Ed Davey warns energy sector: take on Badenoch and Farage lies or face a lost energy decade
EMBARGO: 22.30 13th October 2025
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey is challenging the energy sector to counter the lies put forward by Reform UK and Conservative Party that will cause even higher energy bills and cost jobs.
In his keynote address to the Energy UK Conference today [Tuesday 14th October], Davey will argue that “ignoring Farage hasn’t stopped his lies from spreading” and warn that “we either take on the myths or we fail families for at least a decade”.
“We have long said that climate sceptics have their heads buried in the sand”, he will say. “But if the energy industry and all those who are concerned about bringing bills down don’t take on the lies of Farage and Badenoch now, it will be us who have our heads in the sand.”
The Liberal Democrats have set out a plan to halve energy bills by 2035, by investing in renewable power, launching a ten-year home emergency upgrade programme, and moving older renewable projects off expensive Renewable Obligation Certificates and onto cheaper Contracts for Difference.
Davey will contrast his vision for the future of energy with Nigel Farage’s, which is “inspired by what his idol Donald Trump is doing in America” and would “put up bills, destroy jobs and hurt the economy, while climate change rages on.”
The Liberal Democrat Leader will praise the courage of Conservative former Prime Minister Theresa May, who has said Kemi Badenoch’s plan to repeal the Climate Change Act “would be a catastrophic mistake”, and Conservative former Business Secretary Alok Sharma, who said it “risks future investment and jobs into our country, as well as our international standing”.
In his speech, Ed Davey is expected to say:
“Typically for them, Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch claim to have a nice easy solution. Rip up our commitments on climate change, they say, and bills will magically come down.
The story they tell sounds simple enough. They pretend that bills are high because we’re investing too much in renewable power. And they pretend that if we stop investing, bills will fall. When we know the reverse is true.
“Ignoring Farage hasn’t stopped his lies from spreading. It hasn’t stopped the Conservative Party turning its back on climate action – just a few years after Theresa May legislated for the 2050 target.
“Those of us who understand how important renewable energy is for our economy – how only renewable energy can deliver permanently low prices and energy security – we have to be honest with ourselves: we haven’t done a good enough job at countering their myths.
“So now the cross-party consensus on investing in renewables has been shattered. And it would be incredibly complacent and dangerous to assume it will just put itself back together on its own.
“We have long said that climate sceptics have their heads buried in the sand. But if the energy industry as a whole, and all those who are concerned about bringing bills down sustainably, don’t take on the lies of Farage and Badenoch now, it will be us who have our heads in the sand.
“We either take on the myths or we fail families for at least a decade.
…
“The Farage-Badenoch plan to rip up the Climate Change Act, abandon our net-zero target, stop investing in renewables and rely more and more on fossil fuels would be a ‘catastrophic mistake’. Not my words. The words of Conservative former Prime Minister Theresa May.
“‘Turning our back on this progress now risks future investment and jobs into our country, as well as our international standing.’ Not my words. The words of Conservative former Business Secretary Alok Sharma.
“Now I haven’t always agreed with Theresa May and Alok Sharma – but on this they are absolutely right. Speaking up against their own party takes courage, and I thank them for it.
…
“Farage’s vision on energy is inspired by what his idol Donald Trump is doing in America.
Cancelling investment in cheap, clean renewable energy. Pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement. Destroying the countryside with fracking.
Shackling families and businesses to expensive, volatile oil and gas. Playing into the hands of fossil fuel dictators like Putin.
Putting up bills, destroying jobs and hurting the economy, while climate change rages on.
That is Trump’s America. We mustn’t let it become Farage’s Britain.”
ENDS
Notes to Editor:
Ed Davey will give a keynote speech at the Energy UK Annual Conference at 15:50 on Tuesday 14th October.