Andy Burnham told to make five driving rule changes on Monday
Andy Burnham has been urged to make five crucial motoring changes when he takes office as Prime Minister on Monday. The future Labour leader has been urged to make a series of changes to electric vehicle legislation, including cutting VAT on charging and introducing new grants. Mr Burnham is set to walk into Downing Street to replace Sir Keir Starmer on Monday morning after winning a majority of support from Labour MPs. Under Starmer, Labour has presented a confusing outlook for electric cars with ZEV Mandate targets watered down and the Chancellor Rachel Reeves announcing a new electric pay-per-mile fee from 2028.
Matt Galvin, Managing Director of Polestar UK, stressed Mr Burnham took โdecisive actionโ on air quality as Mayor of Greater Manchester, calling on the future PM to stabilise the UK’s EV ambitions. He has outlined five tweaks, introducing grants and a scrappage scheme for used electric cars and maintaining the 2030 petrol and diesel car ban target.
Matt said: “Nationally, the country is reaching a tipping point for EV adoption. With second-hand EV sales growing, the new government must accelerate this by stimulating the pre-owned market through grants and a scrappage scheme for the most polluting vehicles. This is where most people buy their cars and it will be the engine of future growth.โ
The Conservatives previously ran a nationwide Plug-In Car Grant, which offered a discount of up to ยฃ1,500 on the purchase of a new electric model, but the scheme came to an end on June 14. A new ยฃ650million Electric Car Grant is currently in place with some models up to ยฃ37,000 enjoying up to ยฃ3,750 off their list price
Meanwhile, Transport for London (TfL) used to run a ULEZ scrappage scheme, offering up to ยฃ2,000 to scrap polluting vehicles, which ended in September 2024.
He said: “The government must also maintain the 2030 deadline for ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, delay electric vehicle tax until EVs represent the majority of cars on our roads and reduce VAT on public charging.
โTogether, these measures will lower motoring costs, strengthen energy security, and create thousands of skilled jobs. Recent international volatility has underlined the need to seize every opportunity to take greater control of our economy and reduce our dependence on global energy markets. It is an opportunity we must seize with both hands.”
