Guido is not instinctively against the government’s plan to relax the ban on new petrol and diesel car sales – it’s the kind of thing the Conservatives should have been saying for years. Unfortunately for the government, a lot of other people do not agree – and they’re all on the media this morning…
Number 10 is attempting to show there is life in the building by making a significant policy change – yet because Downing Street has made ‘certainty’ and ‘stability’ their calling card, any move is causing greater than usual upset. After a number of leaks, including to the Mail on Sunday and the BBC, officials are now frantically accelerating Sunak’s speech relaxing green policies, possibly to today – not least because of the commercial sensitivity in leaving a vacuum on the details. The problem is that the leaks mean the government has already lost control of the steering wheel…
The motoring lobby – which is usually pretty Conservative – is slamming the move because it is messing with their fine-tuned future balance sheets. Car giant Ford says:
“Our business needs three things from the UK government, ambition, commitment, and consistency… A relaxation of 2030 would undermine all three”
The Society of Motor Manufactures and Traders says:
“[we] continue to invest billions of pounds into these new technologies, electrified vehicles, battery vehicles, both abroad and here in the UK… We don’t quite know what’s going to happen now.”
It is likely industry as a whole will entirely reject the government’s move; businesses have simply been told for too long to pivot to green manufacturing, often at huge capital costs which they now cannot turn their back on overnight. On the Tory benches, there are initial signs of problems, at least from the vocal zealously green MPs. Chris Skidmore, who chaired the government’s own review into Net Zero, has threatened a no confidence letter:
Meanwhile former COP26 president Alok Shama says:
“The UK has been a leader on climate action but we cannot rest on our laurels. For any party to resile from this agenda will not help economically or electorally.”
The initial reaction is enough to make Guido wonder if the policy package will be quietly wound down or changed. So much for the adults restoring stability…
UPDATE:
Boris Johnson has entered the fray, saying:
“The green Industrial Revolution is already generating huge numbers of high quality jobs and helping to drive growth and level up our country. Business and industry – such as motor manufacturing – are rightly making vast investments in these new technologies. It is crucial that we give those businesses confidence that government is still committed to Net Zero and can see the way ahead. We cannot afford to falter now or in any way lose our ambition for this country.”
Michael Gove has insisted the government’s plan to ban new diesel and petrol cars will come into effect from 2030 after all, despite Andrew Mitchell stalling on the issue yesterday morning, and Rishi Sunak himself prevaricating on the question just hours later. As of today, it’s still pedal to the metal according to Gove…
Speaking on Times Radio, the Levelling Up Secretary gave an “absolute guarantee” the ban was going ahead:
“I do agree that it’s important that the government does press ahead with thoughtful and important steps in order to safeguard the environment…”
Asked if it was “immovable“, Gove gave an unequivocal yes – twice. Something two of his government colleagues didn’t do yesterday…
A Green Party councillor in Norwich has decided it’s time to take the knee again. Not over George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, or racial injustice – this time it’s over electric vehicle (EV) charging points. According to councillor Liam Calvert and his fellow local Greens, the planned installation of 46 charging points across Norwich is problematic because they might make life “more difficult for pedestrians“. He proved this by drawing a scaled virtual ‘impression’ of an EV point on the pavement near his house…
Calvert said:
“Electric cars are a step in the right direction for reducing climate change but we can’t accept that life should be made more difficult for pedestrians. Chargers must not be placed on pavements at the expense of wheelchair users or parents with buggies.
Calvert then used his artistic skills to mock-up even more supposedly damning evidence proving his point. Below is what Calvert imagines will happen to his beloved pavement should the County Council go ahead with their plans…
It’s been a while since Guido pushed a buggy, although he doesn’t remember it ever being about three metres wide. Chloe Smith MP has called Calvert’s attack a “strange agenda”, which is a polite way of describing the same NIMBYism that leads Greens to opposing other green policies like, say, nuclear power. Either way, it’s definitely politically charged…
The head of Mercedes-Benz has hit out at the EU over electric vehicle tariffs which would pose a “major challenge” to the competitiveness of the European car industry. At the inauguration of a manufacturing plant in France, Ola Källenius slammed so-called rules of origin, which dictate that a car must have 45% of its parts originate from the UK or EU, or face 10% tariffs. Ola isn’t alone in wanting a delay for the rules set to be implemented in January 2024. Calls to “urgently make adjustments” also came from VDA… the German car industry’s lobbying group.
This regulatory car crash didn’t come as a surprise to Guido, nor anybody who listened to the predictions of leaders in the Brexit campaign. In 2016 – seven years ago – David Davis warned “CEOs would be knocking down Chancellor Merkel’s door. Demanding access to the British market.” The Twitter Remainiacs reacted exactly as you would expect…
Yet now, with an EU trade deal already on the books, David’s warnings have been vindicated. With other Europhile arguments crumbling and trade deals with Australia and New Zealand coming into force today, the sunlit uplands are coming into view.
The government boasted yesterday that Britain has a network of 25,000 charging points, which sounds quite a lot until you realise that according to the CMA Britain actually needs 250,000 points in the long-term – at a cost of untold billions. It will also require a fundamental re-organising of the electricity grid by the time of the 2030 combustion engine ban. Our green government’s ministers will, of course, be leading the way…
Alok Sharma, who is the President of the upcoming COP26 summit, drives a diesel car, his spokesperson Allegra Stratton drives a diesel, most of the government’s chauffeur-driven Jaguars are diesel too. In fact, the only cabinet minister Guido has identified as owning an electric car is the Tesla-driving Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps. The rest of the government’s ministers are hardly leading by example…
In 2019, the Department for Transport claimed that one-in-four government vehicles would be pure-electric by 2022. Better get a move on…
Guido learns that Ed Miliband still hasn’t put his money where his mouth is when it comes to his ‘electric car revolution‘. Despite preaching about the benefits of electric motors for months, suggesting they’re essential for ‘a green economic recovery‘, Ed still hasn’t actually bought one for himself – even after his hypocrisy was pointed out to him in the middle of a GMB interview back in March. Ed’s political adviser tells Guido he’s still only trialling a French-made Renault Zoe on lease for now. A trial that he’s been conducting for at least a month, because he told Nick Ferrari the same thing in May. At least he’s being thorough…
The Zoe has a claimed 245 mile range. In other words, not enough for the 340 mile round-trip from Westminster to Ed’s constituency of Doncaster and back, which is probably why he’s still holding out. He did have his eyes on a Nissan Leaf for some time, which would have been a great investment into the North East economy now that Nissan have announced plans for their new Sunderland gigaplant. Such a shame he’s opted to hire a French car instead…
