The Prime Minister made a brave call when he scrapped the imposition of costly and unpopular targets designed to get us to net zero by 2050.
Extending the ban of new petrol and diesel cars sales from 2030 to 2035 aligns us with most of the world.
Extending the transition from gas and oil boilers to heat pumps – a huge area of concern for households worried about how they would pay for it - is sensible and fair. Households will now not have to fit a heat pump until 2035 instead of 2026. By then costs will have come down and the technology will have improved.
The PM said to achieve the net zero goal we need the consent of the people and a more pragmatic, proportionate, and realistic approach that will cut costs to families is needed.
The UK will continue to work towards net zero by 2050 and our international commitments to tackle climate change. The PM has not scrapped the target. We are so far ahead of other countries on this. We have cut our emissions by 50% since 1990. The US hasn’t cut them at all. China has gone up 300%. We account for less than 1% of greenhouse gases.
I do welcome his emphasis on green technology development and planning reform plus his focus on our energy security as the path to net zero. But most of all I saw real leadership and someone brave enough to make the right calls.
He is right to say both sides of the argument will not like either his commitment to net zero or his pragmatic approach. But I suspect many in Eastbourne & Willingdon will recognise we must act but not in a way that harms us.
I am disappointed that doctors and consultants have been on strike this week. The impact is serious and will be far reaching. The dismay for those left waiting for diagnosis or treatment is painful to see.
In a perfect world I would pay all our NHS staff more but who pays the bill? We have spent £500 billion on the pandemic and the cost-of-living support - a huge, huge sum. We have inflation to beat because it makes everyone poorer.
The nurses and teachers have recognised this and settled.
