Reform deputy stands firm on climate change scepticism

Humans have “possibly” impacted the climate, but only “modestly”, Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice MP has told Sky News.

The position is a long way from the scientific consensus that humans have dramatically disrupted the climate.

But it marks a shift in comparison with earlier in the year, when he told Sky News man-made climate change is “garbage”.

Asked if humans have impacted the climate, he said: “Possibly, but if so, a very modest percentage.”

It comes as exclusive polling for Sky News finds belief in and concern about man-made climate change remain high, despite scepticism from elite political figures.

The Boston and Skegness MP also acknowledged the need to update infrastructure in Britain so that it can cope with a changing climate.

In an interview in London ahead of the COP30 climate summit, he said: “Climate change is real, right? Everything changes, you have to adapt to it, you have to maintain and update sea level defences.”

Read more: Why is COP30 so controversial?

He said he has “sea level issues”, in his constituency on the east coast, though would not specify whether they were rising.

Mr Tice maintained the sun and volcanoes were the “two main drivers” of climate change, and the climate has been changing for “millions of years, always will be”.

While the climate does consistently change, what worries scientists is that it is currently doing so at its fastest rate in at least a million years, making it hard for the natural world to adapt.