Panic in Brussels, panic in Westminster, panic in Oxbridge, panic at the Guardian and it's all because of the People's Army.
"EU climate policy being 'taken hostage' by Ukip, MEPs say
David Cameron must show courage to face down Ukip-friendly backbenchers or UK risks undermining a strong 2030 goal on saving energy, warn MEPs
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Roger Helmer, Ukip’s European parliament leader and energy spokesman, has controversially said climate change is a “myth” and that “fossil fuels are the future” of British energy policy.
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He told the Guardian that Ukip would be campaigning on the doorstep in the next election over energy prices, an issue which the Daily Mail today linked to EU green energy policies, citing a report by the pro-free market Open Europe think tank.
“In many areas we are leading Conservative party opinion because we are saying what many Conservative party members and MP’s actually believe,” he said. “Conservative backbenchers and activists are saying ‘we’re really embarrassed because Ukip has a sensible policy in this area and the Conservative party doesn’t’.”
He continued: “The EU’s climate and energy policy is a disaster.It is damaging the economy and driving energy intensive business offshore, frequently to jurisdictions with lower standards. I primarily blame Brussels, but the current government has made climate policy worse than it needs to be under EU law.”
Ukip’s positioning has already raised hackles in Brussels, with the EU’s energy commissioner Gunther Oettinger warning earlier this summer that campaigns against efficiency measures were being used as a proxy for stirring anti-European sentiment.
“Political parties have fulminated against the Union’s efforts to reduce the energy consumption of, for example, light bulbs, vacuum cleaners and coffee machines,” Oettinger wrote in a letter to energy ministers.
“We have seen similar attempts in the past, when national press [sic] has used these measures in a way that risks creating anti-European feelings amongst citizens. This should not be taken lightly. Attempts at undermining ecodesign and energy labelling directly undermine our energy policy.”
www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/23/eu-climate-policy-being-taken-hostage-by-ukip-meps-say