By DAILY MAIL COMMENT

Published: 19:06 EDT, 4 April 2026 | Updated: 20:53 EDT, 4 April 2026

Lord Ashcroft’s new poll, which The Mail on Sunday publishes exclusively today, reveals an extraordinary, unprecedented state of affairs in British politics.

Three parties – the Tories, Reform UK and the Greens – are level with each other. Each has the support of 21 per cent of the voters. 

Meanwhile the Labour Party, which currently holds a huge Parliamentary majority and forms the Government, can only count on the backing of 17 per cent.

Conservative forces in this country are going to need to think hard about how they respond to this news. Arithmetic of this sort could even put the Greens into office in some terrifying coalition.

This kind of thing may have been common for years in states with Proportional Representation (PR). 

In such countries they either have perpetual weak government, shared out among an unchanging cast of professional politicians, or they have stifling grand coalitions in which healthy opposition is eliminated.

Until recently, our First- Past-The-Post system preserved us from such things. It used to grant us blessings that PR cannot give – a clear two-way choice between distinct parties, strong, decisive government between elections and the ability to get rid of leaders we don’t like. But, especially since the Blair era, and even more so since the Brexit referendum, the major parties no longer mirror the divisions in opinion in this country.

It is time they did, but thoughtfully, not by pandering to extremes or chasing the nearest crowd.

In a three-way deadlock, the Tories, Reform UK and the Greens are currently neck and neck, with each party commanding 21% of the electorate in the polls

The Daily Mail urges the Tory Party and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK to explore constructive co-operation

This is why we urge the Tory Party and Reform UK to explore constructive co-operation while there is still time.

It is heartening to see how many people support lifting the foolish ban on drilling for North Sea oil. Green zealotry has for far too long prevented this sensible step. But the Iran war has underlined just how over-dependent this country

is on imported fuel, and how unwise it is for us to refuse to take advantage of a great blessing on our own doorstep.

Drilling for North Sea oil is a win-win

If we lift the ban, our supplies of energy will become more secure and our tax revenues will increase. It will create jobs. So the Treasury, employment, national security and economic growth would all benefit. It also makes sense in a world where this country will still require oil and gas for many years to come.

This is especially so now we see how quickly chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz can be closed without notice.

But we would also be taking a step back towards reason. It is only dogma, enforced by the ultra-green Ed Miliband, that has kept us from making this sensible decision.

The same ideology has also resulted in a number of other energy mistakes we need to put right. Over-dependence on renewables has been very costly. A rethink on all these issues is long overdue.

Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage both know it. If they want sensible conservatism back in power, they should take advantage of this encouraging swing in public opinion. For once, doing the right thing will be popular.

By SAM MERRIMAN, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Published: 15:03 EDT, 3 April 2026 | Updated: 23:22 EDT, 3 April 2026

The Green Party wants to reduce the speed limit on Britain’s motorways to just 55mph under Zack Polanski’s plans to wage a ‘war on motorists’.

Taxes on driving would be ‘increased incrementally’ while parking spaces would be ‘steadily reduced’ in a bid to drive people from the roads, newly unearthed proposals show.

The policies seen by the Daily Mail also state that motorists would be forced to re-take their driving test as often as every five years as ‘car driving is not a right but a privilege’.

And the speed limit on motorways and dual carriageways would be reduced by 15mph and controversial Welsh-style 20mph limits would be imposed in all built up areas under the plans.

The Conservatives have accused Mr Polanski of pursuing a ‘war on drivers’ and said the Green leader wants to ‘make driving slower, more expensive and, in many cases, impossible’.

However the Greens have stood by the policies – arguing their ‘evidence-based measures’ would reduce road traffic accidents and save drivers money on fuel.

The Conservatives have accused Mr Polanski of pursuing a ‘war on drivers’ and said the Green leader wants to ‘make driving slower, more expensive and, in many cases, impossible’

Zack Polanski and Gorton and Denton Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer pose for a picture on January 30

The official Green Party transport policy says: ‘On major roads outside of built up areas, the maximum speed limit allowed would be 55mph, to maximise the efficiency of fuel use as well as improving safety.’

