Innumerate Greg Smith gives the environment a kicking

Potty-mouthed Brexiter and leader of H&F's Conservative councillors, Greg Smith is a well-known petrol-head. When he is not leading battle buses, he is tweeting often aggressive support for his beloved though failing Formula 1 team.

But gas-guzzling Greg's love of big cars doesn’t only influence his personal life — it has also seen him come out against a popular environmental policy in Hammersmith & Fulham.

H&F’s Labour council voted in January to recognise climate change as “one of the greatest dangers facing the world”. Smith’s Tories refused, however, to back a statement acknowledged by almost every climate scientist across the globe.

The council motion called on all levels of government to take action to address climate change.

One way H&F council proposes to do this is by removing extensive pension investments from firms whose business model depends on raising the earth’s temperatures.

This sensible divestment policy is being adopted by authorities, foundations and universities everywhere.

Yet gas-guzzling Greg called the council’s move a “pointless vanity project”.

He went on to claim that the council was “withholding pence from fuel firm investments”. 

Yes, "pence" - even though the council's pension fund is set to reach £1 billion pounds.

While Smith is known neither for his grasp of finances nor his support for the environment, managing both to attack a sensible green policy and to describe a billion pounds as pence is a surprising achievement, even for him.