During an event in Aberdeen—the energy hub of the UK—Richard Tice, Reform UK’s spokesman for Business, Trade, and Energy, delivered a fiery speech attacking the current energy policies of both Labour and the Conservatives. Calling the push for Net Zero “Net stupid zero,” Tice unveiled a 4-point plan designed to maximize oil and gas extraction across the United Kingdom.

Tice opened his speech with a symbolic gesture, referencing candles to highlight the looming threat of blackouts and energy rationing in the UK. He reminded the audience of a near-miss just over a year ago when the National Grid (ESO) miscalculated, bringing the UK perilously close to widespread power cuts.

Tice fiercely rejected the narrative that UK energy bills are entirely at the mercy of international markets. Taking direct aim at Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, Tice pointed out that while US wholesale gas prices on the Henry Hub index have remained virtually flat over the past five weeks, UK natural gas prices have surged by roughly 60%. Tice argued this proves the UK could have cheap, domestically priced energy if it utilized its own resources.

Reform UK’s 4-Point Energy Plan To reverse the UK’s current economic stagnation—which he characterized as “flat zero” growth—Tice outlined a comprehensive 4-point strategy:

1. Approve All Existing Drilling Consents: Tice pledged to immediately green-light projects like Rosebank and Jackdaw. Furthermore, he proposed renaming the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) back to the Oil and Gas Authority. Crucially, its statutory mandate would be changed to “maximum economic recovery”—meaning the extraction of “every last barrel, every last drop.”

2. Scrap the Windfall Tax and Incentivize Investment: Pointing to Norway as a model of success—having drilled 49 new wells in 2025 compared to the UK’s zero—Tice called for the abolition of the Energy Profits Levy (windfall tax) introduced by the Conservatives. He proposed a “bonus sharing scheme” to encourage both offshore North Sea exploration and onshore shale gas extraction (such as in his constituency of Lincolnshire). He also floated the idea of a British Sovereign Wealth Fund, modeled on Norway’s, to invest in these ventures.

3. Abolish Net Zero and the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS): Tice vehemently attacked the Net Zero agenda and the ETS, arguing they impose massive costs on businesses. These costs, he noted, are inevitably passed down to consumers, directly driving up inflation and the cost of living. He sharply criticized the Conservatives for originally implementing these schemes and warned against Labour’s promises to align with the even costlier EU ETS.

4. Slash Unproductive Regulation: The final point focused on regulatory reform. While maintaining the need for “smart and safe” rules, Tice condemned the “daft, the dither, and the delay” that currently paralyzes investment. Citing recent reports from The Times, he claimed that nearly £20 billion of investment could be “unleashed” into the North Sea and Scotland if bureaucratic hurdles are removed and licenses are approved.

Concluding his address, Richard Tice argued that Reform UK’s relentless campaigning on this issue is finally forcing a shift in the political landscape. He claimed that even some Labour MPs and members of the Scottish National Party (SNP) are now recognizing the need for change and are writing to Ed Miliband and the Chancellor to demand a new course.

Reform UK’s bold proposals place the current government in a difficult bind, caught between international climate commitments and the intense domestic pressure of the cost of living crisis and national energy security.