'Keir Starmer’s Climate Conundrum' - Max Bolton

'Keir Starmer’s Climate Conundrum' - Max Bolton

This summer, the Welsh Government voted to reduce the default speed limit to 20 miles-per-hour in built-up areas. This met with predictable outrage from the usual suspects – The Telegraph, GB News, as well as what seemed like most of Facebook. For many people acquainted with the very immediate demands of the climate emergency, it is tempting to deplore the opponents of this particular policy as petrol-headed gammons, and to continue banging our heads against this brick wall. Depressing as it may be, a large portion of voters understandably care more about making their lives less hard and expensive than about a largely invisible march towards doom that it is much more relaxing to ignore. Nonetheless, there is a climate emergency, and we would all be better off if solutions can be accepted by a broad swathe of the population, rather than being treated as the problem of a small group of ‘woke’ environmentalists. So what can be done?

At the time of writing, the Conservative Party is in complete disarray. Labour holds a consistent 10-to- 15-point lead in the polls, and it seems clear that a solid majority of voters are backing progressive parties. It is also true that the climate emergency is becoming an increasingly important issue for voters. According to a July YouGov poll, UK adults would prefer policies that tackle climate change while accepting slower economic recovery over policies solely focused on growth. We can conclude, then, that voters are moving both towards Labour and towards caring more about fixing the climate. These two factors mean that the Labour Party now has a responsibility to shape this debate. While voters may care increasingly about fixing the climate, it is not clear that they are ready to accept the kind of very direct changes to their own way of living that serious change should involve. The Welsh speed limit reduction is a clear case of this. When considering climate policies, heavy taxes on emissions which may deter investment are clearly much more palatable – even widely popular – compared with changes at the level of our daily routine. It is this kind of solution which I do not believe has been accepted by voters yet, but which is exactly the kind that is necessary if a Labour government is serious about tackling the climate emergency.

I do believe that there is an appealing argument to be made in favour of radical changes to our daily lives, but it involves rethinking many things most people view as indispensable. The Welsh policy makes complete sense – there would be very little need for private motor transport within urban areas with the right infrastructure, as evidenced by countless European cities, and reducing the speed limit in these areas incentivizes the use of active and public transport instead. It is an effective step on the road to a different way of life. Of course, being in power makes this transition much easier, while the wider Labour Party must struggle with the issue of persuading voters that policies such as this are right, while at the same time avoiding the accompanying electoral pitfalls. The BBC reported ‘bikes overtaking cars’ in Welsh towns as an argument against the new law, when surely it is anything but. The Welsh Conservatives have branded the new speed limit as another example of Labour ‘slowing down’ the nation, an argument which is likely to gain significant traction with many, if it is not opposed effectively. The challenge for Keir Starmer - as he searches for a defining policy direction - is just how this can be achieved.

[Max Bolton is a first year PPEist at University College.]