Warning net zero has 'spread like a mould' and must not be allowed to hurt NHS

Warning net zero has 'spread like a mould' and must not be allowed to hurt NHS A Tory peer whose battle against sepsis won praise across the party divide says the NHS is still 'fixated on the madness' of 'flaunting' its green credentials Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By David Williamson , Chief Political Commentator 13:08, Sat, Oct 24, 2026 Updated: 13:08, Sat, Oct 24, 2026 Lord Mackinlay is a former Tory MP and deputy leader of Ukip (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster) The drive for net zero has spread across Government like a “persistent mould”, according a Conservative peer pushing for Labour to go further in lifting requirements on key requirements on NHS suppliers . Lord Mackinlay – who underwent a quadruple amputation as part of life-saving treatment after he contracted sepsis – said: “When it comes to our health service, securing the best care at the best price must come before the net zero obsession.” He welcomed the decision to soften requirements as a “small dose of common sense” but said: “Ministers should go much further. NHS suppliers still face unnecessary net zero red tape, with the health service perversely subject to some of the toughest decarbonisation procurement requirements across government.” Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Health minister Baroness Merron told Lord Mackinlay that under original plans – put in place when the Conservatives were in power – all NHS suppliers would be required to “publish a carbon reduction plan for global emissions”. She said that a “much less rigid and more common sense” approach had been adopted. The Labour minister said it recognises that “where there are limited suppliers of certain goods, equipment, or services, or where those supplies are critical to patient care, it may not be appropriate to apply net zero procurement requirements”. The updated guidance, she said, will operate in “a much more proportionate and less burdensome way”. However, Lord Mackinlay, a director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, said there has “been no fundamental change of direction in the NHS, still fixated on the madness that its flaunting of its green credentials takes precedence over everything else”. He claimed “net zero has spread like a persistent mould to areas you might not have realised”. Get the latest politics news - straight from our team in Westminster and more I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family . Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . The Government was invited to comment. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Craig Mackinlay won a standing ovation upon his return to the Commons (Image: UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Imag) Comment by Lord Mackinlay: Stop dithering Prime Minister - Net zero will ruin us Andy Burnham is all over the place on Net Zero. One moment he dons a hard hat and backs drilling in the North Sea. The next he quietly presides over obscure carbon emissions rules threatening the lives of NHS patients. Less than a week ago the Prime Minister was writing opinion pieces saluting the vital necessity of Net Zero, “The climate crisis is not a distant threat. It is here and with us now.” This week he is approving fossil fuel extraction, finally giving the go ahead to the Jackdaw gas field. His move is welcomed by major unions for the jobs it will create and others that it will protect. A decision that may or may not have been prompted by Ofgem’s latest report saying Britain would not pass its gas security standards without intervention. This appears to be, at least at first glance, a sea change in Labour policy – which under Starmer had been to dither, delay and reject any possible decision. This may not last. One only must consider the visible disquiet and silence on the Labour benches as Energy Minister Michael Shanks made the announcement. Do not forget that the Labour manifesto at the last election committed to no new exploration or extraction in the North Sea. In the long tradition of Labour fence sitting though, it gave enough wiggle room that neither Jackdaw nor its more profitable oil counterpart of Rosebank, which had already been supposedly approved, could be deemed as not new. Naturally, Labour types still committed to Net Zero either didn’t spot this or believe it to not matter for the “spirit” of their commitment. Indeed, Fahnbulleh has already said that Rosebank requires far more consideration. Jackdaw apparently is OK, because the UK will rely on gas for years to come in the Net Zero transition, but oil won’t be as good for UK energy security because it will be mostly exported. Never mind the economic illiteracy of such a belief or how the reason we have to export oil for refinement is because Net Zero forced the closure of our domestic refineries. But then what is new among those who support Net Zero, they like ignoring reality. Exporting oil is very good for the economy and a stronger economy makes us safer. If energy prices spike, our energy exports also increase in value – increasing revenue for the Treasury and also heading off inflationary pressures. Meanwhile, the Northern King is also quietly repealing the holy writ of Net Zero in other areas and notably, has signalled a diversion of funds from green energy projects in the coming Budget. Net Zero has spread like a persistent mould to areas you might not have realised. For example, all NHS suppliers above a certain threshold were going to be required to publicly publish onerous and potentially sensitive information about their global supply chains. Naturally, this made businesses unhappy and they have said as much to ministers. Now, as ministerial answers to me and other concerned politicians have indicated, the Ministry of Health has toned down this Draconian requirement. But there has been no fundamental change of direction in the NHS, still fixated on the madness that its flaunting of its green credentials takes precedence over everything else. Mr Burnham is sitting on the fence. He does not want to alienate his eco-warrior supporters, but at the same time, he does not want to inflict further damage to NHS patients. He knows that the soaring price of energy is hurting families and businesses and crippling living standards. Britain’s electricity prices are among the highest in the world. But again much of Labour’s support comes from the Greta Thunberg Left. Green leader Zack Polanski denounced the piffling Jackdaw go-ahead as “climate vandalism”. Which way to turn? The PM should show some leadership. Eco-zealotry means a cold and miserable Britain in which jobs are lost, patients suffer and for all the talk of global leadership on climate change, the rest of the world gets on with the job. The likes of India and China go on building coal-fired power stations whatever the posturing in Whitehall and Westminister. But then is Burnham a leader or a manipulator? - Lord Mackinlay of Richborough is director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation The 9 items Brits must stockpile after new warning Pensioners are furious at this 'sneaky' Budget move that will leave them much poorer NHS Labour Party Net Zero Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments