Politicians don't care about motorists, and digital ID is proof

If there’s not a General Election before 2029, I’ll eat my driving gloves. At least I would if I had a pair. But whenever polling day arrives, we need to know what each of the main political parties plans to do for (or against) us – the UK’s 42 million driving licence holders, plus the equally important 10-20 million relatives or friends in our passenger seats.

Kemi Badenoch (Conservative) says little or nothing about cars, although she allegedly thought it appropriate to go to the gym in the ministerial limo when last in office. Ed Davey (Lib Dem) has just declared war on Tesla. Zack Polanski (Green) reckons “smart, fair, privacy-friendly road charging should be brought in without delay”.  

PM Keir Starmer (Labour) has just announced that all adults must have identity cards. But 42 million of us own driving licences with our name, address, age, signature and mug shot, so in effect we already have an ID system. It just needs topping up with the details of the comparative few who don’t drive. Simple. Cost-effective. Job done. 

Nigel Farage (Reform) will be the next PM, according to the pollsters and bookies. But his latest half-baked idea to put the boot in on some foreign-born UK residents who lawfully arrived and set up home here years ago might just cost him the top job he so desperately craves. 

I’ve had discussions with him in the recent past. And when we next meet, I’ll warn him that he’ll be grabbing defeat from the jaws of potential victory if he continues to scare the daylights out of innocent people who legally arrived in Britain before living, working and paying taxes here for decades, but exercise their lawful right not to become UK citizens. 

Others who’ve shamefully changed the rules after the game has started include Sadiq Khan (Labour) who greedily decided that millions of motorists who live outside London now have to pay to commute into the capital. Politicians from other local or national governments are guilty of similar political crimes – like encouraging drivers to buy allegedly clean, green petrol or diesel cars, then financially punishing them for doing so.   

It’s a cheap shot to change the rules when it’s too late, so here’s a warning to all parties seeking our valuable votes: give advance warnings, in writing and with firm guarantees, of what you’d like to do to/for car users and when. But don’t punish us – financially or otherwise – for coming from, or living in, the ‘wrong’ places or not owning the ‘right’ cars.

Never forget that about 60 million of the UK’s roughly 70 million residents are car users. We represent 85 per cent of the population. Scores of millions of drivers have voting cards.

My answer to politicians asking if they can rely on my vote is simple. Yes – as long as they a) respect and allow lawful freedom of movement; b) stop changing the rules of engagement after citizens have made important, perfectly legal decisions in good faith; and c) halt the proposed 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel-powered cars.

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