Labour has accused Reform UK of threatening thousands of jobs after the party’s deputy leader Richard Tice told investors not to support onshore wind farms.
Repeating an earlier warning, Mr Tice said he was putting investors on notice that his party intends to win the next general election and they should withdraw from green energy projects.
“Yes, that would be the best result,” he said in a radio interview. “They are going to massively increase the bills for the British people, and I’ve made it clear to some of the main investors – I’ve written to them, I’ve met them – and we’ve said: we want you to invest, we want you to invest in nuclear, in gas, but don’t invest in these very expensive offshore renewable wind farms, onshore.
“And we’re putting people on notice, investors and shareholders, that we plan to win the next general election and all options are on the table, and so their best option is not to bid.”
Mr Tice also repeated Reform’s opposition to new pylon projects.
A Labour party spokesman said: “It is outrageous and unpatriotic that Reform are telling investors not to invest in Britain, threatening hundreds of thousands of jobs.
“This Labour Government’s Plan for Change is delivering the clean power that this country needs to take back control of our energy, and creating good jobs in our industrial heartlands, to put more money in working people’s pockets.
“Reform’s disastrous energy surrender plan would undermine Britain’s national interest, put our energy security at risk and raise bills for families. They’re all anger and no answers.”
However, wind energy strategist Gary Dixon offered some sympathy for Mr Tice by criticising current orthodoxy on the sector, accusing Labour of wasting taxpayers’ money on projects that are unproven or just too expensive.
He noted the £1.8 billion paid to Drax on top of £11 billion already pocketed, so the firm “can torch wood pellets equivalent to 300 million trees and call it ‘green’.”
He added: “The cherry on top: £500 million this year alone to pay wind companies not to generate power. Imagine being subsidised for doing nothing.
“Finally, £30 billion of taxpayer money poured into carbon capture machines that don’t work anywhere in the world, while at the same time they bleat about a notional £22 billion “black hole” to justify squeezing pensioners, farmers, and the disabled.
“This isn’t an energy strategy it’s economic sadism with a Greta Thunberg screensaver.
“Britain doesn’t need “GB Energy”. It needs GB Sanity, before Labour bankrupts the country in the name of eco-theatrics that achieve nothing but higher bills and lower living standards.”
#Tice #warns #investors #support #wind #farms #Daily #Business