John Redwood

John Redwood

Credentials

Background

John Redwood is a Conservative Party politician and has been the MP for Wokingham since 1987. Between 1993 and 1995, Redwood held the position of Secretary of State for Wales under John Major, before resigning from the cabinet to stand against Major in the Conservative Party leadership election of June 1995. Redwood lost, but stood again in the leadership election following the resignation of Major in 1997, where he was again unsuccessful.4โ€œAbout: The Rt Hon John Redwood MP,โ€ John Redwood. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/tfyYH

A long-serving Eurosceptic, Redwood wrote in 2011 that it would be best for the Eurozone to โ€œbreak up,โ€ and since the Referendum has become a member of hard Brexit campaign group Leave Means Leave. Other members include Jacob Rees-Mogg and Owen Paterson, the latter being connected to climate science denial organisation the Global Warming Policy Foundation through Matt Ridley, his brother-in-law.5โ€œMaking the break,โ€ The Economist, December 8, 2012. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/T4MLJ 6โ€œLetโ€™s give up our EU veto and opt out instead,โ€ The Telegraph, August 8, 2011. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/1OCIz 7James Cusick. โ€œOwen Paterson, his sceptic brother-in-law, and how Defra went cold on climate change,โ€ Independent, November 29, 2013. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/dRAvO

The links between Redwood and hardline Brexit organisations, as well as climate science denial organisations, are not hard to find. Global Vision, a pro-Brexit group founded by euro- and climate sceptic Ruth Lea, lists Redwood as one of its โ€œParliamentary Friends.โ€ Global Vision is one of the organisations resident at 55 Tufton Street, the heart of the network of climate science denial and pro-Brexit lobby groups.8Tom Bawden. โ€œThe address where Eurosceptics and climate change sceptics rub shoulders,โ€ Independent, February 10, 2016. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/PSL5U

Stance on Climate Change

February 11, 2014

In a debate on Sky News about flooding and climate change, Redwood claimed that natural variability, and not man-made emissions, is to blame for the climate changing:9โ€œTom Burke – Sky News – Climate change and floods – 11FEB14,โ€ YouTube video uploaded by user โ€œTom Burke,โ€ February 12, 2014. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

โ€œWhat we’ve got to do in Britainโ€”a relatively small, but relatively prosperous countryโ€”is to make sure that we spend our money wisely and adapt to the conditions as they change.

Climate is always changing, and we had extreme floods apparently along these lines over 100 years ago until 300 years ago. So these extreme events do occur from time to time.โ€

[โ€ฆ]

โ€œThe climate changes for all sorts of reasons, I mean volcanic activity, the jet stream, water vapour in the atmosphere, cloud formation and the sunโ€™s cycles as well as man-made carbon dioxide, which some people seem to think is the only driver of it.โ€

Key Quotes

February 7, 2022

Remarking on the UK’s continuing gas crisis, Redwood tweeted:10When will the Business department announce permissions and support for new domestic gas production to generate more tax revenue and less CO2? When will they reduce their penal carbon prices which are forcing U.K. industry out of business, leaving us more reliant on imports?,” Tweet by @JohnRedwood, February 7, 2022. Retrieved from twitter.com. Archived February 9, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/XBRSh

“When will the Business department announce permissions and support for new domestic gas production to generate more tax revenue and less CO2? When will they reduce their penal carbon prices which are forcing U.K. industry out of business, leaving us more reliant on imports?”

January 8, 2022

Commenting on the UK’s gas crisis in light of record-high prices, Redwood tweeted:11More gas is the answer to a gas crisis. We need it to heat our homes and fuel our factories. We also need it as back up for electricity generation when the wind does not blow or blows too much. Letโ€™s have some more U.K. sourced gas as well as more windmills.,” Tweet by @JohnRedwood, January 8, 2022. Retrieved from twitter.com. Archived January 10, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/OtjRC

“More gas is the answer to a gas crisis. We need it to heat our homes and fuel our factories. We also need it as back up for electricity generation when the wind does not blow or blows too much. Letโ€™s have some more U.K. sourced gas as well as more windmills.”

January 7, 2022

In response to discussions about the government’s net zero plans, Redwood tweeted: “If the government wants us to grow less food, produce less energy and stop making diesel and petrol cars how would it like us to learn a living?”12If the government wants us to grow less food, produce less energy and stop making diesel and petrol cars how would it like us to earn a living?,” Tweet by @JohnRedwood, January 7, 2022. Retrieved from twitter.com. Archived January 7, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/RiVnc

November 29, 2012

On a blog post for Redwoodโ€™s website, he referred to climate change as โ€œglobal warming theory.โ€ In response to a comment on the same blog post, Redwood wrote:13โ€œThe BBC in overdrive for global warming theory and the EU,โ€ John Redwood, November 29, 2012. Archived December 21, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wODfu

โ€œIf you assume the worst then there is absolutely no point in spending any money trying to prevent inevitable climate change.โ€

June 13, 2011

In a blog post at his website, Redwood wrote:14โ€œClimate change policies and energy prices,โ€ John Redwood, June 13, 2011. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/UHEPG

โ€œ I was pleased to hear today that a government adviser is thinking of proposing that global warming is removed as part of the national curriculum.โ€

April 10, 2008

Redwood wrote on his blog:15โ€œUK human CO2 output represents 0.0025% of greenhouse gases,โ€ John Redwood, April 10, 2008. Archived December 21, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/G3eCB

โ€œAl Gore and The BBC climate change propoganda [sic] machine tell us the science of climate change is settled โ€“ all sensible scientists believe in global warming, and think the major cause is human produced CO2.

