Kemi Badenoch has accused Labour of forcing up the cost of summer holidays through their "rush" to reach net-zero carbon emissions. The Conservative Party leader made the claims whilst opening a new domestic arrivals building at London Stansted Airport in her North West Essex constituency on Friday.
She slammed Labour's "ideological" plans to reach net zero by 2050, a target she previously dismissed as impossible to meet. Badenoch argued the policies would hit holidaymakers particularly hard during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Labour's net zero plans criticised
"Labour's ideological rush to Net Zero 2050 is not only bankrupting our country and leaving us dangerously reliant on China, it's also making holidays more expensive, just as the cost-of-living crisis for working people gets worse," she said. The Tory leader promised her party would "make things easier for the makers, the people who work hard to provide for their families, and not force up the cost of their summer holidays."
Badenoch pointed to plans to raise air passenger duty and the Climate Change Committee's call for the cost of decarbonising aviation to be reflected in flight prices. These measures, she argued, would directly impact families trying to afford holidays.
Airport's economic importance highlighted
Speaking to airport staff during her visit, Badenoch told them how the pandemic demonstrated Stansted's "critical" role in the local economy. She recalled how job losses during Covid-19 brought many constituents to her surgeries seeking help.
"It really showed just how critical the airport was, how important it was for the local community and well beyond," she said. The airport serves as a major employer and economic driver for the region.
Major transformation underway
The new arrivals building forms part of a £1.1 billion transformation at Stansted, the UK's fourth largest airport. The extensive work programme is expected to continue over the next three to four years.
Plans include a £600 million extension to the main terminal, which will increase its size by 40 per cent. The investment aims to boost capacity and improve passenger experience at the Essex airport.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
