As Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham wanted to slash hydrocarbon use by 90% in 10 years. Now the new Energy Minister is making similar noises. Chris Morrison wonders if destroying modern society is still the plan.

Praise the Lord, a Saviour from the North walks amongst us. The UK’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has apparently hinted that a tad more oil and gas might be taken from Britain’s remaining treasure trove lying undisturbed in the North Sea. Is this a push back on fanatical Net Zero treason as some commentators have suggested? Probably not. As always there is no need for conspiracy theories – just look at what they supported and said in the past. The new Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is a green blob-funded whack job straight out of central climate casting, while the new tee-shirt wearing top dog is all signed up to the evil, society-destroying Climate and Nature (CAN) Bill.
It didn’t take long for the bill promoter Zero Hour (ka-ching, Green Blob money) to list the new Prime Minister as one of 193 MPs who support the proposed private member’s CAN legislation that will cut the country’s entire use of hydrocarbons – domestic and overseas – to just 10% within 10 years. Zero Hour notes of Burnham: “In 2024, as Mayor of Greater Manchester, he backed the Climate and Nature Bill because he recognised that Britain needed bold, science-led action to tackle the climate and nature crisis.”
Other more accurate interpretations are available along the lines that the bill is an abominable neo-Marxist Trojan horse that would lead to mass starvation, death and almost immediate industrial and societal collapse. With little or no hydrocarbons available from any source, food supplies would be cut in half due to a lack of fertiliser, while most medicines would be unavailable. In the regular periods of wind and solar drought, particularly in the winter, thousands would die in their blacked-out and unheated homes. Thankfully, the bill failed in the House of Commons when it was debated last year, but a terrifying 200 MPs agreed with its vile contents. Over 90 Labour MPs, all the Greens and LibDems plus two crackpot Tories said they supported the bill.
We can but pray that the two unhinged Tories, Sir Roger Gale and Simon Hoare, are currently receiving sympathetic re-education treatment as the Kemi Badenoch-led Conservative party now rushes towards the Net Zero exit. Similar classes of course are required for wayward Tories who believe that men can become women, and open borders lead to civilisation contentment.
Just three reasons come to mind to explain the heavy support for the House of Commons horror show.
- Rank stupidity: If the IQ score of any supporter was much lower, steps might have to be taken to ensure regular watering.
- Blinding ignorance: Five decades of dumbed-down education must take some blame, but the inability not to use at least one critical-thinking brain cell is worrying.
- Tunnel-vision zealotry: Overwhelming desire to re-order society along State-controlling communist lines – and if the majority kulaks get it, too bad. Inventing a climate crisis without a scintilla of conclusive proof is justified to create an equal, virtuous, brave new post-truth world.
Of course, allowing the two North Sea fields Rosebank and Jackdaw to open is little more than re-arranging the deckchairs on the Net Zero Ship of Fools. Thanks to the 2008 Climate Change Act and later amendments made by the Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, Britain is legally committed to short-order Net Zero destruction. Unless the legislation is torn up, new drilling is likely to be challenged in the courts. As 2050 looms closer, lawfare will likely stop almost all new projects where emissions are likely to arise from using hydrocarbons.
The small Burnham North Sea relaxation, along with the removal of 5% VAT on electricity bills, is an obvious electoral ploy to disguise the fact that Britain now has some of the highest energy costs in the industrial world – and they are likely to get a great deal higher in the future.
Meanwhile, the woman who has taken charge of Britain’s laughably named energy security department is testament to the growing power of dark green money. Miatta Fahnbulleh has cut her teeth in two hard-Left green think tanks, both of which have relied on funding from billionaire donors. Over recent years, billions of pounds of this dark green money have flowed from rich individuals pushing a Net Zero agenda via ‘charitable’ tax-advantageous payments. Most of the foundation vehicles seem to be driven by virtuous liberal guilt or a desire to promote a trillion-dollar subsidy-driven Net Zero world. Sometimes a toxic mixture of both.
None of this will be news to regular readers of the Daily Sceptic over the last few years, although it is of interest that switched-on media such as the Spectator and Telegraph have started reporting on the massive narrative-grooming cash flows. To this day, most mainstream media seems happier blowing thick masking smoke around by lying that climate and Net Zero inquiring copy is generally funded by oil companies. Again, as Daily Sceptic readers will be aware, the green money tsunami has groomed climate journalists, funded Armageddon brainwashing in schools, made possible thousands of narrative-only science papers and bankrolled the growth of countless propaganda tanks and ersatz community groups. In addition, political operations dedicated to Net Zero such as the Sadiq Khan-led C40 operation linking around 100 capital cities around the world would not exist without tens of millions of dollars of financial support.
