NEW petrol and diesel cars will be BANNED in just six years if Labour wins power.
Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to overturn Rishi Sunak‘s decision to delay the moratorium on gas-guzzling vehicles.
The PM had pushed back the scheduled 2030 ban by five years to 2035 as part of attempts to protect people from Net Zero costs.
But Labour’s manifesto launch today confirmed it would reinstate the original timeline to outlaw the sale of new fossil fuel cars.
It claimed this would give “certainty to manufacturers” – despite forcing them to accelerate their plans to phase out petrol and diesel.
The party said it would “support the transition to electric vehicles” by accelerating the rollout of charge points.
But drivers face crippling costs to trade their fossil-fuel cars for electric alternatives.
Auto Trader analysis previously found just 10,000 of the used electric options on its UK-wide online vehicle marketplace cost under £15,000.
That is compared with 350,000 used petrol or diesel cars in the same price bracket.
Tory Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho said: “Labour’s instincts will always lead to more taxes and more bans that make things difficult for ordinary working people.
“This Conservative Government pushed back the date to give families more time until electric vehicles become cheaper and easier to charge, in line with other major countries.
“Whether it’s ULEZ in London, 20mph zones in Wales, or now rushing ahead with a new petrol and diesel car ban, Labour want to make it harder for motorists to go about their day-to-day lives.”
And FairFuel UK campaigner Howard Cox, who is also standing as a Reform UK candidate, said: “Labours anti-driver policies are on their way.
If you drive for business, work, hospital visits, education, or leisure, be aware that Labour’s net zero politburo is looming.”
It comes days after Sir Keir failed to guarantee he would freeze fuel duty, which has not risen since 2011.
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The Sun has backed drivers as part of the Keep It Down campaign for more than a decade, with successive governments joining our calls.
On whether Labour would retain the freeze, which stops prices rising with inflation, Sir Keir said: “Soaring fuel prices hammer businesses and hit family finances hard.
“Like Sun readers we want lower taxes on working people which is why we’ve also campaigned against fuel duty rises this Parliament.
“Nothing in our plans requires us to raise any additional money beyond measures already announced.
“Labour will grow the economy so we can get money back into the pockets of hard working Brits.”
Our Keep It Down campaign
By THOMAS GODFREY
For more than a decade our Keep It Down campaign has urged successive Chancellors to freeze the rate of fuel duty to stop the cost of petrol rising with the rate of inflation.
Our award-winning work has saved drivers millions of pounds at the pump.
Earlier this year Jeremy Hunt thanked Sun readers for helping him to make the case to freeze fuel duty in his last Budget.
The freeze meant drivers would not have to face a potential £100 rise in motoring costs as a result of a 12p per litre duty hike.
Mr Hunt said: “I know how much Sun readers are feeling the pinch right now.
“Whether you drive a van, a hatchback or a people carrier I know how much you need to be on the road.
“Keeping it down means hard-working people will have an extra £100 this year without having to cut down using their vehicle.”
