EVA England has welcomed the arrival of Louise Haigh as Transport Secretary in new prime minister Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet.

Louise Haigh has been named Transport Secretary

Haigh has been the MP for Sheffield Heeley since 2015 and held the shadow transport brief since 2021.

Her background also includes the role of shadow policing officer, which she held from 2017, drawing on her experience as a former Special Constable. Haigh then became shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland in April 2020.

Labour’s election pledges included its previously announced commitment to restore the 2030 ICE phase-out for cars, supported by accelerating charge point rollout and aiding second-hand EV buyers by standardising the information supplied on the condition of batteries.

Labour has also said it would secure the future of Britain’s automotive and steel industries through its National Wealth Fund, which includes an allocation for £1.5bn to new gigafactories “so our automotive industry leads the world”.

The party also pledged to renew the roads network, tackle the soaring cost of car insurance and deliver a new road safety strategy.

James Court, chief executive of electric vehicle advocacy group EVA England, commented: “On behalf of EVA England, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Louise Haigh as the new Secretary of State for Transport.

“This is an exciting time for the newly elected Labour government to keep up the pace of our net zero goals, and push on with the ambitious changes EV drivers are demanding. Our members report overwhelming satisfaction with their driving experience, and the growing number of EVs on UK roads is testament to strong future prospects for EVs.

“EVA England looks forward to working with the Transport Secretary to make these prospects a reality, ensuring our charging and support networks develop at pace, and that new EV drivers remain just as satisfied.”