Why did Sunak scrap the seven deadly bins?
Some made-up policies that no serious political figure has ever brought to the floor were “scrapped” last night - despite never existing.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a delay in the ban on new petrol and diesel cars last night, shifting it to 2035. This decision broadly aligns with other European nations but has done a brilliant job at riling up the vehicle manufacturing industry. This move seems out of place with Sunak's big technology drive, as the last-minute change has worried investors and will likely drive them away.
I will give Sunak some credit, though; his announcement to speed up connections to the grid is light amid the dark. He highlights that untapped energy is abundant, capable of powering half of the UK, waiting to be connected. This has been a significant barrier to community energy projects and rooftop solar. Still, I would have liked to have seen Sunak announce that renewables would get priority access to the grid. Baby steps.
More good news is that boiler upgrade grants are being raised by 50% to £7,500. But, and there is always a but, he also announced there would be a delay on the ban on new fossil fuel boilers and a reduction in the number of homes deemed suitable for heat pumps.
It was then revealed that there are no new fuel efficiency targets for landlords, which is likely to hit renters hardest. Residents of draughty, leaky homes are likely crying out over this announcement, especially with winter fast approaching and energy bills still sky-high. (It’s me; I’m residents).
Some made-up policies that no serious political figure has ever brought to the floor were “scrapped” last night - despite never existing. This includes passenger taxes on flights and a meat tax which popped up in a consultation once and ended up being used for some political points scoring.
The Uxbridge by-election likely brought all of this to the fore; the candidate and now MP, Steve Tuckwell (great drag name), won narrowly on an anti-ULEZ platform - and Sunak ran with it yesterday.
To his dismay, all of this will likely backfire. Contrary to what X trolls want us to think, climate action is generally a non-contentious issue when it comes to policy. We all agree it needs to happen; only the means are disputed. For example, the 2008 Climate Change Act won one of the biggest majorities since the Second World War.
What Sunak may well be banking on, however, is that Labour will now have to ramp up their climate policies after going back on their £28 billion green pledge. Sunak is probably hoping that if the hefty sum is reintroduced to Labour policy, the public will again start seeing the Conservatives as purveyors of fiscal prudence.
While the US has a significant political divide on net-zero, we may face a scenario similar to Australia. In the last election, the right-wing candidate went strongly anti-net zero, leaving the left candidate to oppose. The left candidate won, and here in the UK, a recent poll suggests that 41% of people would be less likely to vote Conservative if the government fails to uphold its climate change commitments.
Another thing Starmer has on his side when going into the offensive is his party's relative unity. Everyone from Zac Goldsmith to Boris Johnson has criticised the PM, and when has a disunited party ever smashed the polls?
Shifting back to the press conference, Sunak branded anti and pro-net zero groups as “ideological zealots,” suggesting a few times that individuals should approach the topic with less emotion. But when children have died and will continue to die in the city he lives in from air pollution, you question his capacity for empathy.