A majority of Conservative Party members support Britain’s commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, despite Kemi Badenoch’s pledge to scrap landmark climate legislation if the Tories win the next election.
In a survey of Tory members, by Professor Tim Bale at Queen Mary University of London, 51 per cent said they back the UK’s net zero plans, while 45 per cent said they were opposed.
Among the general public, 69 per cent said they support the net zero target, while just 20 per cent said they were opposed to it.
The survey came after Ms Badenoch announced plans to repeal the Climate Change Act, which was brought in by the last Labour government in 2008 and committed the UK to cut climate emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, with five-yearly carbon budgets to keep the country on track towards the goal.
As well as being opposed by a majority of members, the plans drew a fierce backlash from Tory grandees.
Former prime minister Theresa May said it would be a “retrograde” step, ending almost two decades of cross-party collaboration on tackling climate change.
Baroness May said: “For nearly two decades, the United Kingdom has led the way in tackling climate change, initially with the Climate Change Act in 2008 and again in 2019 when we became the first G7 country to legislate to get to Net Zero by 2050.
“To row back now would be a catastrophic mistake for while that consensus is being tested, the science remains the same. The harms are undeniable.
“We owe it to our children and grandchildren to ensure we protect the planet for their futures and that means giving business the reassurance it needs to find the solutions for the very grave challenges we face.
“Ultimately, it is innovation and investment that will take us forward, but that can only be achieved by providing consistency and showing a clear determination to stick to the long-term path of reducing emissions, achieving Net Zero and protecting our planet for future generations.”
It came after former Tory minister Alok Sharma warned the plans would risk future investment and jobs in the UK.
Lord Sharma, who is a former Cop26 president and served as business, energy and industrial strategy secretary under Boris Johnson, urged his party not to “squander” its legacy of climate progress “for the sake of short-term political expediency”.
The row threatens to be one of many that could overshadow the Conservative Party’s conference in Manchester, which kicks off on Sunday.
Ms Badenoch has also set out plans to pull Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if elected, another issue which divides senior figures in the party and is opposed by the One Nation group of Tories.
The survey, seen by The Independent, also found Tory members are significantly more likely to believe immigration has been too high for the last decade.
Among Tory members 92 per cent said it has been too high, with none saying it should have been higher. By contrast, 65 per cent of the general public said it had been too high, with 7 per cent saying it had been too low.
Tory members were also much more likely to back their leaders engaging in the so-called “dark arts” of politics, with more members supportive than not of their leaders breaking the rules to get things done.
