Minister rejects claim tougher drink-driving rules will kill off rural pubs – UK politics live | Politics
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MSPs vote to suspend Ash Regan for 2 days over code of conduct breach during gender recognition debate
Severin Carrell
Severin Carrell is the Guardian’s Scotland editor.
Ash ReganThe Independent MSP and former Scottish National party minister was suspended for two days by Holyrood colleagues after he was found to have breached the devolved parliament’s code of conduct.
Regan, who left the SNP to join Alex Salmond’s nationalist party Alba, but left Alba due to disagreements over her replacement, was revealed to have twice broken the rules by airing her criticisms of Green MSP Maggie Chapman to parliament.
Regan, one of Holyrood’s most vociferous pro-gender MSPs, had complained to the presiding officer about Chapman, one of Holyrood’s most vociferous pro-trans MSPs, over Chapman’s comments about the high court ruling on the legal definition of woman.
Although Regan had not made a formal complaint, she published his letter attacking Chapman and calling for an investigation of him in X; The process is designed to be confidential.
MSPs voted 84 to 18 to suspend Regan for two sitting days; Eight MSPs abstained, while 19 did not vote. Regan’s counter-motion rejecting the sanction was rejected by 88 votes to 19, with the support of two Labor MSPs.
Greenwood explains why restrictions on new drivers aren’t included in road safety strategy
Although its road safety strategy is comprehensive, the government has not accepted a proposal supported by some campaigners to ban new drivers from carrying passengers or driving at night for a certain period of time after passing tests.
We asked why the government did not do this. Lilian GreenwoodThe Transport Secretary told ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme:
We needed to strike a balance between protecting young people and not unduly affecting their opportunities to access work, education and social activities.
But he said the offer making learner drivers wait for up to six months Extending the time between taking the theory test and taking the practical test will reduce the risk of new drivers being put in charge of a car with little experience.
Like BBC reported, Crystal OwenHis son Harvey, one of four teenagers killed in a crash in Wales in 2023 in a car driven by a new driver, said restrictions on new drivers should be included in the plan.
Greenwood defends proposal to subject older drivers to eye tests
In this morning’s interviews Lilian GreenwoodThe Transport Minister also defended the proposal to require older drivers to undergo eye examinations. He told BBC Breakfast:
We know that our eyesight can deteriorate as we age. I have received medical examiner reports of people being killed by people with poor eyesight. Sometimes they drive recklessly even though they have been told they should not drive anymore. In other cases, people did not notice that their eyesight was worsening.
But we have an aging population. We know this is a growing problem and that’s why we’re proposing this action today.
Transport secretary Lilian Greenwood rejects claim tougher drink driving rules will destroy rural pubs
Good morning. Keir Starmer takes his first PMQs of 2026 today and it’s hard to imagine he’ll get through it without commenting on Donald Trump’s escalating threat to annex Greenland – a prospect that would tear apart NATO.
But even when the world is in crisis, domestic policymaking must continue, and this morning the government is focusing on a more immediate issue: its road safety strategy.
The full document has not been published yet, but here it is Ministry of Transport‘s Press release and here it is Gwyn TophamOne night story about this.
The government wants to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035, and it’s quite a comprehensive strategy; Although most have been consulted, there are many significant proposals, which means there is a chance they will be watered down.
Perhaps the most controversial plan is the proposal to lower the drink-driving limit in England and Wales. It has remained unchanged since 1967 and has a level of 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100 ml of breath, the highest level in Europe. This amount can be reduced to 22 micrograms, in line with the limit set in Scotland since 2014.
Predictably, right-wing newspapers present this as a threat to rural pubs.
The Telegraph’s story reports: British Beer and Pub Association He said: “The pub sector continues to face major challenges so any additional policy measures that would further impact trade would be a real concern, particularly for licensees in rural areas.”
Lilian GreenwoodThe transport secretary is giving interviews this morning and has rejected claims that lowering the drink-driving limit would lead to the closure of rural pubs. He said there was evidence to support this. He told Times Radio:
We listened carefully to road safety experts from both the UK and around the world as we prepared these plans. Being evidence-based in our policy making is exactly what we wanted to do.
Frankly speaking, the drink driving limit in Scotland was reduced in 2014. Studies of the University of Stirling, [and from the] University of Bath This does not have a significant impact on pub trading. They did not suffer as a result. We took this into consideration when preparing these recommendations.
He also said the government did not want to stop people from going to bars.
We’re just saying, don’t buy your car. This might mean you know some places where you can take a bus or taxi. You are going out with a group of friends elsewhere. One of you agrees to be the designated driver. Having worked in bars, I know how many great low-alcohol drinks there are on the market. Many of our favorite brands are now produced in a low-alcohol version. So, when you want to go out and have fun at the bar, people have many opportunities to do something to choose a different drink.
I’ll be posting more of his interviews soon.
Here is the agenda of the day.
10am: Reform UK leader Nigel Farage holds a press conference.
Morning: The Ministry of Transport will publish the full road safety strategy.
Afternoon: Keir Starmer faces Kemi Badenoch at PMQs.
After 12.30: MPs are debating two Conservative opposition day motions on jury trials and rural communities.
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