I have long opposed the policies to stop us buying and making new petrol and diesel cars, and imposing high carbon taxes. It is wrong to rely on importing oil and gas instead of getting more of our own domestic gas and oil out of the ground and wrong to give grants to farmers to wild or to cover land with solar panels which would otherwise grow food. These are policies which succeed in boosting world CO 2 whilst closing down our factories and farms. They are self defeating in their own carbon counting terms, and self harming on a huge scale as we see the surge in closures and lost jobs they cause.
If Mr Burnham is serious about re industrialising he needs to rebuild our oil and gas industry, re open our refineries, scrap our carbon taxes and emissions charges. He is more likely to go the other way. He wants to give in to the EU more, so that means accepting their higher carbon taxes, their carbon tariffs and emissions trading scheme. These will all add to the closures and job losses Starmer has been racking up.
Kemi Badenoch rightly says to Conservatives we need to oppose these policies. Rumour has it that Burnham may do a bad deal with Miliband and his net zero disaster machine to allow the Jackdaw gas field to go ahead, but not Rosebank. We need Jackdaw, Rosebank, and all the rest. We need to start up exploration again. Importing LNG weakens our economy, exports tax revenues that we could have for ourselves, and loses us well paid paid jobs. It generates more than 3 times as much CO2 as getting our own gas out and sending it by pipe to UK customers. There is likely to be plenty more gas under our feet and under our seas that we could get out without environmental harm using modern techniques of deviated drilling and reservoir management.
Mr Burnham will soon find out the hard way that government entails making choices. You cannot have a policy of re industrialising without scrapping the crazy net zero attacks on UK plants and energy. You cannot have a policy of faster growth and a policy of closer alignment with the EU, as EU alignment means higher taxes, more EU charges and taxes, and more EU rules to lose us business. Being in the single market gave us slower growth. Cosying up to it will help them take more market share away from our farmers, energy producers and manufacturers.
July 11, 2026
Good morning.
And sorry, off-topic, if our kind host allows.
I was, like many, deeply shocked and saddened at the death of Ann Widdecombe. Like many I only knew and via various mediums but she always came over as a serious, highly intelligent, capable conviction politician and person. Someone of good character with deeply strongly held beliefs. Someone I immediately warmed to as she did not just seem genuine, but actually was. A rare quality today.
RIP Ann, for you were a true Angel on Earth who fought for what was right.
July 11, 2026
Amazing how quickly we were told the suspect is a White, British male…..
July 11, 2026
Since released so watch this space.
July 11, 2026
@Old Albion – I know the area well, very isolated/remote essentially one road in and out. She did have security cameras – it is said someone was stealing her gnomes. But yes, as you said, quickly revealing unnecessary information to be on message is despicable
July 11, 2026
Who has now been released.
At least the appalling, disingenuous, broken compass, Two Tier Kier managed to say his bit on Anne Widdecombe without saying “far right”.
I had not realised that In UK criminal courts, the official wording for juries and magistrates is that they must be “satisfied so that you are sure” of the defendant’s guilt and is no longer “beyond reasonable doubt”.
I am often “surel” that I left my car keys here or there only to find them elsewhere! Rather weak wording to put someone in jail for 20 years.
July 11, 2026
So 10 members of a jury can have perfectly reasonable doubts and two of the jury think the chap is innocent and still you can put him/her in jail for life.
What in earth was wrong “with beyond reasonable doubt” surely far superior wording?
1/2 Maths grad. Claire Coutinho is finally catching on to reality.
https://x.com/ClaireCoutinho/status/2075111661493498266
July 11, 2026
the jury system does not work when people are allowed onto juries who regard the UK and its citizens as the enemy
July 11, 2026
@ Iain Gill
Indeed, but a government appointed and government promoted judge alternative is even worse still.
July 11, 2026
The jury system doesn’t work when jurors haven’t the brains to appreciate you can’t discuss the case on Facebook.
July 11, 2026
@Lifelogic – yes the very man that used offensive ‘phrases’ as an excuse not to debate or discuss. Used every opportunity to whip up ‘hate’ for those that didn’t side with his prejudiced view of the World rather than engage and debate.
