MPS’ ‘dishonesty’ over net zero drive
Union boss lashes out in warning to Labour leader
THE leader of one the biggest unions says politicians have been “fundamentally dishonest” about how complex and expensive a transition to a zero-carbon society would be.
In a clear warning for Sir Keir Starmer, GMB General Secretary Gary Smith said voters will not tolerate “economic destruction” in the pursuit of net zero.
He also warned that a botched energy policy would be a “disaster” for the country and signalled it could torpedo Labour’s election chances.
Sir Keir blamed Labour’s failure to win Boris Johnson’s former seat in last month’s by-election on London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s controversial move to extend the ULEZ scheme.
The low-emissions charge forces drivers of more polluting vehicles to pay £12.50 daily.
Mr Smith warns politicians risk unleashing even greater anger if they mishandle the country’s energy challenges. “The danger is if they get the discussion wrong on oil and gas and how we heat our homes and how we power industry, it becomes ULEZ on steroids,” he said.
And he predicts paying for energy will be a “defining issue” in the next election.
The GMB, which has more than 500,000 members, has called for a delay to the ULEZ expansion and has pressed Sir Keir to scrap plans to ban new North Sea fossil fuel extraction licences.
“I think Labour got it wrong. I think it was illthought-through what they said, and I hope their position is changing as they face up to the realities of the complexities and challenges of net zero.”
He is worried about the impact of environmen
tal policies which threaten to “heap costs” on lower-paid workers experiencing “genuine pain” as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.
“If politicians don’t listen, don’t take people with them, there will be a backlash and it will be to the Right,” he warned.
He believes achieving net zero emissions is right, but warns without a credible plan and a national conversation it is “going to be scuppered”.
The GMB boss expects fossil fuels will be “with us for many decades to come” and insists Britain must not depend on foreign imports.
“Allowing oil and gas to wither will be a disaster for national security. It’s a disaster for the economy and jobs and the only winners are going to be despots and dictators.
“I think there has been a fundamental dishonesty at the heart of our politics about how complex
energy is and about how costly any transition is going to be. People are not going to tolerate economic destruction to try to achieve net zero.”
It comes as senior Tories, including ex-leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-mogg, urged Rishi Sunak to delay banning new petrol and diesel cars for five years.
Exclusive polling by Omnisis shows 53 per cent of voters do not want it to begin in 2030, with only 31 per cent wanting to stick to the schedule.
South Thanet Tory MP Craig Mackinlay said the “rest of the world will not be following us down our virtue-signalling rabbit hole as we shatter our economy. The Government needs to wake up to reality and extend or, better still, cancel these plucked-out-of-the-air dates.”