Kemi Badenoch (Conservative)

The agreement avoided a cliff edge which could have seen consumers and manufacturers in the UK and EU hit with £2 billion to £4 billion-worth of tariffs—on average over £3,000 per car—and it safeguards the position of UK manufactures as they transition to net zero, protecting thousands of British jobs. This is a pragmatic change which will help economic growth, UK consumers, and the environment; it recognises the disruption caused by the covid-19 pandemic, global supply chain pinchpoints and Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

This Government are determined to ensure the UK remains one of the best locations in the world to build zero-emission vehicles, and we have taken action accordingly. At the autumn statement, as part of the advanced manufacturing plan, we announced over £2 billion in capital and R&D investment for the automotive sector to support the manufacturing and development of zero-emission vehicles, batteries and supply chain—building on existing support.

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