The government has launched an urgent investigation into the power outage that crippled Heathrow Airport on Friday.
A fire at a high-voltage substation in Hayes, west London, triggered mass disruption, grounding over 1,350 flights. Around 300,000 passengers faced chaos as Heathrow struggled to get systems back online.
Experts have called the incident a “wake-up call” about weaknesses in the UK’s critical infrastructure. However, not everyone is focused on the real issue.
🤔 Enter Nigel Farage…
Never one to miss an opportunity, Nigel Farage took to social media with his own theory.
“Heathrow Airport had no diesel generator backup. It was removed as part of their drive to net zero. Dubai Airport and many military bases do have diesel generators and their aircraft would have continued flying. The truth about this disaster is being withheld.”
Sounds dramatic. But is it true?
🔎 Fact-checking the net zero claims
Farage’s claim suggests Heathrow ditched diesel generators in pursuit of net zero targets, leaving the airport vulnerable. However, there’s no evidence this is what caused the shutdown.
The real issue? A fire at a high-voltage substation. It wasn’t about generators—it was about a critical failure in the power supply itself.
Airports worldwide, including Dubai, rely on complex backup systems, but even those wouldn’t guarantee smooth operations in a case like this. Infrastructure experts have pointed to the need for better resilience planning, but not because of net zero policies—because power networks need upgrading.
🔮 What happens next?
The government is now investigating how the failure happened and whether more safeguards are needed to prevent a repeat. Heathrow has promised a full review, while stranded passengers are still counting their losses.
Meanwhile, Farage will likely continue shouting about net zero. Whether or not it’s relevant? That’s another matter.
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Liz Truss
So what of Liz Truss I hear you ask?
Well, this meme of her went viral and you can see why…
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Related: Rachel Reeves backs Heathrow expansion—but not everyone in Labour is on board
