The UK Conservative Party has unveiled a new strategy to counteract antisocial behavior, with a focus on fly-tipping and disruptive social housing tenants. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the measures, stating that fly-tippers could receive penalty points on their driving licenses, lose their licenses, and even face prison time for severe offenses. Additionally, the party proposed a “three strikes and out” policy for social housing tenants involved in antisocial behavior, to be enforced by local authorities and housing associations.

Current penalties for fly-tipping include fixed-penalty notices up to £1,000 or unlimited fines imposed by courts for severe cases, where offenders may also face up to five years in prison. The latest data revealed 1.1 million incidents of fly-tipping in the 2022/23 period, mostly occurring on roads and pavements.

Labour’s shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, dismissed the announcement, criticizing the Conservative government for ineffective implementation of their policies and for reducing neighborhood policing. The Liberal Democrats also criticized the low penalties for fly-tipping under the Conservative government, arguing that it has essentially legalized littering.

In parallel, the Labour Party, led by Sir Keir Starmer, has pledged to address the cost-of-living crisis by establishing a publicly owned energy company, Great British Energy. The company aims to invest in wind, solar, floating offshore wind, hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. Funding is expected through a windfall tax on large oil and gas firms, with an initial capital of £8.3 billion over the parliament. This initiative seeks to reduce energy bills and increase energy security, drawing support but also skepticism from various political groups and environmental organizations regarding the effectiveness and sufficiency of the proposed measures.