"If you thought Ed Miliband was extreme, try his replacement..."
EU households double air-con use in 6 years
We reveal how Liberian-born Fahnbulleh would probably prefer to ban it in UK
Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2026
Does the new Net Zero Ice-Queen make ‘Red Ed’ look like an oil industry lobbyist?
Exposing the massive rise in EU households using air-conditioning, the Facts4EU think-tank with our colleagues at Stand for Our Sovereignty (SOS) and The Campaign for an Independent Britain (CIBUK) can reveal the astonishing facts about the comparison with the UK.
In this report shared exclusively with GB News, we also look at Andy Burnham’s Net Zero Secretary – the relatively unknown, Liberian-born Miatta Fahnbulleh – who has been ominously quiet on the subject.
We shed new light on the extreme extent of her views on Net Zero.
This news comes as the UK has just entered its fourth heatwave this summer and hot weather alerts have been issued for various parts of the country.
Some bodies have started calling on the government for urgent action on air-conditioning for vulnerable spaces, such as hospitals and schools. Despite this there has been silence from the Ministry and its new ‘Net Zero Ice-Queen’.
The stark comparison between the UK and the EU
In the EU, it seems many people are far less worried about staying cool than in the UK, because an increasing number have air-conditioning. To take one example from the latest official data Facts4EU has analysed for GB News, the use of air-con in Austria – hardly known as a destination for British sun-worshippers – has risen by a shocking 11 times in just five years.
The comparison with the UK is stark. Our nation’s use of air-con is so small as to be deemed insignificant in the government’s official data collection on domestic energy usage.
Use of air-con by households
Below is the latest information on energy usage for cooling in households
for a selection of EU countries – and the UK.
© Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2026 - click to enlarge
One of the EU countries in the above chart is Finland. It is one of the furthest-north countries in the world. For northernmost capitals, Helsinki is only beaten into second place in the world by Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital. Yet Finland has recorded a 133% increase in air-con usage in the last five years.
Belgium is another EU country where Brits are unlikely to go for a beach holiday. Despite this, the usage of air-con in households there in the last five years has nearly doubled.
Air-con usage can only be increased if it’s installed
The absence of data on the UK in the above chart isn’t surprising. In a recent popular report covered by GB News, Facts4EU showed how the Net Zero Ministry had decided not to offer generous grants to the British public for ‘green’, combined air-con and heating systems.
The full grants are only available for systems that do not include environmentally-friendly air-conditioning. A much smaller grant is available if air-con is included.
Not only that, but the Ministry decided to impose strict new qualification standards on installation engineers, if they are installing combined heating and cooling systems. Consequently there are very few installers allowed to do the work.
The Rt Hon the Lord Redwood, former Secretary of State
commented exclusively to GB News and Facts4EU
“Facts4EU are on the money when they expose the extreme Net Zero transition plans of the new Secretary of State. There is nothing coming from her to offer us relief from ever rising energy bills under Labour.
“There is no recognition of the madness of shutting down much of UK industry through penal carbon taxes, emissions charges and windfall taxes, only to import oil, gas, and high energy based-products from abroad. Her policies like her predecessor's mean more world CO2 not less. They mean paying big tax bills to foreign governments for all the imports instead of collecting tax at home for our purposes.
“The PM offering a temporary cut in VAT on electricity will come nowhere near offsetting yet another rise in our energy bills this autumn.”
“A fair policy needs to start with much reduced migration. We should not allow more people into our country when we cannot provide enough decent homes for them and for the settled population.”
What the British public think
An indication of how the British public feels was published in a survey by Harris, covered by GB News this Tuesday (28 July 2026). Only 35% of people feel their property is adequately equipped to stay cool. More people are reporting health problems and difficulty sleeping.
British public thinking on the heat
© Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2026 - click to enlarge
Can we expect any policy changes from the new Net Zero Secretary?
Since entering office, Miatta Farnbulleh has said very little. As GB News reported last week, we know her direct views only as a result of a 2019 paper she wrote for a magazine, from a tweet from 2022, and from a more recent Times Radio interview. Below we add to this.
