So Sunak is right and wrong. He will no doubt get the RW Press support for delaying/abandoning green policies. In some ways he is correct, introducing further costs in a time of a credit squeeze is not popular. However abolishing plans that do not exist is ridiculous (unless to the RW nutters) 7 bins, meat tax, flight tax etc.
Firstly he is reversing policies he voted for a few years back – so why does he not say that he was wrong then? That is because they were not wrong then or now!
Secondly the mistake has been the lack of support put into the measures. Heat pumps are expensive as are electric cars, there is a lack of charging points for cars and trained mechanics. landlords need support at a time of rising mortgages (it is easy to see landlords as unscrupulous hate figures, but they are providing a service (especially since the Thatcher government started selling off council houses. Subsidies, especially in areas with no mains gas for heat pumps and solar woukd seem sensible. Setting up charging parks for cars in areas of high density flats would lso ease the pain. Of course these things cost – hence the need for a windfall tax. Thirdly the llack of a tax on air travel is plain ludicrous.
I think Sadiq Khan may come unstuck with ULEZ as it is too expensive and too soon. Would it not be more practical to give everyone who pays the £12.50 charge a £10 credit for buying/leasing a new electric or compliant vehicle. Someone driving in the zone would therefore get £6000 credit after a year.
Like most government policies these things do not seem to be thought through – is there a lack of civil servants without cognitive and questioning skills or have all ministers copied Johnson and surround themselves with sycophants? Is the introduction of the national curriculum and league tables in education to blame (Students trained to pass rather than think!).
The press will make much of the fact that the UK is ahead of much of the world (great so lets keep ahead and reap the benefits) and some countries are doing little ( a pathetic argument. The petrolheads will be gloating in the fumes. Prevalence of asthma seems to have risen in the 1990’s and possibly flatlined since – I cannot find decent data. Personal experience – I think there was one child with an inhaler when I was at school – now it is much more common – savings to the NHS?
Which all brings me around to democracy – good or bad? Governments are elected by popular vote, but the recent trend for populism seems counter-intuitive? If all we need is populism we cound have an electronic referendum on every topic. Referendums often result in disaster (Brexit). Governments should use their Civil Service to gain long term outlooks and act for the benefit of all in society. For too long politicians have acted to support their power base at the expence of of many in the country. Governments have a responsibility to minorities and the future. A 5 year term, at the end of which politicians will appeal to the public for support is not a sensible way to run a country – we have become a laughing stock as this government comes out with 12 month plans at best, knowing they will not be able to execute them. Yet Biden appears to have done it in the USA with a long term plan to put them ahead of the rest of the world regarding green energy? Maybe it is the fault of the fourth estate – their finances are totally dependant on populism amongst the old!
Maybe this is an opportunity for a second chamber (formerly House of Lords ) which should be tasked with assessing the impact of policies across society and into the future. It would appear that Sunak has written off the young as potential voters and is saying that he will fuck the environment as his voters will not be around for long? The future for him seems to be a few months. OMG – can you imagine the horror that he would face if the Tories won the next election – all their fuck-ups would come back to roost!
This affair reminds me of the opening of “Fix you” by Coldplay!
When you try your best, but you don’t succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can’t sleep
Stuck in reverse
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can’t replace