Kemi Badenoch has blamed electric cars for one of the reasons Britain has seen an increase in potholes.
The Tory leader accused Keir Starmer of “messing everyone about” on net zero in her latest attack on the government’s environmental policies. Instead, she has urged the prime minister to scrap his “impossible” target to hit net zero by 2050- despite being introduced by a Conservative administration in 2019.
When asked about how she would support the vehicle manufacturing industry in the UK after Donald Trump slammed 25 per cent tariffs on imports of cars and car parts to the States, she told GB News: “Let’s look at what we did two years ago. All the car companies were telling me that this is not going to work unless the government pays a lot of money and a lot of subsidies.
“A lot of people didn’t want to buy electric cars. They are very heavy on the road and it is one of the reasons we are getting more potholes, for example. So, we need to create policies that make sense.
“Can people afford this? Where are the components coming from? Not just relying on China, which Donald Trump is trying to do. This trade war is really about China. The rest of us are in the way and are feeling the brunt of it.”
She later appeared to urge Sir Keir to work more closely with the European Union, saying: “We should try and lower some other tariffs and do more where we have influence as we do with the EU rather than sitting back and looking for more things to give away to the US that is not the right way to do it.”
Stephen Cooke, the managing director of Asphalt Group- one of the UK’s largest road surface treatment solution installers- said last year this was not the case. He argued: “Let’s be crystal clear, EVs are not the cause of the current state of the UK’s roads. The real reason is a lack of investment in the solutions of the future, and a lack of awareness of what’s available.”
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds responded to the tariff announcements of 10 per cent on all UK exports to the US and 25 per cent on cars last week.
He said: “We will always act in the best interests of UK businesses and consumers. That’s why, throughout the last few weeks, the government has been fully focused on negotiating an economic deal with the United States that strengthens our existing fair and balanced trading relationship.
“We have a range of tools at our disposal and we will not hesitate to act. We will continue to engage with UK businesses including on their assessment of the impact of any further steps we take.
“Nobody wants a trade war and our intention remains to secure a deal. But nothing is off the table and the government will do everything necessary to defend the UK’s national interest.”
Related: ‘Another shocker’: Badenoch blasted for backing Israel’s deportation of Labour MPs