Mr Polanski’s party would pursue a deliberate policy of travel ‘demand management’ if they were in government, with the primary objective being to reduce ‘speeds and volume of motorised traffic’.

As part of this, the policy adds: ‘Road fuel tax is an important factor in encouraging users to be more mileage conscious and to opt for smaller, more fuel efficient cars. The Green Party would increase road fuel tax incrementally.’

Driving tests would also be made ‘more comprehensive and stricter’ and they ‘would be done at regular intervals (e.g. 5 years) to ensure that drivers remain competent’, it states.

And Mr Polanski plans to ‘steadily reduce’ the amount of parking available and make people pay to park outside their own homes as ‘car parking is not a right that any driver has on the road’.

The policy says: ‘The Green Party would amend and enforce planning rules to steadily reduce car parking requirements.’

Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden accused Mr Polanski of being ‘out of touch’ with the public and said the plans would be a ‘Green light for madness’.

Join the discussion

How would a 55mph motorway speed limit change your daily life and the future of driving in Britain?

Taxes on driving would be ‘increased incrementally’ while parking spaces would be ‘steadily reduced’ in a bid to drive people from the roads, newly unearthed proposals show

Mr Polanski’s party would pursue a deliberate policy of travel ‘demand management’ if they were in government, with the primary objective being to reduce ‘speeds and volume of motorised traffic’

He said: ‘This will drive up costs for working families and bring the country to a standstill. It is completely out of touch with how people live.

‘Only the Conservatives will stand up for drivers, protect your freedom to move, and keep Britain moving.’

It comes after the Mail revealed that illegal migrants would be given a free house and paid a wage with no requirement to work under the Greens plans for ‘a world without borders’.

Mr Polanski’s party also plans to legalise all drugs including heroin and crack cocaine because they ‘enhance human relationships and human creativity’.

And Britain’s armed forces would see drastic cuts and the nuclear deterrent would be scrapped under the Green’s official ‘non-offensive defence strategy’.

Former Green Party leader Baroness Natalie Bennett said: ‘Green Party transport policy is focused on making public transport reliable, available, affordable and high quality.

‘Evidence shows that many people would choose public transport if it were more convenient and better value. Alongside this, Greens support evidence-based measures to reduce road traffic accidents and improve fuel efficiency, helping to cut costs for motorists.’

The federal Conservatives are pushing to allow Canada Post to ship alcohol between provinces, saying the Liberals have failed to live up to their pledge to remove interprovincial trade barriers.

B.C. MP Dan Albas, whose riding includes the Okanagan wine region, has introduced a private member’s bill that would amend the Canada Post Corporation Act to remove restrictions on direct interprovincial shipments of alcohol to consumers.

Albas said the change would “free the beer.”

“We need to be our own best customers. This is a valid way to do that,” he said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said there are more barriers to trade between provinces than there are with many countries.

“It is currently against the law for Canada Post to deliver Canadian alcohol to Canadian consumers in six of 10 provinces,” he said. “That is a federal law that Mark Carney refuses, so far, to change.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed during last spring’s federal election campaign to eliminate trade barriers and have free trade in Canada by July 1.

The Liberals and Conservatives worked together last June to pass an omnibus bill that reduces restrictions on internal trade and speeds up permitting for large infrastructure projects.

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The law targets federal restrictions on interprovincial trade and labour mobility, though most of the trade barriers within Canada are a product of regulations and laws that exist at the provincial and territorial level.

Premiers agreed at the Council of the Federation last year to tackle interprovincial trade barriers.

5:33
B.C. producers frustrated over new provincial trade deal exclusion

Some progress has been made, including a memorandum of understanding that commits all 10 provinces and Yukon to allowing consumers to buy Canadian alcohol directly from producers.

The agreement also says jurisdictions with personal use exemption limits on the amount of alcohol an individual can take across a provincial or territorial boundary “will work to either remove or increase these limits.”

The provinces and territories have agreed to develop frameworks to make that happen by May of this year.

Nova Scotia and Ontario signed a deal on March 2 to allow people to buy alcohol from producers in either province.

A spokesperson for One Canadian Economy Minister Dominic LeBlanc did not respond directly to questions about whether the government would support the Conservative legislation.

