Letter to the Editor: Once again the column “On the Mark” needs a response.

The government’s zero emission vehicle mandate remains unchanged as 80 per cent of new cars and 70 per cent of new vans sold in Great Britain are to be zero emission by 2030 (see www.gov.uk). 

The “pragmatic” policy announced by Sunak will not change the car market as indicated by the new car advertising trends. 

Furthermore, the price of fossil fuel cars will, likely, increase as volumes reduce whilst electric vehicles will become affordable as their volumes increase. 

Compound this with the falling global price of batteries, and a positive future for electric cars and light vans looks baked in.

The announcement of the licence for the Rosebank oil field was justified by energy security. 

This is a real stretch as 80 per cent of the oil will be refined overseas and sold at world market prices with the profits going to Equinor of Norway. 

There will be no oil price benefit for UK consumers.

Sunak’s recent populist messaging is the start of the general election campaign.

Stewart Bean, Newent