Activists in swimwear queue outside of Rishi Sunak’s heated pool

Greenpeace activists were seen demonstrating outside of Rishi Sunak’s Grade-II listed manor house in Richmond, North Yorkshire.

Earlier this month it was revealed that the Richmond MP paid privately for his local electricity grid to be upgraded to heat his £400,000 swimming pool.

Activists wore swimming trunks, flip flops and scuba diving gear and gathered outside the gates of Mr Sunak’s house, valued at £2m, while also holding signs reading “pool party at Rishi’s.”

Read more: Rishi Sunak upgrades electric cables to cope with heating new pool

The group aimed to highlight the hypocrisy of the Prime Minister paying for private upgrades to the grid for his own benefit, while failing to upgrade our outdated national grid, which remains unable to deliver the green energy revolution for the rest of us that would lower bills and help tackle the climate crisis. 

It comes ahead of the Government’s ‘Energy Security Day’ on Thursday, March 30 where ministers are expected to announce policies to boost carbon capture and new fossil fuel projects.

Campaigners have argued the policies “will do nothing for energy security and would be disastrous for the climate.”

Philip Evans, Greenpeace UK’s climate campaigner, said: “We're queuing up for the Prime Minister's heated pool because a better electricity grid should be a public good, not the private luxury of millionaires.

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“While Sunak will enjoy doing lengths in his warm pool, the rest of us are stuck with an outdated power network, not fit for purpose, that’s blocking the roll-out of more cheap and clean renewables. 

“Securing green energy for all should be the focus of the Government this week. Instead,  they’re approving new oil drilling and giving tax breaks to fossil fuel giants, proving they really are out of their depth when it comes to tackling the climate and energy crisis. 

“Sunak must upgrade our outdated grid and clear away other barriers to renewables so we can reap the full benefits of cheap energy from solar and wind, bringing down bills and carbon emissions alike. If he refuses, he leaves us stranded without a raft.”