<
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/aug/17/reform-uk-richard-tice-stop-tackling-climate-crisis-enjoy-heat>
"Reform’s deputy leader has been accused of spreading misinformation after he
dismissed efforts to tackle the climate crisis and urged British people to
enjoy the warmth of the recent heatwaves.
Richard Tice prompted a backlash from nurses, medical experts and green
campaigners on Monday after he told a press conference he believed it was
“arrogant” to try to stop the climate emergency, while encouraging people to
focus on upsides such as better English wine.
Asked about the recent extreme heat, Tice told a press conference: “Of course,
the climate changes, but where is the evidence that net zero is going to stop
it? Where is the evidence? There is no evidence.
“Climate change has always happened. It always will. Maybe the smarter thing to
do is to adapt to it than think arrogantly that you can stop it.”
He added: “When it’s a bit warm, let’s enjoy it. And if it means that English
wine and sparkling wine gets better and better, fantastic. That means we can
take on the French – fantastic. Let’s celebrate some of these things rather
than just be sort of doom and gloom about it.”
Bridget Phillipson, the Labour party chair, said: “Richard Tice’s comments are
tone-deaf. With wildfires raging across the UK and drought threatening water
supplies and food security, comments like these don’t just raise serious
questions about his judgment – they also expose where his interests really
lie.”
Tice’s comments came amid a record-breaking summer during which temperatures
have risen above 35C several times, causing thousands of deaths, millions of
hospital visits and costing the UK an estimated £4bn in economic output.
The government has estimated that 2,877 people died as a result of high
temperatures during the May and June heatwaves – double the figure for the
whole of last summer.
The climate breakdown has been linked to the increasing frequency of wildfires,
which are burning larger areas across many parts of the world. The so-called
firewave the UK witnessed weeks ago was the most widespread the country has
seen, with the combination of wet winters and prolonged heatwaves exacerbating
the risk.
New figures published in the
Lancet on Tuesday reveal older people are
affected by the heat at lower temperatures than previously thought, while
medical professionals say they are struggling to deal with the surge in
patients."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
