Reform would scrap 'net stupid zero' policies - Tice

The deputy leader of Reform UK has said his party would scrap "net stupid zero" policies during a visit to Scotland.

Richard Tice said eco-policies such as targets to achieve net zero were destroying jobs in the oil and gas sector.

The politician is in Scotland to announce a further two councillors have defected to join his party.

He said Reform UK was growing in popularity because their "policies will make people better off".

Speaking on the BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme, Tice said the party was picking up support due to its "common sense" approach.

He said: "The reason we are going up in the polls is because our policies are the policies that will make people better off.

"For example scrapping 'net stupid zero' that is destroying tens and tens of thousands of great, highly skilled, well-paid Scottish jobs in the oil and gas industry, in the chemicals industry."

He added: "We are the new kids on the block, we've got some bold policies that can turn around the Scottish economy."

He said Scotland would "benefit most of all" from scrapping green targets, which he claimed were "so destructive to jobs and skills".

The deputy leader previously argued net-zero policies were to blame for higher energy bills and deindustrialisation in the UK.

In February, he announced that Reform UK plans to tax solar farms, and pass new laws to put energy cables underground rather than on pylons.

Despite scrapping certain climate change targets last year, the Scottish government still aims to achieve net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases by 2045.

This is five years ahead of the UK's target of 2050.

Tice was speaking during a visit to Scotland to announce two more councillors have defected to his party from the Scottish Conservative party.

They are John Gray from Renfrewshire Council and Ross Lambie from South Lanarkshire Council.

He said he was "very proud" of the councillors who are joining the party from "the now frankly irrelevant Conservative party".

But when pushed to name his party's new members and which councils they served on, Mr Tice repeated their first names "John and Ross".

A Scottish Conservative spokesperson said the party is "focussed on reaching out to voters who are disillusioned with all parties and all politicians".

Five former Scottish Conservative councillors have already defected to Reform - one in Glasgow, two in Aberdeenshire and two in North Ayrshire.

Tice, the MP for Boston and Skegness, said: "We're going up in the polls, I think you're going to see us by the summer around 20%."

He also claimed that Reform "almost" have more members in Scotland than the Labour Party. In 2021, Labour had about 16,000 members in Scotland. Reform says their current membership in Scotland is about 9,300.

Tice said: "I think that's the reason why John Swinney and the Labour Party, Anas Sarwar, are terrified."

Tice added they intend to field candidates in every seat during next year's Scottish parliament elections, campaigning with Scotland specific policies, in an attempt to secure the party's first seat in Holyrood.