Ex-MI6 boss warns UK net zero push is 'risk to national security'

Sir Richard Dearlove criticises Energy Secretary Ed Miliband's 'irrational' clean energy plans

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband view a wind turbine under construction in Wales. Getty Images

A former head of British intelligence has criticised the UK government’s climate change policies, warning that ideology was being put ahead of national security.

Sir Richard Dearlove, who led MI6 from 1999 to 2004, said Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s drive to achieve net zero carbon emissions was “crazy”, “irrational” and “seriously problematic”.

Mr Miliband has insisted the push to achieve net zero represents the “economic opportunity of our time”, as the UK pursues its mission to become a clean energy superpower by 2030.

In March, he restarted climate talks with China during a visit to Beijing in which the two countries agreed to co-operate on green ambitions such as reducing climate-warming emissions. The UK hopes to work with China on emerging technology, including carbon capture and storage, while sharing its expertise on phasing out the use of coal.

Sir Richard Dearlove has warned the drive to net zero risks national security due to the reliance on Chinese technology. Reuters

Mr Dearlove told The i Paper that he was not being alarmist, but had concerns over the risks of relying on Chinese technology such as chips used in electric cars and solar panels. It has been suggested that China would be able to include a “kill switch” in such devices to corrupt them or make them inoperable.

He supports the Coalition for Secure Technology, which campaigns to raise awareness of the risks associated with China’s growing technological dominance. He took part in briefing with MPs this month to outline the potential threats to the UK, such as traffic lights being switched off or cars immobilised.

He said he believes Mr Miliband is aware of the dangers, but thinks tackling climate change is a greater concern. “Therefore we’re going to pursue that to the exclusion of all other issues,” Mr Dearlove said.

Moving to renewables such as solar power is key to the UK government's plan to become a clean energy superpower. Getty Images

The solution, he believes, is boosting manufacturing in countries the UK trusts. “The problem is that the Chinese have created a system of dependencies by massively subsidising these areas of their economy so that they hugely undercut the market competitors out of business,” he said.

The UK has committed to delivering most of the country's energy through green sources by the end of the decade, which will require a major increase in offshore and onshore wind power, solar panels and the national grid.

Mr Miliband bowed to pressure and is to ban the UK’s national energy company from investing in projects linked to China, over claims of forced labour. A UK government spokesman said it would “never let anything get in the way of our national security”.