Reform UK leader Richard Tice has defended his party's controversial policy to tax renewable energy, claiming it would reclaim money from "renewable rip offs" and reduce consumer bills.
Speaking on GB News, Tice outlined his party's plan to recover what he described as "vast subsidies" currently being paid to renewable energy providers.
The Reform UK chief argued that the cost of renewables, combined with necessary backup power sources when wind and solar are unavailable, inevitably leads to higher costs for consumers.
Tice took aim at the political establishment, criticising the dominance of PPE graduates and policy experts in government.
Nigel Farage has been deeply critical of Labour's net zero measures
GB NEWS
"We've had all the policy wonks. We've had all the people with PPE from the universities running the country the last 20 years. And what a scandal. So, frankly, we don't want them anymore," he said on GB News.
He expressed confidence that Reform UK would secure "hundreds of MPs" at the next election, enabling them to fill cabinet positions with "experienced people".
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Reform UK's policy aims to reclaim over £10 billion in annual renewable subsidies, which Tice claims would be returned to consumers through lower bills.
The party argues against the current subsidy system for renewable energy, with Tice insisting that renewable power sources combined with backup systems are inherently more expensive.
"We're saying, on behalf of the taxpayer, we claim that back to consumers with lower bills that lower the cost of living," Tice told GB News.
The policy announcement comes as the UK government unveiled a new Clean Industry Bonus scheme to boost offshore wind capacity.
Energy Secretary Ed MilibandParliament.tvThe initiative will provide £27m in funding for every gigawatt of capacity from offshore wind projects.
The UK aims to expand its offshore wind capacity from 15GW to between 43GW and 50GW by 2030.
Developers must commit at least £100m per gigawatt for fixed-bottom offshore wind farms and £50m per gigawatt for floating offshore wind farms to qualify for the scheme.
Tice positioned Reform UK as the sole defender of public interests against what he sees as industry-driven renewable policies.
"We're the only party that's on the side of the British people, as opposed to the side of the vested interests putting up these renewables and putting up our bills," he told GB News.
Reform UK's stance comes as the party has seen a surge in polling, with recent averages showing it tied with Labour at 25 per cent, while the Conservatives trail at 22 per cent.
