Cuts to fuel duty and promises to scrap Net Zero have been outlined by leadership hopefuls
The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for extreme heat across England and Wales.
The heat warning is in place for Sunday, with some models producing maximum temperatures in excess of 40C in some parts of the country.
Road gritters, usually rolled out in the winter months, are now on standby in southern counties in the event that roads might melt in the extreme heat.
Footage of train tracks on fire has also been widely shared, while areas of the Salisbury Plain and fields in North Yorkshire were ablaze as Britain bakes in the heat.
Huge fire at a farmer’s field outside Ripon near Hutton Bank in #NorthYorkshire. Several firefighters on scene and people urged to avoid the area @itvcalendar
Video cred: Jed Nejzer pic.twitter.com/SQJOCJVBrY— Natalie Higgins (@NatalieAHiggins) July 11, 2022
With the Conservative Party leadership contest also heating up, several candidates have been outlining their positions on climate change in a bid to woo party members.
Nadhim Zahawi has said families must not be made to “pick up the bill” for the UK’s Net Zero drive as he vowed to temporarily scrap green energy levies if he becomes Prime Minister.
He said the Government’s pledge to make the UK a neutral carbon emitter by 2050 should “never hinder” the UK’s economic growth and signalled he wants to do more than Boris Johnson to shelter households from the cost.
Senior Tory MP Steve Baker – founder of the Net Zero Scrutiny Group of backbenchers – has also suggested that he would push for the next PM to dismantle the government’s climate agenda.
“We are at risk from extreme green policies,” he told The Guardian – saying he believed there was “no short-term threat” from the climate crisis.
Worryingly, plans to cut fuel duty have also been announced, which could incentivise people to use cars more than other forms of more environmentally friendly transport.
Penny Mordaunt has promised to cut fuel duty by 50 per cent to help people “struggling to get to work and school”, while Sajid Javid has pledged to cut fuel duty by 10p per litre, which is almost the equivalent of making all public transport free, according to some estimates.
10p per litre reduction in fuel duty will cost the Treasury roughly the same as MAKING ALL PUBLIC TRANSPORT FREE https://t.co/z0lY0oEg1k
— Adam Tyndall (@AdamTyndall) July 11, 2022
The former Health Secretary unveiled his agenda in the baking heat on Monday, visibly suffering in the conditions.
The contrast has led people to make Don’t Look Up parallels, which features two low-level astronomers who go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth.
Related links:
- Parents warned to keep kids indoors as UK heatwave soars and health alerts issued
- ‘Longest heatwave in four years’ to start today as alert issued
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