Keir Starmer has been shown to be ignoring the pleas of his party's voters, as a new poll has shown that red wall voters are opposed to a 2030 car ban.
The polling was conducted after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced he would be pushing the deadline for banning the sale of diesel and petrol cars to 2035.
In response to Sunak's announcement, Starmer said he would reinstate the 2030 deadline if he came to power.
But more than half of eligible voters in Red Wall seats (53 per cent) say they support Sunak’s decision to slow the path to net zero carbon emissions by delaying the petrol and diesel car ban to 2035.
Rishi Sunak announced he would be pushing the deadline for banning the sale of diesel and petrol cars to 2035
PA
The same number (51 per cent) agree with the statement that there is a “war on motorists” going on, with fewer than one in five (17 per cent) expressing disagreement.
Only one in five people (19 per cent) oppose the Prime Minister’s move with the remainder saying that they don’t mind either way or don’t know.
But support for Sir Keir Starmer’s backing for 2030 is slight, with only one in four (27 per cent) saying the Labour leader is right to stick to the original, earlier deadline.
The survey, conducted in Red Wall seats by pollsters Redfield and Wilton Strategies for the Alliance of British Drivers (ABD) , reveals widespread hostility to the demise of conventionally-powered vehicles.
One in five (22 per cent) want Sunak to go further, saying that they want the ban scrapped altogether.
ABD Chairman Bob Bull accused Government ministers of "meddling" when it comes to motorists.
He said: "This poll is further dramatic proof that the British public is fed up with being hassled, harassed and heavily taxed every time they get behind the wheel of a car.
"Rishi Sunak has started to see the light with his decision to delay the ban on conventionally-powered cars but he still has a long way to go.
"As for Sir Keir Starmer, he should wake up and listen to the voters. Only one in four people back his 2030 deadline."
Bull added: "The truth is we don’t need this meddling by ministers. They should let the market decide when and if electric cars become the norm.
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"Motorists should be free to stick with petrol and diesel cars if they wish and free to switch to an electric vehicle when the technology, especially range and the availability of charging points, persuades them that it is time for a change.
"The same should apply to LTNs and so-called clean air zones.
"If local residents don’t want them they should be free to tell the council so and get them removed from their neighbourhood.”
