North East global warming naysayer MP lands place in new Liz Truss cabinet

A North East MP known for being a fierce Brexiteer has landed a place in the new Liz Truss cabinet.

The incoming Prime Minister has been announcing her top political team after assuming office earlier this week and it features MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

Ms Trevelyan has taken the role of Secretary of State for Transport having previously worked as Secretary of State for International Trade under Boris Johnson.

The MP has represented Berwick-upon-Tweed since 2015 when she won the seat from Liberal Democrat candidate Alan Beith with 35.2% of the vote.

The politician is famously known for her strong Brexit beliefs, joining Eurosceptic group Conservatives for Britain in 2015 before campaigning for the UK to leave the European Union.

In 2018, The Independent reported that cabinet ministers "almost unanimously" called for Ms Trevelyan to be sacked as Parliamentary Private Secretary after she attended a Fishing For Leave protest against government Brexit policy alongside Nigel Farage. The politician would later stand down from the post over Theresa May's draft EU withdrawal agreement.

Controversial Tweets sent by the MP that appeared to deny climate change were also unearthed by the Labour party in 2021. Between 2010 and 2012 Ms Trevelyan shared messages saying that there is “clear evidence that the ice caps aren’t melting after all, to counter those doom-mongers and global warming fanatics” and “we aren’t getting hotter, global warming isn’t actually happening”. The MP has since admitted a better understanding of the climate issue.

In her new role as Secretary of State for Transport, the Berwick MP heads up policies for the Department for Transport, taking over from Grant Schnapps.

Upon her appointment, the MP wrote on Twitter: "I’m thrilled to have been appointed Transport Sec. Transport is crucial to our lives – bringing people together, creating jobs & connecting the UK with the world.

"Looking forward to getting to work on the many challenges & opportunities transport brings."

One of the first challenges facing Ms Trevelyan will be the ongoing rail strikes with RMT workers demanding better pay and job security.

The politician is on record as opposing ticket office closures and has been welcomed by RMT general secretary Mick Lynch.

Mr Lynch said: "We are encouraged that you are on the record as wanting to save rail ticket offices, staffing and services in your own constituency and I would urge you to continue this approach as Secretary of State.

“There is clearly now the opportunity for a new approach from the Government to facilitate discussions between the RMT and the employers where the train companies and Network Rail are given more flexibility to secure a deal that is in the interests of workers, passengers and the country as a whole.”

Ms Trevelyan has also campaigned in favour of the dualling of the A1 - something she has been involved with since 2007. Plans to upgrade the carriageway between Morpeth and Ellingham were confirmed by the Government, but delayed by Mr Schanpps earlier this year.

That was a decision reluctantly accepted by the Berwick MP who said: "Whilst it is clearly disappointing that we must wait a little longer for the A1 dualling project, I am really pleased Ministers are taking the Union Connectivity Review into account.

"Dualling the A1 to the Scottish border - my long-term objective - was one of the core messages of my submission to the Union Connectivity Review, and having spoken to Grant Schnapps about this, I know he is determined to ensure long-term investment in our road networks and linking the A1 project to the UCR is key to that."