UK’s ‘self-destructive’ net-zero emissions policy sparked riots, Trump says

Donald Trump has blamed Britain’s “self-destructive” net-zero emissions policy for the summer’s unrest in an unusual attack on America’s closest ally.

The Republican Party presidential candidate published a post on his social media site Truth Social in which he criticized the environmental plans of his Democratic Party rival, Kamala Harris, and then attacked Great Britain.

Attempts to reduce fossil fuel use appear to have fuelled anti-immigration riots and far-right violence in cities across the UK.

Mr Trump said: “The net zero lunatics are currently destroying the economies of many other countries, including the UK.

“Their radical, self-destructive policies have led to Britain’s worst economic growth since 1780, causing economic chaos, destruction, riots and death on the streets of Britain’s cities today.”

It is not clear what Mr Trump meant by the worst economic growth since 1780. Researchers from the University of Sussex and Loughborough University have suggested that the slowdown in productivity growth since the financial crisis is the biggest since the Industrial Revolution.

The COVID-19 lockdowns have caused a temporary economic recession that economists initially feared could be as severe as the one experienced during the Great Freeze of 1709.

The effects of the pandemic turned out to be slightly smaller than expected, and production returned to normal relatively quickly.

Riots across the UK following a mass stabbing in Southport in July have been widely attributed to disinformation, far-right agitators and criminal opportunists.

Around 450 people have been charged in connection with the rioting and disorder that spread from Southport to London, Liverpool, Manchester and Sunderland.

Many of the defendants are charged with inciting racial hatred or other racially motivated offences.

The riots were sparked by a wave of false rumors spread on social media, including Telegram and X.

Hundreds of anti-immigration protesters also gathered outside the Holiday Inn in Rotherham, where asylum seekers were staying, on 4 August.

Participants were seen attacking police, throwing rockets and smashing windows. Some tried to start a fire at the hotel.

In his posts on Truth Social, Mr. Trump said: “Kamala Harris supports the environmental extremists’ ‘net zero’ energy policies – a radical leftist agenda that aims to abolish coal, oil and natural gas and plunge MILLIONS of people into poverty.”

He added: “In the United States, net-zero zealots like Kamala Harris want to close power plants even though the cost of energy and electricity has increased by 30 to 50 percent and continues to rise.”

Many senior Labour politicians make no secret of their contempt for Mr Trump.

David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, called Mr Trump a “sociopath” when he was an MP in 2018. He later said the Republican leader was “no friend of Britain”.

Mr Lammy has since sought to forge links with Republicans, saying in May that the UK and US “must work together” regardless of who becomes president.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have been contacted for comment.

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