The National Infrastructure Commission’s twice-a-decade report, released this morning, includes some more projections of the costs of net zero conversion. The advisers predict that over £6 billion in expanded subsidies will have to be spent by the state annually on the installation of heat pumps in homes and that the private sector will be forced to cough up £35 billion on “decarbonising” the energy network. That leaves households paying £1450 more at a minimum in taxes or hiked bills every year. Sir John Armitt, who took over as chairman from Lord Adonis in 2017, says that as taxpayers fund these massive projects “we must be open with them about the costs as well as the benefits“. Be honest with voters? How novel.
The row over the actual costs of net zero is growing with government advisers attempting to argue that costs won’t exceed around £1 trillion whereas others claim that’s a massive underestimate. Will politicians level with the public before a general election how much their plans will cost?
Net Zero crusaders at the Climate Change Committee have failed to renew their website domain before 26th September, with the site now no longer accessible. Fans will no longer be able to read its reports criticising additional airport runways or touting now-scrapped Net Zero policies. Guido is personally distraught…
The planet may never recover….
In a blow to Rishi Sunak, Sir Alok Sharma announced he will not stand for re-election in his seat of Reading West & Mid Berkshire. Writing on Twitter/X, he claimed “this was not an easy decision“. The former COP26 president’s announcement comes just a few days after he made a series of Tweets blasting Sunak’s Net Zero rollback, writing:
“I’m concerned about fracturing of UK political consensus on climate action. Chopping and changing policies creates uncertainty for businesses and the public.” No prizes for guessing why he’s off…
I have this evening informed my local Conservative Association that I have decided not to stand at the next general election and therefore do not seek to be adopted as the Conservative candidate for the revised seat of Reading West & Mid Berkshire. This has not been an easy decision for me.It has been the honour of my life to serve as the MP for a constituency in the town where I grew up and a privilege to serve in Government and represent the UK on the international stage.
My grateful thanks to all the constituents, local organisations, charities and businesses I have had the pleasure of working with, since being selected as the parliamentary candidate in 2006, as we have campaigned together on a whole range of issues to make our local area a better place to live and work.
I will continue to support my Conservative colleagues and serve my constituents diligently for the remainder of my time as an MP, as well as champion in Parliament the causes I care deeply about, especially climate action.
Pointed last line…
Nobody seems to have noticed the LibDems’ Foreign Affairs spokesperson Layla Moran dropped this absolute howler on Any Questions. Admittedly listening to the LibDems talk about Net Zero is a low priority for most people on a Friday evening. Perhaps Moran would have gotten away with it if Guido hadn’t rewound the tape…
Moran lamented how “economically illiterate” the government’s Net Zero changes are, and claimed we should be following the lead of the US… and China:
“You look at the States, where they’re already pumping billions of dollars towards this, you look at China, which is already ahead, actually we had an opportunity – we have still an opportunity – to forge an economy for the future… not only are the Conservatives intent on trashing today’s economy, they seem to want to also trash the future economy as well.”
Apparently China is “already ahead” on climate and Net Zero. This will, of course, be news to anyone living on planet Earth, where China accounted for a whopping 30.9% of carbon emissions in 2021, and is currently rated “highly insufficient” on climateactiontracker.org.
With a Net Zero target date of 2060, not 2050, they are, by a mile, belching out more emissions than anyone else, and building coal power projects faster than you can blink. “Already ahead” in that sense at least…
Deltapoll’s new figures will certainly put a spring in the Tories’ step heading into conference: they’ve closed the gap with Labour by eight points, with the Tories now on 28% and Labour on 44%. This follows Rishi’s big Net Zero rollback last week which, despite some uproar from the likes of Zac Goldsmith and Chris Skidmore, was broadly well-received by Tory MPs – and now seemingly the public. Starmer’s comments on Brexit last week will be on voters’ minds too. Claiming “we don’t want to diverge” from EU rules hasn’t gone unnoticed…
The Tories have also narrowed the gap on economic competence, climbing to 30% (+1) compared to Labour’s 42% (-2). Usual caveats, it is only one poll, still a mountain to climb; last week Rishi’s personal net favourability dropped to its lowest level since he became Prime Minister…
While Rishi is hoping voters will be relieved to hear they won’t be whacked with an enormous heat pump bill now he’s relaxed the government’s Net Zero changes, last week’s new policies have, regrettably, done him no favours with one former party donor: Phones4u founder John Caudwell. In an interview to The Sunday Times yesterday, Caudwell fumed over the “depressing” changes, saying:
I’m beyond shocked and I’m horrified. This really moves the Conservatives back a long way. Whatever chance they had of winning the next election, this moves them backwards … it shows inconsistency. It shows [a] lack of determination. It’s depressing.”
This is of course the same John Caudwell who was briefly ‘stranded’ at his Staffordshire mansion because his helicopter couldn’t take off in high winds, and who confessed to ‘underpaying’ for his super-yacht, which he apparently felt “really sad” about. Which one spouts more hot air? The 73-metre yacht, or the man who owns it?
