H L Mencken (a 20th century American political journalist famous for withering commentaries laced with scathing wit) once observed that “There is always a well-known solution to every human problem – neat, plausible and wrong”. There is no better illustration of this than Reform UK’s policy on climate change, energy and net zero.
Opposition parties are supposed to oppose government proposals but with that comes with a responsibility to suggest alternatives, explain reasons and set out credible policy. Despite mounting evidence that it’s under way, the party “does not currently have a clear, explicit position on climate change” as the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of economics reports. Instead, their energy policy rests on two approaches – fossil fuels and nuclear power. Both seem flawed and need examining.
USA influence and ‘manufactured doubt’
Reform want to retain the fossil fuel status quo, claiming they can lower energy bills by scrapping net zero and exploiting the remaining fossil fuel reserves in the North Sea. This proposition is clearly influenced by policies from the USA and may be a direct consequence of money they receive from fossil fuel companies.
Professor Giordano Scarciotti (Associate Professor in Control Theory, Imperial College, London) argues that this is deliberate. It creates something he calls “manufactured doubt”, deflecting attention and allowing fossil fuel production and use to continue. Acceptance of renewable technologies then becomes much harder.
This strategy hides other stories too. The government wants to stop the cost of gas fixing the price of electricity to reduce bills. Because cutting taxes is politically appealing, Reform would rather cut VAT and green levies – but that leaves the UK consumer dependent on fossil fuels and volatile pricing.
Fossil fuel benefits are open to question
Reform’s claims about the benefits of fossil fuel extraction are also open to question. As Carbon Brief shows, production is in long-term decline. Useful quantities may be retrieved and sold on the open market, but how much this will benefit the British economy and lower bills is not made clear.
The decline in North Sea oil and gas means other sources – most likely liquified natural gas – will be needed. The cost of importing this and the political instability in the Middle East (which will take years to resolve), means fossil fuels will remain expensive. The consumer pays the price.
Reform also like nuclear energy but developing new generating capacity takes years. Hinkley Point C nuclear power station – owned by the French and Chinese – is five years late and massively over budget. Sizewell C is still being built. Small modular reactors sound innovative and exciting but won’t be producing electricity for another decade. The question of where to store the waste remains unanswered.
Lincolnshire’s lack of political vision and scepticism about net zero
Lincolnshire MP Richard Tice is the leading energy spokesperson for Reform UK. He represents Boston & Skegness and has “declared war on net zero”. Communities in the county support his views, believing that solar farms ruin the landscape and destroy the UK’s ability to feed itself (Lincolnshire produces much of the UK’s vegetable & arable crops, especially in his constituency).
Tice’s scepticism is shared by his party’s county councillors, who were elected when Reform took control from the Conservatives in 2025. They have abandoned the county’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050, Council Leader Sean Matthews stating: “We think it’s better to make the planet a better place in slow time rather than rush to it”, (as if climate change is amenable to what Lincolnshire County Council wants). They also reduced the powers of the county council’s flooding subcommittee, a strange response given that the county has suffered serious flood events in recent years and that Tice believes Lincolnshire cannot afford “to be surrendered to the sea”.
The evidence doesn’t stand up
Evidence, however, shows that the claims fuelling this opposition don’t stand up to scrutiny. In the whole of the UK, solar farms occupy less land than golf courses. All applications are subject to detailed planning rules which protect the most valuable agricultural land. Furthermore, the UK hasn’t fed itself since the early 19th century and is only 65% self-sufficient in food production. It has had to rely on imports for decades.
And while Mayor Andrea Jenkyns believes in fracking for any shale gas under Lincolnshire, it appears her enthusiasm isn’t shared by her supporters. In a delicious irony, a recent opinion poll suggested they would rather see a solar farm than a fracking rig. And in spite of Reform’s enthusiasm for nuclear power, Lincolnshire doesn’t want any nuclear waste to look after.
Seizing opportunities
Even though existing renewables are already generating power and saving the country money, Lincolnshire is one of many counties rejecting climate change. Reform’s opposition means the county risks remaining in the 10% most deprived in the country. It need not be like this.
Locally, engineering is transforming the capacity to generate renewable energy offshore. The Humber region has reinvented itself, making and servicing wind turbines. The world’s largest windfarm sits on Dogger Bank in the North Sea to the east, while interconnectors already bring wind-generated energy from Denmark to the UK at Bicker Fen near Boston. Real political leadership and vision would acknowledge that and capitalise.
The county also has plenty of largely flat, largely empty land and little tree cover, making it ideal for solar farms. Installations totalling more than five megawatts are in the pipeline. Battery storage infrastructure is being commissioned. Embracing more such developments means Lincolnshire and its neighbours could become the biggest centre for renewable power in Britain, revitalising the regional economy.
Reform’s appeal may be waning
Reform’s arguments may no longer be cutting through. Though support has declined recently, the majority of the public still believes in the energy transition and the benefits it provides.
Rising electric vehicle (EV) sales illustrates this belief. In 2025, 97% of all vehicle sales in Norway were EVs. The same year, sales in the UK reached 25%, equalling the global market number (though the industry is pushing to slow this down). China’s market power means these numbers will grow. China’s EVs brands are increasingly evident on British roads as the adoption of EVs increases.
As it does so, arguments against them disappear. No one claims any longer that a battery-powered car is useless for long distance travel because the batteries run out. It may have been a concern once but cars that can travel at least 300 miles on a charge has killed that argument stone dead.
This will happen elsewhere. As heat pump, solar panel installations and home battery storage become increasingly common, bills will start to drop. Change government policy over using gas to set the cost of electricity and they will drop further. The zero bill home is already a reality for some.
Home-based renewable power generation increases UK energy independence, meaning much less risk of being held to ransom over imported supplies. Voters have realised this and are responding with a surge in installations of solar panels and heat pumps. They think the future lies with renewable electricity.
Unrealistic policies
Reform’s threat to cancel net zero sounds persuasive, but their policies are unrealistic. Reversing current progress would make the UK less attractive and discourage further investment. That doesn’t sound like a persuasive argument, especially as the next election approaches. Reform may slow the transition to a renewable future but it’s unlikely to stop whether they and Lincolnshire like it or not.
H L Mencken was absolutely right – Reform’s policy sounds neat and plausible but it is wrong.
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