“Tories Overstate Net Zero Cost by Nearly £500bn in Apparent Spreadsheet Error” — what this page in the network covers. Kemi Badenoch's flagship Conservative Party conference policy document, The Right Way, has been found to overstate the cost of net zero by nearly £500 billion, according to an exclusive report. The 100-page document cited a £957 billion estimate, which is roughly double the figure found in the Climate Change Committee's data. The discrepancy appears to stem from an accidental double-counting of figures in a spreadsheet.
Badenoch prominently referenced the inflated cost in her main conference speech in Birmingham, making the error particularly embarrassing for the party leadership. The inflated figure undermines the credibility of the Conservative's critique of net zero policies, which are central to their political messaging. This mistake could fuel criticism that the party is not rigorous in its policy analysis, especially on a key issue like climate change. This listing links straight to the original page, where the content is available in full.