EXCL: Sir Keir slaps EU Net Zero taxes on British ships as part of ‘Re-Set’ just as fuel prices soar

N.I. impacted hard BUT he exempts Scotland, as its 20 Labour MSPs try to avoid being sunk in May elections

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2026

Others, from N.I. ships to Isle of Wight Ferry, all face new ‘EU Re-Set’ carbon tax

During a cost-of-living crisis, Sir Keir and his government are set to inflict still higher prices on the public and businesses by the imposition of an entirely unnecessary new tax at this time. This is a new Net Zero tax and we can reveal that he is doing this to align with his friends in Brussels as part of his ‘EU Re-Set’. Critically, he has exempted part of the UK.

Once again, GB News partners with think-tank Facts4EU to bring readers yet more deeply troubling news about this new tax which will cause readers’ everyday living costs to rise. One of the reasons many people in the UK will be in uproar is that this new tax is discriminatory.

“Blatantly discriminatory and completely unsustainable,” Baroness Kate Hoey tells Facts4EU and the People’s Channel.
“It shows the Government at their worst.”
- Baroness Kate Hoey, 17 Mar 2026

Report Summary

Why you've heard nothing about this before now

The Government is once again using a 'Statutory Instrument' to impose this new tax. This has the effect of avoiding a full Parliamentary debate. It has all been discussed in committees, which almost never get reported on, and in a debate in the House of Lords, which again gets little publicity.

Key facts:

New Net Zero tax to be imposed, with almost no publicity from the Government
Hits our ships and ferries, imposing higher prices on the public and on businesses
Starmer has exempted Scotland, with Holyrood election on 7th May
Northern Ireland, which relies on its ferry connections to GB, is NOT exempted
Transpires it must be imposed because of Starmer's 'EU Re-Set'

In this exclusive for GB News, produced by the Brexit Facts4EU think-tank, in collaboration with Stand for Our Sovereignty and The Campaign for an Independent Britain (CIBUK.Org), we bring you what all this means to the general public and to our economy.

Today we publish Part One of the story. You do NOT want to miss Part Two on Thursday, where we publish even more shocking revelations, so make sure you come back!

From Northern Ireland to the Isle of Wight prices are set to rise

With the Iran war setting oil prices ablaze and Brent Crude now at over $100/barrel, GB News can reveal that not only is Sir Keir refusing to protect British ships bringing UK imports through the Hormuz Straits, his Government is racing to align with the EU by imposing a new carbon tax on shipping.

This affects the United Kingdom locally. Ferries bringing people and goods to and from place like Northern Ireland and the Isle of Wight will have no choice but to increase prices. In many cases, these are costs people cannot avoid, as their journeys from one part of the United Kingdom to another are essential. They are being penalised purely because these journeys involve crossing a stretch of water.

UK’s emissions are irrelevant for “global warming”,
yet UK leads the way in reductions - and taking the pain
Emissions from UK shipping are so miniscule they simply won't register

Why does one of the United Kingdom get off, 'Scot-free'?

Sir Keir is letting off the people of Scotland completely. No ferries to the Scottish islands will be required to pay this tax at all. His extraordinary exemption comes just weeks ahead of the elections for the new Holyrood Parliament where he has 20 Labour MSPs who are all at risk of losing their seats.

In what is being seen as a highly cynical political move, it has left politicians from Northern Ireland outraged. Critically, the Province has no land border with the rest of the United Kingdom and relies on shipping to transport passengers and essential goods to and from GB in order to survive.

The tax for Northern Ireland has been reduced by 50% but this is not enough to mitigate its effects on one part of the United Kingdom. Not only that, but there is a very suspicious reason behind this, as we shall reveal shortly below.

As Baroness Kate Hoey, former Labour Minister, told us exclusively:

“On the 7th of May the people of Scotland will go to the polls to elect their new Parliament. After some resignations and defections, there are still 20 Labour MSPs who have to face their electorates. They must all be worried about the unpopularity of this Government. The same goes for the Labour MPs from Scotland at Westminster.
“I think people will draw their own conclusions when they see that Sir Keir has given Scotland a complete exemption, apparently without any great lobbying needed. Then compare that to Northern Ireland.
“There are 37 Labour MPs in Scotland and none in Northern Ireland. In fact the Labour Party does not even let people vote for MPs in Northern Ireland. It takes their money and gives them membership, but it will not put up candidates. That is another discrimination by that party.”
- Baroness Kate Hoey, 17 Mar 2026

This is all about Sir Keir’s ‘EU Re-Set’ – and here’s the proof

When it comes to this new Net Zero tax, the Government has not mentioned aligning with the EU and in fact we have seen statements suggesting this a move purely designed to meet the UK’s own, so-called ‘climate change objectives’.