July 11, 2026
+1
July 11, 2026
Reply to Iain Gill: As someone who has served on a jury twice. I can assure you the jury system doesn’t work, fullstop.
My experience was two groups of people more worried about their expenses, than debating the case.
I hope Inever fall foul of the law. But more than that. I would not wish for ‘trial by jury’
July 11, 2026
News can be biased, often unnoticedly.
This morning: At Highgrove, the King met Prince Harry, his wife and his children.
Others might say ‘their’ children.
July 11, 2026
Well do we even know for certain whose children (genetically) they are?
July 11, 2026
A lovely woman who didn’t deserve this.
As for Burnham, he’s like Sunak, a WEF placeman who will continue the ruinous policies of the two preceding governments.
I see Badenough is weeding out the pro net stupid candidates for MP selection. Will this be a case of answering the right questions until safely installed in Westminster. The deep state runs very deep.
July 11, 2026
@Ian Wragg – the weird bit, the same gang that strove themselves to eject more Conservatives from the Party at the last election than got elected to it, is hunting around as to what conservatism is.
July 12, 2026
I suspect you have a list in your mind of those you would like Kemi to eject and those you would endorse. I’d expect a degree of public discussion about who should be considered for each camp which may assist her to reach decisions. In fact, I see it is already starting.
The positive point is that she made the announcement. It would not altogether surprise me if some decide to flounce off elsewhere, in the manner of Chris Skidmore who now wears a Labour hat having proposed Net Zero in the Commons.
No Conservative MP voted in favour if the 7th Carbon Budget, and 84 plus 2 tellers voted against it. That is a huge change in the party position compared with the endorsements of the Climate Change Act and Net Zero (where Kemi was the only MP who managed to query it in the debate).
July 11, 2026
Well said. She was one of the very few, and fearless too.
July 11, 2026
Last night over a beer watching Coronation Street i was telling my partner about the real threat of power cuts to which she laughed. At 21.18, the lights went out and the house was silent for a good 20 minutes. A precursor to the future. Luckily we’d had the aircin on in the bedroom for about an hour so the house remained reasonably cool.
July 11, 2026
Just checked National Grid. As of now we’re Importing 28% of our electricity. Just how much is this and Importing gas from Norway etc. Affecting our balance of payments.
How did we get in this mess.
July 11, 2026
Indeed and this is in summer with the sun shining!
July 11, 2026
@Mark B – yes agreed, and thank you. Murdered, makes the situation ‘beyond the pale’
using your words – RIP Ann, for you were a true Angel on Earth who fought for what was right.
July 11, 2026
Thomas a Beckett was murdered. And for hundreds of years (since the 12th century) has been considered a saint. With great blessings coming not just to him but to others too – including to people now.
Murder is horrible. But from it, great blessings can come. As long as one turns to The King of Kings to perform this spiritual alchemy.
July 11, 2026
Yes, indeed. Ann had a straight talking, no mealy mouthed approach. Speak as you find is the honest way, and people recognised that and respected her.
July 11, 2026
One of the few politicians who actually gave a reasoned answer and views to any question asked of her.
RIP Anne.
July 11, 2026
The hatred being spewed by left-wing commentators on social media is vile. This is the problem we have nowadays. People can’t have an open debate without the left trying to shut them down. The Be Kind brigade have never lived up to their title and are instrumental in the fear that anyone with right-wing views has to live with. We don’t yet know who carried out this heinous crime, but we do know that this country is becoming more and more divided.
July 11, 2026
A country thrives on love (business – look at the Quakers, politics – look at Cyrus the Great, the arts, culture, science, family life, marriage, neighbours, those in health and education, getting criminals back onto the straight and narrow) and so on. Soft and tough love (not just soft love).
Problem is I come across sooooo many people who have received no real love in this life (and this lack of love starts off in childhood and can this can define the person for the rest of their lives if they don’t try and reverse it – and not easy but possible).
If we compare love to bread, so many people receive stale bread or breadcrumbs or no bread at all.
When we were created to receive loaves of delicious, fresh and healthy bread every day and to give such bread to others.
Again, soft and tough love. Not just soft love (that leads to soppiness). Or not just tough love either (that leads to harshness). But soft and tough love together.
