The Guardian: Backtrack on net zero and lose votes, Tory MPs warn Sunak

[OKIsItJustMe]

Backtrack on net zero and lose votes, Tory MPs warn Sunak

Many Conservatives concerned that push to woo motorists will alienate voters concerned about climate

Aletha Adu, Peter Walker and Ben Quinn
Mon 31 Jul 2023 13.30 EDT

Rishi Sunak must resist pressure and avoid backtracking on Britain’s net zero goals or risk losing the support of an environmentally responsible electorate, Conservative MPs have warned.

Many Tory MPs are privately very concerned that the prime minister’s desperation to appear on the side of motorists could see him lose sight of the country’s climate commitments. Many have, however, stopped short of publicly criticising him.

Sir Robert Buckland, a former Wales secretary and member of the Conservative Environment Network, said: “It’s really important the prime minister sticks to the legally binding commitments on net zero. Of course energy security has to be an important consideration but we shouldn’t be seeking to water down any commitment that we have already made.

“We have shown leadership on this area, and it’s time the prime minister resists calls to somehow backtrack on them.”

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1. "We have shown leadership on this area . . . "