Tory Leadership Race: The UKIP-ers and Climate Deniers Backing Gove and Leadsom

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Whoever becomes Britainโ€™s next prime minister will be tasked with many critical energy and climate policy decisions โ€“ from ratifying the Paris Agreement to phasing outย coal.

Currently, in a surprise to many, Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom is among the top three contenders along withย Home Secretaryย Theresa May and Justice Secretaryย Michaelย Gove.

And perhaps one interesting indicatorย for how each candidate mightย approach energy and climate decisions as prime ministerย is to look at the thoseย declaring their support forย each of theseย individuals.

So, from Lord Lawson and Owen Paterson to Boris Johnson and Amber Rudd, whoโ€™s backing the top Tory leadershipย contenders?

Michaelย Gove

If youโ€™re searching for the climate science denierโ€™s best hope, look noย further.

Lord Lawson, head of the climate science denying Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF), has put his weight behindย Gove.

In a statement released on 4 July, Lawson said Gove โ€œcampaigned with patriotic conviction and made the case with intellectual authority,โ€ adding that he has โ€œa good understanding of both economic and foreignย policy.โ€

This may not be such a surprise however. As DeSmog UK revealed last month, Gove is nestled within the web of Brexit climate deniers.

In an article this week Bloomberg New Energy Finance describes how Gove is being โ€œinfluenced on energyโ€ by Lawson: โ€œThis could lead to a change for the energy industry and a move away from carbonย policies.โ€

Perhaps one indication of where energy policy may go under a Lawson-influenced Gove government came yesterday at a GWPF event in the House of Lords where the group called for the scrapping of the fifth carbonย budget.

And while Gove described himself in a 2014 speech to the Conservative Environment Network as a โ€œshy greenโ€ in the past he also sought to remove climate change from the national geography curriculum. He also stopped Energy and Climate Secretary Amber Rudd from attending the Lima climate conference two yearsย ago.

There’s also that time he discussed Game of Thrones in climate science denierย James Delingpoleโ€™s garden. So thereโ€™sย that.

Andreaย Leadsom

Leadsom has seen as an unexpected surge in support, particularly after Johnson publicly declared his support for her, stating she had โ€œthe zap, the drive and the determinationโ€ to lead theย country.

This has left many on either side of the debate searching for assurances on where she stands on energy and climateย policy.

So far, Leadsom has been the only candidate to really say anything about energy policy. Since the referendum sheโ€™s said sheโ€™s committed to supporting energy security, keeping power bills down, and decarbonising the power sector. Sheโ€™s also long been a strong supporter of fracking and nuclearย power.

Today she also insisted that the government’s commitment to acting on climate change would not change post-Brexit: โ€œHowever we choose to leave the EU, let me be clear: we remain committed to dealing with climateย change.โ€

And because of her stated support for the fifth carbon budget, it seems Lawson has ruled her out as a worthyย candidate.

However, this hasnโ€™t stopped others such as former Environment Secretaryย Owen Paterson from tweeting out his support forย Leadsom.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail‘sย David Rose is also searching for some clarity on Leadsom’s climateย stance.

Finally, UKIPโ€™s main millionaire backer Arron Banks this weekend said Leadsom was โ€œthe breakout star of the Leave campaign during the referendumโ€ and announced that his leave.eu campaign group would be โ€œthrowing its full weight behind Andrea, particularlyย online.โ€

At Leadsomโ€™s leadership bid launch yesterday Banksโ€™ right hand man Andy Wigmore was also spotted in theย crowd.

UKIP is known for having a slew of climate science denying members, from Douglas Carswell to Roger Helmer. And with Nigel Farage now no-longer UKIPโ€™s leader, the partyโ€™s main backer has turned his sights toย Leadsom.

Leadsom has refused to rule out including Farage as part of her negotiating team in talks with the EU about how Britainโ€™s exit willย happen.

And, like UKIP (and Gove) she seems to share a similar dislike for experts as a tweet by Telegraph journalist Emily Gosden suggests. Trusting experts, however, is pretty crucial when it comes to making sound policyย decisions.

Theresaย May

Meanwhile, Theresa May has won the support of Amber Rudd who last week said: โ€œWhen I consider who to back as leader of the Conservative Party and future prime minister, knowing where they stand on this issue [climate change], which is so important to me, will be absolutely central to whoย Iย support.โ€

May hasnโ€™t been the most vocal person when it comes to green issues. In fact, sheโ€™s been mostly silent apart from publicly backing the Climate Change Act ahead of its becomingย law.

As BusinessGreen argues: โ€œRudd’s endorsement may win her some support, but for the green movement to wholeheartedly throw its weight behind May she will need to become much more vocal in her support for greenย issues.โ€

And according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, May is also likely to keep the UK in the single market, which would undoubtedly help support the energyย sector.

Photo: DECC viaย Flickr

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Kyla is a freelance writer and editor with work appearing in the New York Times, National Geographic, HuffPost, Mother Jones, and Outside. She is also a member of the Society for Environmental Journalists.

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