Reform UK’s Lee Anderson used PMQs to ask Keir Starmer a simple question about Net Zero, which the Prime Minister could not answer. Taking to his feet in the Commons this lunchtime, the top Reform MP said he was about to ask a “sensible question” and expected a “sensible answer”.
He added: “But all I get is glazed expressions and waffle from the opposite benches. So, Mr Speaker, I want to ask the Prime Minister a very simple question on behalf of all the Net Zero sceptics. If we became Net Zero tomorrow, by how much would it reduce the earth’s temperature by? Simple question.”
Keir Starmer described Net Zero as “of course not easy”, but hit back that it is a “huge opportunity to boost our growth, our jobs and an opportunities”.
The Prime Minister continued: “He knows my views on that. He complains – [Reform] would have better ideas if they stopped fawning for Putin. The member for Clacton [Nigel Farage] wants to be Prime Minister, he can’t even lead a party that fits in the back of a taxi!”
Online observers of the furious spat all replied with the same thing, accusing Sir Keir of dodging the important question.
One X user observed: “Starmer’s answers are so weak, anything Reform ask he talks about Putin anything Kemi asks he talks £22bn black hole.”
Another said: “Just like Blair, he always dodges the question. The answer is zero, it would drop by zero [degrees].”
A third blasted: “He can’t answer because he hasn’t a clue, which given how easy the answer is just proves that it is a scam. The answer of course is zero!”
This week marked a turning point in the Net Zero debate, as the main-party consensus on the issue came to an end.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch delivered a speech in which she called Net Zero “impossible” and warned it would impoverish Britons.
She explained: “Cheap, reliable energy is the backbone of civilisation. Without it, living standards fall, businesses struggle, and the UK weakens on the world stage. Yet, for 20 years, politicians have pursued fantasy policies with NO REAL PLAN, driving up energy costs and making life harder for families.
“Labour’s making it worse—shutting down vital oil fields in Scotland, wasting billions on subsidies, and hitting pensioners. Meanwhile, countries like China and India prioritise energy security, while we cripple ourselves chasing unrealistic goals. Even if we hit Net Zero, the UK contributes just 1% of global emissions—it wouldn’t move the needle.”