Lord Hammond was number 11 when Theresa May set her 2019 target of zero carbon emissions by 2050. Photo: John Nguyen
Successive Conservative prime ministers have been “systematically dishonest” with the public about the £1 trillion cost to reach net zero, former chancellor Lord Hammond said.
Lord Hammond said, that there is “inter-party disease”. politicians who do not speak candidly to voters about the “significant” true cost of the project and the inevitable consequences of a slower rise in living standards.
“In a democracy, you cannot take people with you at your own risk,” he warned.
As chancellor, Lord Hammond was ranked 11th in 2019, when Theresa May secured the the law aims to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050.
At the time, he sparked controversy when he told Ms May that the cost to the UK of reaching that goal could exceed £1 trillion.
A senior conservative figure, who asked not to be named, said the Treasury Department should now repeat the practice to see if the figure has changed.
“Both May and Johnson have not been candid with the public”
In a conversation with The The Telegraph Lord Hammond said that both his former boss and her successor, Boris Johnson, have not been forthright with the public on the issue and that there is currently no one in British politics “who understands such numbers”. p>
“Boris, mainly using his economic ignorance, tried to pretend that in fact it was not a cost at all, because it would be an investment and it would create jobs,” he said.
He said, that while net zero would indeed create jobs, it would be “in one part of the economy but not in another”, and while decarbonization was “a necessary thing”, it would cost “a significant amount”. money… that we cannot invest in expanding consumption.”
In terms of the private and public sectors, Lord Hammond said money should be shifted from raising living standards to changing “the nature of this consumption to decarbonize it.
“If you're of the liberal middle class type, you might as well say to yourself, 'Well, that's fine, because I find these [decarbonized] goods and services more valuable,'” he said. “But I think it's conceited to assume that people who live much closer to the poverty line will definitely think the same way.”
This process will mean “less consumption, less goods and services, less trips.” go to restaurants, buy less stuff on Amazon,” he said. “It's impossible to disguise or package.”
Mr. Johnson's argument that net zero income would only have economic potential was “simply wrong.” “If political leaders are systematically dishonest, it does direct damage to the climate agenda, but there is wider damage to politics,” he said.
“This is not a Tory disease, it is a cross-party disease.”
However, he said Mr Johnson was “not the only one” who was not open with people. “Honestly, Theresa May didn’t want to admit that decarbonization was costly at all,” he said.
When asked if he thought Rishi Sunak would take a different approach, he replied, “No. Do I think Keir Starmer will take a different approach? No.
“I don't think it's a Tory disease, I think it's a partisan disease, it's a political class disease.
“What do you do when you believe passionately that you need to do something in the national interest, you are completely convinced that it is the right thing to do across the political spectrum, but you cannot convince the damned electorate?
“What is happening is that you continue to bleat about democracy and how important it is, about our values and our principles, while in fact you are working, maybe explicitly, maybe implicitly, how to avoid transparency with the electorate.”
Insisting that he supports zero, Lord Hammond said there is “a real danger that we will end up losing the argument about the need to invest in climate change because of the unwillingness of politicians to be honest with people.”
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“If you take on a massive undertaking like decarbonizing the economy… it will cost you money.
“And everyone will pay, and I think politicians should be honest and open to the public about this question and lead.”
The results of the by-election were a 'wake-up call', by-elections in Uxbridge and South Ruislip where voters narrowly supported the Tories against the expansion of the ultra-low emission zone by Labor Mayor Sadiq Khan of London.
The former chancellor said the result was ” a wake-up call” about how the public can resist green policies “when it directly affects their own standard of living.”
“I don't think the political class as a whole understood how little the working man on the street signed up to this agenda,” he said.
On specific policies, he said the plan to ban boilers in new buildings from 2025 “will have to change” and that it would be crazy to go completely off the gas grid.
He said he was more ambivalent about switching to electric cars, but disagreed with Michael Gove's decision when he was Minister of the Environment, to set a date for the ban on the sale of cars with internal combustion engines.
“His opinion was that the industry would find a way. Well, I don't think that's entirely correct… there should be a bottom-up process,” he said.
Lord Hammond also warned of a “very dangerous” possibility for scientists and green activists to say that was to move the target to 2050.
“I'm afraid, since I actually support this agenda … that someone at some point will blurt out:” Well, if we can only do it by 2050 ” . we might as well not worry, because then it's too late.”
“People will then say, I think in large numbers: “well, to be honest, by 2050 it will be difficult to do. saying that you have to do it by 2035, just forget about it, buddy, because it's impossible.” And then you took all the pressure off.”
On Saturday, Mr. Sunak insisted in an interview with The Telegraph that he would take a “pragmatic and proportionate” approach to net zero “and not unnecessarily increase spending.” or troubles in people's lives.
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