GOVERNMENT MUST REVIEW NET ZERO GOALS SAYS SHADOW CHANCELLOR
THE government must review its policies for achieving net zero in the wake of the announcement that the Vauxhall van factory in Luton is to close, according to the Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride.
He told GB News: “I believe what the government has said is that they will stick to the actual reductions required year on year, and what they’re doing at the moment is to look at relieving some of the scale of those penalties [on manufacturers].
“I think this goes right to the heart of getting the right balance there in these kinds of situations. On the one hand, of course, as we were when we were in office, we were completely committed to getting on top of climate change and doing our bit for carbon reduction, but at the same time, you do have to have a balance.
“And when you get a situation where, clearly, our domestic car industry is suffering to the degree that it is as a consequence of these measures, I think it’s right that the government looks at this.
“There’s a general reduction in demand for new cars generally…there is certainly a case that, particularly in urban centres, and if you don’t have a driveway on which you can mount one of these charging points, it is something that makes it more difficult to own an electric vehicle
“We had plans when we were in government to roll out many, many thousands of additional charging points up and down the country, and that obviously is now for this government to explain how it is going to tackle that particular issue.
“But to the substantive point, I think it’s right that we look at these things, that we seek balance. And clearly these car manufacturers are really struggling with this and so therefore I think it’s probably right that the government has a second look…”
He added: “One of the things we did was that we pushed out the data at which there had to be 100% switch to electric vehicle production from 2030 to 2035 and this government actually brought it forward again to 2030 which, of course, is part of the reason that there’s additional pressure.
“So I don’t think we’re in entire alignment, and we would want to see what it is this government is proposing, but I think it’s right that it gets looked at, given what’s happening.”
Asked about the government’s economic policies, he said: “What this government did was it went into a general election reassuring the electorate it was not going to be putting up taxes left, right and centre.
“It then got elected and promptly proceeded with the plan that it always had, which was a huge spending splurge with a huge eye-watering increase in taxes, particularly on businesses and jobs through national insurance.
“And what that’s doing, of course, is hitting growth, which is the very thing that this government says is completely committed to.
“It was probably foolhardy of the Chancellor to have said to the CBI there will be no more tax rises in the future, because I am fearful that for a variety of factors, not least some of the pressures we might get from Donald Trump and tariffs in the White House and various other things that might make the public finances very difficult in a year to 18 months’ time, and she has once again boxed herself in. But let’s see what happens.”
