Manifesto pledges

Parties bid to clean up air quality

The Conservative Party has been decidedly cautious with its plans on combustion engines, enforcing what in effect amounts to a ban only at a time when it’s likely that electric will be the main drivetrain for road cars anyway.

But the Lib Dems’ harder strategy against diesel cars is arguably too aggressive, as it could leave the half of UK motorists who run diesels feeling victimised in just a few years. It’s also arguably not the most effective option to take, because it assumes that all diesels are dirty and therefore discounts the rapid progress that has been made in recent years. While few would deny reducing harmful NOX emissions was a good thing, a hard-edged ban on diesel could do more harm than good when the bigger picture is considered.