Green Party deputy leader admits she knows nothing about her party's plans to limit motorway speed limits to 55mph

Published: 11:21, 4 April 2026 | Updated: 11:28, 4 April 2026 The Green Party’s Deputy Leader has admitted she knows nothing about her party’s plans to limit speeds on motorways to 55mph. In a car crash interview, Rachel Millward was left speechless and then stuttering when she was quizzed about the plans, part of leader Zack Polanski’s ‘war on motorists’. Under the Greens’ planned policy, exclusively revealed by the Daily Mail, speed limits would be slashed by 15mph from the current 70mph limit and 20mph limits would be introduced in all built up areas. Driving would also be deterred by raising car taxes ‘incrementally’ and cutting parking spaces to drive cars off the road. And drivers could be forced into a nightmare scenario of having to re-take what would become ‘stricter and more comprehensive’ driving tests every five years. Practically, any such diktat could rupture a system already stretched to breaking point. Red-faced Millward was forced to admit in a BBC interview today that ‘she was not aware of the plans’ and tried to blame them on something ‘that was chosen by members’. Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, she appeared to be blindsided by questions about the Daily Mail’s story on reduced motorway speed limits, saying after a pause when pressed by presenter Anna Foster on whether the policy was ‘correct’: ‘I am not aware of that policy.  'It may or may not be one of our policies chosen by members which goes through a conference process and is then voted in. I am not sure about that.’ The Green Party's deputy leader Rachel Millward (pictured) has admitted she knows nothing of her party's plans to limit speeds on motorways to 55mph Under the Greens' plans, drivers could be forced into a nightmare scenario of having to re-take what would become ‘stricter and more comprehensive’ driving tests every five years. Pictured: the Party's leader, Zack Polanski With Ms Millward then attempting to deflect by talking about the party’s policies on public transport, an incredulous Ms Foster refused to let the matter lie, asking the clearly discomfited politician why as deputy leader she did not know her party’s own policies, asking her: ‘To be clear you are saying that that might be part of your policy?  'You are the deputy leader – if you were lower down I might not expect you to know but you are the deputy leader so you don’t even know if that is something that is being discussed as a policy?’ Attempting to backtrack on her previous comment that she did not know anything about the policy, Ms Millward replied: ‘It is certainly not one of our leading policies at this point.  'There are policies that have been developed over time through the party. But it is not something we are campaigning on in this election.’ Ms Millward, who is also a councillor in East Sussex, has previously hit the headlines for promoting the Greens’ ‘refugees are welcome here’ slogan while locally opposing the Government’s decision to house 600 male asylum seekers at an army base in Crowborough, East Sussex. She is said to have told the Home Office that ‘it is essential that you reverse your decision’ because it would place ‘additional strain on already stretched local services’. Elected as co deputy leader of the Greens last year alongside Mothin Ali, she has called on all Greens to ‘fly in formation behind Zack’.  The Greens say ‘driving is a not a right but a privilege’ and Mr Polanski has previously boasted he wants to ‘make driving slower, more expensive and, in many cases, impossible’.  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' The primary objective of the party’s official transport policy is to reduce 'speeds and volume of motorised traffic'.  It says: 'On major roads outside built up areas, the maximum speed limit allowed would be 55mph, to maximise the efficiency of fuel use as well as improving safety.'  It 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.'  Mr Polanski even has plans to make people pay to park outside their homes as 'car parking is not a right that any driver has on the road' as part of his plans to 'steadily reduce' the amount of parking available.  Conservative transport spokesman Richard Holden accused Mr Polanski of being 'out of touch' with the public and said the plans would be a 'green light for madness'. The party also caused horror just weeks ago when it revealed it would drop the Church of England as the UK's official church if it was in power saying it should not hold a privileged position in a multicultural society.  Mr Polanski, a former hypnotist who once claimed he could enlarge women’s breasts by just staring at them, also wants to legalise all drugs including heroin and crack. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. 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