'Reform are showing themselves to be the political voice of the vested interests of big oil and corporate profit.'
Reform UK mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, Andrea Jenkyns, admitted on Times Radio last night that she doesn’t believe in climate change.
Asked by Times journalist Kait Borsey how Reform UK would pay for its £50 billion a year policies, including increasing the personal tax allowance to £20,000 and scrapping the two child limit on benefit payments.
Jenkyns responded that the party will “completely stop net zero”, stating that scrapping net zero subsidies would save “a massive amount” of money.
Asked if she believes in climate change, Jenkyns dodged the question, stating: “I’ve said for a long time that we need to ditch net zero and actually focus on economic growth. A million percent.”
Borsey asked: “But then how do you tackle climate change? And do you believe climate change exists?”
The former Tory MP, who lost her seat at the 2024 election, said: “Do I believe climate change exists? No.”
The journalist pressed on this: “So you’re not a believer in climate, you know, despite rising global temperatures, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, despite all that evidence?”.
“It depends what evidence you look at,” Jenkyns said, before explaining that she joined climate-sceptic group Net Zero Watch because there was “no scrutiny” of net zero in Parliament.
Jenkyns was previously a director at Tufton Street-based Net Zero Watch, a pressure group that denies climate science and has links to the Global Warming Policy Foundation.
She was a director between May 2023 and May 2025, and says this was an unpaid role.
Borsey then sought clarification, suggesting that if Jenkyns doesn’t believe in climate change, she presumably sees no need for net zero.
The Greater Lincolnshire mayor said: “Absolutely. And I think it’s harming industry. I think it’s a money making racket where certain businesses and individuals are making money out of it.”
Responding to the Jenkyns’ comments, Green Party Co-Leader, Adrian Ramsay MP, said: “If Reform ever had a mask, it has now well and truly slipped. Her comments suggest she hasn’t got the slightest grasp of climate science, but it’s worse than that. Let’s not forget Reform is bankrolled by fossil fuel interests, climate deniers, and major polluters, taking in £2.3 million since the 2019 election. Reform are showing themselves to be the political voice of the vested interests of big oil and corporate profit.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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