News

Sep 19, 2023

Five point plan to protect drivers from a rush to net zero is backed by MPs, motorists and campaigners

MPs, peers and motoring campaigners last night backed The Sun’s five-point manifesto calling for drivers to be protected from a rush to net zero before the country is ready. Our Give Us A Brake plan

MPs, peers and motoring campaigners last night backed The Sun’s five-point manifesto calling for drivers to be protected from a rush to net zero before the country is ready.

Our Give Us A Brake plan calls for politicians to stop imposing pricey Ulez charging schemes and disruptive Low Traffic Neighbourhood zones.

Last night leading Tory Lord Frost said current net zero targets are “unachievable”.

And we want the 2030 ban on new diesel and petrol cars delayed until the nation is prepared and drivers can afford the switch to electric vehicles.

The manifesto also demands ministers scrap the edict that 22 per cent of car sales must be electric by 2024.

Finally, we call for no new green motoring stealth taxes — along with a continuation of the existing fuel duty freeze.

The Government has announced a welcome review of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.

But campaigners and some MPs want PM Rishi Sunak to go ­further — warning that the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel ­vehicles may not be viable.

Ex-Cabinet minister David Frost said it was “unnecessarily restrictive and probably unachievable, and will need to be reconsidered”.

Former Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “We need to pause the aggressive net zero ban on diesel and petrol cars, freeze fuel duty and end the corrosive culture of stealth taxes being dumped on motorists.”

Drivers’ champion Howard Cox, of FairFuelUK, said: “Ballot boxes are beckoning in 2024, with electoral fortunes likely to be decided by the UK’s traditionally easy-to-fleece 37million drivers — who seem only to become politically important before a national vote.”

The PM is also under growing pressure to slow down new car rules for manufacturers, which start to come in next year.

Makers will be mandated to make a certain number of electric vehicles every year or face fines of £5,000 per vehicle.

Nearly one in four cars (22 per cent) will have to be Zero Emission Vehicles, like plug-in cars, from next year onwards — ramping up to 100 per cent by 2035.

MPs are worried that cutting production of petrol and diesel cars while electric ones are still pricey could see ­business flood abroad.

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith warned: “China is going to swamp us in cheap electric cars and our car industry will disappear.”

Manufacturers are worried they won’t have enough time to ramp up production.

Toyota said last week it was “not objecting to the ZEV mandate” but called it “challenging due to its quick introduction timing”.

Honda said: “We are concerned that we still have not had sight of the detailed rules for the ZEV.”

Our campaign also takes aim at Ulez zones and continues our decade-long campaign for a ­continued fuel duty freeze as a bare minimum.

Mr Sunak’s review comes after the Tories narrowly beat Labour in the recent Uxbridge by-election.

It followed a local backlash to Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand Ulez (Ultra low emission zone) to all of the capital’s boroughs next month.

Moves to hit more drivers with the £12.50-a-day levy got the green light in the High Court last week. Labour and Tory MPs have urged Mr Khan to halt the expansion.

The Sun is also calling for no LTNs — which shut off smaller streets to cars.

Councils may be forced to hold referendums or ­consult the public.

But last night No10 ruled out retrospective votes in areas already hit by the zones.

Priti Patel added: “The pursuit of state-driven targets has resulted in British motorists being treated as a cash cow with endless taxes and costs being imposed upon ordinary people for going about their daily business.

“I fully support The Sun’s campaign and readers’ quest to end this absurd anti-motorist culture.”

Ex-minister Jonathan Gullis said: “Common sense must win the day, and The Sun’s manifesto backing the motorists is exactly that.”

Tory MP Craig Mackinlay, who campaigns to slow down net zero, added: “As the Uxbridge by-election proves, anti-car measures are unpopular. I support The Sun’s drivers’ manifesto completely.”

Lord Frost added: “The Sun’s manifesto shows what more needs to be done if the Government is to show it is serious about reducing costs on motorists and keeping the British car industry productive and successful.”

The Labour Party said: “We agree with The Sun that costs should not be pushed on to hard-pressed ­drivers.

But the Tory government stood idle while petrol prices soared, car insurance rocketed, and fewer potholes get fixed.

“Labour’s plans will lower bills, tackle the cost of living crisis and put money back in people’s pockets.”

By Harry Cole

LAST month The Sun revealed politicians had no understanding of the pain net zero policies would inflict on the public.

A massive 62 per cent told our YouGov poll that getting prices down is more important than achieving carbon neutral status by midway through this century.

Since then ministers and Rishi Sunak — as we told yesterday, left — have launched a review on clobbering motorists, with dozens of Tory MPs demanding changes.

A whopping 85 per cent of Brits polled said politicians setting these rules had no grasp of the financial pressures facing the general public.

Half said no to the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles that will force drivers to switch to pricey electric cars.

The PM is sticking to the target despite hinting it could be eased.