Like almost all Labour MPs, Ms Fahnbullen has never worked outside the political arena. An indication of her overall views perhaps come by virtue of her role as chief executive at the left-wing think-tank, the New Economics Foundation (NEF) for a full six years to 2023. This was before entering Parliament only in 2024 at the last election.
BEFORE WE CONTINUE...
To be a full-time, effective voice in opposition to what's happening to our country,
it costs around £15,000 per month.
We receive far, far less than that and really need more readers to help us.
Please donate or become a member today so we can make even more of a difference.
Any credit card user
Quick One-off
From £5 - £1,000
Monthly
From £3 per month
Paypal Users Only - Choose amount first
Quick One-off
Monthly
Don't leave this to someone else. You are that 'someone else'.
Miatta Fahnbulleh’s years leading a left-wing think-tank
We can now reveal the extent of Miatta Fahbulleh’s commitment to extreme views on Net Zero. Aside from the fact we know that back in 2019 she wanted full Net Zero in “10 to 15 years” instead of the legal target of 2050, she ran the New Economics Foundation.
Belying its innocuous title, NEF’s first mission statement is to:
“Build a fast and fair transition to a green economy through a deep and equitable transformation to address the climate crisis”.
For “the climate crisis” to dominate the thinking of an ‘economics foundation’ to this degree is extraordinary and certainly makes it an outlier.
In addition, her strong left-wing credentials are demonstrated by the NEF’s third mission statement to:
“Shift power to people and communities through democratic ownership of the economy and devolving political power.”
- New Economics Foundation, accessed 27 July 2026
This puts the new Net Zero Secretary clearly in the category of being an eco-zealot, as well as showing her belief in the state, devolution, and nationalisation. To have a primary mission of shifting power through "democratic ownership of the economy" sounds very close to communism.
In common with Andy Burnham, Ms Fahnbulleh seems reluctant to discuss anything specific. Questioned on Times Radio about North Sea oil development, she would only say:
“I think it is about pragmatism.”
- Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, July 2026
Those who hope for a much lighter Net Zero touch on the economy can only hope this means she knows she has to put her personal convictions to one side for a while.
Lord Redwood commented exclusively to us again
“The new Net Zero Secretary has spent several years thinking bad thoughts. She seems to believe nationalising our energy businesses would bring us plentiful affordable energy by eliminating profits and private capital.
“Past experience suggests the opposite. It would heap more state debt on us. There would be borrowing to buy up the assets. There would be more borrowings to put in the new and additional capacity needed. The last thing we want is nationalised HS2 levels of incompetence, delay and overspend when building new power stations or new electricity cable networks. Taxpayers would have to pay the interest on the debt and the eventual repayments of it. All that borrowing could drive interest rates up giving us dearer mortgages and hitting businesses.
“The last Secretary of State left a totally inadequate grid close to delivering blackouts. There is no sign the new one sees the seriousness of the problems or has any idea where to find the huge sums needed to fix it through her preferred way of sending the bills to taxpayers.”
Observations
Thus far the jury is out on Ms Fahnbulleh, but only because she hasn't said anything. The problem is in her background in climate extremism. Whatever she is forced to say or do publicly, we know what she really thinks and there is little doubt this will influence every move she makes. All those who have ever held decision-making power know there are many ways of 'implementing' a policy, whilst making it as difficult as possible for those on the receiving end.
Facts4EU will be watching closely.
Please, please help us to carry on our vital work in defence of independence, sovereignty, democracy and freedom by donating today. Thank you.
[ Sources: ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.
Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Thurs 30 July 2026
Click here to go to our news headlines
Please scroll down to COMMENT on the above article.
And don't forget actually to post your message after you have previewed it!
Since before the EU Referendum, Brexit Facts4EU.Org
has been the most prolific researcher and publisher of Brexit facts in the world.
Supported by MPs, MEPs, & other groups, our work has impact.
We think facts matter. Please donate today, so that we can continue to ensure a clean Brexit is finally delivered.
Any credit card user
Quick One-off
From £5 - £1,000
Monthly
From £3 per month
Paypal Users Only - Choose amount first
Quick One-off
Monthly
Something to say about this? Scroll down and be the first to comment