Louise Haigh, the Transport Secretary, has resigned adding to the pressure on the ZEV mandate.

Haigh resigned following revelations that she made a guilty plea to a criminal offence over a stolen mobile phone 2013.

Haigh is the first MP to resign from Starmer's government and given his previous stance on ‘lawbreakers’ being in power, a reference to ‘Partygate’, it will raise more question over what he knew and when.

Haigh’s involvement in rail, public transport and the journey to net-zero makes her position an important one for the environment, and the gap will be felt. However, she has not had an easy ride, making comments about P&O Ferries that saw the company threaten to withdraw investment.

The, relatively, new government has been an enthusiastic supporter of net-zero and the UK's zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, but recent fears expressed by several major UK carmakers has put the Mandate into question, and this resignation, coming after only a few months, will not create any more certainty.

The Mandate, introduced by the Conservative government, insists that manufacturers produce a quota of EVs equal to 22 per cent of their output rising to 80 per cent in 2030. Many manufactures have found these levels hard to match as private buyers have stayed with ICE vehicles. Only days ago, Stellantis referred to the switch to EVs as the main reason to close its Luton factory, and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has called for the mandate to be supported by tax incentives.

Whoever replaces Haigh will be under instant pressure to formulate a solution and do it quickly.

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