Call a General Election? Really?

[Veryoldandtired]

I mean, I very much doubt this will get anywhere in the parliament but nearly 2 mil people signed it in just over 24 hours 😬

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700143

"The owner of Vauxhall has announced plans to close its van-making factory in Luton, putting about 1,100 jobs at risk.
Stellantis, which also owns brands including Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat, said it would combine its electric van production at its other UK plant in Ellesmere Port in Cheshire.
Rules imposed to speed up the transition to electric vehicles (EV) in the UK partly drove the decision, the firm said."

From the BBC news site, so, Brexit??

You missed out due in part to the EV target rules

The move comes after Stellantis, the owner of Vauxhall, said it would close a plant in Luton - putting 1,100 jobs at risk - due in part to the EV target rules.

If you read the article I posted it was told this was going to happen in 2023 and yes brecit was cited as a reason to

Exactly David pakman does a show about politics in america explaining the education system in America is causing people to vote against their own interests. And I believe we have the same principle in this country.
Just as a side note in America right now, people have f*** about and found out because some people that voted Donald Trump did not realise that he was going to get rid of the education department, which actually funds people who have special needs children and when voters Who have voted that way? Are now complaining because they've just been told that they're not going to get that anymore. It's almost like, but that's exactly what he was promising before the election.
So the reason I say that in reflection to thi
Is because quite frankley, people keep thinking that they are voting for their own interests when they are not specifically with the right wing. The organisations are pumping misinformation, so people are blaming labour for actually having to sort out the mess we are now in because of conservatives

21 December 2023

The European Council has approved a last minute deal which means that the introduction of tariffs on electric vehicles traded between the EU and UK will be delayed for three years. The motor industry on both sides of the channel had argued that they weren't ready for the imposition of new rules planned to be introduced in January 2024.

Mike Hawes, SMMT's Chief Executive, described the decision as: "a win for motorists, the economy and the environment".

https://www.zemo.org.uk/news-events/news,eu-agrees-3year-delay-on-imposition-of-postbrexit-tariffs-for-uk-electric-c_4596.htm

So in another 2 years time, the UK will be disadvantaged..... that sounds like a recipe for long term investment.

This article seems most relevant;

25 June 2024

The owner of the Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroën brands has warned its car plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton could close unless market demand for electric vehicles picks up and the UK loosens regulations.

The UK managing director of Stellantis said the company did not want to shut operations in the UK but it would make a decision in “less than a year” in the face of unreasonable government sales quotas and the lack of consumer incentives in relation to VAT on vehicles and electricity.

“Whoever gets to the government they have to listen … In the UK there will be consequences for sure on the production...

The renewed closure threat will put pressure on Labour, which polls suggest will win the general election next week, to give carmakers more leeway. Davino said they had yet to have any talks with the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, or Labour leader, Keir Starmer.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/jun/25/vauxhall-owner-car-plants-shut-uk-stellantis-ellesmere-port-luton

Another Tory mess to clean up then.

18 Nov 2024

The FT reports that while the Transport Secretary is in 'listening mode', she is reluctant to adjust EV sales targets.

Discussing the matter on LBC Radio, Haigh doubled down on the existing targets and said the mandate requirements won't be weakened.

Calls for new electric car grants and direct private customer incentives went unanswered in the Chancellor's Autumn Budget, as did reductions in VAT paid on public charging to bring rates in line with home charging and removing the disparity between those who can charge on their driveway and those who can't.
This has led to the Government admitting to The Times that 'the UK has become a hard place for manufacturers to do business'.

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/electriccars/article-14095885/Ministers-consider-relaxing-rules-force-car-makers-sell-EVs-warn-EV-sales-targets-wont-weakened.html

Targets set by the previous government

Rachel Reeves says Labour is the 'natural party of business'.

What’s that got to do with Tory targets? This place gets more bizarre every day.

The previous Conservative government moved the target for the phase out from 2030 to 2035 last September, but Labour has said it intends to reinstate the 2030 deadline as part of its wider commitments to climate change policy.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98dzyy850jo

It's true that people outside the UK signed the petition. But scroll down and you will see:
"name": "United Kingdom",
"code": "GB",
"signature_count": 2764418

2.7 million is a lot of signatures in a short period, but I completely doubt there will be an election, even if more are added.

In addition, a breakdown by UK voting region is given.

What we don't know is how many are duplicate signatures and how many are legitimate.

So, according to Fullfact, you can use the same email address twice, but only twice, and any other signature will be discarded.

Is it possible to repeatedly sign a parliamentary petition using the same email address? – Full Fact

How is it discarded? If it detects the IP address, then maybe it can detect the same person using a different email address? Or maybe not? I have no idea.

As stated, I don't think there will be another election until Labour have completed their full stint, although there may be a leadership change at some point. We will have to see.

Well, they shouldn't, the EU is 2035, no reason for the UK to 2030.

Its also the manner in which traditional car companies are being penalised too, basically subsidising the Chinese, yet another Tory screw up.

Bottom line is very few can afford new EV's, the prices haven't really dropped and 2nd cars are seen as very risky purchases, its not like your OH can get it on ramp and do a service, its main dealer only or specialist garages and all will be v expensive.
Oh and apparently EV insurance costs are higher and Govt has just hiked car tax on them as well.

Badenoch brought this up at PMQs I believe. Desperate or what?

Funny, as she said this in 2019

More than 10,000 people in the constituency of Saffron Walden have signed a petition to revoke Article 50 and remain the EU...but MP Kemi Badenoch says “we run the country based on elections and not petitions”.

https://www.saffronwaldenreporter.co.uk/news/21886966.saffron-walden-leads-essex-stop-brexit-action---mp-says-country-run-elections-not-petitions/

I was listening to the CEO of MG (I think, it was CEO but if not someone else high up) on the Andrew Marr show last night.

He felt that Vauxhall blaming their woes on UK government policy was "tenuous" (his word). European car manufactures are struggling generally (see what is happening at Volkswagen for example). One massive challenge is that China is now able to cheaply mass produce very good quality EVs. The European manufacturers simply can't compete.

A bit of contradiction here between the owner and the now ex chief financial officer

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/nov/27/vauxhall-owner-was-confident-about-meeting-ev-rules-before-factory-shutdown?

🤣