Ecotricity criticises Cameron over ‘green policy u-turn’

A film consisting of promotional footage of David Cameron with a flaming seat to his trousers and set to Blondie's 1988 hit 'Liar Liar' has been unveiled by green energy company Ecotricity on YouTube today.


The #PantsOnFire film aims to highlight what it sees as a u-turn in Conservative ‘green’ policy by mocking the Prime Minister’s environmental record.

The film includes Cameron’s various green ‘stunts’ including hugging huskies nine years ago.

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince, said: “Over the last few years we’ve watched as David Cameron’s pre-election pledge to run ‘the greenest government ever’ has slowly but surely unravelled.”

Green Commitment 

The film includes the speech by Cameron “We’ve got a big, big opportunity here; I want us to be the ‘greenest Government ever’. A very simple ambition; and one I am absolutely committed to achieving.”

In last week’s election manifesto, Cameron’s party insisted it has stayed true to its promise; and vowing to continue to support the UK Climate Change Act and cut emissions “as cost-effectively as possible”.

The document states: “We have been the greenest government ever, setting up the world’s first Green Investment Bank, signing a deal to build the first new nuclear plant in a generation, trebling renewable energy generation to 19%, bringing energy efficiency measures to over one million homes, and committing £1bn for carbon capture and storage (CCS).”

But Green party leader Natalie Bennett told edie last month that the labelling of the coalition as the ‘Greenest Government Ever’ has become a “sick joke” after four years of mixed political messages, failed green policies and a lack of urgency on the transition to renewable energy sources.

Onshore opposition

Cameron is also seen in the House of Commons claiming that there has been ‘no change to renewable energy’.

That’s despite growing Tory opposition to continued onshore wind development, with the manifesto confirming controversial plans to effectively end the development of new onshore wind farms in the UK, claiming a ‘lack of public support’ and ‘unreliability’ as support for the decision.

Vince added: “Mr Cameron has morphed from hugging huskies to claiming we had to ‘cut the green crap’ and finally saying he’ll end onshore wind energy if re-elected: something one of his own senior MPs described as ‘blind unreasoning hostility’. I think that sums it up well.

“Now in the same week that the president of the World Bank has said we need to scrap fossil fuel subsidies to halt global warming, the Tory manifesto has pledged to continue the ‘most generous tax regime in the world’ for fracking and ‘halt the spread of onshore wind’. These policies pose an existential threat – to our climate and our country.”

Ecotricity has already involved itself in political matters by donating £250,000 to the Labour election campaign in February.

Vince said at the time: “We’re putting our money where our heart is – we’ve watched the coalition government systematically undermine not just the renewable energy industry in Britain but the whole green economy. We feel compelled to act and to speak out.” 

Edie’s quick round up of the green credentials of all the manifestos can be found here.

Lucinda Dann

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