Richard Tice’s “Enjoy the Heat” Remarks Spark Political Firestorm Amid Record-Breaking UK Heatwave

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice told a press conference that the public should “enjoy” the unusually warm summer, adding that better English wine and sparkling wine would be “fantastic” and that the UK could “take on the French.” He framed the heat as an opportunity rather than a crisis, urging people to celebrate instead of “doom and gloom.” The comments were made while wildfires burned across Derbyshire, the Midlands, Wales and Northern Ireland and hospitals reported surging heat-related admissions.

The Guardian

The summer of 2026 has produced multiple heatwaves with temperatures exceeding 35 °C. The Met Office estimated 2,700 excess deaths in England and Wales, a figure later refined by the government to 2,877—about double the previous summer. Over 1,000 wildfire incidents have displaced residents and destroyed homes. Hospitals are operating at temperatures of 36 °C, straining care for vulnerable patients.

The Guardian

• Heat-related deaths: 2,877 (government estimate) – double last summer’s total.

The Independent

• Excess deaths attributed to human-induced warming: 42 % of the Met Office estimate.

The Independent

• Economic impact: Roughly £4 bn–£4.4 bn in lost output, according to independent analysis.

The Guardian

• Wildfires: Over 1,000 incidents across the UK since the start of the heatwave.

The Guardian

• Hospital strain: Temperatures in some NHS facilities reaching 36 °C, with staff collapsing from heat stress.

The Guardian

• Labour party chair Bridget Phillipson called on Tice to apologise to firefighters, describing his remarks as “tone-deaf.”

The Guardian

• A Royal College of Nursing spokesperson warned that urging people to “enjoy” extreme heat ignores nurses collapsing in hospitals where temperatures hit 36 °C.

The Guardian

Greenpeace programme director Amy Cameron labelled the remarks “completely out of touch,” noting nearly 3,000 deaths and a multi-billion-pound economic toll. Public-health researcher Simon Williams called the statements “misinformation” that endangers older adults. The National Farmers’ Union warned that drought and heat are threatening food security and water supplies.

The Guardian

• “Let’s celebrate some of these things rather than just be sort of doom and gloom about it.” — Bridget Phillipson, Labour party chair

The Guardian

• “When almost 3,000 people have died from extreme heat, and what has felt like endless heatwaves may have cost the UK £4.4bn, Richard Tice’s comments are completely out of touch with the public. Politicians, regardless of party, have a duty to citizens and right now we need politicians who will stand up for and help protect communities, not belittle their summer from hell.” — Amy Cameron, Greenpeace UK

The Independent

Ministers are expected to decide in the coming weeks whether to approve two new giant oil and gas fields in the North Sea. The government has also indicated that Thames Water’s mainland desalination plant may restart later this year, though full operation is not anticipated until winter. These policy choices will shape the UK’s response to the ongoing heatwave and its longer-term climate strategy.

The Guardian