The Tories paid the price for their environmental failings at the ballot box
When President Truman visited George VI for the first time following Labour’s landslide victory in 1945, he reportedly asked the king “I hear you’ve had a revolution?” While Labour’s 412 seats won in this summer’s election is even larger than Attlee’s 1945 total of 393, the King’s dry rebuttal that “Oh no, we don’t have those here” may ring just as true almost 80 years on.
But, while much of the election coverage has attempted to assert a lack of radicalism on Starmer’s part, is it not true that this year’s result does constitute a revolution, or at very least a revolt? The ‘45 election is often remembered as the embrace of a new consensus, with the foundations laid for the contemporary welfare state and NHS. The 2024 elections will be remembered for a rejection of the old. This year will be known as the year that the UK said no to the legacy of Tory Britain.
The British electorate has revolted against 14 years of mismanagement of public services, a legacy of sleaze and cronyism, and economic stagnation. This year's campaign has seen the Conservatives challenged on everything from corrupt betting to the cost of living and a crumbling health service. However, we have seen far too little scrutiny of the government’s woeful record on the environment.
At a time when our action on greenhouse gas emissions is more important than ever, the Sunak Government remained committed to obstruction and delay. Whether that is by rolling back our commitment to net-zero, or by granting new drilling licenses for North Sea oil. Our long-term risk of climate disaster was used a political football by our former government.
On nature and biodiversity the Tories leave a legacy of widespread failure. The Office for Environmental Protection highlighted that the disastrous Tory government was wildly off-track according to its own targets. That is before we even begin to discuss the disastrous state of the nation's rivers and seas or the scant lack of action on plastic pollution.
Last year, the first Political Purpose Awards were held on the very same day that the former Prime Minister rolled back his commitment to net-zero. The ceremony showcased the very best environmental politicians across the UK. This September, the awards will return for the second time and I’m proud that this year Ecotricity will be partnering. My only condition on joining the awards was to include wooden spoons for the environmental political villains trying to hold back progress.
This year’s awards give us the opportunity to use their voice to celebrate those representatives who have given so much of their time and energy to fighting for a sustainable future. as well as show the biggest environmental duffers that they will not be allowed to disrupt the vital progress we need without repercussion.
The Great British public have thrown the crooked Tories out of office. We have the biggest intake of new MPs in a generation. Let’s use this year’s awards to show them how real environmental change can be made.
Dale Vince is a British green energy entrepreneur, environmental activist, and founder of Ecotricity.
