We hear so much from Labour about the schemes that they are offering to tackle air pollution, but with little regard to how they might actually impact local communities. My Conservative colleagues have been doing a stellar job in standing up to these ridiculous schemes that threaten to ruin so many local businesses, charities, and residents, with new taxes or charges.
Although these harebrained schemes are the pet projects of Labour mayors and councils, Conservatives cannot ignore the issue — we must offer alternative ways to tackle air pollution, rather than just shouting from the sidelines. This is not to say Conservatives haven’t made significant progress since 2010. Not only has exposure to the most harmful pollutants tumbled, but we’ve also introduced and strengthened several targets on air quality – we now need to hit them. However, if we don’t put forward a conservative, community-first alternative, we risk anti-driver, Labour policies becoming the de facto approach across the country.
Indeed, it is inherently conservative to want to conserve and improve your local environment. And from conversations with residents, council colleagues, MPs and other conservatives from all walks of life, they too understand the importance of tackling air pollution.
It’s not a coincidence that hopping in the car has become the natural option for so many of us – it’s convenient, simple, and reliable. I am guilty of it too, I’m a mum, and so often shepherding my children about by bus or on foot just isn’t feasible. But this is where, as responsible conservatives, we owe it to our residents not to let what should be the last resort become the default because we’ve not taken on the real problem.
I know from experience that rolling out active travel schemes can be challenging for local authorities, but, done right, walking and cycling bring significant benefits. Take segregated cycle lanes for pupils to use to get to school, for example. Enabling pupils to safely walk or cycle to school would free parents from sitting in the daily traffic jam – all whilst ensuring that our children are fit and healthy and have the best start to their day.
However, not all areas can rely on active travel, and we therefore should also do what we can to boost bus usage. Â At the moment, buses are a far too rare sight in rural communities, Â despite the amount of public money we put into them.
Bus travel can be a lifeline for those without a driving licence or access to a car to remain connected with work, friends, family, and amenities. But modernising how grants and funding is awarded would help boost rural services and ensure that public money is being spent as effectively as possible. Our current system pays bus operators a grant on the basis of per litre of fuel used — thereby encouraging operators to use more — rather than by miles driven. This encourages operators to keep using diesel or they’ll receive less funding. All it requires is the government to make the good on the switch that it has previously committed to.
The rollout of electric vehicles ensures residents can drive, whilst eliminating roadside exposure to some air pollutants. And as the number of EVs on offer increases, the upfront costs drop, and the second market ramps up, EVs will become the natural choice for those looking for a new car. The government must continue to support responsible drivers by making EV charging as easy and affordable as possible. This means scrapping the so-called ‘pavement tax’ where households without the luxury of a driveway are charged 20% VAT for on-street charging compared to the five per cent for those who can charge using their own point.
I believe as Conservatives we should be offering more and not less. Labour policies restrict and punish residents. For Conservatives it’s about having more choice, allowing people to make the best decision for their personal circumstances. We understand that what works in London and big cities will not work in more rural areas like Worcestershire.
I am an optimistic conservative environmentalist. In the last 14 years, we have made a number of significant achievements on the environment and on air quality that I really hope my colleagues will be talking about on the doorstep in the coming months. But we have a responsibility to protect residents from the worry that the only way to improve air quality is through stringent taxes and charges. Conservatives care about clean air, we just need to show voters that we can deliver the right solutions.
First published by ConservativeHome. CEN Cllr Emma Marshal (Redditch Borough Council) is a member of the Conservative Environment Network.