THE leader of Brighton’s Green council is facing calls to resign after he took a one-hour flight to Glasgow’s COP26 summit.
Phélim Mac Cafferty was branded an “embarrassment to the city” – with Labour councillor David Yates saying he should “consider his position while contemplating his air miles”.
Presenter Piers Morgan also branded Mac Cafferty a “flaming eco-hypocrite".
The Argus revealed yesterday that the council leader travelled the 460 miles to Glasgow by plane, before making a speech at the climate summit about cutting carbon emissions.
READ MORE: COP26 LIVE: UN Summit turns focus to women's role in climate fight
He also appeared at Saturday’s protest march demanding further climate action.
Mac Cafferty has apologised for taking the mode of transport and explained he was worried about the possibility of train cancellations affecting his journey.
“On the Friday evening just gone, I took a flight from London to Glasgow to attend COP26 where I had been invited to represent the city at a presentation of the Glasgow Declaration on Saturday morning,” he told the newspaper.
“This decision to fly was a major failure of my judgement which goes against my political group’s pledges and principles and I unreservedly apologise.
“I reluctantly took this very difficult decision because I was concerned about the unreliability of the rail network following the well-publicised difficulties experienced by many people wanting to travel by train to Glasgow the week before, when trains were cancelled.
READ MORE: AOC and Nancy Pelosi in Glasgow for COP26 as summit focuses on gender equality
“I was concerned that this would happen again and I felt it was important not to miss the opportunity to attend the important presentation on behalf of the city, lobby world leaders and share with others the innovative work taking place in Brighton and Hove.
“I paid for my own transport and all associated costs. I am not getting paid for any of the speeches I am making or meetings I am attending and I am otherwise working from Glasgow.”
Mac Cafferty added that he would return to Brighton by train.
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