July 11, 2026
And Mary Poppin’s, ‘a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down’ sums up the approach of the love of Christ that we need in our society to thrive.
He can be clearly challenging in places (the medicine) but at other times, he offers a spoonful of sugar, like with the adulterous woman at the well, ‘My yoke is easy’ and The Transfiguration (and the Wedding at Cana where he beings his ministry turning water into wine so the guests can have a good time although there is a serious theological undertone to do this as well). Things like that.
July 11, 2026
Ann was a devout believer. She would have believed that from a great evil like murder, can come a great blessing for her – and others. As long as you turn to God and in the right spirit. She could be a saint in Heaven now. And blessing those around her including her country. I hope so. God bless her.
(And part of having a great sense of humour, as she had, is this hope in the power of The King of Kings that can turn a great evil into a tremendous blessing).
July 11, 2026
“Rumour has it that Burnham may do a bad deal” – he is and always was a bad deal. Like the rest of his ilk he festers ‘hate and bile’ towards those that want to get on and achieve – the people and the nation. He like the rest of the Cabal seeks a levelling down, the furthering of a divided society, the them and us. It is the Socialist/Marxist creed pretend there is an underclass to defend to bolster your own position, become the latest Norman Barron, the Sheriff of Manchester. Small minded with an inflated ‘ego’
We saw the trait with the outgoing monster of a human being, the hate he stirred up within himself and his supporters for those that disagreed or questioned his Marxist aspirations. The perpetual name calling and unfounded spiteful labelling to divide and demean society to consolidate the rule by ideology.
They want a world that doesn’t exist, a return to something that has never existed accept for in warped tiny minds.
They as with the bulk of the UK Parliament wouldn’t know what Government is. They don’t know how to communicate, to work with instead of fighting against the people. The UK Parliament through successive bad management has become the enemy within, the ones holding the country back.
July 11, 2026
Two of our primary advantages over (I might as well say) the remainder of the EU are that we have the sea. First as a natural border and second as a natural resource. Why are we throwing these away? It’s insane.
July 11, 2026
There are so many ways that society has become divisive and damaging. NetZero has been led by what most of us consider from the get go ‘nutters’ – the first thing they neglected was the cost, the the next thing was to ban things before someone had come up with viable, sustainable alternatives. As such these Zealots are not chasing a better tomorrow but a return to and impoverished past while the World moves forward. Not one sole in Parliament has looked at the ‘cost’ or have asked the question why is the whole World moving forward at our expense.
July 11, 2026
It was Conservative PM Johnson who took delight in announcing the initial ban on the purchase of the types of new cars most people want to buy. It was a Conservative government that regulated fracking to death, preventing British firm Cuadrilla from opening up a valuable new energy source. Miliband and co are following the Conservative example.
Voters will think very hard at the next general election about whether to believe that Badenoch, Coutinho and their party have magically performed a 180 degree turn on these issues.
Reply As one who always opposed these self harming policies I know Kemi and Claire are leading the charge against this folly now.
July 11, 2026
Reply to reply.
The opportune word being now. Present, neither past nor future. I value consistency over fluidity.
July 12, 2026
Indeed. Her unmasking of the very unsatisfactory and risky way in which NESO are managing the grid which has provoked whistleblowers to come forward is evidence of that. She is listening to those providing hard evidence of problems of all kinds with the Net Zero agenda. Miliband has provided no substantive answers to the criticisms.
July 11, 2026
If Kemi Badenoch was a serious as her outpourings suggest, as well as removing NetZero hopeful replaced with common sense and affordability. Then the suggested removal of the so-called ECHR diatribe that doesn’t protect but punishes the majority and have it replaced with proper UK Laws generated by an accountable UK Parliament – after all is Parliament a puppet to others or does it have a real purpose. The UK Parliament is there to make law, then amend and repeal with the will of the people behind them, not some foreign unelected unaccountable body looking to find a purpose.
