Nigel Farage has just given Energy Secretary Ed Miliband even greater reason to quake at the thought of a Reform UK Government.
He is not just sceptical about the transition to green energy – he dreams of hitting the renewable energy with a tax bomb.
The arch-Brexiteer summoned the press to the heart of the City to describe his plans for an energy revolution that looks like nothing on offer from the traditional parties of power.
“We view the net zero targets as the prime reason for the deindustrialisation of Britain,” he declared.
Wearing a turquoise tie and Spitfire socks he rattled through a series of policies including a windfall tax on all renewable-generated power and a warning that a Reform Government will require all new pylons to be taken down and the cables put underground.
He also offered farmers an ultimatum. While Reform would abolish inheritance tax, farmers who use their land for solar power would be subject to a special tax when they die.
This is Trump-grade boldness – and with Reform topping a series of polls the idea of the party gaining a foothold in Government is nowhere near as wild as it once seemed.
Deputy leader Richard Tice told the gathering: “President Trump is putting America first and our future Prime Minister Nigel Farage will put the United Kingdom first.”
Mr Tice expects the windfall tax could raise £10billion – enough to knock “£300 to £350 per household per year” off bills.
Mr Farage – a fan of nuclear energy – has always delighted in breaking taboos and challenging conventional wisdom. But he is careful not to present himself as a climate change denier. Instead, he argues that Britain’s drive to eliminate carbon emissions will not help slow the increase in world temperatures.
When asked if he believes in climate change, he had an answer ready.
“Yes, absolutely. It’s happening all the time – it’s always has been; it always will be.
“Are our seas warmer now than they were 20 years ago? Yes, they are.
“How much of that is man? I have no idea.
“Do I want to live in a cleaner, greener, better world? I’ve been an environmentalist all my life.
“I just slightly worry that obsessing about CO2 has made us forget about many other things that have been going wrong in our world.”
It’s clear that Mr Farage is excited that his pal, President Trump, is now in the White House for a second term and looks forward to seeing how he will use the power of the presidency to remake the world.
Looking ahead to the negotiations on how to end the conflict in Ukraine, he said: “Thank God we’ve got an American president who is seeking peace, not war.”
