Richard Tice has been labelled ‘completely out of touch’ and an ‘idiot’ after he urged people to stop being ‘doom and gloom’ about climate change in the UK.
Speaking at a Reform UK press conference on Monday, Tice acknowledged that climate change is “real” but said there no proof net zero policies would help address the issue.
The Reform deputy leader said the idea humans could stop climate change is “arrogant” and that instead policies should focus on adapting to it.
Tice cast doubt on whether climate change was even caused by human activity as he said: “Climate change has always happened, it always will,” and predictably mentioned the summer of ’76.
He then said that instead of worrying about climate change, people should “enjoy it” when the weather is “a bit warm,” and pointed to improvements to English wine as a potential upside.
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“When it’s a bit warm, let’s enjoy it,” he said. “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.”
Reacting to Tice’s comments, Labour party chair Bridget Phillipson said the Boston and Skegness MP were “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,” she said.
On X, renewable energy businessman Dale Vince said Tice was an “idiot” for his comments.
He wrote: “One thousand people dead in two months from extreme heat and he says – enjoy it.
“One hundred thousand will die in Europe this summer. Tice says see the positives…..
“He lives in a bubble disconnected from ordinary people, the reality of wild fires, burning homes, lost homes – five heatwaves in one summer (so far).”
“Celebrating better wine off the back of deadly weather events is arrogance, wrapped up in stupidity – presented as populism,” Vince added.
There were an estimated 2,700 excess deaths due to heat-related causes during the May and June heatwaves in England and Wales.
England’s A&Es experienced their busiest period ever as each of May, June and July saw over 2.4m attendances to A&Es in England, the three highest monthly totals every recorded.
Wildfires have also devastated thousands of acres of land in England and Wales, with houses gutted in recent days by fires in Stourbridge.
Amy Cameron, Greenpeace UK’s programme director, said: “Reform should try telling nurses fainting on shifts, farmers losing their crops and people running from burning homes to enjoy the hot weather and see what reaction they’ll get.
“There’s only one way to stop this extreme weather: cutting emissions from fossil fuels.”