Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK, has been criticised after suggesting Britons should celebrate soaring temperatures because they improve sparkling wine, despite heatwave-related deaths and widespread wildfires.
Comments spark anger
Speaking at a press conference in Westminster, Tice said: "Climate change has always happened, it always will. Maybe the smarter thing to do is to adapt to it, (rather) than think arrogantly you can stop it."
He added: "I'm old enough to remember 1976 - this feels a bit the same. That was 50 years ago. I think when it's a bit warm, let's enjoy it. And if it means that English wine and sparkling wine gets better and better, fantastic. That means we can take on the French, fantastic. Let's celebrate some of these things rather than just be sort of doom and gloom about it."
Environmental groups respond
Danny Gross, climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: "If Richard Tice wants to live in a world of make believe, that's his call. But telling people to enjoy the heat after the scenes we've seen in the last week… how out of touch do you need to be?"
He highlighted the impact of wildfires, including homes destroyed and the military being drafted in, as well as farmers struggling due to weeks without rain. Gross also pointed to the more than 1,000 lives lost during the summer's heatwaves, calling Tice's remarks "an insult - particularly to their loved ones".
Friends of the Earth polling found that 87% of people think the UK is unprepared for extreme weather events like heat and drought, including 81% of Reform UK supporters.
Amy Cameron, a programme director for Greenpeace UK, said: "Tice's words show that a party bankrolled by fossil fuel interests will keep denying the climate crisis for its funders' benefit even when its impacts are undeniable."
She added: "Reform should try telling nurses fainting on shifts, farmers losing their crops and people running from burning homes to enjoy the hot weather and see what reaction they'll get."
Alasdair Johnstone, from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said: "Far from being an enjoyable experience, for many this summer will have brought hardship, with 2,877 deaths during the May and June heatwaves, over 1,100 of which are directly attributable to the extra heat added by climate change."
Impact of heatwaves
The Met Office estimates 2,700 people died from heat-related causes in the May and June heatwaves, with 42% of these fatalities a result of "human-induced warming". Firefighters have been called to over 1,000 wildfires, which have devastated the landscape, displaced people, and destroyed homes.
Thinktank Verdant estimated that the heatwaves have cost the UK economy £4.4 billion this year due to the weather's impact on business output.
Tice is a long-term critic of the government's Net Zero drive, which aims to cut emissions to effectively zero by 2050.
