Reform UK has declared war on what it calls "the monumental hypocrisy" of the Drax power station, vowing to immediately end billions in green subsidies and stop the burning of trees at Britain's largest single emitter of carbon dioxide.
The Drax Scandal Exposed
Located in North Yorkshire, Drax power station stands accused of operating what Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice describes as a "tree crematorium" that consumes one tree every second. Since 2012, approximately 300 million trees have been incinerated at the facility - six times more than exist in the entire New Forest.
The controversy deepens when examining the source of these trees. Rather than using domestic timber, Drax imports most of its wood pellets from North America, transporting them on diesel freighters across 6,000-mile journeys. Last year, the company was fined £25 million by regulator Ofgem for misreporting the origin of its wood pellets, which investigation revealed came from primary forests in British Columbia, Canada.
The Subsidy Nightmare
Since 2012, Drax has received £8 billion in subsidies from British billpayers, a figure that Reform UK claims makes this "12 times more expensive than the Post Office scandal." The party argues that these long-term contracts were secured through what they characterize as political deception.
Richard Tice points directly to former Labour energy secretary Ed Miliband as the "author of this disaster," noting that in 2009, Miliband announced the government would "ramp up" burning of what was described as "sustainable" wood at Drax. The current Labour leadership has reportedly promised to extend these "welfare payments" for another four years while increasing the price billpayers must pay by 11%.
The Environmental Deception
The fundamental problem with Drax's operations, according to Reform UK, lies in the accounting of carbon emissions. The power station produces 12 million tonnes of carbon annually, representing nearly 3% of Britain's entire CO2 emissions in 2023. However, these emissions don't appear on Britain's Net Zero ledger due to what critics call a scientific fiction.
"Mr Miliband pretends that replacement trees immediately reabsorb all the CO2 from the atmosphere, when science says that takes the best part of a century," Tice explained. This accounting trick makes Drax's emissions "magically disappear" despite burning wood being more polluting than the coal the station originally used.
Political Complicity Across Parties
The scandal extends beyond any single political party. After Miliband, Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne took over as climate secretary, only to later join a wood pellet company after his political career ended in prison. He was succeeded by fellow Lib Dem Ed Davey, and under subsequent Tory governments, the situation reportedly worsened.
During Conservative oversight, Drax CEO Will Gardiner personally received £5 million in just one year, while the station continued receiving substantial subsidies. Reform UK claims that "the Tories, Lib Dems and Labour are hopelessly compromised by the firm."
Reform UK's Solution
The party has announced a three-pronged approach to resolve what they term "this environmental and economic nightmare." First, they will immediately revoke Drax's subsidies and long-term contracts. Second, they will set a definitive date for the last tree to be burned in a British power station. Third, if Drax threatens energy supplies, the government will place it under new ownership without compensation.
"Drax shareholders need to understand the eye-watering sums Drax's CEO has paid lawyers in an attempt to wriggle free from accountability like a greased piglet," Tice stated, urging shareholders to replace current executives immediately.
Reform UK positions itself as the only party willing to confront what it describes as one of Britain's greatest environmental and economic scandals, promising to balance decarbonisation with affordability and engineering common sense.
