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6d ago

Reform UK Leads Polls as Net Zero Debate Intensifies Ahead of Local Elections

Nigel Farage's Reform UK gains momentum, challenging Labour's climate policies as Ed Miliband defends net zero targets in the face of rising populist opposition.

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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage poses outside The Waterford Lodge, Morpeth, in Northumberland, whilst on the local election campaign trail. Picture date: Tuesday April 15, 2025. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

Overview

  • A More in Common poll projects Reform UK as the largest party in a hypothetical general election, with 180 seats, surpassing Labour and the Conservatives, each projected at 165 seats.
  • Nigel Farage has framed net zero as 'the new Brexit,' advocating for scrapping the 2050 target and pursuing self-sufficiency in fossil fuels, despite official forecasts showing heavy import reliance by 2050.
  • Labour's Ed Miliband has criticized Farage and the Conservatives for spreading 'nonsense and lies,' defending net zero as crucial for energy security, economic renewal, and climate stability.
  • Emergency legislation has been enacted to nationalize British Steel, with Farage blaming renewable energy costs for the Scunthorpe plant's crisis, a claim dismissed by Labour as misleading.
  • The 1 May local elections are seen as a critical test of Reform UK's polling momentum, with the party campaigning heavily on anti-net zero and energy independence themes.