise in temperatures to below 1.5 oC.

Glasgow is the moment when world nations commit to  specific action to achieve that.

Britain fought hard for the right to host the summit. 

Claire Perry O'Neill has been sacked as the president of the climate change summit (Peter Summers)

It is an opportunity to prove that in a post-Brexit era we are still a major player on the international stage that we can use our close alliance with the US and the network of Commonwealth countries to good effect.

More than 90,000 people are attending the summit, making it the largest international event to be hosted in the UK since the 2012 Olympics.

Success in Glasgow will be a chance to turn “Global Britain” from a billboard slogan into a practical reality.

That may still happen but it has got off to shambolic start. 

The President of COP26, former minister Claire Perry O’Neill, has been sacked for no apparent reason.

She took to the airways yesterday to claim Boris Johnson  doesn’t really understand the scale of the climate crisis.

This morning it has emerged the Prime Minister sounded out David Cameron and William Hague to take over from Ms O’Neill.
 

David Cameron was sounded out by his old school friend to be the new president of COP26 (Getty Images)

When it comes to recruitment Johnson appears to struggle with the idea that applications could be considered from outside his social circle.

The Prime Minister needs to get a grip on COP26 quickly. 

If an agreement can be reached then Britain would be the toast of the international community, if it cannot then we risk furthering undermining our status on the world stage and cementing Johnson’s reputation as a bumbling populist.

Today's agenda:

11.30am - Northern Ireland questions in the Commons.

12pm - Boris Johnson takes Prime Minister’s questions.

4pm - A backbench MP called Theresa May has a Westminster Hall debate on rail services to Twyford.

What I am reading:

Day three of Ben Glaze’s tour of red wall constituencies

And

Stella Creasy on how Labour needs to think big