‘Blue wall’ protests against petrol car ban
Northern Tory voters have concerns over transition to electric vehicles despite climate change worries
Voters in new Conservative “blue wall” seats think a ban on diesel and petrol cars would be unfair, according to a survey. Climate change concern is at 88 per cent among the group with the highest proportion of northern Leave voters, and those who swung from Labour to the Tories last year. But 70 per cent feel a petrol and diesel car ban would add extra cost to daily life. The Government is expected this week to bring forward the date to phase out new petrol and diesel cars to 2030.
NEW Tory “blue wall” voters in the North think a ban on diesel and petrol cars would be unfair, despite sharing overwhelming concerns over climate change, according to a survey.
Concern about climate change is at 88 per cent among the group with the highest proportion of northern and Leave voters, and those who swung from Labour to the Tories at the last election, in a survey on attitudes of more than 10,000 people.
But 70 per cent of that group feel that a ban on petrol and diesel cars would be unfair because it would add extra cost to daily life. More than 70 per cent also feel a ban on diesel cars would be unfair because earlier governments promoted diesel as a greener fuel.
The Government is expected this week to bring forward the date for the phase-out of new petrol and diesel cars to 2030, as part of a 10-point green industrial plan. With transport counting for around a third of all the UK’S greenhouse gas emissions, decarbonising will be crucial if the Government is to meet its legally binding commitment to net zero by 2050.
Data from the survey, conducted by Yougov for non-profit Climate Outreach, highlight the perception challenge the Government faces over the widespread introduction of electric vehicles in the next decade.
The challenge could be particularly acute outside major cities. Data from the Department for Transport show car use is up to three times higher in areas outside of London than in the capital.
“One of the key lessons from this research is that people need proper support to switch to cleaner forms of transport – that’s why the plug-in car grant and charging i nfrastructure funding is so vital, alongside an ambitious phase-out date for new petrol and diesel cars,” Sam Hall, the director of the Conservative Environment Network, said. “We should acknowledge that electric vehicles are currently more expensive to buy up front than petrol and diesel cars, however this is rapidly changing.”
Several surveys have suggested people are reluctant to invest in electric vehicles because of the up-front cost and concern over charging points.
New electric vehicles cost significantly more t han t raditional cars, despite subsidies of up to £3,000, with t he cheapest starting f rom around £ 11,000. But the cost of an electric vehicle over its lifetime is projected to be cheaper than a petrol car.
The Department for Transport has doubled funding this year for public charging points, which have risen fivefold since 2015. But recent data from the AA show just one in six councils has installed on-street charging, and 14 per cent of councils have no plans to install new charging points.
“If we are to convince drivers to make the switch to electric cars, more needs to be done to calm the fears of not being able to find a charge point when out and about,” Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said.
The data could give the Government confidence that its planned green strategy will have support among new “blue wall” voters, some 43 per cent of whom say they are “extremely worried” about climate change, 10 percentage points above the general population.
The findings also reveal widespread support for clean air zones and for reducing the amount of cars in cities.
Joss Garman, the UK director of the European Climate Foundation, a phil anthropy t hat commissioned t he research, said: “The survey shows a clear majority of Brits are in favour of ending petrol and diesel sales within a decade, but ministers need to make sure cleaner vehicles and charging points are made affordable and widely available so the policy continues to enjoy widespread public support.”
One challenge of the transition to electric vehicles will be how to plug the funding gap left by up to £40 billion in lost fuel duty revenue once the switch is complete, with reports this week suggesting the Government is considering a road pricing scheme. Such a proposal could prove unpopular, with Edmund King, president of the AA, yesterday calling it a “poll tax on wheels”.
“We need a more imaginative solution and have proposed ‘road miles’ whereby every driver gets 3,000 free miles, with one third more for those in rural areas, and then a small charge thereafter,” he said. “Combined with commercialising the roads with nami ng rights such as t he Manchester United M6 or Adidas A1, this should prove a more popular solution.”