CLIMATE campaigners have descended on Aberystwyth calling on local leaders to back calls for a fossil fuel-free national bank.

The Extinction Rebellion bus rolled into town on Thursday and was welcomed by town mayor Talat Chaudhri and Ceredigon County Council Cabinet member for environmental services and carbon management, Cllr Keith Henson, before heading to the university campus to meet earth studies professor Stephen Tooth.

The campaigners were joined by papier mâché caricatures of politicians Liz Truss, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson.

The XR campaigners say Cllr Chaudhri told them he would welcome a letter asking Aberystwyth Town Council to promote the formation of a fossil fuel-free national bank with the right services for county councils, with the Senedd.

While the town council has very limited power, he stressed that good leadership presenting a way forward was needed and told campaigners he would be willing to facilitate a People’s Assembly, according to those present.

Campaigners added that Cllr Henson promised to negotiate with the planning department to make the installation of solar panels a compulsory requirement on applications for all new building work, whether farm, industrial or housing.

A spokesperson added: “He agreed that all departments in the council needed to prioritise carbon emissions reduction. He is asking the public for help in making cycle paths user-friendly, and is looking into green hydrogen buses.”

The cleaners went on to ‘scrub’ the Barclays bank in Aberystwyth, which they say is ‘the dirtiest bank in Europe for financing fossil fuels’.

A spokesperson for XR added: “Our bus is here because like most people we are scared and angry - scared by the fires, floods, starvation and drought happening around the world which is driving migration across continents, and angry that government is pumping our money into the multinationals which profit from fossil fuels.

“That’s why over 1,000 residents in Ceredigion signed the petition this summer asking the council to stop putting our taxes in Barclays.

“We need to finance renewable energy which is cheaper, insulated homes, good cheap public transport, and climate jobs for young people.

“Today we are calling for Citizens Assemblies so that we can decide together how we can do this. Citizens Assemblies mean that ordinary people are randomly drawn from the public and after a period of informed open discussion reach decisions which have to be incorporated into government policy.”