Ross Clark Ross Clark

Net zero is a gift to Nigel Farage in Scotland

Nigel Farage (Photo: Getty)

It wasn’t long ago that Nigel Farage seemed a hopeless sell in Scotland. In 2013, on his way to campaign in a by-election in Aberdeen, he didn’t get further than Edinburgh’s Royal Mile before he had to be escorted from a pub by police for his own safety. Ukip, which he then led, had a derisory presence north of the border – even when it was making in-roads into working class areas in the North of England.

The destruction of North Sea oil and gas is very big deal for Scotland, especially in Aberdeen where Farage was campaigning yesterday

What has changed to make Reform UK, Farage’s current party, serious contenders for the Hamilton by-election this week? There is a big clue to be found in a report by Robert Gordon University this morning which points out that the much-vaunted ‘green jobs’ in the wind industry are being created at only half the rate that jobs are being lost in oil and gas.

Britain’s best politics newsletters

You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in