The elevation of Ms Fahnbulleh to high ministerial office is a great coup for this world of green cash – jackpot might not be an exaggeration to describe her elevation to the powerful energy role. From 2017 to 2023, she was the chief executive of the New Economics Foundation (NEF). During that period, she frequently argued for measures that would fundamentally reshape everyday life. A particular bugbear seems to have been airline travel, where the NEF argued for frequent flyer taxes reaching into hundreds of pounds. In addition to redirected local taxes from Manchester City Council and the Greater London Authority, the NEF has received funds from many Left-wing money trees including the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Climate Works Foundation, Oak Foundation and the European Climate Foundation (ECF).
The latter operation has attracted considerable recent interest since it acts as a conduit for lobbying funds from numerous other sources. In a recent article by Marcel Crok of Clintel titled ‘The dark green lobby that nobody talks about’, it is noted that ECF received 275 million euros in donations in 2023 alone. Readers of the Daily Sceptic might recall that ECF was a major funder of the now-closed Oxford Climate Journalism Network that groomed around 800 useful messengers on the correct way to report the climate emergency. Initial funding to run an online six-month agitprop course was about £477,000.
In the recent past, Fahnbulleh has argued that Left-wing governments must treat the climate ‘crisis’ with the urgency of wartime mobilisation and prioritise systemic change over short-term considerations. In a 2020 article for Foreign Affairs, Fahnbulleh outlined her vision for a global green new deal. She called for a “massive mobilisation of resources to decarbonise” economies and advocated slashing carbon emissions to Net Zero within 10 to 15 years.
“The goal should be Net Zero carbon emissions within 10 to 15 years, which will require governments to make significant investments in green infrastructure”, she wrote. This clearly stated political aim is little different from that found in the proposed CAN Bill. Perhaps she and her new boss could make it clear if they still support destroying the UK economy in such a short timeframe.
Chris Morrison is the Daily Sceptic’s Environment Editor. Follow him on X.
The joke is Burnham is the Mayor of Britain…
Or maybe just “The joke is Burnham.” Just not a very funny one.
Seems re: cuts, a forced transition from Andy (low voice) to Andi (high voice) would be in order.
Burnham transitions…
Sadly, it’s no joke
Can we export Mamdani to UK?
I understand he is an excellent mayor. 😉
In 2024 74% of UK primary energy consumption came from fossil fuels, oil (39%) gas (32%) coal (3%) (latest data, Our World in Data).
The much applauded reduction in UK energy coming from fossil fuels has been due to the reduction in the use of coal (60% in 1965 -> 3% in 2023) while the shares of oil and gas have been relatively constant for about 30 years.
The ‘low-hanging fruit’ of net-zero is all gone, any further reduction must come with renewables (2024, 21%) replacing oil gas & coal (2024, 74%), or nuclear (2024, 5%).
Reindustrializing UK relying solely on wind and solar would be miraculous, amongst all the flannel in the “Burnham Programme” there is just the faintest timid suggestion that small nuclear reactors (SMRs) might be on the cards.
Small nuclear will not be supported by Labour. They see the option as threatening their control of energy policy so will do all in their planning control powers to stop the implementation.
The Climate Alarmists are founded on the Anti Nuclear mindset and they simply can’t allow any technology to be embraced that has the word nuclear attached to it.
Labour is focused entirely on unreliables – with lip service paid to other options.
“The Climate Alarmists are founded on the Anti Nuclear mindset”
They’re against any kind of reliable energy.
Just how do these people become elected to represent and govern us? I suspect that much of it is blind adherence to a political party without scrutinising policy.
Well, in NYC several marxists won primaries or election because only a tiny percentage of the populace bothered to vote. I suspect the same in the UK
Time for the native folks to sell what you got and get out of Dodge.
The UK will be Muslim in 15 years, Sharia Law will prevail.
That is quite a fall from ruling the waves and 25% of the world’s land area In 1920.
Then, perhaps, they’ll change the name of the UK to… I dunno- something hideous.
Do many people in the UK with more intelligence not vote?
Hard to know. We don’t have a system that you can easily pin down.
Jeremy Corbyn lost the election in 2019 to Boris Johnson, yet Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour had over a million votes more than Keir Starmer who had a large majority.
Turnout is a big factor. At the last London Mayoral election only 40% turned out to vote. Sadistiq Khan got just over half of that vote.
It’s a mediaeval theme park here, politically.
Never underestimate the ignorance of the hard left or its capacity to promote those with destructive plans to the top of their political hierarchy.
Welcome to round two of project destruction with its new leader and tax increasing plans.
Story Tip (UK)
£billions in costs net zero.
Robotic delusional mendacious Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman responds:-
‘We do not recognise these figures, which ignore the savings clean homegrown power will bring.’
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16012001/cost-Net-Zero-40billion-end-decade-report.html
What the spokesman meant to say: “We do not recognise reality…”
To stop this foolishness, each and every mention of “a cut in hydrocarbon use” must (not just “should”) be accompanied by a realistic and true cost of such foolishness. “Mrs. Jones, this will increase your monthly electric bill by $xxx.xx and where will you get the money?” Make the argument something like ” … an actual $300 per month increase in your energy bill to prevent a theoretical one degree increase in average temperature.”
