Time for Green Tories?

Mark Yale

Freelance Political Strategist

Could Green Tories Return?

Save for the outbreak of major wars, there is something else that links 2022 and 2026: a surge of interest in, and installation of, solar panels by households in Britain.

What caused this? Was it a sudden concern for the environment? A pang of guilt over carbon footprints?

Obviously, this was not the case. Instead, households were looking for ways they could lower their bills in the face of spiralling energy prices and protect themselves against future crises in energy-producing regions.

Due to recent policy announcements, the Conservative Party — traditionally the party of business — now finds itself in the position of appearing to be against technologies that, at their core, are pro-business and pro-growth.

A business that spends less on energy bills and potentially has greater profits or funds for reinvesting and expanding. For a household, it means greater disposable income to spend in the real economy or to use to create an emergency fund with.

Green-eyed Monster

It is easy to see how the Conservatives have ended up in this situation. Their main perceived threat to their existence, Reform UK, had been surging in the polls and converting many former Conservative voters, with a core part of their offering being to scrap “net-stupid-zero”, as Reform MP Richard Tice has taken to calling it.

The Conservatives’ mistake has been in assuming the rejection of net zero as a policy is the same as rejection of green technology and a willingness to remain reliant on fossil fuels for longer by some right-of-centre voters.

I would argue this is not the case. Instead, many are likely reacting to, and rejecting, the spending by the Government on green policy because they are not experiencing the financial benefits of this spending. A good example is the Government providing billions of pounds in the form of grants for heat pumps, nearly half of which are installed in the wealthiest third of Britain’s neighbourhoods, according to work done by the Resolution Foundation.

Considering that low-income households spend a larger proportion of their income on energy bills, leaving them vulnerable to price shocks, it is little wonder some of these households may resent their taxes being used to fund a technology that has little direct benefit for them.

Green Tories: Cash, Not Climate

This is the Conservatives’ missed opportunity. Rather than performing a 180-degree turn on their previous climate policies and appearing ambivalent to climate change, they should have performed a less drastic shift and boldly put the economic benefits at the front and centre of climate policies.

For example, redistribution of available funds, such as those for heat pumps, to solar panels — including plug-in panels — could be targeted at individuals who are in work. not accessing the welfare system but on lower incomes. This would specifically help those going to work each day but struggling to make the paycheque stretch each month.

This section of the workforce has been hit hard by the combination of low wage growth since the 2008 financial crisis, the post-Covid surge in inflation and recently frozen personal tax thresholds and consequently is willing to embrace parties with radical policy offerings.

The benefits of this extend beyond the individual households and reduced emissions.

Research shows that those on low incomes have a higher propensity to spend extra money, resulting in more money entering the real economy, which, in turn, would support growth and jobs. Additionally, it could improve those households’ resilience and make them less likely to require the welfare system to support them.

For wealthier households or businesses, rather than the direct distribution of government funds, the tax system could be used to create incentives for investment in energy-efficient products. For example, introduce a super-deduction scheme for businesses, allowing them to deduct more than the cost of their investment.

Adoption of this approach would help the Conservatives present themselves once again as a serious pro-growth and pro-economy party, with an eye on the long term —arguably something no party is currently offering.

Aside from the economic argument, there is also a missed electoral opportunity for the Conservatives, who are struggling to appeal to younger voters. According polling from Ipsos in 2025, 52% of 16-34-year-olds “would prefer a party that takes strong action on climate change”.

Embracing green technology, even if not for the emissions reduction, would help broaden the party’s appeal to younger voters and support a new generation of Conservative voters.

Green Texas

If the Conservatives were to look across the pond to Texas, they would see how the right-wing can successfully embrace green technology. Texas, despite being dominated by the Republican party, has the fastest rate of solar power installations in the US.

Arguably, this is because of free markets and market forces. As electricity demand grows, companies are looking for cheap energy that is quick to bring online. Solar power is the solution the market has found.

Green technology therefore passes core Conservative tests; it can leave households with more of their own money, increase the country’s national resilience and help businesses remain competitive.

Rather than allowing Reform to define the terms of the debate, the Conservatives should make a principled and pragmatic case for a greener future. Not because it would reduce emissions, but because it could help leave individuals and the wider economy better off. It may even help their position in the polls!

You can still get a copy of our new edition of ChamberUK. Our parliamentary journal.

You can buy your copy here.

Photo Credit: Christine Quarmyne / CCHQ.