There is a bill going through Parliament at the moment that wishes to impose yet more net zero madness on the UK and, by establishing a Climate and Nature Assembly, will make decisions on our future that bypass parliament and our elected representatives. This bill, imposing a Green dictatorship on us in my view, has its second reading this week and must not be allowed to pass as it stands.
Just as President Donald Trump is seeking to free America from ideologically-driven eco-targets that constrain the US economy, this Green and Lib Dem-promoted bill seeks to double-down on previous legislation that has tied us to legally-binding targets for reducing carbon emissions that have led to de-industrialisation and the widespread loss of jobs.
By appointing a citizens' assembly, no doubt stuffed with like-minded eco-zealots, it will recommend radical action to the Secretary of State and Committee of Climate Change (CCC). Let's not forget the CCC has already been pushing for the toughest carbon reductions of 60% by 2030. Past chairmen have not exactly been neutral on this subject, with John Gummer, Lord Debden, facing criticism for a conflict of interest, having not allegedly declared his own involvement in advising clean energy companies.
That Tory climate zealot and former MP Chris Skidmore, now a professor of climate change, should also be wildly in support of the bill is alarming. He resigned over Rishi Sunak's sensible relaxation of net zero targets, calling it the PM's “greatest mistake”.
Zero Hour is the powerful organization behind the bill, representing many green groups, and is dedicated to setting targets for carbon reduction, ending exploration and use of fossil fuel, promoting wind power, greener buildings, and accelerating the shift to zero emission vehicles, including “jet zero” aircraft.
All this can sound reasonable to many MPs, and will no doubt garner the support of most Labor and Tories, but it should be remembered that any tightening of legally-binding green targets is only going to load more costs on to the public by taxing their way of life, whether it is driving cars, holidays abroad, or household energy bills.
Such life-changing decisions should not be handed to unelected bodies with a direct line to government. Any further tightening of net-zero should be debated by our MPs to ensure it does not unduly cause greater expense or severely curtail our everyday lives.
But the problem is that this Labor government does not want pesky citizens objecting to its actions, preferring to hide behind arms-length quangos.
Tony Blair turbocharged this rule by quangocracy, by introducing unelected bodies with more and more power to intrude in our daily lives without direct intervention from MP or any elected bodies. Starmer's Labor government is simply stepping up this project which is quickly eroding democracy in our country. It is ruled by legally enforced red tape, suiting perfectly lawyer-turned-Prime Minister Sir Keir.
Since elected last year, Starmer's government has introduced 25 unaccountable bodies in just six months – that's a staggering one a week! The proliferation of such arms-length bodies, task forces and advisory councils comes amid a stalling of economic growth following Labour's misfiring autumn budget.
Seeking to reverse David Cameron's cost-cutting “bonfire of the quangos”, Starmer sees this as the best way of being seen to do something about issues from green energy to border control. Yet all of them are guzzling taxpayers' money and creating yet more stultifying bureaucracy.
Amazingly, when Chancellor Rachel Reeves sought advice to improve her growth-failing budget, she asked for ideas from regulating bodies rather than industry and business itself. These are the last people you should be asking.
As a businessman, Donald Trump has made it blindingly clear, the US economy needs less red tape to thrive and he will be cutting the dead weight of government in his presidency. We need the same here, not more unelected quangos that bypass the democratic process and often run contrary to the majority will of the people.
Every one of us should be increasingly concerned about how Labor is using legislation to tie us up in knots and subverting our democracy by allowing quangos to rule the UK. The current Climate and Nature bill is just one of these pernicious steps towards a Green tyranny, being pushed by eco zealots against the interests of the great British public. It up to our MPs to realize this threat and halt the bill – but the current intake just doesn't seem to be up to the job.