“an actual $300 per month increase in your energy bill to prevent a theoretical one degree increase in average temperature.”
Estimates of how much Earth’s temperature would change by 2100 if everyone achieved net zero range from 0.2C-0.02C. Since there is zero chance of that happening, the $300 increase in energy costs in Britan is mathematically impossible to have a measurable impact on Earth’s temperature. The level of stupidity required to support this abuse of society is hard to even fathom.
Eventually the UK (and others, eg Germany) will fall far enough that even the self-blind Left will be embarrassed.
On past performance, I’d say they are highly likely to double down.
“even the self-blind Left will be embarrassed.”
Nope, I don’t think that is possible.
They will feel “pride” at the destruction of the western civilisation.
Oklely dokely. When is he going to stop?
Burnham, of course, is already totting up the air miles on domestic flights to Manchester, the kind of flights that green zealots would like to ban (think of the polar bears). We look forward to him explaining how it was that Manchester Council began negotiations on leasing the ‘No. 10 of the North” offices back in May, several weeks before the by-election that returned Burnham to Westminster. On whose authority did a local authority commence such negotiations on behalf of national government? Who was paying for the local authority’s staff time?
Burnham’s No 10 North building (Heron House)… the lease was taken out in May 2026. He began the plot only one year into Starmer’s term.
But like Starmer he has no plan, no clue and no idea.
Interestingly…
Labour has confirmed that it has offered further support for Ukrainians living in the UK by extending driving rights.
…
Eligible Ukrainians will also not be required to register and pay Vehicle Excise Duty on their Ukraine-plated vehicles for an extra two years.
???
The Government said this will reduce administrative burdens and “avoid unnecessary costs” when returning to Ukraine. GBN
Meanwhile even though we are taxed up to the hilt it isn’t enough
Andy Burnham ‘death tax’: Minister leaves door open to 10% levy on inheritances – The Standard
Net zero is costing £40 billion plus, this year.
Does all this stupidity have anything to do with the reality of the UK as a once great empire now reduced to a small island off the coast of a small peninsula of Asia? Did other dying empires also get so stupid?
Personally speaking, the British empire like all empires was doomed at some point, but at least when the Roman empire – of which we were a part for over 400 years – fell apart nobody was looking for reparations and free money.
The US is not immune.
The failed Roman Empire turned to Christianity- a religion of the downcast- which apparently the Romans felt. Maybe the Moslem world is so angry as to be dangerous because their gold years were a millennium ago. America is now the top dog and now over confident. I think it’ll outlast previous empires as it has unique strengths.
How do we get incompetent, delusional politicians in office?
Because too many voters listen to, and believe, Leftwing Media propaganda.
It’s more than that. It’s also because way too many nominally right-wing citizens don’t bother to vote in our elections, ceding the ideological ground to highly-motivated, well-funded, well-organized left-wing political activists.
Get on with the full country-level test of no fossil fuels so we can all hit the reset button and document what the New Deal Depression looks like. The city or province level test is not good enough because of freedom to leave and other flight risk observed across local borders for revealing the con game prematurely.
One has to wonder how long the people will stand by and watch the destruction of their country by an unproven theory that is ignored by most of the world. As the years go by and “carbon reduction” goals are not met the ‘fix’ keeps getting more draconian.
I certainly wonder about that. How much destruction can the people stand before they call for big changes?
Story tip
New York wants to govern Iowa and Missouri
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/new-york-wants-govern-iowa-missouri-suing-stop-cold
The UK is so far out on a limb wrt energy that a major disaster is very conceivable. It uses more energy than it produces. It is reliant on just-in-time deliveries of LNG, an undersea NG pipeline, international electrical interconnects, and wind. A failure of any one of those creates economic pain and stresses the grid. Lose two and they must shut down all industry, beg people to conserve, pay huge energy prices, and are instantly in a recession.
A blocking high pressure system is common in late winter of El Nino years. It results in no wind for days (Dunkelflaute) and extreme cold comes down from the arctic. There is no wind energy. Because of a drought in southern Norway, production of hydroelectric power has been curtailed. The surplus being bought by the UK has been cut in half.
Europe is at very low storage levels of natural gas. LNG prices in winter are already predicted to be high. At best, this will be a very expensive year for the UK. If anything else goes wrong it could be lights out.
Recent appointments to public office in Britain lead me to believe that to qualify for the jobs one has to support almost unattainable and particularly inane environmental targets. Burnham and a few other recent appointees cause me to believe this theory even more strongly.
Which are the favored ones in the 10 percent of the economy that remains?
Right, start by cutting off all electricity and gas supplies to every Labour MP and their families. Make sure 10 Downing Street is freezing cold in the winter. Cut off Whitehall and the Palace of Westminster too. No reason for civil servants to be kept warm in the winter.
Not much chance of change until the next general election is a couple of years.
He shares the same lunatic asylum as Miliband.