The reality is a little different, however. Two weeks ago meetings were being held by the Northern Ireland Office with various interested parties. We now know that while the Government’s Scotland Office had no trouble persuading Sir Keir to grant Scotland an exemption, the opposite was going on in Northern Ireland. The Government’s N. I. Office was lobbying hard for the N.I. Assembly’s Committee - set up to consider this tax – to vote in favour of it.

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The Government pressure mounted, and the ‘EU Re-Set’ was introduced

A delay was created by the N.I. Office promising to publish an impact assessment. In fact no such impact assessment exists and none has been produced. The delay, it is said, was to give the officials time to lobby hard, as it was clear that the N.I. Stormont Committee was going to vote against.

Even the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, was texting party leaders over the weekend, saying that the entire EU Re-Set would be threatened if the Assembly blocked this Statutory Instrument (SI). It was vital that the N.I. Assembly voted in favour, as the SI required all four nations to be in agreement. Here is the testimony of one member of the Committee:

“What happened was, frankly, disgraceful. Last-minute pressure was placed on parties by UKG.
“A new dimension associated with CBAM [Carbon Border Mechanism Adjustment – Ed.] and impact on EU negotiations was introduced. No facts, detail or proper briefing, just smoke and mirrors.
“That is not the way that we should do our politics, and interference at such a late stage is highly suspicious.”
- - Michelle McIlveen, MLA Member, Mar 2026

In the end, because some members are in favour of the EU Re-Set, the vote was won – barely. It passed by just one vote.

As Kate Hoey says:

“It is clear that Northern Ireland does not have a Northern Ireland Office that works for the people of Northern Ireland the way in which the Scotland Office does for the Scottish people.”
- Baroness Kate Hoey, 17 Mar 2026

Meanwhile, in the House of Commons…

Just as in Northern Ireland, a Commons Committee was also considering this legislation, where the question of N.I.’s 50% tax reduction was raised. The exchange between the Minister, Chris McDonald MP, and Jim Allister KC MP, was very illuminating.

“The 50% reduction that applies to Northern Ireland is there to create parity between vessels that operate between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and those that operate between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.”
- - Chris McDonald MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 03 Feb 2026

“The Minister is telling the Committee that parity with the Republic of Ireland is more important to him than parity with the rest of the United Kingdom. Really?”
- Jim Allister KC MP, Leader of the TUV, 03 Feb 2026

“That is not what I am saying at all. I am saying that it was important to us that Northern Ireland was not in any way disadvantaged, which is why the 50% reduction was offered.”
- Chris McDonald MP, 03 Feb 2026

In other words, Northern Ireland was given the 50% discount on the tax because Sir Keir had already agreed this same discount with the EU in respect of its Member State, the Republic of Ireland. The Minister’s claim that Northern Ireland isn’t “in any way disadvantaged” is completely false, given that Scottish ferries are not paying the tax at all.

This makes it clear how it is essential to Sir Keir, to be aligning as closely as possible with the EU.

Lord Redwood, who spoke in the Lords debate, told us exclusively:

“How can the Prime Minister be so determined to subject us again to EU laws and taxes that he chooses now to burden us with higher energy taxes and costs?
“Just when the public is alarmed by the leap in oil and gas prices the government stealthily imposes a new tax on shipping using fossil fuels as a warm up to imposing deeply damaging wider EU carbon taxes and carbon tariffs.
“The Chancellor tells us aligning more closely with the EU will bring us growth. This nasty shipping tax is a sample of the Re-Set measures that will close more businesses, lose us more jobs and put up prices.”
- Lord Redwood, 17 Mar 2026

Observations

Once again we have a secretive new tax which will hit the public and businesses alike with additional costs, being imposed without full Parliamentary debate. This is yet another measure designed to align us closer to the EU which is being dealt with under what's known as a 'Statutory Instrument', or SI. These have become very popular under this Prime Minister.

