Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s extension of the deadline for banning gas and petrol-powered cars to 2035 has sparked an extensive debate, with a rift growing between agenda setters, as politicians and businesses weigh in on the implications of the u-turn.
Speaking to The Epoch Times, former MEP Nigel Farage labelled the prime minister’s announcement as “a much needed outbreak of commonsense.”
With relevance to previous YouGov polls that have signified increased public support for a referendum on Net Zero, Mr. Farage added over email that the decision, “will be popular in the country.”
Addressing threats from Net Zero supporting Tory MPs to submit letters of no confidence in the prime minister, he suggested, “MPs that don’t like it should join the Greens.”
Certainty For Businesses
She said: “Protecting our precious planet is a responsibility to our children and grandchildren which we should all recognise and live up to.”She commended the UK government for its legislative efforts that have positioned the country as a leader in the global transition to a greener future and achieving net-zero emissions.
Baroness Altmann also stressed the importance of providing businesses with certainty regarding the timing of future changes, allowing them to plan accordingly. She called for transparency in explaining any potential constraints or reasons behind delaying the 2030 deadline.
She said: “If there are particular constraints that are requiring a delay in the 2030 deadline, surely that should be explained.
“For example, there may be problems connecting to the grid, or battery storage or other concerns, but those should be identified and addressed.”
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson echoed Baroness Altmann’s sentiments in an address to the media today, calling for businesses to have “certainty about our net zero commitments.”
Expressing concern about any motivations that could detract from the UK’s commitment to climate action, Baroness Altmann encouraged a clear and open dialogue regarding the decision.
New Conservative MPs Express Support for Delayed Ban
In a letter addressed to Mr. Sunak, the co-chairs of the New Conservative group of Tory MPs, Miriam Cates and Danny Kruger, expressed their support for the decision to postpone the ban on petrol and diesel engines from 2030 to 2035.They claimed that the policy shift was “a pragmatic decision that balances efforts to address climate change with the economic circumstances we face.”
The letter acknowledges that many individuals who voted Conservative for the first time in 2019, particularly in the North of England and the Midlands, rely on cars and vans for their daily economic activities.
The group claims that the original policy of banning petrol and diesel engines by 2030 would have disproportionately affected these individuals, potentially making new electric vehicles (EVs) financially inaccessible.
Arguing that the delay would align the UK with global trading partners and competitors, they emphasised the importance of ensuring that policy would leave “working people” better off.
Highlighting issues related to the environmental and moral aspects of EVs, such as the use of child labour in mining cobalt, the letter raised practical concerns about the previous rollout plan.
It warned of potential grid strain, the environmental impact of batteries, and the need for substantial public investment in charging infrastructure.
U-Turn May Be Short Lived as Decision Branded ‘Baby Steps’
Howard Cox, founder of FairFuelUK and London mayoral candidate for the Reform UK Party, welcomed the UK Prime Minister’s decision to delay the ban on petrol and diesel engines until 2035.Mr. Cox told The Epoch Times that he believed “common sense has prevailed” but questioned why it took the government so long to reach this decision.
He labelled the move an “opportunistic” political decision in the lead-up to the next General Election, emphasising the economic and voter concerns associated with the 2030 ban.
Mr. Cox anticipated that the new 2035 deadline may be short-lived, warning that Labour is likely to reverse it if they achieve power next year.
Harry Wilkinson, head of policy at the thinktank Net Zero Watch, told The Epoch Times via email that the move was “hugely welcome” but added that these were “baby steps.”
He said, “If Rishi can stick to his guns then we might just be about to see the start of a more pragmatic approach to Net Zero.”
Mr. Wilkinson added: “Bans on essential products like cars and gas boilers risk enormous harm to the public, and the fact that big businesses want to limit competition should come as no surprise to anyone.”
Tory MP Craig Mackinlay, leader of the Net Zero Scrutiny Group, took to FaceBook, calling the move “A sensible and pragmatic development.”
Businessman and former MEP Ben Habib told The Epoch Times that the move was a “stunning” admission from Mr. Sunak which equated to accepting the government had “misled the public over the cost of net zero.”