Then the one the UK Parliament and its Government buys into but wont talk about – WOKE, Diversity, Inclusion & Equalities, who on earth considered creating and putting in to practice ‘Discrimination’ was a way forward and not a retrograde step? How much taxpayer money is being sunk into creating a country of ‘Discrimination’? Going by all the rumours the growth in the establishment, the need for extra Taxpayer money is so that Discrimination Departments and the need for extra staff numbers is funded – nothing to do with service delivery.
July 11, 2026
“Net Zero policies are self harm and self defeating” as was Ed Miliband’s climate change act supported by virtually all the parties and voted for by 465 moronic MPs without even a sensible cost benefit analysis. JR and Widecombe and Lilley did not vote for it,
Harriet Harman’s moronic and hugely damaging 2020 equalities act was also supported by all the main parties. it has bankrupted many businesses and Birmingham. The Catholic Bishops were against this and Anne Widdecombe voted against it and the Climate Change Act.
We need rather more sensible, numerate, intelliegent and rational MP’s or better still some real & direct democracy.
July 11, 2026
The Telegraph – “A new school that cost £31m to build is set to be demolished without a single pupil being taught there.
Matford Brook Academy in Exeter, Devon, was built in 2021 and opened two years later – but the buildings were never used for teaching.”
The government/state are apalling at building or runningthing anything or even at subcontracting anything. At least this £31 million did not kill and injure thousants of people like the £600 billion spent on Covid measures & “vaccines”.
July 11, 2026
It seems the contractor ISG which went into administration also owe HMRC £53m, which must have built over some time. I wonder whether anyone got fired for poor due diligence?
July 11, 2026
Very unlikely no one in the state sector ever does – probably promoted.
July 11, 2026
And why weren’t building inspectors used to ensure good construction at all stages?
Councils told how to spend their money, and it’s not on services the community needs.
July 11, 2026
Indeed and why we need a complete change in composition of the House. No ifs no buts as a certain Lord might say. Nobody who voted for these can be trusted to have suddenly revised their views. It’s just blowing with the wind until they’re in power again and under the thumb of pressure groups.
July 11, 2026
Equality Act 2010 rather!
July 11, 2026
I Guess we need to wait and see, but we have been waiting on common-sense for a over a decade now for the self harm policies you outline to be reversed, so far little debate, let alone any sign of change.
July 11, 2026
I’m not sure we will have to wait long BA.
Who ever Mr Burnham appoints as Chancellor – he (she) is going to have some very hard choices to make. Labour borrowed £128B last year and most of that (80%) was to just cover interest payments on existing debt. There’s nothing left in the locker for a rainy day.
There is also a global shortage of heavy crude (because of the Gulf war) and that is what we need to refine diesel and av-gas. Shortages of these two fuels will hit the world economy very hard. Mr Milliband currently worries about climate change. If he gets the job he will discover that there are also different kinds of financial weather. It’s not just going to rain, it could well monsoon.
Stormy weather ahead and an untested PM at the wheel. Time to check where the lifeboats are….(again)
July 11, 2026
Our refineries can’t be reopened. They are gone forever. And no oil company would build a new one in the UK. Odd how for years the SNP used to say an independent Scotland could be funded by their oil reserves yet now they are opposed to extracting it.
July 11, 2026
The SNP , or, at least, leader, John Swinney, has said that they are in favour of drilling for oil, within climate change targets and for energy security
This was said during the Scottish Parliament election campaign, so may turn out to mean nothing, like some of their past election pledges.
July 11, 2026
Considering how badly Starmer did with his policies, you’d think a sensible approach of a new PM would be to review all policies in action to determine if they were still valid, value for money and were supported by more voters than hated them.
But of course, Burnham won’t take this route because socialists always know better – the oppressive and badly thought out objectives will continue along with the dream of so many hard left socialists in the labour party to grow the benefits vote by ripping off those of us that still have some resources left.
This sounds very much like what they want to do with net-0, but consider it attacking the same target from a different angle.
Any decisions made by the new PM will of course require investment – in other words labour will continue to throw vast amounts of our money at problems that would resolve with a little logical innovation.
No wonder our drains are so full!
July 11, 2026
Interesting that it is considered necessary for Burnham to ‘Do a deal’ with Miliband,, even in his honeymoon period, to get a measure through. If that is what he really wants to do, he should do it and let Miliband decide whether he wants to stay or not. But the fact that it is only thought to involve one oil field is quite an indication that allowing it to go ahead would be against Burnham’s better judgement too. They are each as bad as the other.
