Climate protesters from Greenpeace targeted the Reform UK conference, displaying a banner on the main stage that criticized party leader Nigel Farage and his opposition to Net Zero policies.
The banner, which depicted Farage in a top hat carrying a bag of money with the slogan 'collect £5million, burn the planet,' appeared during a speech by deputy leader Richard Tice. It remained visible for several minutes before being removed.
The protest appears to be a reference to a £5 million donation made to Farage by crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne, which is currently under scrutiny by standards officials. Reform UK has made opposing Net Zero targets and advocating for new North Sea oil and gas drilling central tenets of its platform.
Reform UK has recently intensified its criticism of green policies. Last week, party member Robert Jenrick urged the government to abandon its Net Zero commitments to reduce energy bills. He argued that "green taxes and levies" have significantly increased household costs.
In a press conference, a Treasury spokesperson stated that households are facing substantial energy price increases, with a 17 percent rise since April. The spokesperson specifically called on John Healey and Andy Burnham to "drop your net zero dogma" and implement Reform UK's proposals, which they claim could save the average household £200 annually by removing green taxes.
Greenpeace UK program director Amy Cameron stated that Tice's recent comments, suggesting that record-breaking heatwaves could benefit industries like English sparkling wine production, were a factor in the protest. Cameron criticized Reform UK for aligning with billionaires who profit from fossil fuels while the public faces the consequences of climate change.