The Liberal Democrats have accused Rishi Sunak of “rank hypocrisy” and “playing politics with road safety” for criticising 20 mph zones – despite there being at least 20 Conservative politicians across the country backing them.
Among those who have previously backed 20 mph zones is Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who pledged his support to a 20’s Plenty campaign saying that “dropping your speed by merely 10 mph can make all the difference in preventing potentially fatal accidents.”
Other Cabinet Ministers who have expressed support for 20 mph speed limits include the Welsh Secretary David Davies and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk.
Health Minister, Helen Whately, has backed the expansion of 20 mph speed limits in her constituency saying “there are benefits for everyone from a lower speed limit – safer roads, cleaner air, and better quality of life.”
And even in Rishi Sunak’s own backyard, Conservative run North Yorkshire Council has proposed the ‘the most significant 20 mph zone the council has ever introduced’ as they believe they are ‘safer’.
Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson, Wera Hobhouse MP said:
“Rishi Sunak playing politics with road safety is a new low even by the Conservative party’s standards. It also speaks to the government’s rank hypocrisy after their MPs and Councils have backed campaign after campaign to drop speed limits to 20 mph.
“This is not a serious Prime Minister. His headline chasing antics are doing nothing to rectify the major difficulties that this country finds itself in from the cost-of-living crisis to the NHS being on its knees.
“These are the problems that the Prime Minister should be spending his time focussing on, not what speed limit every single culdesac should have. It is absurd and frankly pathetic.”
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