Wildfires Ignite Calls for Urgent National Prevention Strategy

Zack Polanski delivered a stark speech in central London on Wednesday, declaring, "We are facing the biggest threat to this country since the Second World War."

He demanded an immediate end to new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, specifically targeting the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields. Polanski urged, "I hope you will have the courage to be truthful, be brave and hold firm to your party’s commitment to no new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, including both Rosebank and Jackdaw."

Polanski also called for a national wildfire prevention strategy and the public ownership of water companies. He stated, "We need a robust wildfire prevention strategy, a fire service with the resources it needs to tackle blazes when they come."

This strategy "must include firefighting helicopters when needed and not again ever seeing the shocking sight of requiring a charity to step in to contract a private firm to help fight fires," Polanski added. None of England’s fire and rescue services are thought to have direct access to firefighting aircraft.

Polanski proposed that fossil fuel producers should fund these critical firefighting helicopters and other resources. He argued, "And this should all be funded by taxing the fossil fuel giants who are profiting from fuelling these infernos."

Polanski also criticized the current system, stating, "money is flowing out of our hands into the pockets of shareholders, just like water is flowing out of those companies’ leaky pipes in the middle of a drought." He claimed ministers had produced "no emergency briefings, no new plan and precious little detail about how this Government will protect people from the crisis" since the blazes began.

Polanski also proposed creating 'cool spaces' during heatwaves and helping households 'heat-proof' their homes. BBC Springwatch presenter Chris Packham also spoke at a press conference in central London on Wednesday.

Packham claimed the wildfire warning system, though available to fire and rescue services, is not accessible to the public because it is deemed unreliable or too scary. He questioned, "Is there a public wellbeing system in place which will tell people when there’s a risk of wildfire, so that they can be prepared to evacuate and have evacuation plans in place?"

Packham further asked, "Is it unreliable or is it just a bit too scary?" He stressed the urgent need to address misinformation, stating, "We’ve got to address the mis- and disinformation and we’ve got to do that with positive information campaigns – we’ve got to have people’s minds on the front foot so they know what’s true before they hear the lies."

Packham also called to "criminalise irresponsible journalism" and lamented, "We couldn’t even instigate a ban on disposable barbecues." He identified animal agriculture as a leading driver of biodiversity loss and advocated for a "transition to a plant-based diet."

The Met Police confirmed they would take no further action regarding a post shared by Zack Polanski, which reportedly featured a guillotine and the words 'We're only making plans for Nigel'. Polanski later deleted the Instagram post, and the police determined it was unlikely to constitute a crime.

Polanski has faced questions over his council tax arrangements and social media use. The Green Party has reportedly faced anti-Semitism rows.

Andy Burnham entered Downing Street two weeks prior to this speech, expressing a desire for greater public control over the water sector, suggesting a model similar to Greater Manchester's bus network. Polanski concluded, "We need to look it in the face because this is only a taster of what’s to come if we don’t act now."