Richard Clewer: Net Zero wasn’t to blame for our local election losses

[ad_1]

Cllr Richard Clewer is the leader of Wiltshire Council.

The Conservatives suffered major losses across the country in local elections. It is scary to know that the results reflect national sentiments rather than the efforts of hard-working local conservative councilors. It’s a bitter pill to swallow.

There are many calls following the election results for things to change. Perhaps most relevant are the cries to listen to our advisers and take action to control construction on green fields. We must, however, resist the discouraging suggestions from some quarters that action on Net Zero is somehow the cause of the Conservatives’ losses or that to meet Starmer’s challenge we must abandon our commitment to our ambitious climate initiatives.

First, although colleagues have opposed independent candidates loudly announcing their anti-Net Zero platforms, these were, for the most part, rejected by the electorate. The voters we lost did not pivot further to the right; it was the Liberal Democrats, Greens and Labor who benefited. All parties engaged with Net Zero.

In poll after poll, a tiny fraction of voters want us to abandon the Conservative governments’ global climate goals. That doesn’t mean we should ignore those who worry about the journey to Net Zero. We have to take the public with us every step of the way. But that means that aside from being the wrong thing to do, there is absolutely no chance of building an electoral coalition, local or national, based on denying our commitment to Net Zero. Net Zero isn’t a poison dart, and giving it up isn’t a silver bullet.

Interestingly, councils like Solihull, North Kesteven, Peterborough and Herefordshire, where local Tories defied the national trend and won seats, all have something in common: their membership of the UK100 network of which I am co-chair alongside Tracy Brabin . UK100 is a multi-stakeholder group of local authorities committed to ambitious climate and air quality action.

While not all Conservative members of UK100 have escaped the national trend, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate my colleagues who, against the national tide, have been awarded for their dedication to building local communities cleaner, greener and healthier.

I also want to urge them and my fellow leaders across the country to stand firm on your Net Zero goals. It’s not just about the Conservative Party’s proud environmental heritage; it is about securing Britain’s future as a prosperous power and world leader. And it starts with local authorities; we can demonstrate that not only can we reduce our carbon emissions, but we can save money by doing so.

In Mission Zero, Liz Truss’ Independent Net Zero Czar, MP Chris Skidmore, reiterated that climate action represents the greatest economic opportunity in a generation while explaining why local government is key to unlocking it. With this in mind, UK100 has produced a new report.

“Powers That Be” is not just another policy document. It is a comprehensive manual and roadmap for ambitious local action. It reviews the powers available to local authorities and highlights pioneering local authorities at the forefront of the Net Zero journey. From planning to parking, Powers in Place will tell you exactly what powers you have at your disposal.

This is an updated version of the 2021 ‘Power Shift’ report and an invaluable resource for any local authority looking to meaningfully address climate change. I used the previous version to shape Wiltshire Councils’ decarbonisation strategy, which has already seen the council reduce emissions by 81% since 2014, also saving us millions of pounds a year. It is one of the most valuable resources available to local authorities. I highly recommend anyone working on local climate change get a copy of Powers in Place. It is available to UK100 members and non-members.

As we navigate the aftermath of the 2023 local elections, we must remember that Conservatives are not backing down, we are rising up. And we must rise to the Net Zero challenge and seize the opportunity of a lifetime if we do it locally, save taxpayers $137 billion while delivering a 14% return on investment for every 1 spent, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

As curators, we have a rich tradition of resilience in the face of adversity. It’s time to build on that resilience and look to the future. With a cross-party consensus on Net Zero and strong public support, we weren’t going to win on ambition, we were going to win on both local and national delivery. We are uniquely placed to link our Net Zero work to our supporters’ natural interest in preserving our environment and enhancing biodiversity.

As we dust ourselves off from this election, let’s not lose sight of the progress we’ve made, no other party in the UK can claim as much Net Zero action as we can. Let’s use this moment as a catalyst for new deliveries, taking up the Net Zero challenge and leading our communities towards a cleaner, healthier and more prosperous Britain.

It won’t take us from net -1,000 seats to winning the general election, but Net Zero is part of the solution, not part of the problem. This is one of the achievements we should be able to highlight next year as we explain why we must be trusted to continue working to meet peoples’ priorities. It is the cornerstone of a positive conservative vision for the future, something that is more important than ever as our opponents turn negative and refuse to say what they stand for.

[ad_2]