By Alastair Jamieson
Published: 10:42AM GMT 29 Nov 2009
Nick Griffin, the leader of the British National Party, will be an official representative at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, at the expense of taxpayers.Nick Griffin will be able to claim the cost of the trip on his expenses Photo: PA
The far-right politician, who denies the existence of global warming, will represent the environmental committee of the European parliament, to which he was elected in June.
He will be one of 15 representatives chosen to speak on behalf of the EU at the summit in Copenhagen, and is thought to have been given a place because he is the only member of the committee who believes global warming is a hoax.
All MEPs will be able to claim the cost of business class flights to attend the conference on their expenses, along with hotel and other costs.
In a speech in the European parliament last week, Griffin said “man made global warming is an unproven theory” and an “elite scam” put forward by “anti-intellectual cranks”.
He said those who warned of the effects of climate change had reached 'an Orwellian consensus' that was 'based not on scientific agreement, but on bullying, censorship and fraudulent statistics'.
World leaders, including Barack Obama and Gordon Brown, are hoping to forge a new global agreement to curtail greenhouse gas emissions.
Scientists say action is necessary to prevent a global temperature increase of more than two degrees Celsius by the end of the century, triggering ice cap melting, sea-level rises, widespread flooding, the spread of deserts and devastating storms.
A spokesman for Britain’s Department of Energy and Climate Change said: 'Membership of the European parliament's delegation to Copenhagen is a matter for the European parliament. Its delegates do not represent the UK government or its views. Nick Griffin will not be part of the UK delegation.'
The decision to choose Griffin has been roundly criticised.
Tim Yeo, chairman of the Commons environmental audit committee, said: 'If the future prosperity of the human race, in the face of climate change, depends on the contributions of people like Nick Griffin, there is little hope for any of us.'"
