UKIP’s Not So Bright Idea
Given their recent by-electoral success, it seemed wise to take a deeper look into the policies that have seen recent support for UKIP rise so dramatically.
14th December 2012 | Peter Rolton: Chairman, Rolton Group
Disillusionment caused by the continuing recession appears to have driven many to align themselves with the party, who are now seen as something akin to the far-right wing of old Conservatism. Whilst this shift is a common occurrence when a nation finds itself in choppy waters, the danger lies in the blind trust which so often follows. Having read the party’s energy policy, as out of date as the tungsten light bulb which illustrates the front page, it is clear that their proposed plan of action would very quickly result in the UK hitting a substantial iceberg if put into motion.
Entitled ‘Keeping the Lights on,’ the paper promises to provide the solution to the forthcoming energy shortfall by halting all renewable development and returning to traditional gas extraction whilst exploring the potential of shale reserves. All in the name of our national independence, apparently.
So keen are they to engage in an ideological war with Europe at all costs, though, that this central tenet of extrication from reliance upon other countries has been turned on its head. By treating global warming as mere propaganda dreamt up by Brussels and placing all the chips on gas and uncertain shale extraction instead of addressing the enduring problem, UKIP’s policy places us directly back into the hands of the global market.
This comes at a time when sustainable energy sources have the potential to bring about energy independence both nationally and on an individual level, which surely is in direct support of the party’s ethos. Rather than see the true independence which could be procured through a combination of green technologies, however, UKIP remain blinkered by the idea that any idea promoted by Europe is a bad one and thus tread a path which is completely contrary to what they supposedly stand for.
Politics is all about opinion and debate, which is as it should be. Policies, on the other hand, absolutely must be grounded in facts. UKIP fails to provide on this level, offering instead a Christmas cracker which looks very neat on the outside but, when pulled apart, reveals nothing more than a bad joke. With a catalogue of errors ranging from decontextualized sources and unsupported claims through to the use of discredited research as an accurate foundation from which conclusions may be built, the paper has no place in any serious forum of discussion.
Within the first two pages, the piece asks the question: ‘Why build [wind] turbines at all? Why not just build the gas?’ Well why indeed, aside from the obvious need to implement new technologies to replace the out-dated and inefficient ones the UK currently depends on, or the lack of any confirmed understanding of the potential shale capacity held under our feet? Perhaps it is the desire held by many to create a cleaner and more future-proof environment, or perhaps it is the fear of what will happen if we continue to take from the planet without giving anything in return.
Unrelenting in its attack on sustainable energy, the piece also argues that green industry employment costs four jobs for each one it creates. Having researched the paper from which this startling figure comes and read how thoroughly its authors have been criticised for their off-piste assertions, inaccuracies, and selective use of ‘evidence,’ the fact that a political party attributes it with such weight as to include it in an official document is astounding.
Yes, the renewables industry has suffered significant set-backs, and no of course now isn’t an ideal time to have to invest in a new range of technologies, but the UK’s hand is being forced. It is because of resistance like the kind displayed in ‘Keeping the Lights On’ that we find ourselves still stuttering and stumbling over the starting blocks when we so desperately need to be up and running with a greener energy mix.
Post Categories: