Tories and Labour increasingly believe going green won’t win votes
The energy security secretary’s pitch to industry saw her encourage power companies to build more gas power stations, promising the government “will stand with you as you invest”.
Claire Coutinho argues gas will still be needed to power Britain’s homes and businesses during our transition to renewables, and would be vital to ensuring the UK doesn’t endure 1970s-style blackouts.
But she also argued that under the Conservative Party’s strategy, the UK can and will still meet its net zero commitments, while taking people – i.e. bill payers and voters – with them.
“In the past six months we have been accused of rolling back on our net zero plans,” she said. “So let me tackle this head-on: Britain is the poster child for net zero… [but] frankly, there is no point in being world-leading, if nobody wants to follow your lead.”
Her argument, as a close ally of Rishi Sunak, echoes the Prime Minister’s recent shifts in tone: attacking Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ policy, and delaying targets on boilers and petrol cars in a bid to strike a chord with cash-strapped middle Britain.
Some aren’t so sure of the merits of this approach, however.
The Conservative Environment Network (CEN’s) Sam Hall greeted the measures as a “welcome package of pro-market reforms”, but warned it was a “political mistake to keep downplaying the party’s climate message”, as polling “consistently shows strong climate policies are a net positive” for the Tories.
Labour, is also, to borrow a phrase from David Cameron, cutting ‘the green crap’ as well. Leader Sir Keir Starmer recently scaled back the party’s flagship pledge to invest £28bn in green industries.
Shadow energy secretary Ed Miliband today suggested Labour would also leave the door open to at least new gas power stations “as part of a decarbonised power system”.
With a cost of living crisis in full flow and the economy thought to be emerging from a shallow recession, it’s obvious there aren’t votes to be won by throwing money around on green policies.
But as many point out, climate change doesn’t pause for recessions or general elections.