All of which is why I think it would be a grave mistake for his opponents to ignore his latest comments about Net Zero. Speaking to the Sun on Sunday, Mr Farage said: “This could be the next Brexit, where Parliament is so hopelessly out of touch with the country.”
The Reform leader’s foes seem convinced that, in fact, he’s the one who’s out of touch. Look at the polls, they scoff. According to the Observer, “Polling experts believe the attacks on Net Zero could backfire on Reform”, because “the policy is overwhelmingly supported by the public”.
Hmm. I wouldn’t be so sure. Many people may indeed have told pollsters that they support Net Zero. But are we quite certain that they meant it?
Personally, I tend to feel that, if you really want to know whether the public supports Net Zero, the question to ask is not, “Do you support Net Zero?” Instead, the question to ask is: “To help achieve Net Zero, what sacrifices would you personally be willing to make? Would you be willing to give up flying? How much more would you be willing to pay in green taxes? Exactly how much poorer are you willing to be? And, given that Britain is responsible for less than 1% of the planet’s annual greenhouse gas emissions, how much difference do you think it would make to global temperatures even if this country somehow achieved Net Zero tomorrow? Oh, and before you answer: did you see the FT headline from February, which read: ‘China’s Construction of Coal-Fired Power Plants Reaches Highest in a Decade’?”
Even asking those questions, however, wouldn’t necessarily lead us to the truth. Because public opinion isn’t always what it seems....<<<Read More>>>...
