00:00The Leader of the Opposition swapping the front benches for Formula One here at Brands Hatch.
00:07Another effort to shift gears in public opinion in a county where the Conservatives are still far from poll position
00:16after losing dozens of Kent County Council seats.
00:20Does she now take responsibility for the party's poor electoral track record over the last year?
00:29I'm not here to say the Conservatives were perfect, but actually we ran councils well.
00:33A lot of the savings that Reform is talking about are savings that Conservatives found.
00:37So they're not even being honest about what it is that they're doing.
00:40What we want to see is people who are standing for council for public service, not because they think it's a game.
00:46But Reform have hit back saying they've been cleaning up the mess the party left for them at Kent County Council
00:54and are getting on with the job of improving services for residents.
00:59But Badenoch wasn't doing laps here just to spite reform.
01:04The Conservative leader was here to put the party into reverse gear when it comes to phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles.
01:13A policy first announced by her party and accelerated by Labour.
01:18It's not achievable. That's four years to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles.
01:23It doesn't make sense. Even the EU looks like it's going to drop this policy.
01:27Let's do what makes sense. That's why we are scrapping the ZEV mandate.
01:31A spokesperson for the Department for Transport says the government remained committed to phasing out all new non-zero emission car and van sales by 2035.
01:42That more drivers than ever are choosing electric.
01:46But those in the motoring industry here in Kent are sceptical.
01:50The government has a grip on the wheel when it comes to the sector.
01:55I regret to say that I don't think our current Labour government really understand the challenges to the motor industry that emanate from having the ban on petrol and diesel cars at 2030.
02:05Electric vehicles are fantastic.
02:07They're going to play a major role in the future of our country in Europe in terms of our journey towards net zero.
02:14But it's going to take a lot longer.
02:16It's a long road back to power.
02:18But Kemi Badenoch will be hoping her motorist friendly policies might help her across the finish line,
02:26even when she's struggled to drive electoral success so far.
02:31Oli Lieder in Brands Hatch.
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