Emily Thornberry responds to reports Theresa May refused to sign a joint statement with European leaders expressing regret at President Trump’s withdrawal from Paris agreement

Emily
Thornberry, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary,
responding to reports that Theresa May has refused to sign a joint statement
with other European leaders expressing regret at President Trump’s withdrawal
from the Paris agreement, said:

“The leaders of France, Germany
and Italy are absolutely right to stand by the Paris Agreement and make clear
to Donald Trump that it is not up for renegotiation. The commitments made in
Paris are vital to stop the world reaching the point of no return on climate
change, and there can be no question of watering them down.

"The only question is why
Theresa May does not have her name on this joint statement. Given the chance to
present a united front with our European partners, she has instead opted for
cowardice and subservience to Donald Trump. It is a dereliction of her duty
both to our country and to our planet.

"It is bad enough that she
failed so badly to persuade Trump to stick to the Paris agreement, but it is
even worse that she lacks the backbone to stand up to him now. This proves that
Mrs May is the very last person we want negotiating for Britain on
Brexit.”