Kemi Badenoch has vowed to dismantle stringent climate change regulations following Ed Miliband’s announcement that he would swiftly implement a fracking ban. Badenoch, the Conservative leader, emphasizes her party’s commitment to cheap energy and economic growth, seeking to roll back the UK’s 2050 Net Zero targets, reports BritPanorama.
Badenoch’s proposed policy changes aim to reverse what she describes as the deindustrialisation of Britain, alleviating businesses from burdensome regulations and addressing rising living costs. If she attains power, she plans to void the Climate Change Act enacted by Miliband in 2008.
Her campaign promises to reduce the ongoing risks posed by environmental litigation that, she claims, have cost taxpayers millions. In remarks made ahead of the Conservative Party conference in Manchester beginning Sunday, Badenoch stated, “We want to leave a cleaner environment for our children, but not by bankrupting the country. Climate change is real. However, Labour’s laws tied us in red tape, loaded us with costs, and did nothing to cut global emissions.”
She criticized previous Conservative administrations for attempting to make Labour’s climate policies work, insisting they have failed. “Our priority is growth, cheaper energy, and protecting the natural landscapes that we all love,” she added, responding to concerns over the ‘Boiler Tax’ that would compel households to transition from gas boilers to heat pumps.
In a recent interview with The Spectator, Badenoch commented on the ambitious target of heat pump installations, projecting, “We have to hit a certain number of heat pumps to meet the target, but at the rate we’re going, it’ll take us about 300 years.”
Meanwhile, Miliband, at Labour’s party conference in Liverpool, fast-tracked the fracking ban while framing his counterparts as “ideological extremists.” He called upon activists to “send this bunch of frackers packing.”
Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK, pledged to reverse Labour’s fracking ban if he wins power, arguing, “Local gas creates jobs and cheap energy for lower bills.”
This ongoing debate over energy policy highlights the divergent approaches of the major political parties in the UK as they grapple with climate change, economic pressures, and public sentiment.
