Boris Johnson hits out at ‘bone-headed’ ULEZ – regardless of it being his concept

Boris Johnson has used his newest column within the Daily Mail to assault Sadiq Khan’s “bone-headed” ultra-low emissions zone (ULEZ) – regardless of arising with concept whereas he was London mayor himself.

The former prime minister, who dramatically resigned as an MP final month, pointed to divisions inside Labour’s ranks over the enlargement of the scheme, saying members of the social gathering hierarchy “have begun to ditch Khan”.

Earlier this week, Sky News reported that the Labour candidate in Uxbridge and South Ruislip – Mr Johnson’s former constituency – had referred to as for a delay to the zone’s extension because of the rising price of residing, regardless of beforehand defending the coverage.

The Conservatives – rocked by the controversial nature of Mr Johnson’s resignation – hope to win assist in Uxbridge by capitalising on residents’ opposition to the mayor’s plan to develop the zone on the finish of subsequent month.

ULEZ, which was launched in April 2019, presently covers central London and the world as much as, however not together with, the North and South Circular Roads.

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Mr Khan plans to develop the zone as much as the capital’s borders with Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey, a transfer that may deliver round 5 million extra Londoners into the scheme.

Mr Johnson cited the case of an 82-year-old man in Epsom who could be penalised by the each day £12.50 cost to go to his church in Orpington, Kent, as a result of his outdated automotive doesn’t adjust to the zone’s emissions requirements.

” A tax must be fair; it must be justified; and it must be timely – and this tax fails on all counts,” Mr Johnson.

“This ULEZ £12.50 tax on driving into London – and driving around outer London – is blatantly unfair in that it penalises such elderly motorists as the churchgoer in Epsom who are likely to have older  vehicles.”

He added: “It is the sheer bone-headed cruelty of Sadiq Khan’s scheme – rushed in with only nine months’ consultation – that is causing such indignation; and it is that indignation that is fomenting the panic in Labour ranks.

“For months the Labour stooges have performed alongside along with his claims. They have supported the ULEZ tax. Sir Keir Starmer has backed it fervently, in as far as he’s able to being fervent about something.”

However, it was in fact Mr Johnson who conceived ULEZ as an idea when he was London mayor from 2008 until 2016.

The former prime described ULEZ as “an important measure to assist enhance air high quality in our metropolis, defend the well being of Londoners, and lengthen our lead as the best metropolis on earth” when he announced it in 2015.

Mr Johnson tacitly conceded ULEZ had been the idea of the “final Conservative mayor”, but added: “It by no means occurred to us to impose the ULEZ on the entire metropolis, as a result of – as Khan has now found – there are huge tracts of London the place it’s merely the flawed device.”

Where will the expanded ULEZ zone cowl?

A supply near the mayor instructed Sky News: “This is utter nonsense from the disgraced former mayor.

“It was Boris Johnson who first introduced the introduction of the ULEZ to sort out air air pollution, and round 4,000 Londoners nonetheless die prematurely yearly because of poisonous air.

“Boris Johnson also made the woeful deal with government to remove TfL’s entire operational grant at a cost of nearly £1bn a year.”

A handful of Labour politicians have begun to talk out in opposition to the scheme’s enlargement, which is because of happen on the finish of subsequent month.

At a hustings chaired by Sky News’ political correspondent Rob Powell earlier this week, Labour’s Uxbridge candidate Danny Beales mentioned it was “not the right time” to develop the scheme because of residents’ issues over the rising price of residing.

His issues have been echoed by Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh, who mentioned Mr Khan’s coverage would “make lives harder”.

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Sir Keir has additionally struggled to state his place on the ULEZ enlargement, telling LBC that the mayor has “no choice” however to go forward along with his plans, whereas additionally defending Mr Beales’s determination to talk out in opposition to them.

Addressing a listener query on LBC, Sir Keir mentioned: “I accept that the mayor has no choice but to go ahead because of the legal obligation on him.

“I feel Danny is correct to stay up for his constituents.

“I understand the pain it is going to inflict.”

There are fears inside Labour that the coverage might be damaging to the social gathering within the Uxbridge by-election, with one senior Labour MP telling Sky News: “We could be in a situation where we win the others [by-elections] but we lose Uxbridge because of the ULEZ.”

The Uxbridge by-election will happen on 20 July, alongside contests in Selby and Ainsty and Somerton and Frome, the place the Conservatives are defending majorities of round 20,000 votes.