Daily Express, on Climate, 8 November 2026

3.0out of 10Minor

to get old petrol and diesel cars off UK roads

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Andy Burnham told to bring back 2009 rules to get old petrol and diesel cars off UK roads EXCLUSIVE: Andy Burnham has been told to revive a former Alisatir Darling plan to get petrol and diesel cars off UK roads. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Luke Chillingsworth , Cars Reporter 08:01, Sun, Nov 8, 2026 Andy Burnham has been urged to consider a 2009 scrappage scheme (Image: Getty) Andy Burnham has been urged to introduce a “scrappage scheme” for the first time in 17 years to speed up the process of removing petrol and diesel vehicles from the road.

Back in 2009, former Labour Chancellor Alistair Darling announced that cars and vans at least 10 years old would qualify for a grant towards a new vehicle. Under the scheme, motorists received the equivalent of £2,000, with £1,000 coming from the UK Government and £1,000 matched by participating car manufacturers. The move prompted road users to ditch their older vehicles, with data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showing that almost 400,000 cars were pulled off the roads.

Dr Leah-Nani Alconcel, a University of Birmingham professor and planetary exploration engineer, stressed that the 2009 scheme was "extremely effective” and suggested a similar idea could speed up the EV transition. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Speaking exclusively to The Express, Dr Leah-Nani said: “Consumers need incentives to convert to electric vehicles. The 2009 scrappage scheme was extremely effective in removing older petrol and diesel vehicles from the roads, and a similar initiative could accelerate the process considerably.”

Local scrappage schemes were already introduced in many areas, with a programme in Birmingham closing earlier this year. This offered packages of up to £4,000 for eligible low-income workers and residents to scrap high-polluting models. Get the latest politics news - straight from our team in Westminster and more I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family .

Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . London also ran a ULEZ vehicle scrappage scheme to help motorists make the transition, with applications open from the start of 2023 to September 2024.

Transport for London (TfL) has claimed that the scrappage programme helped to remove or upgrade almost 54,000 older, polluting vehicles from London's streets. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Andy Burnham’s new £210 car tax rule change – starts in April 2027 Andy Burnham’s new £375 car tax rule change - starts in April 2027 A vehicle scrappage scheme could speed up the UK's EV transition (Image: Getty) Alistair Darling introduced a scrappage scheme back in 2009 (Image: Getty) The UK is set to ban the sale of brand new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, with only hybrids allowed up until 2035.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT ZEV Mandate goals also state that . With this timeline, Dr Leah-Nani claims that it could still take 20 years for combustion models to be off the road. She told the Express: “Existing cars can still be driven and sold after that, though. Cars typically stay on the road for well over a decade, so without intervention most second-hand petrol and diesel cars would not disappear until the mid-to-late 2040s.”

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Read the original article on express.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
What we found (2)

The Express reports one academic's suggestion that a scrappage scheme like the 2009 one could speed the switch to electric cars. The headline hardens that suggestion into Andy Burnham being "told to bring back 2009 rules", with no source named. The article also misstates the ZEV Mandate as covering 80% of all vehicles. Otherwise it attributes its figures to SMMT and TfL.

  1. Headline goes beyond the article

    Minor

    “Andy Burnham told to bring back 2009 rules”

    Why this matters
    The headline says Andy Burnham was "told to bring back 2009 rules" and names no one who told him.
    The impression it gives
    A reader comes away thinking an identifiable body or figure has formally demanded that the prime minister restore the 2009 scheme.
    The context
    The only source is one University of Birmingham academic. Speaking to the Express, she suggested a "similar initiative" could help. Her quoted words do not mention Burnham and do not ask for the 2009 rules to be restored.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“suggested a similar idea could speed up the EV transition”
    • Elsewhere in the article“a similar initiative could accelerate the process considerably”

    Show it in the article

  2. Uses figures that mislead

    Minor

    “at least 80% of vehicles should be EVs by the end of the decade”

    Why this matters
    The words "80% of vehicles" present the ZEV Mandate target as a share of all vehicles.
    The impression it gives
    A reader thinks the policy aims for four in five vehicles on the road to be electric by 2030.
    The context
    The article describes the 2030 rules as limits on the sale of new cars. Its own source says most second-hand petrol and diesel cars will stay on the road into the 2040s. That cannot fit a target of 80% of all vehicles by 2030. The figure is a share of new sales passed off as a share of the whole fleet.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“ban the sale of brand new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030”
    • Elsewhere in the article“most second-hand petrol and diesel cars would not disappear until the mid-to-late 2040s”

    Show it in the article

What it gets right

  • “Transport for London (TfL) has claimed that the scrappage programme helped to remove or upgrade almost 54,000 older, polluting vehicles”

    It attributes the ULEZ scrappage figure to TfL rather than stating it in the outlet's own voice.

  • “data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showing that almost 400,000 cars were pulled off the roads”

    It names the source of the 2009 scheme's results.

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