Auto Express – July 30, 2019

114 SpecialIssue http://www.autoexpress.co.uk

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FIRSTRIDE

TESTED

CELEBRATION

To be fair to Boris

Johnson, he gotoff

to areasonable start

in his maiden speech

from the Commons

despatchbox

Do youagree with Mike?

Have your sayatfacebook.com/autoexpress @The_Rutherford

Rutherford

Mike

ESTED

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Newsl Producttests

Drivesl Features &Sport

CeedSportswagon

vsestaterivals

Citroen 100 notout

All-newDefender

We taketothe road (and track)

with Land Rover’s test team.

NewKia facesSkoda Octavia and

Renault Mégane in wagon battle

We join the party as famous French

brand celebrates its 100th birthday

I’VEjustboughtthree‘CongratsOnTheNewJob’

cards–forJo,BoJo,andablokecalledGrant.

JoSwinsonisaladyIoncesharedastagewith.Then,

shewasaMinisterintheTory-LibDemGovernment.

And,likeme,shewasspeakingataTradingStandards

Institute/CitizensAdviceseminaronmotoring.

Genuinely,Iwassurprisedbyandimpressedwith

herinterestincars,carsales/servicing,andtherights

ofcarusers.Troubleis,theLibDemPartyshewas

electedleaderofaweekortwoagoistraditionally

hostiletowardscars,driversandtheirpassengers.

Myadvicetoher?Stopyourpartyputtingthe

bootinonprivatecarsandcarusers.Ifyoubelieve

combustionengineshavehadtheirday,offerhealthy,

graduatedfinancialsubsidiestobuyerswillingto

investinpart-electric,pure-electricorhydrogencars.

Thiswon’ttransformtheLibDemsfromanti-car

topro-car.Butitcouldwinthemmillionsofvotes

they’velostduetotheirmotorist-loathingpolicies.

MsSwinsonknowsthis.BecauseI’vetoldher.

Anothernewpartyleader,BoJo(BorisJohnson),

Ialsohavelimitedlinkswith.Foryearswewereboth

weeklycolumnistsontheTelegraph.Also,whenhe

wasLondonMayor,histeam ‘calledmein’toCity

HalltogiveevidenceontheprosandconsofEVs.

Truthis,he’sabitofacarenthusiast–unlikeother

recentPMs.Andthewordisthathe,likeme,opposes

HS2,theobscenelydearproposedrailwaylineexpected

tocostcirca£100billion.Ifit’sbuilt,fewwillbeabletoaffordtheeye-wateringlyexpensive

tickets.Also,HS2wouldbelargelyredundantfromdayoneasimminentself-driving,

sweet-smelling,cheaptorun,24/7,door-to-doorEVstravellinginchesapartareawiser,

moreaffordablebetthanrancid,occasionaltrainssteeredbystrike-happyrail‘workers’.

Tobefair,BoJogotofftoareasonablestartinhismaidenspeechfromthedespatchbox

whenhementionedcarsandroadtransportbeforepromisingthatBritainwillbe“the

home”oftheelectriccar.ThenhespokeenthusiasticallyaboutJLR,BMW-MINI,Nissan

andthegreatthingstheydoinBritain.HeevenmentionedtheDword–diesel–innon-

judgementalfashion.Cars,theirusersandtheirmakersarebackontheagenda,itseems.

ThistimelastweekIsaidthat“it’stimeforChrisGrayling’slongreignasTransport

Secretarytoend”.Onthesamedaythemanwidelyregardedastheworst,least

successfulTransportSecofrecenttimesvacatedhispost.ThepowerofAutoExpress,eh.

GraylingwasimmediatelyreplacedbyGrantShappswho,itmustbesaid,hashada

chequeredcareer.ButheisaheavyweightMPwithpastministerialexperience,acan-

doattitude,determinationandguts(herecentlybeatlife-threateningcancer).He’llbe

appalledthatontheJulyafternoonhewasappointedtherailindustrytoldcommuters

tostayawayfromtrainsbecauseitwastoohotforthemtorunsafely.Sadbuttrue.

Fornow,I’mcautiouslyoptimistic.AndintheweeksaheadI’llgiveyoumytakeonthe

Labour,Green,SNPandBrexitparties,andtheirviewsoncars,caroccupants,andtransport

ingeneral.Thesearesubjectssomeofthemrarelytalkabout.That’sgottachange.

Motoring’smostoutspoken

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