"Net Zero Is An All-Out Assault On Modernity!" | Ed Miliband Dryer Plan Sparks Fury Over Costly Move

Added: 2026-05-06

[00:00:00]Let's talk about something completely different right now, but again, still the madness that we have to endure with this government. Ed Miliband, the so-called energy secretary, energy and net zero, of course, energy security, really, but I mean, you can't have net zero and energy security, so it's probably best if they didn't combine those two titles. But, his net zero madness and obsession continues a pace.

[00:00:20]His latest plan is to introduce new laws that will fail phase out the sale of condenser tumble dryers, you know, the ones that actually dry your clothes, and promote the heat pump alternative to help cut our carbon emissions as part of his net zero drive.

[00:00:37]Let's talk to Morris Cousins about this.

[00:00:38]He's campaign director at Net Zero Watch. A very good morning, so good afternoon to you, Morris. Good afternoon.

[00:00:44]What a surprise. Here's something that Ed Miliband wants to do. While government, by the way, remember was going to tread more lightly on our lives, interfering with the try to interfere with how we heat our homes, what kind of cars we drive and drive, you know, when we're allowed to use electricity and gas. Now, when we and how we heat our homes. They basically want to replace perfectly good system we've got, although let's face it, quite expensive to run a tumble dryer, with a system that will mean it will take longer and be more expensive. That sounds like a good idea, doesn't it?

[00:01:15]Yes, really good idea. I mean, it's basically an allegory for what what net zero will mean for all of us. Life will just become poorer, less convenient, and miserable, really.

[00:01:27]You know, the the machines that they're wanting to to replace will operate at a at a lower temperature, which means that when you put your clothes in and you want to dry them, you're going to have to wait.

[00:01:37]Sometimes, apparently, some studies have shown that they can take up to half an hour longer than than than a than a conventional >> They already take ages. They they Yeah, but so that you know, you'll be you'll probably it'll take you over over a week just to dry it just to dry a pair of pants. [laughter] Um but you you know, I think there is a really serious point there here, which is that which is that you know, really the best way to look at net zero is that it is an all-out assault on modernity and its values. And the things that we all we all really care about. You know, we we care about convenience, we value we we value material progress, we value speed, and we value things like free choice.

[00:02:13]And slowly these things are being eroded and taken away from us.

[00:02:17]>> Yeah, I will absolutely. I go People always forget, genuinely, there are three things that freed up women's lives, okay? One was the vote, one was the pill, and the other was the washing machine. So, women didn't spend their entire lives doing laundry all day, and actually were free to do other things, you know, get jobs and things like that.

[00:02:35]And the tumble dryer, those who can afford to run them, has been an absolute game-changer. So, lots of I mean, you know, don't have gardens, and by the way, it rains quite a lot here, and so people can't put their stuff out. But this is the thing, we're constantly told that you know, this net zero drive is going to lead to a cleaner world. I mean, A, that's a load of nonsense, but B, we're told that you know, this is what people want, and the and the these things are better than what we've currently got. But if they were better, you wouldn't have to outlaw them. They didn't outlaw traveling by horse and cart when they introduced the car, because people went, "Oh, look, the the car is obviously better. It's quicker, it's better, it's it's more efficient. We're going to use cars." You don't have to outlaw, you know, central gas central heating to get everyone to get a heat pump. If heat pumps were better and cheaper, people would all go, "Oh, I'm going to get a heat pump." If EVs were better, people would get an electric vehicle. If if there was a better way and a cheaper way of drying our clothes, you know, we would all move to it. But they always keep insisting on bringing in laws, bringing in regulations to to force us to take on the worst technology.

[00:03:39]No, I mean, you're you're actually right. I mean, you know, we're we're often accused of being ideologues for specific forms of energy or different different types of technology. It's just not simply not true. If I'm a fanatic about anything, it's that I'm a fanatic for the for the for the end user and the and the the experience that they that they that they can that they And and the market delivers for us.

