3d ago

Nigel Farage thinks net zero is the new Brexit. Starmer can prove him wrong

www.theguardian.com

Nigel Farage thinks net zero is the new Brexit. Starmer can prove him wrong | Rafael Behr

This opinion article argues that Labour should support green policies for moral reasons, but the author also argues that Farage's anti-green message is not what the public want. Apparently "68% of Farage’s constituents in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, declared themselves 'somewhat' or 'very' worried" about climate change.

The article links to this Bluesky thread from a pollster which is interesting:

Edit: you can right click the above image and open it in a new tab to see it full size.

15 comments

But it is the next brexit.
Dropping Net zero targets and the tech development behind it will fuck this country over massively just like how leaving the EU has.
I doubt it will be as bad as leaving the EU, but it could be.
Farages futures is one where Britain pays everyone else, instead of us, to use the technology they developed to combat emisstions, get extra EV range etc etc.
We have a simple choice with net zero, we can try and be the ones that sells everyone else the solutions they need to stop destroying the planet, or we could be the one that bankrupts ourselves buying those (arguable inferior too) solutions off everyone else.
- totally forgot I already commented on this post, saying almost the same thing...

Farage is opposed to net zero because it will make us less reliant on imported fossil fuels. Reduced global demand for fossil fuels is very bad for Russia's balance of trade.

I guess with Labour doing a decent reduction of mass immigration, Reform needs to be ready to spin up a second populist warfront.
Farage will have no trouble getting funding for his anti-environment nonsense, but the UK public will be harder to convince than they were for reducing immigration.

The Brexit guy is saying something is the next Brexit, to describe it as some kind of an unforced error, and a looming catastrophe.
I think I need a lie down.

I'm not sure what suggests Starmer is in any way interested in proving Nigel Farage wrong about anything. It seems like he's quite happy to run with whatever narrative the right sets.
- My guess is that Labour have done some polling, showing them what red wall voters want, and Labour want to appeal to those voters - voters who are tempted by Reform's message.
  But on this climate change issue, the article is saying that voters don't even want anti-green policies. And I haven't seen signs that Labour are tempted to copy Reform's anti-green stance.
  
  Maybe so but at some point Trump is going to tell Starmer to jump on climate change.

We're rapidly letting it slip through our hands because of these right wing idiots, but net zero could (have) potentially be(en) the UK's new Industrial revolution. Except this time we lead the way in saving the planet instead of destroying it.
Fusion power is the future. Excessive renewable power is the future. High tech energy storage is the future.
Not because I want it to be, because that's just how it's going to be
We can either be technological leaders in these areas, or we can be buying everyone else's solutions instead of selling our own.

I feel like focusing on the opinion polls at this minute is wrong. Reform will force this to be an issue and push climate skeptic propaganda heavily. Given 4 years of that, I can see the publics opinion shifting.
- climate skeptic propaganda
  Skeptics are people who don't believe things until they see facts. Denying climate change requires the rejection of overwhelming facts. That's not skepticism, it's wilful stupidity.

15 comments