‘Sunak right to boycott COP27

And Mr Sunak will be damaged politically if he allows the wet greens in his party to persuade him to attend. His place is here at home improving our lot.The King would certainly have been condemned for going – for entering into politics at the first opportunity since he acquired his new constitutional responsibilities as monarch.  Alok Sharma, president of COP26, is entirely capable of representing Britain’s interests at what is an exercise in hypocrisy. COPs are supposed to keep the world’s nose to the zero-carbon grindstone yet 30,000 Ministers, officials and zealots regularly fly in, generating clouds of carbon dioxide they say we could do without.  And as regular as clockwork the UN issues reports that we are failing to defeat global warming and climate change. We have grown weary of forecasts of Armageddon – a planet too hot to live on.It is difficult to believe this seemingly never-ending parade of COPs is allowed to continue in their present highly polluting form. What is the point if national leaders just gather annually for a swan that produces much hot air but little progress? Rishi Sunak will not attend Cop27 summit (Image: GETTY)I recognise, of course, that the King has been campaigning against climate change for years and cannot be expected to give up his somewhat alarmist convictions, especially when there is undoubtedly both health and climatic problems with global pollution. But as a constitutional monarch he must  keep his views to himself. An elected Parliament rules. The King reigns.I can see a case for Mr Sunak attending, if only to be seen to be renewing the UK’s commitment to keep bearing down on carbon dioxide. But fighting climate change regardless of its economic effects is no good to any nation, least of all in these covid-straitened times.Not all have been as daft as Britain, Germany and to a degree France in prejudicing energy supplies in the name of carbon reduction.A cold winter will expose our – and their – long-term folly. After all, hardly a day goes by without talk of power cuts and appeals to use electric appliances at night when demand is lower.It could be argued that Mr Sunak has put himself in a better position to attend the latest COP by re-introducing the ban on fracking.But that has more to do with politics than climate change. The Tory Party is restless enough without goading the shires into revolt for ‘wrecking the countryside’.Nonetheless, I fear we shall regret his decision, however qualified Liz Truss’s go-ahead was. It will make the economy less competitive and do nothing to reduce uncertainty about the adequacy of energy and power supplies.Our objective should be independence not continued uncertainty thanks to our dependence on entirely unreliable wind and solar power and our pathetic failure over the last 25 years to at least maintain our fleet of nuclear power stations.In short, Mr Sunak has simultaneously been wise and foolish. He will stay at home, I fervently hope, to concentrate on the urgent recovery job in hand after making that task harder.  It is not entirely his fault. As Tory leader he has to judge what is politically possible or advantageous.Having calmed down his party, he certainly does not need all hell breaking loose at fracking sites. JustStopOil is enough to be going on with.But the public must realise they cannot have it both ways. Security of energy supply is crucial and balances have to be struck. This is especially true when, above all, we need economic growth to pay off debt and provide the wherewithal to improve our failing services and defend freedom from the Communist threat.The King and Mr Sunak are well out of COP27. Yes, we need progressively to tackle climate change.  But we shall never succeed if the objective is pursued regardless of its consequences. Indeed, we shall make it worse because before we know where we are people will be chopping down trees and burning logs like billy-o.And what right has this Government to ban log-burning fires when it subsidises the import of carbon-rich wood chips to generate electricity at Drax in Yorkshire?Thanks to decades of virtue signalling Britain’s energy policy is an utter mess. Mr Sunak’s time would be better spent making it fit for purpose than gallivanting off to Egypt. The King might then avoid the embarrassment of the lights going out on an official reception.