The leader of Reform UK Richard Tice could not stop digging himself a hole last night on BBC Question Time when discussing climate change.
Responding to an audience question about what the UK is doing to protect the environment amid rising concerns, Tice said: “We all care about the environment but the climate has changed for millions and millions and millions of years.”
At this point, leader of the Green Party in England and Wales, Carla Denyer, rolled her eyes.
Tice said this was the “reality” long before man-made CO2 emissions – triggering a wave of laughter from the audience.
He admitted that 2,000 years of human activity has worsened the climate.
But he claimed: “There’s no evidence at all that if you get to net zero CO2 emissions, that all of a sudden, the power of the sun, the power of the sea, the power of the volcanic activity is going to stop.”
He said: “The better thing to do is to adapt to the change in climate and that is the smart thing to do and it’s a lot less costly than the current route to get to net zero, where there’s no evidence it will stop climate change.”
Presenter Fiona Bruce then jumped in: “And the countries which will be underwater, how will they adapt?”
That triggered further giggles from the audience.
However, Tice doubled down by claiming the Maldives were actually larger than they were 40 years ago.
Denyer cut in and said: “Can I ask Richard a question – what’s your science background?
“What makes you think you understand how climate change better than all of the world’s climate experts combined?”
Tice ignored the ongoing laughter from the crowd, and said there were plenty of scientists who thought net zero would not stop the climate crisis – and that sea level rise will continue for 200 more years.
Denyer said: “Do you understand why that is? It’s because the carbon that’s already going into the atmosphere will continue to have an effect for hundreds of years.
“It’s not that going to net zero doesn’t have a benefit.”
A member of the audience also challenged Tice, noting: “While we still have people such as Richard that even refuse to acknowledge that climate change is happening – due to our own...”
Tice interrupted: “No that’s not what I said, I said it’s been happening for millions of years.”
The man continued: “No, because quite frankly, human activity is a direct reason why climate change is occurring on the level that it is. Because you’re refusing to acknowledge that, we won’t get to the point and we won’t find a solution.
“Until we find a solution, honestly, you can relocate Westminster because London will be under water, as will Liverpool and will most of the cities where people live.”