![]() “I don’t think you can understand and care about the gravity of this issue, and at the same time, be willing to take your foot off the accelerator for political expediency. He’s got a big brain, and he understands these issues,” said Goldsmith. “Michael is one of the most intelligent people in politics, whether you love him or hate him. Gove, who was environment secretary from 2017 to 2019, was previously seen as a green Tory who campaigned for an eco-friendly Brexit with Goldsmith and authored the new nature-friendly farming subsidies. Goldsmith was also critical of the levelling up secretary, Michael Gove, who recently referred to environment policies as a “religious crusade” in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, and suggested action on net zero could be slowed down. I think he understands the gravity of the situation, so to see this kind of backward step is hugely disappointing.” I don’t think he is remotely a climate sceptic. But then, you know, we see him relapsing into a kind of caricature of a climate sceptic. ![]() “Grant gets very animated when he talks about climate change, and the new technologies,” said Goldsmith, “So on one level, he likes to see himself as being at the cutting edge and sort of enthusiastic about this transition. The former minister appeared unimpressed by the cabinet’s recent pronouncements on the environment, and said he was “confused” by Shapps, who rather than promoting climate policy, has appeared to mostly spend his time attacking climate activists and vowing to “max out” North Sea oil and gas. ![]() I find it very hard to relate to people who don’t see the importance of a viable healthy planet.” Sometimes it takes an event or a particular piece of news or something for people to wake up to these issues. Maybe something will happen which will make him realise that this stuff really matters. He’s not someone who’s hostile to these issues, but he has no authentic interest whatsoever. Goldsmith said he could not relate to Sunak: “He’s not a bad man. I think the number of people who are truly sceptical of climate change is really pretty slim.” ![]() But I just don’t believe the gallery that he thinks he’s talking to is a gallery that’s in any way going to help him politically. Smoking a heat-not-burn cigarette, Goldsmith said: “Sunak is obviously talking to a particular gallery. Now there are fears that Rishi Sunak is rowing back on climate measures as he is lobbied by sceptics on the Tory right. Boris Johnson may have had a mixed approach to the environment but under his leadership Cop26 in Glasgow was accorded full respect. Talking this week in the exclusive 5 Hertford Street members’ club, which is owned by his half-brother Robin Birley, Goldsmith reflected on the changing attitudes to the environment that he has seen in the Tory party. This would have made Goldsmith’s position untenable, as his role was to negotiate with the developing countries expecting the funding. Within a few days, the Guardian revealed that the government would not meet its promised target of delivering £11.6bn to developing countries to tackle the climate crisis. Goldsmith resigned from his post in June, after serving in government since 2019, claiming that the prime minister was apathetic about the environment. ![]()
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