SHOPPERS “GOBSMACKED” at price of Easter eggs—and it’s all thanks to Nigel Farage and his polluting paymasters

Chocolate lovers are choking on prices this Easter with climate chaos, trade tariffs and Nigel Farage’s political alliances all accused of helping drive up the cost of Britain’s favourite treat

It was meant to be a joyous tradition—cracking open a chocolate Easter egg with the kids. Instead, shoppers across the nation are being left “gobsmacked” by eye-watering price tags in the supermarket on their favourite seasonal treats with around £15 for a large Cadbury’s Easter egg.

So what on earth is going on?

Climate chaos

The basic culprit is chocolate itself, and the price of its key ingredient: cocoa. According to experts at the University of Oxford, cocoa prices quadrupled in the first half of 2024 and into 2025, before settling at a level still far above historic norms. What does that mean in real terms? Think much higher costs for manufacturers, passed straight on to shoppers—you and your family.

But why has cocoa gone from cheap treat fuel to shockingly expensive commodity?

Climate change—and the extreme weather patterns it brings—is the chief driver. Cocoa trees are extremely sensitive to heat, droughts and erratic rainfall, especially in West Africa where most of the world’s beans are grown. A recent El Niño event wreaked havoc on harvests in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, pushing yields down and prices up.

That’s where things start to get political.

Net zero politics

While some blame “global warming” generally, the real villains are the polluting fossil-fuel giants that fund climate denial and the politicians who take their money. Nigel Farage, ever the controversial figure, has raked in millions from backers linked to the oil and gas sector—the very industries most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions driving extreme weather. In turn, Farage’s polluting propaganda has dampened political ambitions around climate change all round. It’s not a stretch to say his politics are helping drive up the cost of chocolate in your shopping basket.

But that’s not all. There’s another economic hammer coming down on Easter eggs: trade tariffs championed by Donald Trump’s administration in the United States. These tariffs—including higher charges on chocolate imports from the EU and on packaging materials from China—have reverberated through global markets, pushing up cocoa and chocolate costs worldwide.

And here’s the kicker: Farage has loudly supported Trump’s policies and cultivated closer ties with his political circle. So while Brits pay more for their Easter eggs, there’s a direct political link between the men cheering on tariff hikes and the prices ringing up at the checkout.

A perfect storm

The result? A perfect storm: climate disruption shrinks harvests, tariffs inflate costs, and cosy relationships between climate sceptics and polluters make effective action less likely. All of it adds up to more expensive chocolate for hard-pressed families—just in time for Easter.

No wonder shoppers are furious.

So as you eye that £15 Easter egg this spring—or grimace while paying more for less chocolate—remember this isn’t just about supply and demand. It’s about the politics that helped create the crisis. And that, some would say, is the bitterest taste of all.