At a public council meeting on 27 July, all Reform UK councillors in Walsall, alongside a former member now sitting as an independent, voted against a motion affirming that “as the earth is round, man-made climate change exists.” This vote comes amid the council’s decision to scrap net zero targets.
Following the vote, all 30 councillors who opposed the amendment were approached by the Local Democracy Reporting Service to clarify their personal views on man-made climate change. Only the party leader, Councillor Elaine Williams, and her deputy, Councillor Nicky Barker, responded; neither explicitly stated their position on the existence of man-made climate change.
Councillor Williams emphasised the administration’s prioritisation of delivering value for residents, stating: “As the motion stated, our administration is committed to delivering best value for residents and ensuring that taxpayers’ money delivers direct local benefit and good outcomes. That is why the motion resolves to review our available resources to make sure investment is targeted on practical interventions focusing on things like energy efficiency and providing support on the cost of living where that is within the council’s power.”
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Councillor Barker focused on practical environmental measures rather than the debate over climate change origins, saying: “I don’t want to get drawn into debating whether climate change is man-made or not. What I will say is that I believe the climate has always changed throughout the Earth’s history, and it will continue to do so.
“Where I disagree is with unrealistic net zero targets that cost taxpayers huge amounts of money while having little or no meaningful impact on the environment, either here in Walsall or globally.
“Instead, I believe we should focus on practical environmental improvements that make a real difference to people’s lives. That means cleaner streets, cleaner rivers, reducing litter, protecting green spaces, and planting more trees, which naturally absorb CO2 and produce oxygen.
“That’s why we vote to scrap unrealistic Net Zero targets. We believe in sensible, practical environmental policies that deliver real benefits locally, rather than symbolic targets that come at significant cost to taxpayers.”
The amendment was put forward by Councillor Aftab Nawaz, leader of Walsall Community Independents. Reflecting on Reform UK’s vote, he described it as “bizarre,” citing the overwhelming scientific evidence supporting man-made climate change. He added: “The refusal of Reform UK to accept that man-made climate change exists shows the borough the wacky nature of the Reform UK party. Unfortunately, the wackiness of Reform UK, I fear, will get worse.”