In the Conservative’s first major policy change under Kemi Badenoch, she called net zero by 2050 “impossible”.

Tory leader Badenoch said: “It cannot be achieved without a significant drop in our living standards or worse by bankrupting us.”

The Conservative party “have really politicized net zero in a way that it wasn’t before between right and left” Christian Calgie said on The Division Bell.

“I think one of the problems with net zero is that Kemi is broadly right about the costs and the fact that it’s basically irrelevant whether Britain chooses it or not, they’re not [even] a drop in the ocean when it comes to global emission.”

The British public are historically pro net zero, however Calgie argued that: “The moment the costs of net zero start to hit, the British public will turn on a dime and will be very angry at the politicians who’ve done it to them. And at that point, anyone who wasn’t opposed to net zero will get it in the neck.”

Lizzy Buchan, Political Editor of The Mirror, queried: “Is this not just an example of Kemi just cravenly chasing the Reform vote and sort Reform and the Tories are just dancing in this right at the end of what the public are talking about?”

Reform UK have argued for scrapping net zero since the summer election, and call Badenoch’s change of heart “desperate policy from a leader and party floundering in the polls”.

Calgie defended Kemi on The Division Bell stating that she has “the wrong focus here”.

“There is actually a way to bring bills down to make us energy independent and to achieve net zero, which is to build a ton of nuclear power stations, which neither party seems to be interested in.”

“I know Labour’s notionally said they are but they have not pulled a finger out on what is easily the best thing that we could do to bring bills down and achieve energy independence and also fix in with their pro-building anti-Nimby mindset, which is commendable.”

As the local elections creep closer and Tories try to turn the tide on polls, perhaps this last ditch attempt will be successful.

To listen to more on net zero, as well as an exclusive interview with a top accessibility and inclusion campaigner about changes to PIP eligibility, listen to this week’s episode of The Division Bell on Spotify, Apple and Youtube.