In this case things are even worse, as Scotland is being exempted completely for no good reason that anyone can see, other than that the PM does not wish to put a new tax on Scotland ahead of the Holyrood election in some weeks' time.

We are not surprised that the Unionist community in Northern Ireland, in particular, are up in arms. N.I. is supposed to be part of the UK and it relies on the transport across the Irish Sea. Now it faces increased costs which will hit consumer and businesses alike.

In Part Two on Thursday we will be looking at a much wider scenario with more exclusive revelations. We suggest this is one NOT to be missed.

Please, please help us to carry on our vital work in defence of independence, sovereignty, democracy and freedom by donating today. Thank you.

[ Sources: House of Lords Hansard, Committee Meetings (Hansard) | Baroness Kate Hoey | Lord Redwood ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Tues 17 Mar 2026

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Reader Comments 7

1. Mr Sceptic , Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 12:04:

Brexit has not resulted in levelling-up … but it has resulted in levelling-down.

2. Gazzablack , Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 13:42:

1, septic
.
They've certainly levelled down in Germany

3. Have You Wondered , Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 14:23:

.
REJOIN? WHAT ON EARTH FOR?
President of Southern Ireland Catherine Connolly's certainly got it right with this most profound statement: “Brexit is not the problem, Brexit is the consequence of the problem which is the failure of a ruling elite and compliant governments, our own included, to realise the DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT that is an integral part of the EU.”
Search: Catherine Connolly on 27 June 2016 in Dáil Éireann (the Irish parliament)
.
There appears to be a severe DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT in the UK too under Starmer and his statutory Instrument!
.
Why does the UK (or any other nation) need another level of corruption and malfeasance above that which the UK has already?
.

4. Have You Wondered , Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 15:21:

.
2. Gazzablack , Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 13:42: They've certainly levelled down in Germany
.
Indeed - in todays European press:
.
FRANKFURT — Germany’s government has redirected the bulk of funds originally earmarked for infrastructure into covering budget gaps, according to new reports from two leading research institutes — raising fresh doubts about Berlin’s ability to deliver on its long-promised investment drive.
The findings — coming a year after German lawmakers approved historic constitutional reforms to unlock hundreds of billions of euros in borrowing — could expose Chancellor Friedrich Merz to fresh criticism that his government has failed to harness a €500 billion infrastructure and climate fund to revive Germany’s stagnating economy.
The scale of the misallocation is striking, according to the reports. The Cologne-based German Economic Institute (IW) calculates that 86 percent of the funds were diverted, while the Ifo Institute puts the figure at an even more damning 95 percent.
“We have found that policymakers have used almost all of the debt-financed funds for other purposes, namely, to cover budget shortfalls. This is a major problem,” said Ifo President Clemens Fuest.
.
And all because of BREXIT !!
.

5. DB , Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 16:11:

Little discussion, lack of transparency and accountability, just what we've come to expect. Blatant gerrymandering. Another example of the Two Tier approach emerges. If it moves tax it. Growth, what growth.

6. Mr Sceptic , Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 17:21:

4 Have you wondered … I thought Germany’s debt-to-GDP is only 65-68% … compared to UK’s 95-96%? And Germany’s annual debt interest spending is only £49 bln a year … compared to UK’s massive £111 bln a year.
A whopping 8.3% of the UK total public spending goes to annual debt interest repayments. That is more than any EU country.
If Germany is in a hole, Brexit Britain is in a grave.

7. GazzaBlack , Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 18:37:

6, septic
.
You had me up to "I thought", then yo
.
The debt-to-GDP ratio is not the "be all and end all" of a country's economic health.
While it is the most commonly used metric to compare a nation’s debt to its economic output, economists and institutions (such as the IMF) emphasize that it is merely one indicator among many and provides an incomplete picture of fiscal sustainability.
.
And of course the German figure does not include the "shadow liabilities" that it has responsibility to.
.
If France has a catastrophic fiscal crisis (debt to GDP is at 120% BTW cupcake) then Germany will HAVE to bail it out, otherwise it's shared currency will collapse

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