Failure to prepare for extreme weather risks losing a flood of public support, warns IPPR
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Extreme weather is a political issue: unpreparedness fuels public
anger and opens space for populists Ignoring climate
change risks losing votes on the left and right: 81 per cent of
voters believe we are unprepared for its impacts IPPR
recommends better protecting people by pairing policies like solar
for schools with adaptation to extreme heat, like air
conditioning Failure to adapt to escalating...Request free trial
Failure to adapt to escalating extreme weather is creating a governance crisis and leaving space for the populist right to exploit public anger, according to a new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). The think tank warns that failing to address the immediate impacts of climate change, alongside its causes, risks losing political ground to the right, while also losing support from voters across the spectrum who expect stronger action both now and in the future. The report includes new polling by Persuasion UK, which shows that 81 per cent of people believe the UK is not prepared for the impacts of climate change. The research reveals that this holds across the voting spectrum, including 83 per cent of Labour's 2024 voters and 84 per cent of Reform's 2024 voters. Eight out of 10 of England's most flood-prone constituencies are due to switch to Reform at the next election. Despite this, 59 per cent of all voters think it is “not yet too late to avoid the worst impacts of climate change”, which holds for 46 per cent of all Reform curious voters and 70 per cent of Labour voters. The public also backs tackling both the causes and impacts of climate change together. Only 5 per cent prioritise adaptation alone, while 54 per cent support pursuing adaptation and mitigation together (see chart in notes). Researchers argue that this creates a clear political mandate for a dual approach: protecting people from climate impacts now while continuing to cut emissions to prevent future warming. In practice, this means policies that make climate action visible in everyday life - such as schools with air conditioning powered by solar panels that allows students to concentrate during extreme heat, and football clubs who can keep their doors open, heat the showers for players and bring down the costs of their floodlight and energy bills because of solar power on their stands. The warning comes after weeks of unprecedented rainfall across the UK, which has caused flooding, transport disruption, and school closures, as emergency services and local infrastructure were put under strain. These impacts are no longer isolated incidents but structural pressures, with strained infrastructure – from water systems to energy networks – colliding with historic underinvestment in resilience. Britain's water pipes and energy grid were already creaking without the added pressure of extreme weather, whilst hospitals are already cancelling operations in heatwaves. The analysis argues that this lack of preparedness will increasingly shape Britain's political landscape. When institutions fail to anticipate or manage extreme weather, public anger accelerates, creating opportunities for the populist right to frame events as proof of state incompetence – a pattern already seen in places such as California and Valencia. The report reveals that the political stakes of extreme weather have shifted. Impacts once expected decades from now are already happening - the boundary of 1.5 degrees was expected in the 2040s will now be crossed this parliament. The public now reacts more strongly to failures of preparation than to failures of response. Evidence also shows that when leaders explicitly link extreme weather to climate change, support for government policies increases. IPPR recommendations include:
Sam Alvis, associate director for environment and energy security at IPPR, said: “Extreme weather is no longer just an environmental issue – it is core to government competence. By failing to prepare, communities are left exposed and political credibility is at risk. Without pointing to how extreme weather is making waiting lists longer, or children's learning harder, those in power will have the blame directed at them. Progressives should work to tackle both the root causes and protect people from the immediate impacts in order to gain trust and support for the long-term fight against climate change. Sofie Jenkinson, founding director at Round Our Way, said:
ENDS NOTES TO EDITORS
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