Ed Miliband has criticised Reform UK‘s anti-Net Zero position and has urged both Richard Tice and Luke Campbell to ‘think again.’
The deputy leader of Reform UK, Richard Tice has long been sceptical of the Government’s commitment to Net Zero. Appearing on the BBC’s Question Time last week, which was filmed in Hull, Mr Tice said “we should scrap Net Zero” describing it as “the greatest act of financial self harm ever imposed on this country.”
Last week, the Government’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband visited a solar farm that, by powering much of Castle Hill Hospital‘s operations, saves the NHS over £200,000 a month in energy bills.
Whilst in Hull Mr Miliband addressed both the Reform UK deputy leader’s Net Zero scepticism and affirmed the Government’s plan to work with the party’s two newly elected Mayors, Luke Campbell and Andrea Jenkyns.
Mr Miliband told Hull Live: “Richard Tice says he wants to declare war on Net Zero, by doing that he is going to raise bills for hospitals and take money away from the NHS.”
The Secretary of State also noted the potential harm Reform UK’s anti-Net Zero stance would have on the Siemens Gamesa factory in Hull. Mr Miliband added: “He is going to destroy jobs because just a few miles down the road from here we’ve got 1,600 people working manufacturing wind turbines.”
Mr Miliband also spoke of the Humber region’s role in the UK’s efforts to reaching Net Zero. He said: “What I would say to Luke Campbell and Richard Tice is, don’t turn your back on good jobs, don’t turn your back on lower bills and think again. They need to listen, there’s been some very powerful interventions already from the business community. The Humber is a clean energy powerhouse for our country, don’t turn your back on that. Don’t try and close down the powerhouse, support it to grow and to thrive.”
(Image: Donna Clifford/HullLive)
At the turn of the month both Mr Campbell and Dame Andrea Jenkyns were elected as Reform UK Mayors of Hull & East Yorkshire and Grater Lincolnshire respectively. Despite the two Mayors standing for a political party whose leadership has, on countless occasions, spoken out against Net Zero policy’s, Mr Miliband stated the Government’s willingness to work constructively with the pair.
He said: “We will work with anyone, when people are elected we’ve got a duty to work with them.”
Richard Tice has responded to Mr Miliband’s comments. The Reform UK deputy leader said: “If Ed Miliband and this Labour government were thinking clearly, they would scrap their Net Zero ambitions—which are costing us a fortune, weakening our power grid, costing us jobs, and, frankly, will have virtually no impact on global CO2 emissions.
“If they truly cared about the taxpayer and the health of Britain’s economy, they would prioritise drilling in the North Sea and investing in Rolls-Royce modular reactors.”
Mr Tice also accused the Government of deception, saying: “Labour swore Net Zero wouldn’t mean tax hikes, then, the moment they took power, they admitted tax rises were “essential” to fund it.”
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