โ€œThis reveals an ignorance of the way science works. Science is never settled. โ€œ

[โ€ฆ]

โ€œI was pleased to hear a BBC programme on Sunday pointing out that adaptation to climate change was a sensible response in addition to or rather than trying to cut carbon emissions.โ€

April 7, 2008

In a blog post, Redwood declared:16โ€œIs this what global warming is like?โ€ John Redwood, April 7, 2008. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/snyge

โ€œI look out of my window to see my garden frozen solid, covered in frost and snow. It is April 7th, and I have just turned the heating up [โ€ฆ] Will the government please give us some accurate figures of temperature trends over the last 100 years, given the disputes we read about over the very simple question ‘Has it been getting warmer or not?’โ€

Key Deeds

May 2016

Redwoodโ€™s signature was one of many on a letter to then-energy secretary Amber Rudd, arguing that the UK setting โ€œradicalโ€ climate targets would not reduce overall emissions for Europe, since other countries in the EU would just take less action.17Emily Gosden. โ€œUK climate target will let rest of EU do less, MPs warn,โ€ The Telegraph, May 14, 2016. Archived December 21, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/5EYoE

As DeSmog UK reported, the majority of signatories were part of the small and influential network of Eurosceptic and climate science denial groups.18Kyla Mandel. โ€œMPs Who Complained About BBC’s Brexit Coverage Linked to Network of Hardline Euro-Climate Sceptics,โ€ DeSmog, March 23, 2017.

October 2, 2013

Redwood blamed rising energy prices on the climate policies of then-climate change secretary Ed Miliband. He also writes that the future of energy for Britain should include more oil and gas and less โ€œheavily subsidised and very dearโ€ wind energy.19โ€œJohn Redwood MP: Mr Miliband’s policies as Climate Change Secretary led to higher energy prices,โ€ Get Reading, October 2, 2012. Archived December 21, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/k0auH

July 2012

In an open letter to the Director General of the BBC, Redwood attacked the broadcasting company for โ€œinstitutional biasโ€ in matters of the EU and climate change. Redwood claimed that pro-EU opinions are given preference in airtime and were interrupted less, and believed the same was true for those who are concerned about climate change.20โ€œOpen letter to the new DG of the BBC,โ€ John Redwood, July 6, 2012. Archived December 21, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/vo08x

October 2010

Redwood was among a small group of politicians who met with climate sceptics on โ€œClimate Fools Day,โ€ hosted by Sammy Wilson MP.21โ€œCabal of climate sceptics to descend on UK parliament,โ€ The Guardian, October 26, 2010. Archived December 21, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/48nIs

The event was intended to mark the anniversary of the signing of the Climate Change Act of 2008. Prominent climate sceptic blog Watts Up With That described it as a โ€œsmall enthusiastic, slightly eccentricโ€œ gathering of about seventy people.22Anthony Watts. โ€œWho are the Climate Fools? โ€“ Climate Fools Day Recap,โ€ Watts Up With That? November 2, 2010. Archived December 21, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/VtypS

Affiliations

Social Media

Publications

Redwood has written repeatedly on climate change at his blog. For example:

Some of Redwood’s selected publications, listed at All Souls College Oxford, include: 42โ€œThe Rt Hon. John Redwood: List of Selected Publicationsโ€ (PDF), All Soul’s College Oxford.

  • After the Credit Crunch No More Boom and Bust (Middlesex University Press, 2009), 192pp
  • I Want to Make a Difference โ€“ But I donโ€™t Like Politics (Methuen, 2006), 244pp
  • Superpower Struggles: Mighty America, Faltering Europe, Rising Asia (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005), 194pp
  • Third Way โ€“ Which Way?: How Should We Pay For Public Services? (Middlesex University Press, 2002), 192pp
  • Stars and Strife: The Coming Conflicts between the USA and the European Union (Palgrave, 2001)
  • The Death of Britain: The UK’s Constitutional Crisis (Macmillan, 1999)
  • The Global Marketplace: Capitalism and its Future (Harper Collins Publishers, 1993)
  • Popular Capitalism (Routledge, 1988)
  • Public Enterprise in Crisis: The Future of the Nationalised Industries (Basil Blackwell, 1980)
  • Reason, Ridicule and Religion: The Age of Enlightenment in England 1660โ€“1750 (Thames and Hudson, 1976)

Other Resources

Resources

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