A Tory researcher has emailed the entire European Parliament a propaganda video claiming “there is no such thing as man-made global warming”, Left Foot Forward has learned.
Benjamin Harnwell, Chief of Staff to South East MEP Nirj Deva, sent the eight-minute clip to all “MEP & ASSISTANTS-7th-Legislature; Bruxelles” from his boss’s work account.
Last month Mr Deva joined prominent climate change sceptics Daniel Hannan and Roger Helmer in failing to back a motion calling for the Copenhagen talks to agree an 80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050 – the official Tory policy.
The news will come as a blow to David Cameron as he attempts to take his party with him on climate change. His “Vote Blue, go Green” strategy appears to be flattering to deceive.
Yesterday Left Foot Forward listed previous instances of Conservative climate deniers and sceptics, who include David Davis, Lord Lawson and Peter Lilley, with Liberal Conspiracy reporting Oliver Letwin and Iain Duncan-Smith’s role with the European Foundation, which on Tuesday published a report outlining “100 reasons why climate change is natural and not man-made”.
And earlier today a poll revealed that Conservative voters who opposed action to help the poor outnumbered those who suppported it by 23 per cent. Among Labour and Liberal Democrat voters net support stands at around 30 per cent.
35 Responses to “Tory researcher caught peddling climate denial propaganda”
Tom
Well, if John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel says it’s not man-made, then I guess it can’t be man-made. After all, he’s presumably got some higher degrees in climatology and related fields, to have founded that channel.
Oh, wait, no, he has a degree in journalism, and no scientific expertise whatsoever.
Anon E Mouse
It seems to me that there are simply no votes in this Green drivel – the polls clearly show the public do not share the stupid MP’s views (from all parties)on this matter and rightly so.
I would have thought that LFF would have been glad to see some clear blue sky between the Labour Party and the next UK government on this.
Does anyone think for one minute that if this was important they would send a party wonk like Ed Miliband to sort it out in Copenhagan? He looks like he should be part of a student debating society not a serious government minister.
What you fail to understand from your Ivory Towers in London is that people in this country worry about schools and jobs and crime but not this tax increasing rubbish on Climate Change.
Even if the science was set, which it clearly isn’t, do you really believe that the world will cut emissions by 80% by 2050? Really?
That’s about as believable as the government halving child poverty by 2010.
If you do believe that 2050 stuff please let me know what the climate is like on the planet you live on because it clearly isn’t the same as the one the majority of people in this world inhabit. Grow up.
Thomas Fairfax
What some people seem to be unable to grasp is that climate change is something that needs to be dealt with, but the cause is impossible to ascertain.
It doesn’t help that the CRU data from Russia is now reported to have been doctored as well. There is some seriously unscientific activity going on by both sides.
Stop calling people deniers and try and work out if there is sufficient evidence for a particular cause/s.
Frankly Shamik, you and Will need to stop being so bombastic in areas you don’t understand. It reduces the value of all your articles everytime you slip in clearly partisan and pre-judgemental wording.
The idea of an independant and data led approach is good, but you need to let the facts speak for themselves else you’ll put off those who haven’t got a fixed view and could be persuaded.
Swagata
I believe in man made climate change but I’m adult enough not to label those skeptics as “deniers”. The shrill and childish level of debate only serves to polarise debate, rather than bringing people into conversation it is setting people against each other, trenches are being dug deeper and deeper.
As for the Tories, a clerk to an MEP sending silly emails is hardly “a blow to Cameron”. I doubt anyone outside Conservative HQ and the Deva household had even heard of Nirj Deva MEP, yet alone his office assistant. The world is more interested in affairs in Copenhagen right now rather than the emails of a non-entity.
Brian Duggan
Tory MEP's researcher just circulated Climate change denial vid round the European Parliament “with fervent best wishes” http://is.gd/5reof