Philip Hammond is entirely right to say politicians are not being honest with Brits about the true costs of net zero

Net 12 zeroes

IT wasn’t often during his ultra-cautious tenure as Chancellor that we agreed with Philip Hammond.

But he is entirely right to say politicians are not being honest with the British people about the true costs of net zero.

The price of getting to an emissions-free UK by 2050 will be astronomical — at least £1trillion.

Yes, an incredible £1,000,000,000,000.

Time to deliver it is fast running out.

With less than seven years to go until a ban on new petrol and diesel cars, experts insist there are nowhere near enough charging points to cope with a mass switch to electric vehicles.

And even if they existed, we’d need electricity equivalent to that generated by a quarter of a new power station to run them.

Hinkley Point’s nuke plant, announced in 2010, won’t come on stream for another two years — with recent warnings it might not be fully operational until 2036.

It is one of a number of signs that Britain is increasingly incapable of delivering massive capital projects.

The gross white elephant of HS2 — now deemed to be unachievable despite an £87billion budget — is further proof.

If we can’t successfully build a high speed rail link from London to Birmingham within two decades what hope is there of decarbonising the whole country inside 25 years?

We all want the Government to succeed in the quest for net zero, as soon as practically possible.

But wishful thinking alone won’t deliver it.

Costa outrage

WHEN are woke marketing bosses going to get the message?

There is nothing whatsoever wrong in firms trying to appeal to diverse groups.

But not if that dash for High Street cash comes at the expense of upsetting cancer victims.

Costa Coffee thought its misjudged mural featuring a trans surfer showing off elective double mastectomy scars would go down well with trendy younger customers.

But in pursuit of its right-on agenda it didn’t give a thought to the tens of thousands of women forced to undergo that traumatic surgery to fight off aggressive breast cancer.

Costa ought not be surprised if many of its existing customers now go elsewhere.

Suntan lines

SUN hats off to the hardy Brits lining up from before sunrise to bag the best loungers on the Costa Blanca.

It’s a perfect combination of two national obsessions:

Our renowned love of queueing — and a steely determination to make sure we beat the Germans at absolutely everything.