[00:03:58]>> Exactly. Exactly. And you know, that's all that's all really people care about is is that will their lives be improved by some of these things. And the lie, the conceit, really, about about net zero has been from the get-go that you can basically continue with your with your with your way of life, you can continue to consume the things that you enjoy, you can travel, you can eat the eat meat, you can have your car, etc., etc. But it'll just be greener and more sustainable. You won't notice it. It'll be a smooth transition, and it'll just be substituted for just a cuddlier version, and the polar bears will all be fine, and and everything will be rosy. But actually, the reality is is far different. You're poorer, your your life is less is is less convenient, you're more tired, you're more miserable, and it's it's it's it's not progress. And and You're quite right, but the key thing here is this has been contained in even the climate change committee, the the body, again, the supposedly neutral body that I mean, half of these people haven't even got any qual- They've got few qualifications than I have in the field of climate change, and they're advising the government on on their climate change policies and how to enforce the climate change act and the actual laws that basically limit us doing anything progressive and for our economy because it's limited by "Oh, carbon emissions might go up." They they they have in their own documentation, it's very it's government, you know, government authorized body, made it really clear that you're not going to achieve net zero unless you have massive changes to people's lifestyle, how far they can travel, how often they can travel, whether they can fly or afford to fly, whether they eat meat, eat dairy. All of these things are when they can heat their homes, how they heat their homes.

[00:05:35]All of these things will be necessitate being being controlled for us to achieve this mad target that's going to have no good purpose. But of course, the key thing is it won't affect, you know, the people who like the Ed Milibands or other people who are pushing this, because they'll be rich enough to escape it, because there's an extra cost to flying or there's an extra cost to heat your home. Well, that's all right, they can afford it, cuz they're millionaires. He'll he'll he'll be totally fine. Like when he leaves government, he'll get a lovely consultancy, maybe sit on a nice board with a big bank or a green energy firm or something like that. He'll be totally fine. I'm not worried about Ed Miliband being able to cope in this in this new world, or Keir Starmer, or any of these other people that have pushed all of this. They'll be totally fine. The thing that I can't stand is the dishonesty, because you see, the fact is is that Ed Miliband knows the system. He knows the system that he is building produces less energy and power. And as a result of that, he needs to be able to ration the amount of energy that we that we consume. So, that's the only way that they can make their system their system work. But they lie about it to people.

[00:06:40]They pretend to people that you can that you you will make you will notice no difference. Indeed, actually, it'll be better. It'll be just, you know, cleaner is the is the way that the way that they sort of said. But actually, it isn't.

[00:06:51]And everybody everybody's life will just be leveled down, and we'll all be we'll all be a lot poorer. And the the 2000s and the 1990s will look like a distant age, and we'll all be we'll all be yearning for them as we head into the 2030s and we're saying, "Where's it all gone? Where Where has our life gone?" Absolutely. I find it extraordinary that people are saying we should normalize people not being able to travel abroad on holidays, which has been a game-changer for so many people's lives, getting that you know, week in the sun they've worked for all all year. But also, again, you know, the washing machines, heating your home.

[00:07:22]I mean, you know, I know people, you know, my own generation who grew up in homes that were freezing cold, had ice on the other side of the window. That is not the norm now because of wonderful thing of gas central heating. People being able to travel for work, people being able to have their independence from their cars and things. It is and and and you know, and to choose what they eat from abroad when they want it because it's flown over here. These are such basic things to us now, the norms, putting on the heating, putting on the lights, and not worrying about that.

[00:07:49]This should be the norm, and yet that's as you say, they want to ration or Morris, so appreciate you coming on. Do come on again. Morris Cousins, campaign director at Net Zero Watch. Appreciate that.

[00:07:59]Jake Wallis Simons from listening in in on this from the studio.

[00:08:02]I mean, there is nothing even what's happening in the in and around conflict, barrels of of oil now up to $115.

[00:08:11]I mean, they are now more than 100 more than that. I think about $130 about.

[00:08:17]There is nothing that will persuade Ed Miliband that this net zero crusade is completely and utterly both pointless and wrong and dangerous.

[00:08:25]>> Yeah. I mean, we've had, you know, plastic straws being banned. We've had those bottle tops that come off your bottle banned. God knows why, but they always hit you in the face every time you take a drink. And now we can't use dry tumble dryers anymore. It's just miserable. The whole thing is miserable.

[00:08:40]And the irony of it is that while we pursue net zero, don't drill in the North Sea anymore, don't frack, and undergo all these restrictions on our lives, the Chinese and the Indians and the Russians and everybody else around the world, billions and billions of them, are busy pumping coal coal fumes into the atmosphere, using as much electricity and and dirty energy as they like, pumping out petrol fumes all over the place, and we are making absolutely zero difference with our net zero targets to global warming. So, it's totally not worth it.

[00:09:12]>> our lives. Let's