Parliament rose earlier this month for annual Party Conferences. With a General Election likely to take place next year, these Conferences are an opportunity for each Party to set out their policies for the future.
Below are my thoughts on the recent announcements made by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak both before and during Conservative Party Conference.
Achieving Net Zero by 2050
The Prime Minister has pledged to undertake a “fairer path” to achieving Net Zero by 2050 – which we are on target to do.
I agree with the plan for a pragmatic and credible path to Net Zero and our legal obligations that, crucially, maintains public consent.
Take the announcement, for example, to move the ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to 2035, instead of the original target of 2030. This change brings the UK in line with Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Australia, Canada, Sweden and even US states such as California and New York. As the PM said, to do this sooner would have risked disruption to people’s lives.
We can all agree it is important to protect our environment. Since 1990 carbon emissions have fallen by over 48% in the UK, the fastest of all G7 countries and a record our nation should be proud of. But I have been clear that our journey to achieving Net Zero must be proportionate and not place further financial strain on households.
£36 billion for transport improvements
Following the cancellation of the Northern leg of HS2 due to spiralling costs, £36 billion will instead be invested in hundreds of transport projects across, predominantly, the Midlands and North.
What does this mean for us? While I’m seeking clarification on the finer details, I was overjoyed to see the Prime Minister directly mention the A5 will benefit from this funding, something I have been calling for ever since I become your MP in 2019. Our area will also see regional rail improvements and boosted connections.
Additionally, the Government’s £2 bus fare cap will be extended until December 2024! You can find out which routes are included in the scheme online.
Smoking ban
During my time as a junior doctor on respiratory wards I worked with many patients, too many in fact, who were suffering from severe health issues due to smoking. I have always been categorical; there is no safe level of smoking.
So, I welcomed the announcement that Government will introduce a new law to stop children who turn 14 this year or younger from ever being able to buy cigarettes legally in England, in a bid to create the first ‘smokefree generation'.
It is illegal for children (under 18’s) to vape; however, youth vaping has tripled in the past three years. I know many of you have written to me in the past concerned about the phenomenon, a fear I share, so I was pleased to see plans to reduce the appeal and availability of vapes to children.
In one of my regular online surveys, I recently asked whether people agreed with the Government’s plans for smoking and vaping. The responses are stark…
At the time of writing this, 67% said they supported the smoking ban and 94% are in favour of reducing the availability of vapes to children.
As I have said in a previous column where I discussed survey results, these are by no means scientific. But the strength of feeling from our community on this is clear.
Education reforms
Possibly one of the biggest changes: a new qualification for 16-19 year olds will put technical and academic education on an equal footing and ensure that all young people leave school with the skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace.
The new Advanced British Standard will bring A Levels and T Levels together into a single new qualification. Importantly, students will have the freedom to take a mix of technical and academic subjects, giving them more flexibility over their future career options. This is good for them, but also good for businesses who often say they can’t get the right skills they need.
In his speech the Prime Minister also raised immigration, healthcare, the Union and a multitude of other issues. I wanted to bring these core proposals to your attention, as I believe they are all changes we can get behind, no matter what your political persuasion may be.
As always, if you want to discuss the above or any other issues, do get in contact with me: [email protected]
