A NEWPORT MP has rubbished claims she is cosying up to environmental protest groups Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion.
Newport East's Jessica Morden was accused by home secretary Suella Braverman on Sunday of being "in secret talks with Just Stop Oil", where the Labour MP allegedly attempted to "sell" the group on "how Labour is still driven by [the] environment".
Ms Braverman, a Conservative member of Rishi Sunak's cabinet, claimed this was a sacking offence and, in a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, said he should dismiss Ms Morden - a parliamentary private secretary to the Labour leader - and other frontbenchers "who have expressed sympathy for" the two activist groups.
Extinction Rebellion (XR) has become well-known in recent years for organising mass protests, such as sit-ins in public places, to protest against alleged climate change inaction.
Just Stop Oil (JSO) has hit headlines more recently for anti-fossil fuel marches and stunts, including members who have run onto pitches or fields at several high-profile sporting events.
Ms Braverman, in her letter, accused Labour of "claim[ing] to condemn" the groups in public but then meeting activists in "secret" - something she branded a "remarkable act of bad faith".
"I appeal to you to behave in the same way both in public and in private", the home secretary said, before accusing the Labour Party of becoming "the political wing of Just Stop Oil".
But a spokesperson for Ms Morden told the Argus Ms Braverman had made a "total misrepresentation" of what the Newport East MP had said.
"The Labour Party's position in public and private is exactly the same," the spokesperson said.
"We don't support the disruptive tactics of XR and JSO. They are just plain wrong."
On the Labour Party's energy policy, the spokesperson for Ms Morden added: "We are committed to ensuring we deliver lower bills, more jobs and energy security through greater use of renewables."
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