Speaking via text, Mr. Habib added, “He still isn’t being honest. The cost is crippling.”
The move appears to be popular with the grassroots and more traditional wings of the Conservative Party, with chairman of The Orthodox Conservatives think tank, James Bogle, telling The Epoch Times via text he believed the government’s decision to focus on an extended deadline was “an obviously sensible one.”
Mr. Bogle added: “the rush to Net Zero could have seriously negative consequences for the country and for prosperity leading to greater poverty.”
Westminster insider and Conservative councillor David Moore spoke to the Epoch Times, saying that Mr. Sunak’s announcement was “long overdue” and supported “Conservative policy-making over appeasing global centre-left net zero policymakers.”
‘Certainty’ on Legislation Needed as Ford Issues Warning
A spokesman for Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) told the media: “JLR is investing £15 billion over the next five years to electrify our luxury brands, which is key to JLR reaching net zero carbon emissions across our supply chain, products, and operations by 2039.“Our plans are on track and we welcome certainty around legislation for the end of sale of petrol and diesel powered cars.”
A senior manager at Ford revealed concerning details about the car giant’s manufacturing presence in the UK.
An email exchange with Mr. Cox, viewed by The Epoch Times, highlighted that Ford no longer produces vehicles in the UK, with the last one, the Transit, now being manufactured in Turkey.
The UK is, however, Ford’s largest European market.
The message disclosed that the Dagenham plant, responsible for engine production, is scheduled to close in five years.
Currently, Halewood is the sole UK manufacturing plant, producing transit and focus transmissions, with a significant reduction in Focus production to accommodate new EV drive manufacturing.
The email warned that if the ban on petrol and diesel cars is delayed by five years, Ford may face capacity issues in supplying popular cars like the Focus.
The EV campaign group FairCharge has also warned that shifting the deadline would “risk billions in investment and thousands of jobs.”
Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones, said: “we’re going to need to talk to the car companies, who will be as surprised about these announcements as we are.”
Speaking to Sky News, he added: “This is a classic example of Rishi Sunak’s weak leadership. You don’t announce these big changes in industrial policy via a leak from Downing Street and a late-night press release from the Prime Minister’s bunker.
“Ministers didn’t seem to know, we’ve just seen … the Home Secretary didn’t know the details. Tory MPs didn’t know, which is why they’re furious on the airwaves, and some calling for Rishi Sunak to go.”
Mr. Jones concluded: “Businesses won’t have known, in the weeks where Tory ministers have been signing off hundreds of millions of pounds to help businesses get ready for these long-held targets.
Push Against Net Zero as Braverman Guns for Activists
Benny Peiser, director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF), applauded the UK’s shift away from its ambitious Net Zero plans.Speaking to The Epoch Times via text, he added that GWPF saw the original plans as financially burdensome, unattainable from a technological standpoint, and politically unviable.
Mr. Peiser added: “Sunak’s u-turn represents a significant first move towards a complete reassessment of the unilateral Net Zero targets embedded in the Climate Change Act.”
When asked about the potential consequences of the government’s apparent change in stance on Net Zero commitments, Home Secretary Suella Braverman criticised the tactics of climate protesters, including Just Stop Oil.
She made these remarks during an interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, in response to a documentary by naturalist Chris Packham set to air on Channel 4.
Ms. Braverman strongly disagreed with Mr. Packham and organisations like Just Stop Oil, describing their approach as “militant” and “aggressive,” deeming it “totally unacceptable.”
Calling the u-turn a “step in the right direction,” Lois Perry, director of anti-Net-Zero pressure group Car26, told The Epoch Times via text: “The main challenge now is to rewire the Net Zero carpet laid by Civil servants.
“There’s a lot of money at stake from green tech vested interests. An enormous amount. The decommissioning is complicated, but we’re heading in the right direction.”
Ms. Perry stated that research by her organisation indicates that CO2 aids rather than hinders the process of “greening.” She argued that mixing discussions on air pollution, carbon monoxide, and CO2 in the climate debate is a distortion of scientific facts.
She called for distinction between these factors in the debate, likening them to “chalk and cheese.”