I wonder who Burnham will appoint as Drought Minister?
July 11, 2026
Politicians who have no idea of what is right rarely make decisions for change. They proceed blindly believing that if they do nothing decisive, they can be free of blame. Up to three more years of grim times lie ahead.
July 11, 2026
John, we read yesterday that Kemi is making it clear, no Tory PPC will be selected if they support Net Zero. That policy statement is a massive step in the right direction (no pun intended…honest 🙂 .
The greatest harm done to our economy and to our future prospect was the adoption of the 2008 Climate Change Act and the Net Zero legislation appended to it in June 2019 by Theresa May.
The blowing up and total demolition of our once very reliable power plants up and down the country will remain one of the greatest acts of self harm ever delivered to the Nation.
Net Zero has got to be repealed along with The Climate Change Act and the other scorched earth policy delivered by Gordon Brown, the Harriet Harmon inspired Equalities act of 2010.
July 11, 2026
“You cannot have a policy of re industrialising without scrapping the crazy net zero attacks on UK plants and energy.”
Correct, Lord John. But the Far Left would not have invented the climate crisis and its de-industrialising “solution”, Net Zero, it were not sabotaging our energy and destroying our economy and national security. Those that believe that anthropogenic emissions of CO2 are controlling the planet’s temperature and hence climate are as gullible as those who believed that King Cnut could halt the incoming tide. CO2 is a trace gas at 0.04% of the atmosphere and anthropogenic emissions are a mere 3% of the total CO2 emissions. The history of CO2 and temperature shows no correlation for the last 500m years except for the last 450,000 years when both have been exceptionally low and here the Antarctic Vostok ice core data quite clearly shows CO2 following temperature. The science of Happer & Wijngaarden, using the IPCC’s own radiative warming theory, has demonstrated that although the amount of atmospheric CO2 is tiny there is already sufficient to absorb all the planet’s emitted IR radiation that is available to it and hence adding further CO2 makes no difference. Water vapour, which is 10 to 100 times more abundant in the atmosphere than CO2 and absorbs far more of the planet’s IR radiation is the main greenhouse gas which keeps us warm at the surface and radiates excess energy to space. The climate activists haven’t yet suggested we dehydrate the atmosphere.
July 11, 2026
I agree with Ricard completely. There must be something in the left-leaning brain which makes it impervious to scientific logic and proven fact. Even if you accept the fantasy about CO2 Lord Redwood is right to point out it is wrong to rely on importing oil and gas instead of getting more of our own domestic gas and oil out of the ground. It simply makes no sense.
July 11, 2026
Ms
I liken it to having a full cupboard of food at home, but choosing to go out and buy more, whilst your stock rots in your cupboard, because you want to “preserve it” just in case.
July 11, 2026
What hold does Miliband have over his Labour colleagues? He appears to be able to defy the PM and continue with his destructive policies unopposed.
July 11, 2026
@Christine – it would appear that that side of the ‘house’ knows he is the PM and others just do his bidding without question
July 11, 2026
Odds on favourite (by a long way) to be Chancellor. Cannot see that going down well with the bond markets or doing anything for growth in every post code or hope in every heart!
July 11, 2026
Burnham has surrounded himself with politicians that are all in favour of the same policies that brought down Starmer he is making the same mistakes, but worse. Give him 6 months and the UK economy will hit the buffers.
His popularity in Manchester is also on false pretences. The article in the Spectator by Tali Frazer explains that the boom in central Manchester was engineered by Graham Stringer and some other practical administrators. His contribution was a failed attempt to copy Mayor Khan and charge older cars to enter and to allow the sweeping under the carpet of the grooming gang scandal. The GDP growth was down to accounting and law.
Link below.
July 11, 2026
+1
July 11, 2026
“Kemi Badenoch rightly says to Conservatives we need to oppose these [Net Zero] policies.”
In which case will I see the two Conservatives on the Energy Security & Net Zero Committee attending all meetings and asking questions opposing the government’s Net Zero policies?
