{"id":154338,"date":"2021-07-31T17:09:10","date_gmt":"2021-07-31T15:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=154338"},"modified":"2021-07-31T17:09:12","modified_gmt":"2021-07-31T15:09:12","slug":"tory-backbenchers-prepare-to-set-up-parliamentary-group-to-fight-cost-of-net-zero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=154338","title":{"rendered":"Tory backbenchers prepare to set up parliamentary group to fight cost of Net Zero"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Later this summer, or early in the autumn, a group of MPs \u2013 expected to be comprised of at least a few dozen \u2013 is setting up a new backbench group \u2013 dedicated to scrutinising the cost of Net Zero.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ITV News<\/a> \u2014 It has become a constant of recent years in British politics that Conservative MPs form issue-based groups and then use them to organise from the backbenches- with impressive results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The European Research Group (ERG) might have had a technical sounding name \u2013 and did once claim that it its purpose was providing research papers to MPs.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, as we know, the ERG quickly became a mighty force in Parliament, which arguably spearheaded the downfall of Theresa May.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came the Covid recovery group that has been \u2013 and is \u2013 piling pressure on the prime minister over the question of lockdowns, vaccines and Covid status passports.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the next one could be an even bigger cause of worry for ministers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later this summer, or early in the autumn, a group of MPs \u2013 expected to be comprised of at least a few dozen \u2013 is setting up a new backbench group \u2013 dedicated to the question of net zero carbon emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, a key figure will be Steve Baker, who has \u2013 controversially to critics- become a trustee of Lord Lawson\u2019s Global Warming Policy Foundation. But this group will be led by another MP \u2013 representing south Thanet in Kent \u2013 Craig Mackinlay.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Conservative MP Steve BakerCredit: PA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They don\u2019t want to deny the science, but they do want to rail against what Mackinlay has described as an \u201coverwhelming Westminster consensus\u201d around the urgency of getting greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 \u2013 whatever the cost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s first worth remembering where that consensus comes from.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People are now faced with the daily reality of the climate emergency  \u2013 whether it\u2019s the shocking images of floods in China and Germany, the environmental tragedy of bushfires in Australia, searing heat on the west coast of the Americas, or the repeated warnings \u2013 with another this week \u2013 of more extreme weather events in the UK. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dramatic images of storms resulting in sewage leaking into people\u2019s homes or of the coastline being hammered by rising sea levels tend to sharpen the mind.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, it is not surprising that as Boris Johnson prepares to host the world for Cop26 \u2013 a critical climate conference that comes as scientists warn there are now less than 10 years to save the planet- his government is putting forward hefty targets.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Craig MackinlayCredit: Victoria Jones\/PA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not just net zero by 2050, but a 78% reduction in emissions by 2035.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get there, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) that advises ministers, has set out enormous steps that will need to be taken \u2013 from the massive shift away from fossil fuels to renewables and green hydrogen, to the everyday ways in which we live our lives \u2013 from the way we drive, to where we live, what we eat and where we go away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even with that herculean effort, advisers warn that heating of two degrees could be hit, with major consequences for the world and significant risks in Britain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mackinlay and co are not going to argue against the ambition itself \u2013 but the speed and cost \u2013 highlighting the eye-watering price tag of \u00a31.4 trillion by 2050 recently suggested by the Office for Budget Responsibility.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is over half of UK annual GDP,\u201d he says \u2013 describing it as a bill of \u00a350,000 per household- and asking for more transparency over the data being used to drive the decisions.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These MPs will argue that British consumers will find the hit hard to stomach, not least if they see even bigger polluters like China or India asking less of their populations.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I speak to figures inside Downing Street, there certainly is a sense that these MPs could become influential, and recognition of a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They believe strongly in the need to get to net zero, and want Britain to be a world leader, but as one pointed out \u2013 \u201cwe can\u2019t scare voters about the scale of the change\u201d arguing for a need to take the messaging \u2013 at least \u2013 slowly.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Already the nervousness of a backlash over cost can be seen \u2013 with the PM now said to be keen to push back the deadline for people to replace dirtier boilers from 2035 to 2040.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full story<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The post\u00a0Tory backbenchers prepare to set up parliamentary group to fight cost of Net Zero<\/a>\u00a0appeared first on\u00a0The Global Warming Policy Forum<\/a>.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

via The Global Warming Policy Forum<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/ift.tt\/2UZpfcv<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

July 31, 2021<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Later this summer, or early in the autumn, a group of MPs \u2013 expected to be comprised of at least a few dozen \u2013 is setting up a new backbench group \u2013 dedicated to scrutinising the cost of Net Zero. ITV News \u2014 It has become a constant of recent years in British politics that Conservative MPs form […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-154338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","has-post-thumbnail","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-E9k","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":293703,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=293703","url_meta":{"origin":154338,"position":0},"title":"Green Billionaires Fund Large Backbench Tory Net Zero Parliamentary Caucus","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"04\/01\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Almost half the Conservative Party\u2019s backbench MPs in the British Parliament belong to a Caucus promoting extreme Net Zero ideas that is funded by a small group of green billionaire foundations.","rel":"","context":"In \"Billionaires\"","block_context":{"text":"Billionaires","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=billionaires"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0bannerimg.jpg?fit=1200%2C725&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0bannerimg.jpg?fit=1200%2C725&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0bannerimg.jpg?fit=1200%2C725&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0bannerimg.jpg?fit=1200%2C725&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0bannerimg.jpg?fit=1200%2C725&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":197356,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=197356","url_meta":{"origin":154338,"position":1},"title":"Voters Don\u2019t Want To Pay For Green Levies","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"26\/04\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"By Paul Homewood Meanwhile in that other poll! \u00a0 MINISTERS are facing a furious backlash over \"green taxes\" with a poll revealing that seven in 10 people want them removed from their energy bills. 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