Labour risks losing working class over net zero, says business secretary

Labour will lose the support of “working-class people” if it pursues net zero at the expense of British jobs and industry, the business secretary has warned. In an interview with The Times, Jonathan Reynolds said Britain must not meet its climate change targets by importing cheap Chinese electric vehicles to the cost of domestic car manufacturers. Most commented 1 The flag that gives moral licence to hatred Columnists 112 comments 2 Kemi Badenoch’s Disraeli vibes are mighty tempting Columnists 37 comments 3 Peter Brookes’s Times cartoon: October 10, 2026 Cartoons 22 comments 4 UK AI safety law to stop ‘loss of control’ over autonomous agents Technology 12 comments 5 New England a step closer to World Cup — but look far from champions-elect Women's football 5 comments His comments are the strongest signal yet that the government will relax planned targets on the sale of electric cars in the UK to give more time for domestic manufacturers to catch up with their Chinese competitors. Business newsletter The business editor’s exclusive analysis of all the latest financial and economic news. Sign up with one click You’ve successfully signed up to the Business newsletter Explore our newsletters An error occurred. Please use the link below. Business newsletter Explore our newsletters It is also a further sign of the prime minister Andy Burnham ’s more “pragmatic” approach towards the UK’s net zero goals. The government is expected to give the go-ahead for new North Sea oil and gas projects and relax Sir Keir Starmer’s 2030 clean power pledge. Top stories 1 Trump Jr’s ex-fiancée ‘asked donor to pay 0k credit card bill’ US politics 2 Starbucks ‘explores takeover’ of Chipotle Mexican Grill US business Labour had already downgraded its electric car targets last year when it granted a five-year extension for the sale of hybrid vehicles until 2035. Advertisement Reynolds signalled he intended to go further by relaxing the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate that requires 80 per cent of all new cars sold to be all-electric by the end of the decade. “The destination is clear; it’s electric,” he said. “How you get there in a way that guarantees the future of production, industry and jobs in the UK, I think that’s what matters.” Top stories 1 Mortgage rates dip after weeks of painful rises Mortgages 2 ‘My husband’s family want us to pay £500 towards his sister’s holiday’ Ask Times Money Speaking on a visit to Longbow, a British electric sportscar manufacturer near Nuneaton, Warwickshire, he added: “Fundamental to success on climate is retaining the support of the British public, particularly working-class people. If people felt that we were meeting targets by simply importing products rather than making them ourselves, that would undermine the whole premise of climate [change action].” Politics newsletter Get our daily insider’s guide to Westminster, plus a rundown of PMQs every Wednesday. Sign up with one click You’ve successfully signed up to the Politics newsletter Explore our newsletters An error occurred. Please use the link below. Politics newsletter Explore our newsletters The government is considering lowering the target for electric car sales to 70, 60 or 50 per cent by 2030. Richard Parker, the Labour mayor of the West Midlands, is one of those who has backed moving to the lower target, claiming there is near-unanimous support from the car industry. Vehicles ready for export in Lianyungang, China WANG CHUN/VCG/GETTY IMAGES Reynolds also hinted that he could be prepared to impose tariffs on Chinese vehicles in a pact with Europe, stating that the situation was being kept under “close review” but that there were no immediate plans to do so. The EU has been urging ministers to raise tariffs on Chinese brands, which accounted for nearly a quarter of cars sold in the UK in September. It has warned that Britain faces being cut out from the “Made in Europe” scheme amid concerns that it could become a gateway for Beijing to get round the 45 per cent duty imposed by Brussels. Advertisement Britain’s participation in the scheme has been a sticking point before the UK-EU summit in November. Under the proposals, government subsidies, tax breaks and public procurement contracts would be reserved exclusively for vehicles manufactured within the bloc. Manufacturers are divided on the issue. Nissan, Britain’s largest car manufacturer, is largely reliant on access to the European market, but luxury brands such as Jaguar Land Rover depend heavily on Asian markets, particularly China. Britain expected to impose tariffs on Chinese electric cars Government sources previously told The Times that the Made in Europe plan meant the “balance has shifted” in favour of raising tariffs on Chinese cars. The EU accounted for 58 per cent of UK car exports in the first half of the year, compared with about 4 per cent for China. Reynolds, the MP for Stalybridge & Hyde, said: “There’s a balance of interests there to weigh up. But I do think it’s very important people understand that the fundamental priority has got to be retaining access to our export markets.” Advertisement Burnham was in Berlin this week, where he was reportedly warned by the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz , that rejoining the EU would not be possible unless the UK raises its tariff on Chinese electric cars. Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, with Andy Burnham in Berlin on Thursday LISI NIESNER/Reuters Reynolds, who has previously urged caution on reopening the Brexit debate , appeared to warn Britain against getting ahead of itself, saying Europe could soon be facing a very “different politics”. Hinting at the possible success of the hard right in presidential races next year in countries such as France and Germany, he said that “some important elections are coming up in Europe fairly soon” and that the UK did not know in which “direction that is going to go”. European leaders have so far reacted positively to Burnham’s desire to explore options for “Britain’s long-term relationship with our European partners”, including a possible referendum on rejoining the EU. However, that could change with the election of Marine Le Pen , the favourite for the French presidency and a longtime Eurosceptic. Officials from her National Rally party have previously stated that they would try to block Britain’s return to the EU, for which it would need the consent of all 27 member states. Advertisement Reynolds said the prime minister had been right to lay out the “choices” facing the country, but added: “Clearly there’s a lot happening and I can’t tell you, frankly, what that will mean for Europe in terms of how it will develop, so that is difficult.” Reynolds had argued that Britain must not risk a return to the “paralysis” of the Brexit years in the days prior to Burnham’s Labour Party conference speech , which the prime minister used to declare that leaving the EU had done “more harm than good”. The business secretary had warned that reopening the debate around EU membership would “cause a lot of uncertainty for business”.