If the Government is serious about planning reforms and changes to the way we hook stuff up to the grid, it’s just possible today’s speech could end up accelerating the rollout of electric cars, and the deployment of new clean energy.
Most women are not Jeremy Clarkson-style petrolheads; their cars take them to work, their children to school, and their elderly to the health centre.
There’s undoubtedly a lot to do before 2030 and beyond. But our target drives the investment and innovation needed to deliver the electric vehicle transformation, lower people’s bills, create jobs, and tackle climate change.
If Sunak really is serious about a post-Uxbridge buttering up of motorists, scrapping the 2030 target would not be a bad place to start.
Labour’s plans will make matters even worse. Blocking all new domestic oil and gas developments if they win power at the next election only plays into Vladimir Putin’s hands.
Government risks fixating on specific projects, such as electric vehicles, rather than nurturing innovation and letting industry develop solutions.
The changing global landscape should refocus our policy on the factors that are need to improve the investment outlook – such as sound macro polices and the level, predictability and simplicity of tax.
Johnson’s deadline for ending petrol and diesel car sales was always over-optimistic. In our darkening international environment, it is an act of ludicrous folly.
The danger of the Government’s policy is it will be better at destroying the existing motor industry than at building the new one that Ministers want.
Ministers must take their heads out of the sand and actively support the development of synthetic fuels in parallel with the development of battery electric vehicles.
We must not give up hope, but instead give hope to our people out there who need us to win despite everything that has happened.
The worst outcome would be long-term contracts that turn out to be bad value, and which no one feels like they signed up to.
If it takes a minister looking a prat on YouTube for voters to notice helpful policies, then all to the good.
The plan does not focus on the future of motoring taxes, or on the broader issue of electricity supply.
The announcements made today are a positive continuation of our existing environmental policy, and a fine example of the Prime Minister’s pragmatic, and somewhat unsentimental approach to the major issues of the day.