Britain on Friday announced it was replacing the official leading plans for the UN climate summit in Scotland later this year. Claire O'Neill, who will be replaced by a minister, said she was "very sad" to leave her role as president of November's COP 26 meeting in the city of Glasgow. In a tweet from the official COP26President account, she said the role had been "rescinded" because the government "can't cope" with having an independent unit running the summit. "A shame we haven't had one climate cabinet meeting since we formed. Wishing the COP team every blessing in the climate recovery emergency," she said. In a statement, the government confirmed she no longer held the role. Prime Minister Boris Johnson "is grateful to Claire for her work preparing for what will be a very successful and ambitious climate change summit", it said. "Preparations will continue at pace for the summit, and a replacement will be confirmed shortly. Going forward, this will be a ministerial role." The announcement was made just hours before Britain leaves the European Union. ar/phz/txw