Labour blasted for splashing eye-watering £4.5m on advertising campaign for EVs | Politics | News
The Department for Transport is joining the Get That Electric Feeling campaign to “increase uptake” of electric vehicles ahead of a 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars. But Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden slammed the move, saying: “If electric vehicles really sold for themselves, Labor wouldn’t need a £4.5m advertising campaign to promote them.”
The Tory MP requested a breakdown of expenses after questioning ministers in Parliament, but was told costs could not be disclosed “as the campaign is currently live”. Mr Holden said: “Labour is spending millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money trying to persuade drivers to buy electric cars while pushing the market through mandates.”
He added: “The Conservatives are clear that powertrains of the future must be neutral. We will end top-down mandates and let innovation, competition and consumer choice decide what people drive.”
The 2025-26 campaign budget stands at £4.56 million, excluding contractors; This means the real cost to taxpayers could be even higher.
Responding to Mr Holden’s question, Labor MP Keir Mather said the campaign was launched “as part of the mission to Make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower” to highlight “the benefits of driving electric cars, including lower charging and maintenance costs”.
He added: “Budgets for future phases have not yet been approved.”
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A Department for Transport spokesman defended the spending, insisting: “By encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles, we are helping drivers cut costs by providing grants of up to £3,750 for a new electric car and savings of around £1,400 a year in running costs.”
They added: “Many EV drivers pay as little as 2p per mile and this campaign is helping people make informed choices about switching and putting money back in their pockets.”
The government claims the campaign is the latest in a series of moves aimed at increasing demand for electric vehicles and encouraging uptake.
The department said it had already provided a large amount of support through the Electric Car Grant, which has helped more than 70,000 motorists buy EVs.
But the failure to provide a breakdown of the costs sparked outrage, with critics demanding transparency over how the £4.5m was spent. The debate comes as drivers face growing pressure to switch to electric vehicles despite concerns about charging infrastructure, high up-front costs and limited range.
