Sneering at those who doubt net zero will end up with the same result as Brexit
The 'Westminster Bubble' continues to push on with a net zero agenda whilst showing nothing but disdain for those who question the narrative. The more aggression which is shown to anyone with a different opinion to theirs, the more resentment will grow. This issue was not a headline of the manifesto at the 2019 General Election, and it is likely to pave the way for the kind of electoral shock Whitehall experienced in the 2016 EU Referendum, argues Jayne Adye, Director of Get Britain Out.
With the COVID-19 Pandemic practically dominating the airwaves and column inches continuously for nearly two years, there were undoubtedly a number of events and government policies which have gone relatively under the radar and unscrutinised. One such area has been the rapid shift in government policy towards net zero and a climate emergency. Both are policies which seem to have been galvanised by the actions of the Swedish environmental activist, Greta Thunberg, and domestic criminals in 'Extinction Rebellion'. It is worth pointing out that none of them have been elected by the British public.
Yes, so-called climate change and green policies have been increasingly discussed over the decades, and Boris Johnson's government made Manifesto pledges to cut UK emissions and continue on the same path as governments which have come before. However, this was not the campaign issue which won the Prime Minister his landslide election win, nor was the escalation in the speed and scale of the blind commitment towards net zero we are now experiencing made clear.
Now, as we all return to some semblance of normality after the Pandemic, the scale of the government's commitment to net zero is being exposed, with those in government recently admitting they have no idea how much the policy will cost taxpayers or the economy in the long-run, especially as no cost-benefit analysis has been carried out. Quite rightly, those outside the Westminster bubble are not happy with the idea of a blank cheque for Boris Johnson to pursue this pet project, with little or no regard being shown for the impact it could have on the public's finances and the UK as a whole.
Unsurprisingly, with more and more people questioning this rushed policy towards net zero, many in Westminster have turned to trying to ridicule anyone who questions the reality which has already been accepted within Whitehall. Now that many of us who long ago quite rightly questioned the integration of the European Union and called for Brexit, are leading the charge against un-costed and possibly reckless environmental policies. We have already seen the same old recurrent themes being rolled out – we are supposedly uneducated, far-right people, who are yearning for a return to the past, with no regard for the word of experts. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
From the very start, we have seen one thing very clearly – those who mocked Brexiteers and ordinary people who wanted to have control over their everyday lives, have apparently learnt nothing from the past five years. To these people, it appears there will always be a right and a wrong side of the argument, with no regard for understanding the legitimate concerns of people all over this country – the people whose will is supposed to be reflected by our politicians.
There may well be a case for pushing for some drastic policy changes when it comes to the environment. However, just as Remainers found with Brexit, sneering at those who disagree with you is not an effective way of convincing anyone about the validity of any argument.
Right now, millions of people who backed the vote to get Britain out of the EU – and others – see little in the net zero agenda except a new excuse for some to try and dictate every aspect of our lives. If Boris Johnson believes in these policies so much, then come the next general election, these issues should be front and centre of his pitch to stay in office. This is because at the moment, the consequences of a panicked and expensive surge towards net zero will be far more long-lasting than anything else Boris has to say.