In an emailed statement, Gabriel Brunet pointed to the deal between Nova Scotia and Ontario and said it’s “something the federal government wholly supports and hopes to see replicated across the country.”

“We will continue to exercise federal leadership through the Committee on Internal Trade, which will meet on March 30, and all relevant (federal-provincial-territorial) forums to go further in breaking down internal trade barriers and unlocking Canada’s economic potential,” Brunet said.

Poilievre said the agreements that have been signed on interprovincial trade are “meaningless” and Carney pledged to fix the problem.

“He didn’t put an asterisk next to that and claim that he wouldn’t be able to do anything because the provinces would get in his way. He said he would be a strong national leader that would bring truly free trade,” he said.

The federal government estimates that eliminating all federal, provincial and territorial trade barriers could boost GDP by as much as $200 billion.

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Nigel Farage today unveiled a Reform ‘shadow cabinet’ for the first time, with ex-Tory minister Robert Jenrick handed a key role. 

Mr Jenrick, who defected to Reform from the Conservatives last month, has been made Reform’s ‘shadow chancellor’ to take on Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Three other roles were announced this morning, with Skegness MP and former leader Richard Tice in line to be deputy prime minister if Reform wins the next election.

He would also be in charge of a ‘super department’ covering business, trade and energy. 

Party chairman Zia Yusuf, whose parents were immigrants, was unveiled as ‘shadow home secretary’ with a brief to tackle legal and illegal migration, despite not being one of Reform’s eight MPs or a member of the House of Lords. 

And Mr Jenrick’s fellow Tory turncoat Suella Braverman has taken on a role as education and equalities spokeswoman – and said one of her first jobs in government would be to scrap the job of equalities minister.

Mr Farage has been facing calls to sort out a proper frontbench team, now he fronts a team of eight MPs, to knock down claims he is the leader of a one-man-band.

He admitted today that Reform needed the ‘experience’ brought to his team by former Tories. 

Mr Jenrick was previously a Cabinet minister as Housing Secretary under Boris Johnson and was Conservative shadow justice secretary until he jumped ship.

Mr Jenrick, who defected to Reform from the Conservatives last month, has been linked with the party’s treasury role, shadowing Chancellor Rachel Reeves

Mr Farage has been facing calls to sort out a proper frontbench team, now he fronts a team of eight MPs, to knock down claims he is the leader of a one-man-band

Party chairman Zia Yusuf, whose parents were immigrants, was unveiled as ‘shadow home secretary’ with a brief to tackle legal and illegal migration, despite not being one of Reform’s eight MPs or a member of the House of Lords

But his only Treasury experience was an 18-month stint as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, the most junior minister, under Theresa May. 

Today he thanked Farage for allowing him to oppose Rachel Reeves, labelling her an economic ‘wrecking ball’.

He said Reform would put together ‘the most comprehensive plan of any political party’ to ‘fix Britain’s broken economy’. 

He is not the official shadow chancellor, as that role is held by the Conservatives’ Mel Stride. And the same is true of his fellow frontbenchers.

But smaller parties have previously labelled their frontbench teams the ‘shadow cabinet’, including the Liberal Democrats and the SNP. 

Mr Farage told the audience in London that Reform was now ‘the real opposition to Labour’.

Mr Yusuf said ‘more people have turned up on our beaches uninvited in the last seven years than stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.’

Mr Yusuf said: ‘Those people, instead of being detained and deported, have been given free accommodation, free meals, free access to healthcare, free taxis, free leisure activities at the expense of the British people, to the tune of tens of billions of pounds every single year.’

He described the situation as the ‘the most profound betrayal of the British electorate in history’.

He added: ‘If you are in this country illegally right now and you are watching this, I want to be crystal clear: as Reform’s home secretary, I will ensure that you are deported from these lands.’

Mr Tice said the party would create a new ‘super department’ in Government with an aim of getting growth of up to 4 per cent.

Mr Tice, who is the party’s deputy leader, said the party would focus on using oil and gas to help boost the economy and would abandon net-zero targets.

He said the party would also create a ‘serious’ British wealth fund.

