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UK should scrap Net Zero 'obsession' and 'drill baby drill' to boost government finances, says Richard Tice
4 February 2025, 19:15 | Updated: 4 February 2025, 22:17
Watch Again: Andrew Marr speaks to Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice | 04/02/25
Richard Tice has said the UK should scrap its Net Zero "obsession" and instead "drill baby drill" to maximise country's "energy treasure".
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Speaking with Andrew Marr on Tuesday, the Reform UK deputy leader claimed "Tice Is right" when it comes to past warnings over the state of current government finances.
"We can’t impoverish ourselves," Tice said, emphasising the need to scrap what he described as a "renewable energy obsession".
"Of course we should be drill baby drill, it’s our energy treasure," he told Andrew Marr.
"If we scrap Net Zero and drill baby drill, we’ll save millions of pounds every year."
"I said, back a the election, we’ve got to save across the whole public sector £5 in 100 because there are huge elements of waste.
"And now, we’ve got Darren Jones, chief sec to the treasury, agreeing with me, saying ‘Tice is right’."
Corrected by Andrew on the accuracy of the quote, Tice countered: "When you’ve got a public sector that spends £100m on a bat shed, you realise that this has gone bat mental.
"If we scrap Net Zero and drill baby drill, we’ll save millions of pounds every year," Tice continued, adding the current Labour government "haven’t got a Scooby clue" when it comes to whether climate change poses a real threat.
Controversially pointing out that scrapping Net Zero could help boost government finances by "millions", the Reform leader said the UK should abandon its "obsession" with environmental protection measures.
"The point is, we can’t impoverish ourselves, bills are going up… the bills are never going to come down under the renewable energy obsession.
"We cannot keep going on spending more than we’re earning… the country will go bust."
It comes as Ed Miliband said a Heathrow expansion with a third runway "won’t go ahead" if it doesn’t meet the Government’s climate targets, as Rachel Reeves hints at support for the plan.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has insisted any airport expansions that are inconsistent with meeting legally-binding limits on UK emissions "won't go ahead".
It follows reports of an intensifying cabinet rift on plans to finally expand Heathrow by adding a third runway - a controversial move that has been debated and delayed for almost 20 years.
But Rachel Reeves revived the idea this week, insisting that the need for economic growth in the UK "trumped other things" - including Net Zero goals.
