Anna Soubry appeared on the Jeremy Vine Show on Channel 5 and clashed with Liam Norton of Insulate Britain who suggested the public was not taking his group seriously. Mr Norton listed off a few statistics and said it was imperative the Government make radical changes to avoid climate change. But Ms Soubry quickly shot him down and said no one was arguing against his statistics but instead many were turning their backs on Insulate Britain because of their disruption, not because of their cause.
Speaking on the Jeremy Vine Show, Mr Norton told the panel there was a “95 percent chance we’re going to go over 2 degrees” and wanted to know Ms Soubry’s opinion on the situation due to her law background.
He asked what legally was keeping the British Government committed to their climate change policies which include going carbon net-zero by 2050.
A panellist could be heard scoffing at Mr Norton who appeared to miss the point they made earlier about the public rejecting Insulate Britain.
Host Storm Huntley said: “Do you accept you’re losing the public vote, you’re losing the public’s attention, the attention is now on your disruption rather than what you are trying to achieve?
“Do you appreciate that? Do you accept that?”
Mr Norton said he did but continued to say no one understood the issues he was raising.
Ms Soubry snapped at the eco-activist and said: “Nobody here is doubting what you are saying, honey, let me just finish this point.
“As Storm just said, no one is questioning your argument and what you are saying.
“What we are questioning is, in this show alone, loads of people saying I’m not interested in any of that, so you are losing in what is in many ways a winnable debate.
The activist group has been protesting on the motorways around London for the past three weeks, with more than 300 arrests to date.
Insulate Britain claimed around 60 supporters blocked Hanger Lane in north London, Blackwall tunnel in south-east London, and Wandsworth Bridge in south-west London.
The demonstration marked the fourth week of protest by the group who have seen a high court injunction issued against them to stop them protesting on the M25.
Furious motorists angry at the inaction from the police were seen on video dragging protesters off the street to allow traffic through.