Mr Tice said: ‘If we achieve those things then we can reindustrialise Britain, we can reenergise Britain, we can renew Britain and yes, we can rebuild Britain. These are absolutely essential to create growth.’

But Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: ‘After months of infighting and leaks, Nigel Farage has unveiled a front bench dominated by ex-Conservatives – a line-up that looks more like a tribute act to the old Conservative Party than a credible alternative.’

It comes as a new poll today suggested Reform’s poll lead has been cut to just five points. 

YouGov had Farage’s party on 24 per cent, down three points in a week. Labour and the Tories are unchanged on 19 per cent and 18 per cent respectively, with the Greens up a point on 17 per cent.

Skegness MP and former Reform leader Richard Tice in line to be deputy prime minister if Reform wins the next election

Mr Jenrick’s fellow Tory turncoat Suella Braverman has taken on a role as education and equalities spokeswoman

Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said Nigel Farage’s front bench appointments had ‘failed Britain before’ and would do the same again.

Ms Turley said: ‘Farage’s top team of failed Tories spent over 3,000 days inflicting untold damage on our country in government, trashing our economy, hammering families’ mortgages, and leaving our borders open.

‘They failed Britain before – they’d do the same again under Reform.’

The Opposition Conservatives are calling on the federal Liberal government to reduce taxes on severance packages for laid-off General Motors workers in Ingersoll, Ont.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre penned a letter Sunday, co-signed by labour critic Kyle Seeback and local MP Arpan Khanna, addressed to Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne calling for an exemption to the withholding taxes that ding severance pay.

In a draft version of the letter seen by The Canadian Press, the Conservatives argue taxes on a big chunk of GM’s lump-sum severance payments could deprive out-of-work employees of “tens of thousands of dollars,” adding “insult to injury.”

The federal Tories said waiting until after tax season to recover funds is not a reasonable solution for workers who recently lost their regular paycheques and still need money for their mortgages and grocery bills.

“These men and women worked hard, played by the rules and built things this country depends on. The least your government can do is stop taking their money at the worst possible moment,” the letter said.

“That is why I am asking you to use your existing authority to reduce the amount of tax withheld on these payments for workers affected by the GM CAMI layoffs.”

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The letter comes just ahead of the start of tax-filing season and days after Carney unveiled his new strategy for the automotive sector.

GM announced last year it would end its BrightDrop electric-vehicle production at the CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll, citing weaker-than-expected market demand and a challenging regulatory environment in the U.S.

More than a thousand employees have been laid off.

3:35
Canada and Korea sign MOU on auto manufacturing

Meanwhile, GM’s Oshawa Assembly is shuttering one of three shifts, laying off some 500 employees in a move expected to affect upward of a thousand workers across the supply chain.

Unifor, the union representing the GM employees, has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of upending Ontario’s auto sector and hitting the Ingersoll GM plant on multiple fronts. Trump introduced 25 per cent tariffs on non-U.S. auto content and policies that upended the U.S. EV industry.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a new automotive industrial strategy last Thursday, which he vowed would “drive investment” in the sector and set a “sovereign path” to reduce auto emissions.

The strategy would remove the EV sales mandate in exchange for stricter auto-emissions standards and re-introduce the EV rebate program.

It comes on the heels of a deal the prime minister made in Beijing, granting a set quota of Chinese EVs into the country at a minimal tariff rate. Carney has also said Ottawa has been in talks with Korean and Chinese investors interested in Canada’s auto sector.

The Conservatives dismissed Carney’s new auto strategy in their letter for being unhelpful to auto-sector workers who have been left reeling as their industry buckles.

“Canadians are still waiting for your government to deliver the trade deal with the United States you promised by July 21 (2025) and a clear plan to protect Canadian jobs,” the Conservative MPs wrote.

“Instead of presenting a serious plan to defend our auto workers, you’ve just announced a rebate that will subsidize American-made EVs.”

Canada is entering into talks this year over renewing the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, as the free-trade pact comes up for review among the signatories.

Carney said Thursday his objective remains getting all tariffs removed, but that is clearly not Trump’s objective, so Canada must “prepare for all possibilities.”

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