Mark Wooding begins campaign with visit to ‘Loving Earth’ project in Okehampton.

Mark Wooding, Liberal Democrat Candidate for Central Devon, begins campaign with visit to the ‘Loving Earth’ exhibition at Okehampton’s Immersion Centre.

"I chose to begin my campaign at the ‘Loving Earth’ exhibition as it highlights a cause even more important than this General Election,” said Mark. “The General Election comes when the United Kingdom stands at a cross-roads and needs to choose between the negative, divisive and failed Conservatives or an optimistic future for our country. The election is important.

“Even more important though are the huge challenges the global community faces with the climate crisis. They say elections are always ‘about the economy …’ but we need to look beyond that to the future we will leave our children, and our children’s children. The ‘Loving Earth’ project is over 500 embroidered and decorated panels, created for the COP26 climate conference, in which people from around the world express their reflections about our world. We are lucky enough to have 50 of the panels here in Okehampton.

“I was delighted to meet Amanda Jones and Amanda Wooley, two of the local coordinators, and to be given a guided tour. There are some fantastic panels, some very sobering, others optimistic, all worth a visit. Given the election, I was particularly struck by one panel that urged people to vote. It recognises that it is by changing policy we can begin to address the climate crisis.

“Our economy faces genuine problems, but abandoning climate commitments, as both the Conservatives and Labour have done, is short term thinking. We need to think long term and recognise that embracing ‘green’ technologies and renewable energy sources can give a real boost to the country’s economy, and benefit our planet.

“I’d like to thank Emma and Emma for the time they spent with me. The exhibition deserves to get a lot of visitors.”