Labour has spent more than £170,000 of taxpayers’ money on paying social media influencers to promote net zero, it has emerged. [some emphasis, links added]
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has paid for 16 influencers to use sites such as TikTok and Instagram to promote green power.
Figures released under freedom of information following a request from the Scottish Conservatives showed that no payments were made to promote any other form of energy.
The Tories accused the Government of using public funds to promote its net zero “obsession” while household energy bills were surging.
Harriet Cross, the shadow Scottish secretary, said ministers were trying to “deceive” people [into believing] that their policies were environmentally friendly.
She said it was “all smoke and mirrors”, arguing that the UK was being forced to rely on imports that produce greater emissions, rather than allowing more drilling for oil and gas in British waters.
Academics have estimated that around a thousand jobs a month are being lost in the North Sea, with opportunities in renewable energies failing to pick up the slack.
In July, BP announced it was putting its North Sea business up for sale in a move that would end 60 years of production.
Ms Cross, the Gordon and Buchan MP, said:
“Across the country, people will rightly be wondering if spending £170,000 on 16 social media influencers to push out Labour’s net zero agenda is the best use of taxpayers’ money.
“While households are worried about the cost of living and the upcoming rise in energy bills, for the Government to choose to spend money not to help, but to peddle net zero shows just how much an obsession this has become for them.
“The use of so many influencers highlights how desperate Labour are to trick people into thinking they are solving climate change when, in fact, they are making the problem worse by making electricity so expensive that barely anyone can afford to adopt clean technologies.
“The Government is importing more and more solar panels from China, manufacturing using coal power, and actively closing down our oil and gas sector to rely on more carbon-intensive imports when we could be using the abundance of resources we have in the North Sea.
“It’s clear Labour wants to use influencers to convince the public that this is in some way greener and cleaner – it’s all smoke and mirrors.”
Read rest at The Telegraph
