MIKE RUTHERFORD

WELCOME to 2026, in which I'm expecting yet another major political U-turn, more public transport inefficiency and rip-offs, a renaissance in the threatened - but now seemingly safe - small-car sector, and lots of great deals from a leasing industry offering some new models for pennies per hour.

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In other words, I make no apologies for returning to the Government's proposed ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel-powered cars in 48 months. It's the most controversial, discriminatory, unachievable motoring-related 'policy' in living memory.

What we're talking about is one of the ultimate examples of state-sponsored, consumer-unfriendly bullying by a regime needlessly picking a fight with a large group of decent people (in this case, tens of millions of motorists) - just as it did with pensioners, farmers and others, the vast majority of us with voting cards up our sleeves.