Houses burned down, a moonscape where there was once heathland, warped rail lines and crops wilting in the fields.

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This is Britain at the end of the hottest summer on record.

So, it beggars belief that the Conservatives have chosen this time - or would choose any - to try to scrap the world’s first legally binding framework to cut carbon emissions. Legislation born in Britain and adopted by over 60 countries around the world including Germany, France, Mexico and countless others.

Today in Parliament, the Aberdeenshire MP, Andrew Bowie, was to make a call for MPs to vote to abolish not only the Climate Change Act, but also the Climate Change Committee.

Make no mistake, this was a naked attempt at a wholesale dismantling of the architecture needed to reduce emissions in an attempt to appease the fossil fuel industry.

Except that this act of madness proved to be a step too far for even the Conservative Party when news broke last night that the plan was to be scrapped.

On the face of it, the climbdown may have come because the rule bill specifically sets out to support moves by backbench MPs and the proposer has suddenly found himself appointed as the new Shadow Energy Secretary.

Whether this is through Parliamentary........

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