The Tory party has long been divided on the environment. MPs in “red wall” seats tend to look at the costs associated with the transition to net zero and question the wisdom of a rush that could cost votes. But colleagues in southern seats often wear their environmental credentials proudly – and have been known to put the phrase “net zero champion” in their social media bios. This group see being green and proud as key to keeping swing voters from defecting to the Liberal Democrats or, worse, Labour.
Until recently, it’s the latter group that’s had the greater numbers. The supportive Conservative Environment Network has more than 100 members, while the sceptical Net Zero Scrutiny Group has about 20 public members. But after the Tories narrowly held on in the Uxbridge byelection thanks to a campaign against the expansion of Sadiq Khan’s ultra low emission zone, the mood has been changing. “A lot of MPs have become more sympathetic to the risk of the costs,” says a member of the 2015 intake. The tensions between the two Tory tribes have been on full display all summer as the party has had an open debate about how far green issues can be pushed for electoral advantage.