July 11, 2026
Also they should stop saying “clean energy” and “climate change” CO2 is not remotely dirty and the climate has and will always change.
July 11, 2026
Agreed. That would be a very good start. “Climate change” is always short for “human induced climate change”, which it most certainly isn’t. Also phrases like “a just transition” which gives away one of the real purposes of the Net Zero Strategy.
In addition, I believe that all select committee evidence sessions should be accompanied by a public comments journal. Especially for those select committees who never take evidence from people whose views oppose those of the committee chairman or the majority of the committee. This very biased selection process goes some way to explain how government departments can end up digging themselves into the most enormous holes.
July 11, 2026
“Net Zero policies are self harm and self defeating”
They know this. The ultimate goal of Net Zero is not to net zero our anthropogenic CO2 emissions (for they know that CO2 does not control climate) but to electrify everything so that all energy use can be remotely controlled through smart meters and kill switches.
July 12, 2026
And digital ID and state control of media, both print and online.
July 11, 2026
earnestly researched and carefully presented articles(ditto speeches in House of Buggins Retirement Benefit)
are a total waste of your time.Most of us agree with your thoughts but the “corridors of power” evidently don’t give a(proverbial).Sorry but your confidence in Kemi and Co. is not resonating with “conservative” friends
in my neck of the woods.For the rest of the time available until the next GElection “MUST” be called our man
from the North holds the reins and,short of a revolution(or major corruption/financial scandal) he is not going
to change tack
July 11, 2026
A timely report from McKinsey.com detailing the successes, the delays and limitations of the global decarbonisation effort:
14/01/2026 ‘Tracking the energy transition: Where are we now?’
July 12, 2026
Interesting report. Shows clearly who the mugs are.
July 11, 2026
The claims made of getting rid of Net Zero are as valid as those made that MASS IMMIGRATION will be brought down and that the Human Rights Legislation will be abolished.
Scraps thrown to a hungry crowd.
July 11, 2026
225 ‘illegal economic immigrants’ invaded the UK yesterday 10th July 2026 …by small boat, those crossing by lorry unknown, those overstayers unknown ……and nothing on the news
July 11, 2026
UK land surface covered by solar panels Dec’2025 52,000 acres with an acre covering about 4000 sqft or 63 x 63 m^2.
That’s 211 km^2 or a square with a 14.5 km side (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk).
The cultivated surface in the UK is 8.8 million hectares (gov.uk) ie 88000 km^2.
So fraction of cultivated surface potentially covered by solar panels is 211/88000 =0.0024 or 0.24 percent.
But consider that not all solar panels might not be on ‘cultivated land’.
Sir John either does not know how to calculate these things or more likely is at it trying to mislead his readers.
But what can one expect from a GWPF trustee?
Reply More lies. Im not a GWPF Trustee. Solar farms are taking up too much food growing land.
July 11, 2026
The main purpose of solar farms is to turn agricultural land with a very low value into industrial/housing land with a very high value when the solar panels die after about 20 years or less. It’s certainly not to produce any valuable energy with its chaotic intermittency a danger to grid stability as well as not producing the energy when we need it.
July 11, 2026
Very poor hefner.
You owe our host an apology for your eroneous claim.
July 12, 2026
Text deleted as further errors. I resigned from GWPF sometime ago.
July 12, 2026
You clearly don’t know how to calculate. I have known since the age of 7 or 8 there are 4,840 square YARDS in an acre: a chain (22 yards, or a cricket pitch) by a furlong (220 yards).
More than an order of magnitude wrong.
July 12, 2026
I see you like to please yourself with imperial units. But check again:
8.8 m hectares is 88000 km^2 or 21.7 m of acres.
And 52000/21700000 is 0.0024 ie 0.24 percent. Metric or imperial give same results.
QED
July 13, 2026
Still awaiting your apology to our host for your error hefner.
You are quick to bring facts, figures and links to research to make good your arguments against others who post on here.
Now it is time to simply admit your serious error.
July 11, 2026
There is always moderation.
July 12, 2026
The goal is global socialism, levelling down both people and countries. The EU is considered a good vehicle, given its anti-democratic structure and suppression of national sovereignty.