Responses from the LCEF team to today's announcements from Ed Miliband at the National Growth Debate.
@paulmcnamee.bsky.social @ralphpalmer.bsky.social

Rule change will help drivers without driveways charge EVs Motorists will be able to have a “gully” to run an electric cable as a permitted development, which can cost £1,000 under current rules

Benefitting from the far cheaper running costs EVs offer shouldn't be contingent on having a driveway. At a time when drivers are being exposed to volatile fuel prices, the Govt is absolutely right to be bringing in further policies to make EVs even more accessible.

www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...

Last week in Scotland, LCEF caught up with Energy Consumers Minister @martinmccluskey.bsky.social on how this government is bringing down bills *and* working on Britain's energy security.

Today's announcements cement this government's commitment to our green clean energy future 👇

In other Ed Miliband news… the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (heat pump subsidy) is going up from £7,500 to £9,000 for homes in rural areas that rely on oil or LPG.

Given the spike in heating oil prices, and how good an option heat pumps are in rural areas, this is a good idea

'A clear step change': European EV sales jump by over 50 per cent in March Over 224,000 battery EVs registered last month, as businesses and consumers respond to soaring oil prices

It's already destroyed a lot of fossil fuel supply, but the Iran War is shaping up to deliver the biggest destruction of fossil fuel demand in history. www.businessgreen.com/news/4528540...

At a time when petrol and diesel costs and interest in EVs is soaring, this significant moment that should be used to justify accelerating the EV the transition, not slowing it down as some keep arguing for. A huge opportunity for this Government.

A significant tipping point for the UK's car market:

"New electric cars now cheaper than petrol on average for the first time says Autotrader."

plc.autotrader.co.uk/news-views/p...

Better Connected: a strategy for integrated transport Outlines the government's long-term transport strategy that will work well for people in England.

Great to see the Govt publish its Integrated Transport Strategy today. It makes a positive case for better connectivity & accessibility, linking health outcomes & new development to better transport & empowering local leaders to take control of transport decisions.

www.gov.uk/government/p...

💨 The UK wants closer alignment with the EU on trade and economy. But what about clean air?

We're pleased to share this piece from Christopher Crompton from @ieep-uk.bsky.social on why the UK must catch up with EU air quality standards - and why we have the opportunity to go even further.

In a normal week, the Future Homes Standard launch would be a huge announcement in and of itself. This is a Lab Gov ensuring future housing stock come with solar panels and heat pumps as standard, helping tackle energy bills and bolstering our national energy security. 🧵

This is not an energy crisis, its an oil and gas crisis.

Making the case here for a future of electrification and renewables... and not forgetting nuclear!

£1 billion to cut costs for businesses, drive growth and clean up UK roads The Zero Emissions Truck and Van grants and the Depot Charging Scheme aim to help businesses make the switch to electric vans and trucks.

The best way of insulating households & businesses from soaring fuel costs & bolster energy security is to speed up the transition to electric vehicles. Great to see the Labour Government throwing its weight behind electrifying currently diesel-dominated van & HGV sector.

www.gov.uk/government/n...

Wonder if some stuff might be going on that would explain this?

The greatest I've ever seen play for the club. Legend.

🇪🇬👑

The latest blog in our Warm Homes Plan series is by our Air Quality and Transport Manager @ralphpalmer.bsky.social on why the Warm Homes Plan is a quiet clean air policy win.

🔗 lcef.co.uk/blog/clean-a...

Great to see our @ippr.org report on climate backlash in the FT this morning.

Anyone saying there is a breakdown in public support for climate policies is wrong. It’s entirely an elite confection, driven by people who don’t want to change.

The strategy should be take them on not accommodate

🌎️ | NEW REPORT: The net zero "backlash" is a myth. Voters still back climate action, but politics and media are telling a different story. Our new analysis with Persuasion UK explains why and how we fix it 👉 www.ippr.org/articles/apa...

The link between clean air & homes is often overlooked but the impacts of cold, damp homes & gas combustion is significant.

Labour's WHP is an big step forward in tackling this & could be a major boost to the Govt's preventative health agenda.

My blog here:

lcef.co.uk/blog/clean-a...

As ever the opposite is the case. What they're all arguing for here is dominance over Muslims. Dominance over a religious minority's right to worship, to freely assemble, to be visible, and to exist as equal members of British society.

The complete opposite of what Britain fought for in World War 2

Government to lift paywall from large parts of the Land Registry Exclusive: finding out who owns land will become simpler under plans to make the best use of green spaces and hit net zero targets

VICTORY! Government to open up the Land Registry - bringing to an end a thousand years of secrecy shrouding who owns England.

I’ve been campaigning for this for ten years: the new Land Use Framework, published later today, makes it government policy. 1/

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Solar panels and flood barriers: is this how Labour can stop Reform? A think tank close to Sir Keir Starmer warns that failing to tackle the immediate effects of climate change risks losing ground to the right

New paper from @sofiejenkinson.bsky.social & me on the political threat and opportunity of climate adaptation

Progressives have ignored the need to protect people from extreme weather - and that leaves an opening for the populist right. 🧵

@ippr.org

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

London, San Francisco and Beijing achieve ‘remarkable reductions’ in air pollution Cycle lanes, electric cars and other interventions have helped 19 global cities slash levels of pollutants by more than 20%

They said it would take 193 years to clean London’s air. We did it in nine. 💨

London has now met legal limits for nitrogen dioxide air pollution.

We need to learn the right lessons from moments like this.

That’s why the government’s Clean Power Mission is so critical and why we’re moving faster to deliver it.

SUVs are more dangerous to other road users & pedestrians, particularly children, as well as taking up more space & contributing more air pollution. Quite simply, there is no place for them in cities. The Mayor is right to be looking to take action.

SUV drivers could face extra charges for driving in London TfL are also poised to increase 20mph zones and cut speed limits on the capital’s fastest roads later this year

The Mayor of @london.gov.uk has been proven right on ULEZ. He'll be proven right on this too.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Events in the ME & subsequent fuel price spike again makes clear that the best way of insulating households from high fuel costs in the short & long term is not to just keep freezing fuel duty, but to get people in EVs. Should become as key part of the messaging as it has been for clean power.

Transport minister Keir Mather says EV commitment is "iron clad" Speaking at the SMMT Electrified event today, transport minister Keir Mather has said the UK Government's commitment to the EV transition was "iron clad".

"I believe what we see around us only reinforces the case for electric vehicles. It impels us to move forwards with the transition."

Great to see this from @keirmathermp.bsky.social amid the backdrop of industry trying to reopen the EV sales mandate *again*.

transportandenergy.com/2026/03/12/t...

The UK's EV transition is accelerating - but can it be sustained? New official data suggests EV adoption in the UK is 'on track' to meet government targets, but the auto industry is continuing to demand an 'urgent review' of targets it fears are too ambitious

Fair play to the auto industry for calling for a review of the planned transition to EVs just as soaring petrol prices highlight why a fast transition is so important. www.businessgreen.com/news-analysi...

The report on the first year of the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate is out. As predicted, the industry "over complied" with the policy for both cars and vans. Despite the critics, this is a successful piece of regulation. www.gov.uk/government/p...