Voters in the UK say they want the government to prioritize economic growth over net zero, pollsters have found. [emphasis, links added]
Exclusive polling for City AM by Freshwater Strategy found seven in ten people said they would rather the government prioritize economic growth over achieving net zero by 2050.
It comes after pollsters yesterday revealed a majority of Brits have no confidence in the government’s plan to generate economic growth, despite a renewed push by chancellor Rachel Reeves to kickstart the UK’s ailing economy.
Asked which was the “higher priority for the government at this time”, 70 percent of respondents opted for economic growth, with 24 percent choosing net zero by 2050, and six percent describing themselves as unsure.
The findings come after Rachel Reeves tried to reset her economic agenda with a slew of growth measures last week, including approval for the building of a third runway at Heathrow.
Reeves has been praised for announcing support for the project but is now on a collision course with net zero backers in her party.
Opponents of the plans, including London mayor Sadiq Khan, have pledged to fight the expansion on green grounds.
The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and Reeves were urged to make a “strong, confident” case for decarbonization as a means to create economic growth by independent statutory advisor Emma Pinchbeck, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) chief executive. …
Voters showed a similar lack of appetite for other environmental issues, according to Freshwater’s research, with 68 percent of respondents prioritizing economic growth over protecting the environment.
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