UK voters want ministers to prioritise growth over net zero, poll finds
Voters in the UK say they want the government to prioritise economic growth over net zero, pollsters have found.
Exclusive polling for Morning Wire by Freshwater Strategy found seven in ten people said they would rather the government prioritise economic growth over achieving net zero by 2050.
It comes after pollsters yesterday revealed a majority of Brits have no confidence in the government’s plan to generate economic growth, despite a renewed push by chancellor Rachel Reeves to kickstart the UK’s ailing economy.
Asked which was the “higher priority for the government at this time”, 70 per cent of respondents opted for economic growth, with 24 per cent choosing net zero by 2050, and six per cent describing themselves as unsure.
The findings come after Rachel Reeves tried to reset her economic agenda with a slew of growth measures last week, including approval for the building of a third runway at Heathrow.
Reeves has been praised for announcing support for the project but is now on a collision course with net zero backers in her party. Opponents of the plans, including London mayor Sadiq Khan, have pledged to fight the expansion on green grounds.
The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and Reeves were urged to make a “strong, confident” case for decarbonisation as a means to create economic growth by independent statutory advisor Emma Pinchbeck, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) chief executive.
Pinchbeck said: “Decarbonisation is better for growth than not decarbonising… you can’t have economic growth without delivering on net zero.”
Voters showed a similar lack of appetite on other environmental issues, according to Freshwater’s research, with 68 per cent of respondents prioritising economic growth over protecting the environment.
Similarly, a third of UK voters think environmental goals make it harder to achieve economic growth, with slightly fewer who think it makes no difference.
Asked which of “the following statements best represents your view”, some 34 per cent of UK voters think environmental and climate goals make it harder to achieve economic growth, with slightly fewer, 29 per cent, who think it makes no difference.